Anna Gibbon maintains that she advised her son on how a trial would work, not specifics on how to maneuver it.
The Justice of the Peace was back facing questions Monday from her own lawyer Eugene Bhattacharya as well as Presenting Council lawyer Linda Rothstein.
Gibbon is accused of advocating for her son after he was charged with failure to yield in February of 2019.
Rothstein mentioned multiple witness testimonies from the first week of the proceedings including Jessica Strobel, a court clerk at the time of the trial, and a part of the panel investigating Gibbon’s conduct.
Strobel testified that Gibbon brought up her son’s trial during a chance meeting at a grocery store, mentioning how difficult it had been on their family.
In response, Gibbon stated she did not say anything about the trial that day, and was completely unaware that Strobel was on the investigating panel.
The Justice of the Peace stressed multiple times throughout the proceedings she never advocated for her son in anyway based on her position in the justice system. Gibbon also noted that she never helped her son seek legal representation, leaving it up to him to find a lawyer, again citing assistance would have been unethical.
Rothstein also considered previous testimony from Supervisor of Court Services Jody Kontzie, who told the hearing that she was confronted at her office by Gibbon after her son’s case was pushed.
In Kontzie’s testimony, she said Gibbon yelled and used profanity during their interaction.
Gibbon expressed regret for her actions in that moment, comparing herself to a “mama bear” but stands by the idea that she never used profanity or actually attempted to influence the outcome of the case.
The Justice of the Peace testified Monday that in that moment, she “wanted everyone fired,” based on how poorly she believed her son’s case was being handled.
Gibbon was emotional throughout the proceeding, saying her anger was a result of unfairness towards her son throughout his life based on his skin colour. She testified that he is anxious around authority as a result.
The hearing resumes Tuesday.
