VICTORIA - B.C. Liberal Attorney General Geoff Plant says his ministry plans to review the rulings, of a former judge who has pleaded guilty to sex-related charges. David William Ramsay appeared in court on Prince George on Monday, pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm, three counts of buying sex from minors and one count of breach of trust.  In an agreed-to statement of facts, Ramsay admitted to buying sex from girls as young as 12 – teenage girls who had appeared before him in court.  B.C. Liberal Attorney General Geoff Plant says he can't say much about the case involving the ex-judge – but did say he wants to know more about Ramsay's judicial decisions.   "I have asked that question and don't have an answer yet, in part because the ministry does want to ensure that we allow the process that's before the court to continue to conclusion."   Plant says he'll able to say more after Ramsay is sentenced – which is scheduled to happen in June.  Ramsay is free on bail until then.

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http://www.afn.ca/Media/2004/may/may-5-04.htm


The Assembly of First Nations and the Native Women’s Association of Canada stated today that former British Columbia Judge David William Ramsay deserves “the harshest sentence possible” and are calling for a full public inquiry into the administration of justice as it affects Aboriginal women who have experienced sexual assault.

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http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ramsayafn05072004
Throw the book at judge, AFN demands
WebPosted May 7 2004 11:55 AM PDT

PRINCE GEORGE - The Assembly of First Nations is joining other aboriginal groups in calling for the "harshest sentence possible" for a former Prince George judge who pleaded guilty to charges of sex crimes and breach of trust.

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http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/features/onlineextras/story.html?id=0c7cec2d-7918-4cf8-a74a-97be6f943fd9

B.C. judge admits to preying on teen prostitutes
 
Ian Mulgrew
Ottawa Citizen

May 4, 2004
 
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Former judge David William Ramsay whispered “guilty” five times Monday stunning the opening day of his B.C. Supreme Court trial by admitting he led a sordid, violent double life - buying sex from girls as young as 12 and threatening them if they dared tell.

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http://www.langleytimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=47&cat=48&id=233068&more=
 
The photos and video coverage show an expression incongruous with the proceedings. Witnessing the former judge's beguiling smile on exiting the courthouse, one was dumbstruck at the apparent inappropriateness.
Whether you believe this was the look of a man trying to put a brave face on a terrible situation, the vacant gaze of a man who has no real grasp of what harm he's done or something altogether different, we're sure the image of that countenance will not soon fade from memory.

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http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/05/03/ramsay040503
 
Former B.C. judge admits to beating, sexually abusing teens
Last Updated Mon, 03 May 2004 22:28:14

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - A former B.C. court judge has stunned friends and colleagues by confessing he is guilty of sexually assaulting teenage girls, including one count of causing bodily harm.

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National Post

 

May 4, 2004

 

Ex-judge pleads guilty to preying on troubled girls

 

B.C. Provincial Court

Bought Sex from youth who appeared in his courtroom

 

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. Former judge David William Ramsay whispered "guilty" five times yes­terday, admitting he led a double life buying sex from girls as young as 12 and threatening them if they dared tell. His wife sat grim-faced in B.C. Supreme Court, eyes glued to the court's scarlet carpet, while Ramsay stood in the prisoner's dock and acknowledged a series of facts that bespoke a tortured and repressed personality.

 

By day, Ramsay was a provin­cial court judge, handling everything from family affairs to the most serious crimes, and a seemingly upstanding citizen. By night, he preyed upon girls who had appeared before him. One 16-year-old had her head smashed off a dashboard, was raped and left abandoned bleeding in the middle of the night with the "decent, caring" Ramsay's taunts ringing in her ear. She still has nightmares about it. paid her $80 for “oral sex and a lay.”

 

“That judge is one of my johns," she remembered crowing to her mother during child-welfare proceedings in front of him. Later, he picked her up and said she'd been "a bad girl." He then paid her $150 to "simulate aggressive sex," which included spanking her. But he began to go too far and the girl was forced to bolt. He yelled as she fled: "Go ahead. Tell someone. No one will believe you. Once a whore, always a whore:'

 

Along with Ramsay's other victims, she sat in the front row of the half-filled public gallery. Until the unexpected change of plea, they were steeling themselves to relive ugly times each has tried to bury.

 

Special Crown prosecutor Den­nis Murray said Ramsay's offences demanded between three and five years' imprisonment "He was uniquely in a position to know the extent of the damage he could cause," Mr. Murray said. Ramsay's lawyer, Leonard Doust said he would argue for a shorter prison term. B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm will hear sentencing submissions on June 1. Ramsay is free on $50,000 bail but under virtual house arrest while awaiting sentencing. The agreed-upon-statement of facts, read to the court by Mr. Murray, unveiled a pattern of aberrant behaviour and misconduct by Ramsay.

 

He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm to one girl, three counts of buying sex from three other girls under the age of 18 and one charge of breach of trust. By court order, the women can be identified only by letters - A, J, H, and C. Stays of proceeding were entered 'on five related" charges.

 

Mr. Doust tried to minimize Ramsay's crimes as the "manifes­tation of a significant character flaw.’ He suggested Ramsay could not mount a full defence because of a faulty memory. "He accepts responsibility;' the Vancouver lawyer told the court. "He cannot deny it." the bench in 1991, received reports on these girls outlining their ages, their psychiatric histories, their troubled backgrounds – the degree to which each was in crisis. The girls all came from depressingly similar backgrounds - their parents were dysfunctional, violent and poor. They too were abused sexually and physically.

 

In the first case, "J" was a 16­ year-old working the streets in late 1999 when Ramsay picked her up, drove her outside of town and offered her $150 for sex. When she pulled out a condom, Ramsay became enraged because he was paying a premium. He grabbed the girl by the hair and smashed her head off the dash­board. She struggled and managed to get out of the vehicle. Ramsay followed, pinned her to the ground and raped her while calling her a "whore.' He left her naked, weeping and drove off tossing her clothes out the window.

 

In early 2000, the girl entered rehab and cleaned up her life. As a result, she tried to regain custody of her son, who had been seized by the child welfare authorities because of her addiction and prostitution problems. On May 28, 2002, when she ap­peared in court to regain custody of her son, the judge was Ramsay. Although he granted the order, the young woman bolted from the room and broke down on the courthouse steps."How dare he smile at me and say how well I was doing after what he did to me,' she sobbed to social workers.           

 

She told them what had happened and they pursued her allegations. The investigation "snowballed" from there, Mr. Murray said.

 

Can West News Service

(The Vancouver Sun)

 

http://keancanada.blog-city.com
http://forthesakeofthechildren.blog-city.com

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Judge pleads guilty to sex charges
WebPosted May 3 2004 07:25 PM PDT
 

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - In a surprise development, a former Provincial Court judge in Prince George has pleaded guilty to four sex charges and one charge of breach of trust.

David William Ramsay stood in court and admitted to one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm, three counts of buying sex from minors and one count of breach of trust relating to the duties of his office.

 

Five other charges against the former judge have been stayed.

 

The four victims – young aboriginal women – were 12 to 16 years old when the crimes against them were committed.

They had all appeared before Ramsay in court.

According to an agreed-to statement of facts presented in court by special prosecutor Dennis Murray, Ramsay bought sex from girls aged 12, 14, 15 and 16 – who had appeared before him in court.

On different occasions, he slapped them, chased them, simulated rough sex or left them naked on the highway.

He slammed one girl's head against the dashboard until she bled before sexually assaulting her – because she asked him to use a condom.

He then called her a whore and smiled, the court was told.

Another girl was left naked near the highway and threatened with death if she told anyone.

Murray says the ex-judge knew the girls were young and vulnerable – living on the street and sexually abused by others – and that some were suicidal and abusing drugs.

As the special prosecutor noted, Ramsay was in a unique position to know the damage he would cause.

The Crown is asking for a five-year jail sentence for the former judge who is free on bail. He will be sentenced on June 1.

Ramsay is a long-time Prince George resident, who worked as a lawyer until he was appointed to the Provincial Court bench in 1991. He had been the focus of an RCMP investigation for four years. And in 2002, the Chief Judge removed Ramsay from the bench after learning he was under investigation.

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_judge_pm20040503

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_judge20030313

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?r=-1116325838&filename=bc_ramsay20040503

 

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B.C. judge charged

Canadian Press

Prince George, B.C. - A former provincial court judge was charged Thursday with nine sex-related counts involving juveniles, as well as one count of breach of public duty. David Ramsay of Prince George appeared in provincial court here to face charges in a direct indictment filed by a special prosecutor. The charges against Mr. Ramsay include obtaining for money the sexual services of a person under 18, sexual assault, sexual assault involving threats or a weapon and sexual touching and invitation to sexual touching of a person under 14.

The charges involve four complainants and include incidents between June 1992 and February 2000. A publication ban protects the victims' identity. A date for the judge-alone trial in B.C. Supreme Court will be set May 23. A direct indictment dispenses with the need for a preliminary hearing. "The principle reason for a direct indictment is that this accused used to sit on the provincial court," said special prosecutor Dennis Murray. "It would be very uncomfortable for the provincial court to hear the case, even at a preliminary hearing."

The ex-judge has been released with bail conditions, which were also subject to a publication ban. Mr. Murray was appointed Oct. 9, 2002, a week after the serious crime unit of the RCMP's Prince George detachment informed the criminal justice branch of its investigation of the allegations since 1999. Mr. Ramsay was a sitting judge during most of the three-year-probe but resigned before Mr. Murray was given the file.

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030313.wjudg313/BNStory/National


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Pedo BC Judge Charged
Crime 03/14/03
http://www.poe-news.com/stories.php?poeurlid=19178

A former provincial court judge was charged Thursday with nine sex-related counts involving juveniles, as well as one count of breach of public duty. David Ramsay of Prince George appeared in provincial court here to face charges in a direct indictment filed by a special prosecutor. The charges against Mr. Ramsay include obtaining for money the sexual services of a person under 18, sexual assault, sexual assault involving threats or a weapon and sexual touching and invitation to sexual touching of a person under 14.

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WebPosted Mar 13 2003 07:23 PM PST
British Columbia Online News - CBC.CA

Judge facing sex charges

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - A series of 10 sex charges have been laid against a former judge in B.C. Supreme Court in Prince George David Ramsay drives away David Ramsay has been charged with obtaining sexual services for money from people under the age of 18, sexual touching of a person under 14, sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual assault accompanied by threats or use of a weapon. There are four alleged victims. The former judge was in court on Thursday as the charges were read. He entered through a side door, and sat with his lawyer - his hands clasped in front of him - as the charges were read. He has elected trial by judge alone. He has now been released on bail. The conditions are covered by a publication ban. Ramsay is a long-time Prince George resident, who worked as a lawyer until he was appointed to the Provincial Court bench in 1991. He had been the focus of an RCMP investigation for four years. When the judiciary learned Ramsey was under investigation last July, the Chief Judge removed Ramsay from the bench. Ramsey later resigned. The police report went to special prosecutor Dennis Murray last fall. After reviewing the report for five months, Murray recommended charges be laid.

Monday, May 03, 2004

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - A former provincial court judge pleaded guilty Monday to five sex charges involving young girls. David Ramsay admitted to one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm, three counts of obtaining sexual services of someone under the age of 18 for money and one count of breach of trust relating to the duties of his office. The charges involved four girls under the age of 18 in Prince George between 1992 and 2001. He had faced a total of 10 counts, including sexual assault involving threats or a weapon. The other charges were stayed. Ramsay resigned in October 2002, the same day a special prosecutor was appointed to review the police investigation. The case was being heard by Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm of the B.C. Supreme Court, who replaced a judge that had been selected earlier. Dohm had begun a painstaking process earlier this year to find a trial judge who didn't bear a connection, however slight, to Ramsay. Sentencing is set for June 1 in Prince George, with the Crown seeking a term of three to five years in prison. Ramsay remains free on bail.


The Canadian Press 2004