Men behind 'hate-rag' newspaper charged with uttering threats

Two men behind a controversial newspaper that's been banned from being delivered by Canada Post are now facing criminal charges for words the editor-in-chief wrote about political strategistsWarren and Lisa Kinsella.

An Ontario Justice of the Peace has charged Your Ward News editorJames Sears and ownerLeroy St.Germaine with uttering threats. The Kinsellas havelong fought the newspaperthey call a "hate-rag" and this is the first criminal charge they've had stick.

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Sears has called his writing"satirical." He pennedthe following sentence in this summer's online edition of Your WardNews:"...there was the chance that some hothead who cares deeply about me and my family, would lose it and do something illegal, like bludgeon theKinsella's to death."

Rather than satire, the Kinsellas saw it as a threat to incite violence against them.

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"We took it as the threat that it is. Designed to intimidate us because we have been so outspoken about Your Ward News,"said LisaKinsella, who calls the Toronto-basedpaper a 'hate rag.''

"This was a threat designed to shut us up and it won't work."

In anemailto CBC Toronto, Sears called their case an, "Impotent complaintlaid in desperation by [these] publicity whores." Sears continued todefend himself by saying his words were taken out of context.

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Sears and hisco-accused and owner of the newspaper, Leroy St.Gemaine, will be summoned to court at a later date to respond to the charge of uttering threats. Sears suggested that the courts today arelacking both sides of the story.

"My legal team and I will mop the floor with the Kinsellason our first available opportunity in court," he said.

Delivery ban

In the 10years Your Ward Newshas been around, residents who have had it delivered to their doors have complained, calling itracist, homophobic, anti-Semitic,sexist and all-round hateful. Some mail carriersprotested having to deliver it.

Last year, the minister responsible for Canada Post, Judy Foote,issued what's knownasa prohibitory order against the future delivery of the paper. It is still accessible online.

The ban has been under review sinceSears and his council filed an appeal in late April. The Your Ward News defence is free speech. The Kinsellaswill argue that they have experienced harm with its distribution.