To the editor:
Regarding the piece entitled, “Seeking Pardons” (January 14, 2014, tbnewswatch.com), I would like to add something to the discussion, which many people, including yourself, may not be aware of.
I am in a situation where I was arrested 21 years ago and found innocent in court. I was under the impression that I would not need to seek a pardon, because I was, well, found innocent.
Unbeknownst to me, that was not the situation at all. Because I had been fingerprinted by the police (as per regular policing procedure), I was then lumped in with the actual criminals.
As per Pardons Canada, as long as a person is fingerprinted by the police (even those who are found innocent, such as myself), they must ultimately pay $631 for a pardon.
I now have to bite the bullet, and go through this pricey and lengthy process, when I have done absolutely nothing wrong. How is it constitutional that a person can be found innocent in a court of law, and still have to pay $631 for a pardon?
John Briscoe,
Barrie, Ont.
