A Quebec Court judge acted in a flawed and repetitive manner and deserves to be reprimanded, an inquiry panel of the Conseil de la magistrature du Québec has ruled.
During disciplinary hearings held in September, Quebec Court Judge Suzanne Vadboncoeur conceded it was possible she insulted a special constable inside the parking garage at the Montreal courthouse after returning from a Christmas cocktail party.
A complaint filed by Special Constable Robert David Jean, a guard who works at the courthouse, alleged that Vadboncoeur insulted him around 10 p.m. on Dec. 8 after he and another special constable struggled to open a garage door that prevented the judge from leaving the courthouse.
In his complaint, Jean said Vadboncoeur’s car was the last in a row of three cars waiting to have the door open. He alleged she was screaming from her car about the delays and when she noticed him trying to open the gates, she got out and screamed “You’re just an imbecile, you’re thick, you’re not even able to open a door!”
Twelve minutes of security camera footage presented as evidence showed that while the door was closed due to a technical problem, Vadboncoeur got out of her car three times to talk to the constables.
Though no audio was recorded, the 13-page decision notes the footage shows that Vadboncoeur was “obviously exasperated.”
Quebec Court Judge Vincenzo Piazza, who was also present at the time, gave a statement saying he overheard Vadboncoeur insulting Jean and that she drove off ,screeching her wheels once the door was opened. He also said he overheard Vadboncoeur yelling about feeling imprisoned.
“It is accurate to say I lost my patience,” the 66-year-old Vadboncoeur had told the panel in September. “If I said things that hurt people, I am profoundly sorry.”
The decision says that, given the evidence, it’s clear that Vadboncoeur showed “poor and regrettable behaviour” that night.
“Although the professional career of Judge Vadboncoeur was flawless and she has since apologized, the fact remains that her conduct in this incident was not only flawed but also repetitive,” the judgment says, noting that her actions jeopardize the dignity of the magistrature.
The five-person inquiry panel, composed of three judges, a lawyer and a member of the public, found that Jean’s complaint had merit and it will be up to the Conseil de la magistrature du Québec to decide how Vadboncoeur should be reprimanded.
The Journal de Montréal reported on the incident in June, before evidence in the investigation was made public. The Conseil de la magistrature filed a complaint with police and, in September, the Sûreté du Québec seized the computer of the reporter who broke the story in an effort to find out how he obtained the information. The newspaper is challenging the SQ’s request to search the computer.
jfeith@postmedia.com
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