Ty Northcott, organizer of ‘No More Lockdowns’ rodeo, acquitted of all COVID charges
Northcott’s rodeo, which spanned two days in May 2021 and brought some 2,000 daily attendees, received incredible pushback from law enforcement and the Alberta Health bureaucracy.
Ty Northcott, organizer of the ‘No More Lockdowns’ rodeo, is no longer standing trial for failure to comply with COVID restrictions after a judge previously ruled against the pandemic orders.
In a written statement, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) concluded that "there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction in relation to Public Health Act charges."
Northcott’s rodeo, which spanned two days in May 2021 and brought some 2,000 daily attendees near Bowden, received incredible pushback from law enforcement and the Alberta Health bureaucracy.
However, a July 31 ruling condemned Alberta's COVID mandates, forcing Crown prosecutors to drop non-violent COVID charges against pastors and small businesses.
Justice Barbara Romaine invalidated the province's health orders because they breached the Public Health Act owing to an improper decision-making framework.
Her 90-page ruling concluded that the final decision-making power rested solely within cabinet and elected-member committees — impermissible under the act, thereby nullifying any legal standing for the "justified" measures.
Justice Barbara Romaine says the province's improper decision-making framework contravened Alberta's Public Health Act — nullifying any legal standing for the 'justified' COVID measures and mandates.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 2, 2023
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As first reported by the CBC, two prosecutors confirmed they would invite judges to stay three of those prosecutions, including Northcott.
ACPS intends to end their pursuit of 14 prosecutions, including the cases of Pastor James Coates and Whistle Stop Café owner Christopher Scott.
On August 31, Crown prosecutor Peter Mackenzie invited the Red Deer court to acquit the accused of all charges who did not attend court.
Mackenzie, who oversaw the Northcott Rodeo prosecution, pursued a judicial stay after the prosecution convicted Northcott last month for violating the Public Health Act.
Rebel News contacted their legal team at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms for comment from Northcott but did not hear from him at the time of writing.
Chris Scott, Whistlestop Cafe owner, has all charges acquitted from allegedly breaching public health orders.
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However, the Justice Centre wrote to its website that it is "pleased with the results of its efforts" dating back to 2020.
"Thanks to this court ruling, Crown prosecutors are no longer continuing to prosecute other Albertans assisted by the Justice Centre since 2020, including Pastor James Coates, Pastor Timothy Stephens, and Ty Northcott for his ‘No More Lockdowns’ rodeo rally,” the statement reads.
"We are grateful to these courageous individuals, who stood up against unreasonable and utterly unscientific measures that took away our fundamental rights and freedoms for lengthy periods," said lawyer John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre.
According to the Justice Centre, the Ingram v. Alberta ruling — named after gym owner Rebecca Ingram — struck down the measures, concluding their efforts to vilify Alberta's lockdown measures because they repeatedly violated freedoms of association, expression, conscience, religion, and peaceful assembly.
The court action began in December 2020 when the plaintiffs, including Ingram, filed a lawsuit arguing the COVID restrictions and mandates unlawfully breached Charter rights.
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