Michael Edelson (lawyer) explained

Michael Edelson
Birth Place:Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Children:2
Alma Mater:Carleton University
University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
Occupation:Lawyer
Website:edelsonlaw.ca

Michael Edelson (born 1949)[1] is a Canadian criminal defence lawyer based in Ottawa, Ontario. He has represented numerous high-profile clients in Canada.

Education

Edelson earned a bachelor of arts in English from Carleton University,[2] and graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in 1975.[3] He was admitted to the Ontario bar in 1977.

Career

Edelson started out practicing family, criminal, and commercial law, before shifting his focus exclusively to criminal law. By 2010, he had represented 55 clients accused of murder.[4] He is known for "a tough, direct style" and "intense preparation and meticulous cross-examinations."

Clients

Edelson successfully defended Margaret Trudeau, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's ex-wife, on a 1988 charge of marijuana possession,[5] and on a 2004 charge of impaired driving, both times getting the charges thrown out;[6] [7] Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien, who was accused of influence-peddling and acquitted in 2009;[8] [9] Nova Scotia Roman Catholic bishop Raymond Lahey, who was accused of possessing and importing child pornography;[10] Michael Cowpland, Corel Corporation founder and former CEO, accused of insider trading;[11] and Riadh Ben Aïssa, former vice president of SNC-Lavalin, who faced money laundering charges related to $139 million in payments from the company to the Libyan government.[12] [13]

Since 1980, Edelson has successfully defended a number of police officers against criminal charges, including Constable Martin Cardinal, who won a conditional discharge after pleading guilty following a videotaped assault on a woman during her arrest;[6] Constable Daniel Montsion, an Ottawa police officer who was found not guilty on charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon while arresting Abdirahman Abdi, who died during the arrest;[14] and Steven Desjourdy, a police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a female prisoner.[15]

In 2006, he initially represented David Frost, a former NHL agent who was charged with 12 counts of sexual exploitation and one count of assault, related to alleged incidents involving boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 16, taking place from 1995 to 2001.[16] Edelson later passed the case to Marie Henein.[17] In 2010, he defended Col. Russell Williams, a pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces who was accused of raping and murdering two women near the Trenton air base he commanded. He was also charged with two counts of forcible confinement and 82 break-ins, after a four-year string of burglaries.[18] [19] He pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.[18]

In 2014, he defended Khurram Sher, a former pathologist living in London, Ontario, accused of joining an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell in Ottawa.[20] Sher was found not guilty of conspiring to facilitate terrorism. It was the first time in Canada that a person accused of terrorist offenses had gone to trial and been acquitted.[21] Edelson represented Liban Hussein, a Canadian entrepreneur who was one of the first in Canada to be accused of terrorism financing; he was ultimately cleared.[6] Edelson also represented Maher Arar, who was suspected of terrorism activity but was not charged[22] (and would later receive a $10 million settlement from the Canadian government),[23] and Abdullah Almalki, who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after being falsely considered a terrorist threat.[6]

Personal life

Edelson is married with two children.[6]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Birth Records and Announcements . cjhn.ca . 30 October 2020.
  2. Web site: Biography . The Alumni Association . 4 November 2020.
  3. News: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section Celebrates Mooting Excellence . 4 November 2020 . uOttawa . 18 November 2019.
  4. Book: Gibb . David A. . Camouflaged Killer: The Shocking Double Life Colonel Russell Williams . 2011 . Penguin . New York . 9781101558492 . 2 November 2020.
  5. News: Laver . Ross . Cowpland Charged . 30 October 2020 . Maclean's . 25 October 1999.
  6. News: MacCharles . Tonda . Michael Edelson: Go-to guy for people in big trouble with the law . 30 October 2020 . Toronto Star . 11 April 2010.
  7. News: Charter arguments defeat case against Margaret Trudeau . 30 October 2020 . CBC . 22 November 2005.
  8. News: Seymour . Andrew . 'White knight' in a black robe . 30 October 2020 . Ottawa Citizen . 16 October 2010.
  9. News: Mayor's lawyer grills 'totally clueless' accuser in influence-peddling trial . 30 October 2020 . Metro . 12 May 2009.
  10. Book: Appleby . Timothy . A New Kind of Monster . 2011 . Random House Canada . 9780307359520 . 30 October 2020.
  11. News: Corel Founder's Investment Vehicle Gets $625,800 Insider-Trading Fine . 30 October 2020 . Wall Street Journal . 12 February 2002.
  12. News: Inside the 'clandestine world' of SNC-Lavalin's fallen star Riadh Ben Aissa . 30 October 2020 . Financial Post . 18 March 2015.
  13. News: Nicol . John . Swiss probe $139M SNC-Lavalin laundering case . 30 October 2020 . CBC . 25 November 2012.
  14. News: Const. Daniel Montsion not guilty in death of Abdirahman Abdi . 2 November 2020 . CBC . 20 October 2020.
  15. News: Gillis . Megan . Steven Desjourdy's defence lawyer wraps case without putting Ottawa cop accused of sexual assault on stand . 2 November 2020 . Ottawa Sun . 5 January 2013.
  16. News: Agent targeted for murder faces sex charges in Ontario . 2 November 2020 . ESPN . 22 August 2006.
  17. News: Frost acquitted on all sexual exploitation charges . 4 November 2020 . CBC . 28 November 2008.
  18. News: Gardiner . Heather . Behind the scenes . 4 November 2020 . Canadian Lawyer . 3 January 2011.
  19. News: Appleby . Timothy . Williams hires high-profile defence lawyer . 4 November 2020 . The Globe and Mail . 17 February 2010.
  20. News: Khurram Sher defence say Crown hasn't established motive . 4 November 2020 . CBC . 31 March 2014.
  21. News: Seymour . Andrew . Khurram Sher found not guilty of facilitating terrorism: 'It feels great' . 4 November 2020 . Ottawa Citizen . 19 August 2014.
  22. News: Can colonel get a fair trial? . 4 November 2020 . Law Times . 1 March 2010.
  23. News: Ottawa reaches $10M settlement with Arar . 4 November 2020 . CBC . 25 January 2007.