It was nearly two years ago when a pair of intruders entered the Maurice property late one night with malintent. In the confrontation that ensued, one of the criminals was hit in the arm by a ricochet from a .22 caliber bullet which had been fired into the ground as a warning shot. Eddie Maurice was charged with multiple offenses and endured months of court appearances. The stress and fear for the Maurice family were unimaginable as the potential for a prison sentence loomed. Common sense finally prevailed as the Crown grudgingly dropped all charges..The nightmare for the Maurice family began anew last September when a lawsuit was initiated against Eddie by Ryan Watson, the criminal who had been wounded in the confrontation. The stress returned as the Maurices faced what could be years of court appearances along with a massive financial expense..Like most Albertans, Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer was appalled at the ongoing victimization of the Maurice family. Schweitzer immediately removed the government from the lawsuit and then spearheaded new legislation that would prevent criminals who injured themselves while committing crimes from suing victims. The Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act was purposely made retroactive in order to apply to the Maurice situation..Ryan Watson and his lawyer marched on to the bitter end with their attempted shakedown of the Maurice family. When the suit was due to appear before a judge on January 16, Watson and his lawyer conceded that the suit had no merit. The saga was finally over for the Maurice family..I had a chance to speak with Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica as they headed home from what was mercifully their final court appearance in this affair. The relief was palpable in their voices as they looked forward to getting on with their lives..I asked Eddie if he would have acted any differently two years ago had he known what was going to happen. “No. Absolutely not.” Eddie said without hesitation, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”.Jessica Maurice echoed the sentiment. While they had suffered dearly due to Eddie’s decision to protect his family that night, they never considered for a second that Eddie had done anything wrong then or now..“People need to realize that they have the right to defend their property,” explained Jessica. “They need to stand up for themselves.”.Eddie and Jessica explained further that standing up for one’s self applied to both the protection of property and in defending themselves after having protected their property. Pressure was constantly applied to Eddie by the Crown in hopes that he would cave and plead guilty to a crime. The Maurices never considered backing down for a second and while they certainly never aspired to be a role model in such a situation, they hope that their ordeal will help inspire others who may find themselves in similar situations to never give up..“The charges should never have been laid in the first place,” said Eddie. “The punishment is in the process.”.Despite having had all the charges dropped along with the lawsuit, the Maurices feel that they have been punished. Their lives were turned upside down for two years for doing what most rural citizens would have done if placed in the same situation..Eddie and Jessica hope that their ordeal can lead to some positive changes. Rural crime is an ongoing issue and confrontations are inevitable. They hope that others don’t have to run the legal gauntlet as they had to..Eddie and Jessica Maurice plan to remain active on this issue and hope that in sharing their experience they can help initiate change..“There needs to be a greater discussion on how police and the Crown prosecutors handle these kinds of cases.” explains Jessica..The Maurices are more than willing to speak to any committees, politicians or groups on the issue of rural crime and the right to defend property. They hope that something positive can emerge from their ordeal and don’t want to see anybody else have to endure what they did. They want to help people become engaged and informed on this issue..For the short term though, Eddie and Jessica Maurice are just looking forward to a break. They are indeed planning on going to Disneyland and they have earned the trip..Cory Morgan is a Columnist for the Western Standard
It was nearly two years ago when a pair of intruders entered the Maurice property late one night with malintent. In the confrontation that ensued, one of the criminals was hit in the arm by a ricochet from a .22 caliber bullet which had been fired into the ground as a warning shot. Eddie Maurice was charged with multiple offenses and endured months of court appearances. The stress and fear for the Maurice family were unimaginable as the potential for a prison sentence loomed. Common sense finally prevailed as the Crown grudgingly dropped all charges..The nightmare for the Maurice family began anew last September when a lawsuit was initiated against Eddie by Ryan Watson, the criminal who had been wounded in the confrontation. The stress returned as the Maurices faced what could be years of court appearances along with a massive financial expense..Like most Albertans, Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer was appalled at the ongoing victimization of the Maurice family. Schweitzer immediately removed the government from the lawsuit and then spearheaded new legislation that would prevent criminals who injured themselves while committing crimes from suing victims. The Trespass Statutes (Protecting Law-Abiding Property Owners) Amendment Act was purposely made retroactive in order to apply to the Maurice situation..Ryan Watson and his lawyer marched on to the bitter end with their attempted shakedown of the Maurice family. When the suit was due to appear before a judge on January 16, Watson and his lawyer conceded that the suit had no merit. The saga was finally over for the Maurice family..I had a chance to speak with Eddie Maurice and his wife Jessica as they headed home from what was mercifully their final court appearance in this affair. The relief was palpable in their voices as they looked forward to getting on with their lives..I asked Eddie if he would have acted any differently two years ago had he known what was going to happen. “No. Absolutely not.” Eddie said without hesitation, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”.Jessica Maurice echoed the sentiment. While they had suffered dearly due to Eddie’s decision to protect his family that night, they never considered for a second that Eddie had done anything wrong then or now..“People need to realize that they have the right to defend their property,” explained Jessica. “They need to stand up for themselves.”.Eddie and Jessica explained further that standing up for one’s self applied to both the protection of property and in defending themselves after having protected their property. Pressure was constantly applied to Eddie by the Crown in hopes that he would cave and plead guilty to a crime. The Maurices never considered backing down for a second and while they certainly never aspired to be a role model in such a situation, they hope that their ordeal will help inspire others who may find themselves in similar situations to never give up..“The charges should never have been laid in the first place,” said Eddie. “The punishment is in the process.”.Despite having had all the charges dropped along with the lawsuit, the Maurices feel that they have been punished. Their lives were turned upside down for two years for doing what most rural citizens would have done if placed in the same situation..Eddie and Jessica hope that their ordeal can lead to some positive changes. Rural crime is an ongoing issue and confrontations are inevitable. They hope that others don’t have to run the legal gauntlet as they had to..Eddie and Jessica Maurice plan to remain active on this issue and hope that in sharing their experience they can help initiate change..“There needs to be a greater discussion on how police and the Crown prosecutors handle these kinds of cases.” explains Jessica..The Maurices are more than willing to speak to any committees, politicians or groups on the issue of rural crime and the right to defend property. They hope that something positive can emerge from their ordeal and don’t want to see anybody else have to endure what they did. They want to help people become engaged and informed on this issue..For the short term though, Eddie and Jessica Maurice are just looking forward to a break. They are indeed planning on going to Disneyland and they have earned the trip..Cory Morgan is a Columnist for the Western Standard
