Canadian Lawyer

people's lives when they grow out of their As for why there is so much gun about one of his current murder cases: "I guns and they don't know how to dispose violence on the streets of Toronto and am currently working on a case where a of them," says Green. "Edward's pro- elsewhere, Sapiano does not believe in gun was stolen from a lawful gun owner gram affords them a legal mechanism to the widely held theory that poverty leads and 20 days later it was used to kill a girl do so, as it does for persons who want to to crime. "I hear a lot about [how dis- in her 20s. The lawful gun owner was on rid their home of unwanted firearms. If, enfranchised] our youth are but I don't the stand and he was concerned about for example, a mother discovers that her accept it. I have seen poverty. I know it is his gun being used in the murder. I asked son has  a gun  under  his  bed,  right or a significant influence but I don't think him: 'Why does that concern you?' He wrong, the last thing she wants to do is it is the cause of gun play. We've had said because he'd have to live with that fact get her son into trouble. But she does want poverty for a long time. There are plenty for the rest of his life. I then asked him if to get the gun out of the house. What can of people living in sheds in Jamaica he was going to live with it for the rest she  do? Call the police?  She  knows  the who are poor but are not robbing their of his life by buying another gun? And risk is that her son would go down if she neighbours." the answer was yes. That's exactly what does that. The program provides a neuSapiano also doesn't believe the media he did, even though his house had been tral, removed, criminal culpability-free plays a role in the increased violence, broken into, his gun stolen, and a young mechanism of returning the gun to the even though there are very few American girl was murdered because of it." police without incriminating her son or blockbuster movies or scripted television Simon Lord of Lord Russell Barristers herself. There's real utility in this option." shows that do not feature guns. In fact, Chambers in Calgary understands SapiIf the people surrendering their weap- it would be hard to name more than a ano's frustration and believes the Piece ons to Piece Options are not criminals, handful. "There is just as much violence Options program would work equally is the program of any real value? Sapiano is very clear on this point: "My understanding is "At the time we had very little support for what we were that 70 per cent of guns used doing, so if the optics of my situation [as a new mother] in crimes come across the borwould make a positive difference then I was prepared to der and 30 per cent come from go for it. I hoped that the public would have been appalled lawful Canadian gun owners. It is the 30 per cent that I believe to think that I could spend time in jail for doing my part in should not be there. The weapgetting guns off the streets." — Jennifer Penman ons turned into Piece Options represent the 30 per cent. They shouldn't exist because we can do something about it. So maybe the on Japanese TV without the violence on well in his city. "I've been a criminal middle-aged owners are not the problem, their streets," says Sapiano. "I believe we lawyer all my working life. I have reason but their property is attracting criminals." have failed to educate our youth about the to hate guns. I've seen the damage they Sapiano has absolute disdain for pis- idiocy of guns. There is a cultural promo- do far too many times. The less of them tols. "The right to have a gun for the pur- tion of weapons here. Go on YouTube and that are out there, in my view, the betpose of target shooting cannot supersede type in 'gangster.' They're on there think- ter, especially the illegal ones. I wouldn't the death of children and people. Pistols ing they're stars, glorifying guns, cash, hesitate to enter into a solicitor-client should be entirely banned in Canada. I shooting, and killing." relationship without payment of a fee if would go so far as to prohibit the manuPiece Options has collected and the purpose of that relationship was for facture of pistols in Canada and there are a returned more than 40 firearms and me to immediately and lawfully dispose number of them. We produce many thou- thousands of rounds of ammunition but of an illegal firearm." sands and we sell them around the world. Sapiano believes that number would be Green would love to see Piece Their production is a dirty hand issue." 10 times higher if the various levels of Options expanded across Canada. "In Ironically, Sapiano owns a property government would invest in an extensive an ideal world, and assuming the protothat has a shooting range on it. He has media campaign denouncing gun culture col survived a legal test, not only would friends who like to hunt and he himself in a similar fashion to campaigns against I like to see it expanded, I'd like to see likes to skeet shoot. He defends the con- drunk driving or smoking. "Every aspect the police lend their encouragement so tradiction this way: "I see a necessary of our society has spent lots of money that those who surrender guns through and viable distinction between pistols selling its message. Where is the 'policing' this  mechanism  can  be assured that and long guns. I want to focus on pistols message? I would initiate an education they will not  be placing  themselves in because they are the ones that do the campaign targeting not only the younger jeopardy." Sapiano would also like to see most damage. Long guns are not the male but also the females who facilitate his fellow lawyers adopt Piece Options problem in urban centres, where I live. I the problem. We need a shame campaign." coast to coast. As he says, "The beauty am here, dealing with a problem that is He believes the attitude of the public of our program is that it's not magic. in my life every day." has to change. He recounts this story People can do it." www.CANADIAN L a w ye r m a g . c o m M ay 2013 37

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