For the first time in Canadian law, a person found guilty of trafficking heroin has been granted a non-jail sentence. Ms. Page’s client was addicted to heroin when he sold $2300 of the drug to an undercover officer over a 3-month period. In the 1.5 years between his arrest and his sentencing, the client had participated in treatment programs, remained drug-free, and dedicated himself to permanently overcoming his addiction.
Despite the Crown`s request for a 2.5-year penitentiary sentence, the Judge accepted Ms. Page’s submission for a 2-year conditional sentence to be served in the community, since jail would merely reintroduce the client to a criminal subculture and jeopardize his hard-earned achievements.