No word on the Taboo trial yet?

[Karl-G]

Did anyone attend the Taboo trial? Hear anything?

[Guest nesmontreal]

Eight members of the Taboo staff (the seven arrested on the night of the raid plus the deejay Robert who was arrested subsequently and barred, like the others, from working at Taboo at least until after today's hearing) appeared in court today with their lawyers and pleaded not guilty. Two decisions were reached today. (1) Lawyers representing the staff argued that they were being unfairly deprived of their livelihood. As a result, six of them (the manager Ti-Guy Doux, both deejays Nick and Robert, the two waiters Stefan and Jerry, and the bartender) have been granted permission to return to work immediately. The other two (the doorman Fernand and the busboy Daniel), were represented by a different lawyer; they were not granted permission to return to work. (2) The cases of the eight members of the staff will be taken up in court on September 26.

 

The 23 arrested dancers will be appearing in court, as scheduled, on August 6, when they will be given a chance to plead guilty or not guilty. I assume that at that time they will be given a date on which their cases will be presented in court.

 

Those are the relatively straightforward facts about what happened today in court.

 

There is a rumor circulating at Taboo tonight that I will relate. Since a large percentage of what has been said and written about this affair since the night of the raid is either patently untrue or wildly speculative, I want to make clear that this is a rumor. It is being said that several of the dancers have been cooperating with the police and describing illegal activities they have witnessed in the private dance room. If there is evidence to substantiate this rumor, it was not presented in court today. However, all evidence against staff and dancers that the police have in their possession will have to be revealed to the defense lawyers soon.

 

If and when I learn anything further--such as what that evidence is--I will post it here. On the other hand, I will be away from Montreal for two weeks beginning Sunday, June 15, and will probably not be hearing anything about developments here, if any, during that time.

[marc anthony]

Thanks for the update, Nes...

 

So I guess not much in the way of legal conclusions, but at least some of the workers can start to make a living again.

>

>The 23 arrested dancers will be appearing in court, as

>scheduled, on August 6, when they will be given a chance to

>plead guilty or not guilty. I assume that at that time they

>will be given a date on which their cases will be presented in

>court.

 

 

May I ask how you can plead guilty or not guilty to being "found-in" a brothel if it has yet to be determined by law if the place is a brothel?

 

 

>Those are the relatively straightforward facts about what

>happened today in court.

>

 

Once again, Nes... thank you.

[Guest YFSC]

Yes, thanks indeed, nes. And also for your promise of future reports.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

Tonight I heard a less detailed version of the same acount from a dancer who attended today's court session. The prosecution's brief was described as quite a 'stack of paper' or maybe they brought the yellow pages to look good.

>

>

>May I ask how you can plead guilty or not guilty to being

>"found-in" a brothel if it has yet to be determined by law if

>the place is a brothel?

>

I suspect that the court cases for those dancers pleading not guilty will be continued until the Club trial is concluded. Any dancers coping a plea will probably be adjudicated on August 8th according to the plea agreement.

 

It seems to me that cooperating dancers is something of a double edge sword. I don't make any pretense to understanding Canadian Law, particularly French Canadian Law, so I don't know what impact intent or negligence will play. But from my on-site observations I cannot see any case for intent on the part of management or any truthful testimony to that effect. Whether they could be found negligent is another issue if facts can be substantiated. Truthful testimony should exonerate some dancers that I know. However, plea bargaining by its nature is a coersive process. Time will tell.

[jack]

Thanks everybody for this information. Its a huge help. In my opinion, the court's decision to allow people to return to work immediatley is good news.

 

Can anybody tell yet if this news was well received by guests and employee at Taboo -- is business getting back to normal.

 

Not to instigate here any conversation what's so ever on activity in the back room, but, the three or four times I was there last year, everybody was behaving themselves stricktly according to the rules.

 

So, do you think this thing is working itself out favorably with positive long term results . . . . .?

[jack]

That August 6th court date comes, I think, at the end of or during Gay Pride days in Montreal which should help soften and encourage the court to support the good intentions of the dancers . . . .

 

Ditto for Marc's new thread regarding new updates since the 12th. In the long run, management should implement post haste Marc's ideas, especially in back room design construction so that we can all get back to normal. I'll be there at the end of the month. Can't wait. It gives me the tingles just to think about it: the place, Taboo, the guys, the atmosphere, the people, the wonderment of their nakedness. . . .