The Crown is appealing the sentence of a designated dangerous offender, arguing the judge made a legal error by sentencing "based on mere hope." In December, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terry Clackson declared Ashton Natomagan a dangerous offender and sentenced to him to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of close community supervision. With credit for time already served, Natomagan's sentence was reduced to 16 years and eight months. Rather than ordering an indeterminate sentence, Clackson imposed a fixed term to reflect that, "We non-Indigenous Canadians had a hand in creating this risk." In his decision, Clackson expressed hope that once he had served his sentence, Natomagan would embark on years of sobriety and isolation under the watchful eye of an elder.

Source: CBC News June 20, 2020 14:00 UTC