Alberta judge cleared in case where sex assault victim was shackled and jailed
EDMONTON — An Alberta judge has been cleared of misconduct in the case of a sexual assault victim who was shackled in court and imprisoned during her testimony.
The Alberta Judicial Council says provincial court Judge Raymond Bodnarek acted on the advice of the lawyers and tried to minimize hardship to the victim where possible.
The council says Bodnarek could have pushed lawyers on why the woman had to be shackled in court, but the fact he didn’t doesn’t amount to judicial misconduct.
“Where Judge Bodnarek made a specific ruling at each stage of the proceedings, the ruling was intended to serve the objectives of the best administration of justice,” the council said in a decision issued Friday.