From the Toronto Star’s Betsy Johnson and John Duncanson (link swiped from Hoops Hype)
The Law Society of Upper Canada is being urged to investigate a perceived racist comment from a former Crown attorney caught up in an RCMP sting operation involving money laundering.
Although Calvin Barry (above), a prosecutor for 17 years, was never charged in the case involving now disgraced Toronto lawyer Peter Shoniker, some black community leaders and lawyers are upset not more was done about a statement made by Barry during conversations with a police undercover agent in May 2003. In one conversation, Barry talks about a case involving three NBA players, Gary Payton, Sam Cassell, and Jason Caffey, who were charged with assaulting a male exotic dancer in April 2003.
As he relates the story of the case, Barry is heard joking that players would likely just have to sign basketballs in Regent Park as punishment.
Barry says to those gathered around him: “… after the three-hour clinic is done, we give away all the signed basketballs and sign autographs, and there’s 5,000 black kids jumping up and down like Planet of the Apes.”
Barry’s remarks caused laughter at the table, but unknown to Barry and others seated there, one of the men was an RCMP undercover officer investigating alleged money laundering.
The man was posing as someone interested in moving money to the U.S. that had been skimmed from a union pension account.