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Killer of Meika Jordan Seeks Appeal

Over the past month, Canadians have heard a great deal about the death of Meika Jordan, who died of blunt force trauma back in 2011, in the news. The resurgence of her story comes with the recent attempt to receive an appeal by one of Meika’s killers (Marie Magoon) who submitted the request to the Supreme Court of Canada a few months back. The official tentative date for the hearing is October 6th, 2017, however it doesn’t look favourable for the charged. Meika’s father and stepmother, Spencer Jordan and Marie Magoon, were charged with second-degree murder back in March 2015 in Calgary.

According to the original official statement, Meika had received her injuries falling down the stairs but medical reports claimed differently, stating that her injuries were too severe to have been obtained by a fall. Further investigation revealed that Meika had been dragged up and down the stairs, thrown, burned on her hand, and had her head had been knocked against the floor. The stepmother then put in a call to Health Link to ask about treating the burn on Meika’s hand, which was transcribed and submitted as evidence during the initial proceedings.

The Appeal Court has recently concluded in agreement with the Crown that Magoon and Jordan are guilty instead of murder in the first degree –a unanimous decision from a panel of three justices, stating that “constructive first-degree murder was created for cases like this one”. They go on to say that the judge from the original trial had overlooked the factor that escalated the charge from murder in the second to murder in the first: the couple had unlawfully confined Meika on top of the charges of abuse, something that the original judge had dismissed, saying that she was essentially in the care of Magoon and Jordan and that in essence children are often confined when they are with their parents. Furthermore, the court ruled that Jordan and Magoon had no right to be with Meika, as she was supposed to have been with her mother on the weekend in which her ultimately fatal injuries occurred, but instead, in violation of a custody order, remained with her father through his own manipulations.

Currently, the possible revised sentencing should be life without chance of parole for 25 years after the appeal in October following a pattern of auto accident lawsuits. The Appeal Court has also dismissed the possibility of a cross-appeal by the couple who hoped to overturn their convictions. Both Meika’s mother and stepfather, Kyla and Brian Woodhouse, are upset at having to face the Appeal Courts again, having left before the preliminary appeal hearing had ended. With the long road ahead of them until the final stretch in October, Woodhouse was quoted saying that he doesn’t “think it will ever be over”. Find more information at Traut Firm’s Facebook page

Oil Rig Explosions And Implications

Working in the oil and gas industry is financially rewarding. The salary is great and the benefits are truly enticing. However, there is an element of risk if you work in this industry. This is particularly true if you work on an oil rig because explosions may occur even under the most stringent safety conditions.

In case you are injured in an oil rig explosion, you can sue your employer for both exemplary and punitive damages. However, the compensation you receive is determined by a number of factors. The first step in the litigation process is to consult a competent personal injury attorney. This expert will ask you questions and your response to these questions will determine the next line of action by your attorney.

First, your lawyer will ask you if the facility has a history of oil rig explosions. If an explosion has occurred in the past, your lawyer will try to find out the cause of the explosion and the action taken by the firm to prevent future occurrences. Your lawyer will also investigate the safety standards at the facility. If the right standards are in place at the facility, the liability of the oil company might be minimal. If the firm compromised on safety, there are grounds for litigation. If an official of the firm is responsible for the explosion, the case may fall under the criminal negligence category.

Your attorney will also investigate the insurance policy offered by the company to employees like you. Oil workers must have adequate insurance cover in case the unexpected happens. If you do not have insurance or the oil company has not been paying the required insurance premium, your employer is likely to get into serious trouble with the law.

Oil rig explosions have an adverse effect on the immediate vicinity of the explosion and this can lead to litigation. If it does not carry out a prompt and effective cleanup of the disaster area, environmental groups may sue the firm for pollution and environmental degradation. In addition, the community where the explosion happened may go to court and claim damages.

Oil and gas companies usually observe the highest safety standards. However, oil rig explosions may occur accidentally. When this happens, lawyers must get justice for the employees of the firm and people in the immediate vicinity of the explosion.