"Update"British Columbia, Uptopia for Career Criminals

Photos

Driver in fatal street race arrested at wheel -- again

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uploaded by Barry Artiste

Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

I guess the powers to be at the Vancouver Sun read my articles as they contacted me and intend to cover my comments in their August 4th, Vancouver Sun Saturday Edition, I hope they print it verbatim.  Perhaps more people will realise how incompetent our judical system is, and pressure "Gadabout do nothing about town" "Wally  Oppal" Minister of Judical Incompetence and his side kick "Wheres my paycheque?" Ex Dairy Farmer John Les, now Minister of Criminal Safety and Salacious General may get enough flack from the public, they may actually try and do something, though I am not holding my breathe while they grab each others delicate ankles and begin damage control. See what happens when I lose my Inner Hallmark voice?

This title certainly seems appropriate when Career Criminals are released time and time again by GROSSLY INCOMPETENT judges who are just unclear on the concept of crime.  British COlumbia's "Catch & Release" programs when it comes to criminals speaks volumes of the Justice Systems unimanageable incompetence beyond words where Criminals historically in British Columbia have enjoyed more rights than it's law abiding citizens regardless which Government is in power.

Cliff Tang is on his third arrest for driving while suspended from driving after killing a pedestrian in 2000.

This does not include other criminal activities Cliff has been involved and caught in everything from credit card fraud to drugs, yet Courts repeatedly release him onto the streets of the Lower Mainland in what seem to be exhausting Police resources in this Catch and Release Free for All. 

So once again it seems Provincial and Federal laws meant to protect us, pretty much are seen as inconvienient guidelines, ignored by Criminals and Judges alike in British Columbia. 

Taxpayers paid good money to have their wishes known by having elected officials of both Provincial and Federal governments to have laws on the books to clearly state jail terms for offenders and repeat offenders yet Judges once again refuse to enforce them.  If Judges ignore them, then offenders will do the same. Case in point, this is Cliffy's third arrest for driving under suspension, lucky for us no one was killed, but if Cliffy did kill again, one can only assume Judges would not be held accountable after releasing him after  his second arrest.  Now on his third arrest, will bail be granted of will he go straight to the slammer.  I am betting in the latter.

My Final Thought
Now Public Readers should ask themselves will Elected Judges better serve British Columbians who will listen to it's citizens, rather than politically appointed Judges who seem unclear on the concept of crime and punishment, when the Laws of this Country are ignored by them?  This certainly makes one think when one day a law abiding citizen decides enough is enough and takes the law into their own hands via Vigilante Justice, doing what the courts should be doing, but are not.  Rest assured once a vigilante acts, all of a sudden the Courts act to the fullest extent the law allows in convicting the vigilante. Something is seriously wrong in this Province. Hopefully this Now Public Contributor continued reporting on Justice Incompetence will be a start in embarrassing our Governments to finally act in the best interests of their consitituents.

Below is the story published in the Vancouver Sun as well as the update on Cliff Tang

A Burnaby man has been arrested for driving while disqualified for the second time since he was convicted of killing a pedestrian during a street race in 2000.

Kwok Kei Victor Tang, who also goes by the name Cliff Tang, was remanded in custody and will appear in Richmond Provincial Court on Thursday to face charges of wilful obstruction of a peace officer as well as driving while prohibited.

He was arrested Sunday after Richmond RCMP stopped him for driving a car without a front licence plate. Tang then gave police false information about his identity and his address, police said.

UPDATE TO THIS STORY August 3rd, 2007

Parole papers call repeat offender 'selfish, hedonistic' parole papers say

Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, August 03, 2007

A man caught driving twice after being banned for 10 years following a fatal street-race hit-and-run is described as a "selfish, hedonistic young man" with a "cavalier disregard" for the rules in National Parole Board documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

"You have demonstrated a very self-centred approach to life, exhibiting disregard of others including your family and of participating in risk-taking behaviours," the documents say of Kwok Kei Victor Tang, who also goes by the name Cliff Tang.

Tang, a 31-year-old Burnaby resident who was convicted of killing a pedestrian during a street race in 2000, was back in the news again this week after his arrest Sunday for driving while disqualified.

It was the second time he has been arrested for driving while disqualified after his 2001 conviction, which resulted in a four-year prison sentence and a 10-year driving ban.

The descriptions of Tang's attitude and personal characteristics are included in various parole board documents dealing with his applications for parole over the years since his 2001 conviction in the street-racing death of pedestrian Jerry Kithithee.

In March 2002, Tang was given day parole. He was granted full parole in August of 2003, but it was revoked a year later, in August of 2004, after he was found driving in spite of his 10-year ban. He was returned to jail and his sentence was finally completed in March of 2005.

While the various parole documents indicate Tang made some progress over the years, things had deteriorated by August of 2004, when the parole board warned that he was "balancing on the fringes of criminality.

"In spite of the instruction of your parole supervisor, you frequently were in the vicinity of [a Richmond] massage parlour suspected of being a centre for illegal activities," it said. "A great many financial and credit card slips linked to possible criminal activities were found in the vehicle which you were driving and which was your frequent means of transportation."

Combined with an earlier incident in which police found him in a marijuana-growing operation, the board said it "cannot help but conclude that too many circumstances combine to indicate that you have been associating within a criminal milieu."

Noting that in the past he had been involved with counterfeiting activities (he was convicted in 1999 of possession of counterfeit money), the board said his questionable behaviour had eroded his credibility, and he was sent back to jail.

In its decision, the board also referred to Tang's "abysmal driving record," citing excessive speeding, failure to stop for police, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. "In many cases, you failed to pay the fines incurred by these driving offences."

The incident that led to the revocation of his full parole occurred in April of 2004, when the Vancouver police gang unit saw him driving away from a Richmond massage parlor -- a breach of his parole conditions.

"Police recognized that business as a place frequented by gang members and criminals ..." the documents say.

The documents also state that at one parole hearing, "it became evident that you were involved in a credit card scheme at one time" and there was an investigation in Saskatchewan.

The marijuna-growing operation incident referred to in the documents occurred on March 12, 2003, when he was arrested inside a house containing a marijuana-growing operation, according to the parole board documents.

"You were taken by a friend to his house where a marijuana grow-op was present," states a parole board decision from Aug. 27, 2003. "You were picked up by police inside the house, handcuffed and taken to the detachment. You were not charged and subsequently released."

At the time of the hit-and-run that killed Kithithee at Knight and 57th just after 1:30 a.m. on June 29, 2000, Tang's licence was under suspension because of unpaid fines for 16 previous driving offences. He was driving a yellow Porsche Boxster when he ran a red light, struck Kithithee and sped off. After consulting a lawyer, he later turned himself in.

The latest incident occurred Sunday when Richmond RCMP stopped him for driving a Lamborghini without a front licence plate. Police allege Tang gave false information about his identity and address.

Tang, who is charged with operating a vehicle while disqualified and wilfully obstructing a police officer, appeared Thursday in Richmond Provincial Court and was remanded in custody until next Wednesday.