In a case where government of the people appears to be on trial for secrecy,

the judge seems to be having a difficult time deciding whether the citizens are entitled to know the facts which,

if you ask me,

facts are what inform responsible citizens in how best to fulfill their own responsibilities in a civil society.

My, what a blindingly fast decision...one would almost think it had been made months ago!

We will soon see if the ruling by Freedom of Information Act officials, that Skakun was NOT an officer or director and therefore could not be charged for violating the act, stands, or if Ball exercises judicial activism to supercede the law in order to appease a few vengeful and spiteful creeps at city hall.

All in all, a HUGE waste of taxpayers money spent on something that could have been dealt with by a simple closed-door reprimand.

The winds of November are just around the corner, and promise to be a little more chilly for some...

Nice to see the kool-aid drinkers are out first thing this morning.

He admitted he did it.

I wonder how all those people who contributed to his defence feel now?

Think they can ask for a refund?

This is just a case of an elite as***l trying to keep council in line. Skakun will get off and when its over I hope he sues the City for defamation of character.

I have donated to his cause once and will do so again.
Cheers

The chances of him getting off with a small fine is quite likely. But I would assume that Skakun will not stir the pot anymore and quietly disappear from the limelight and I hope we all have the decency to let him have a quiet life.

I still think he was set up to fail by people in upper city hall. He just wanted to correct a wrong, and ended up doing the wrong thing. Its too bad, he is a good man.

If Skakun did this to you and your family how would you feel. Skakun can not be trusted, he's not a whistle blower, he's a grand stander who took liberties! He had no right to release a confidential paper, if he'd done this in the real world he'd be out of a job and find it hard to find a new one! Sorry Brian but you can not be trusted!

I wish that I had the extra cash to donate to Brians defence, but if he decides to run for mayor I would be sure to vote in the advanced polls for Brian.

Waste of money - definitely.

Do I feel bad for Skakun - not at all.

He knew what he was doing was wrong and he didn't care. Some think this guy is a man for the people but I ask you to tell me about anything significant he has offered for our city other than soundbites to make others look bad and further his own agenda whatever it is.

I am not defending our current administration or anything as I am not too enthralled at their performance, but I believe in those people a lot more than I do this guy.

Part of being a leader is to find compromise and work with other people for the better of the community. Brian Skakun is definitely not that person.

The charge is not a criminal offence, and the maximum penalty is $2000.00. Skakun could have plead guilty and paid a small fine, and that would have been the end of it.

Keep in mind the contents (or some of the contents) were only on the CBC Website for a short time, and I expect that few if any people in this town actually seen it.

Skakun could have left sleeping dogs lie, however it seems he wanted to try and help those who were being harrassed, and to expose some of the shenanigans at City Hall. This is why they went after him.

Skakun and most of the people who supported him knew from the get go, that he had released the documents to the CBC. However under Canadian Law he is innocent until proven guilty, and the responsibility for proving his guilt lies with the prosecution. He does not have to prove his innocence.

So all thats left is the decision.

Even if he is found guilty, the press coverage surrounding this case will make those at City Hall more aware of their responsibilities.

WTF ? Over two months for a so called "judge" to make a decision on a trivial misdemeanor? What is wrong with this picture? Is it just me? Am I weird? It must be time we started electing judges. Is this judge suffering from dementia or did he sleep through the proceedings? Didn't Skakun admit to the leak? Give him the max penalty and we can stop pouring money down the shitter. This is not a life or death sentence, nor does it threaten our democratic society. Get a grip!!

I don't know Brian Skakun personally, but I am very familiar with his work on council and in the community.
To me, he presents as an elected official and citizen very committed to the higher good of Prince George.
I have said this a few times publicly...
Why would he put himself through this professional and personal agony? Grandstanding ...no...not worth it, financially, personally or professionally.
It was not Brian's choice I'm sure to go through the court process, but this was the path laid out for him. Why could this matter not be dealt with through the City? Did it have to involve an external process?
Just curious.
I think there have been some critical and judgemental statements made about Brian that were a bit over the top in my opinion. Anyone who took on the burden Brian did should be given a second look about what his motives truly were. I'm certain there is still lots us joe public are not aware of. However, Brian Skakun's actions in the past three years in relation to this case warrants some merit given the sacrifices he's made.