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Jeffrey Michael Rich Reodica [ree-OH-dikuh] (J4J - Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006 9:00am to approx 4:30pm Use of Force Expert (Police) to take witness stand.   OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE. Ontario Coroners Courts, 15 Grosvenor Street, Downtown Toronto (Yonge & College) Details below.
Archived news articles on Reodica inquest
Who are coroners? In Ontario, coroners are medical doctors with specialized training in the principles of death investigation. Coroners investigate deaths that are sudden and unexpected, as well as some expected deaths warranting further investigation.What is an inquest? An inquest is a public hearing held under the authority of the Coroners Act for the purpose of presenting evidence to a jury of five members of the community in which a person died. It is an intensive process taking place daily between Monday to Friday, and in Jeffrey's case may take more than two whole months to complete. After hearing the evidence of and other matters relevant to the circumstances of the death the jury must answer five questions: who was the deceased and how, where, when and by what means did the deceased die. The jury may also make recommendations based on evidence heard that if implemented might avoid deaths in similar circumstances. Who can attend an inquest? Inquests are open to the public and the media. There are prohibitions regarding the use of cameras in the courtroom. There are also restrictions with respect to the use of recording devices in the courtroom by the media or any other person at an inquest. What happens to the jury's verdict and recommendations? The coroner and the crown attorney will review the verdict and recommendations to ensure that the verdict is "true" (that is, actually based on the evidence heard at the inquest). The jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law on any matter. The coroner will then read the jury's verdict and recommendations to the inquest court. The coroner will then write a verdict explanation and forward this with the jury's findings to the Chief Coroner of Ontario. It is one of the responsibilities of the Chief Coroner to distribute the jury's findings to persons, agencies or ministries of government who may be able to implement them. These persons are asked to respond to the recommendations and are advised that their responses are considered public documents available to anyone who requests them. The staff at the Office of the Chief Coroner will evaluate the responses approximately one year after the recommendations were distributed. The evaluations are based on self-evaluations of the responders. Recommendations are not mandatory and no one is legally required to respond to the recommendations. However, the strength of the recommendations lies in their practicality and relevance to the issues presented at the inquest. It is rare that a recommendation is made to which no response is received. When is an inquest called? The coroner may call an inquest to assist in answering the five questions about a person's death (who, how, where, when and by what means), to focus public attention on preventable deaths or to stimulate response by public or private organizations. An inquest may also be called to correct misinformation about the circumstances of any death and to assure the public that no death will be overlooked, concealed or ignored. In Ontario, the Coroners Act requires an inquest when death results from an accident on a construction project, mining plant or mine, including a pit or quarry, or while detained by or in the actual custody of a peace officer, or while an inmate on the premises of a correctional institution or lock-up. The family of a deceased person may request an inquest. This request should be made to the investigating coroner. The decision to hold an inquest is made in consultation with other supervising coroners and the Office of the Chief Coroner. This ensures that the Office of the Chief Coroner's resources are responsibly used to serve the public safety needs of Ontario citizens.
For more information, download this file: An Aid to Inquests.
What we already know 2. Eye-witnesses also attest that both officers were in plain clothes and not in uniform. 3. Eye-witnesses attest that no knife was ever seen in Jeffrey's hands. 4. Internal affairs investigators (Special Investigations Unit) did not arrive to the scene until 2 hours after the fact. The scene was only secured by other Toronto Police officers. 5. A knife was found at the scene but had no finger prints or blood on it whatsoever. 6. The Reodica's received other reports that the subject officer has used excessive and violent force on other young people. 7. The S.I.U. concluded that the subject officer was justified in shooting Jeffrey. The officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing and is armed and back to work in Toronto.
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After the testimony from witnesses that were close to the scene of this tragic incident, it has becomingly clear that Jeffrey Reodica did not have a knife in his hand when he was shot. In addition, none of the witnesses who had testified so far attested to hearing or seeing either of the Police Officers identify themselves at the outset. Therefore, the Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition (J4J), the Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) and the rest of our supporting individuals and organizations DEMAND to have the following actions be taken:
On Sunday, May 21, some 30 people - family and friends of Jeffrey Reodica and members of the Justice for Jeffrey Coalition - walked from St. Rose of Lima Church to the spot where Jeffrey fell when he was shot by Det. Dan Belanger on the same day two years ago, to offer prayers and flowers. On Wednesday, May 24, the Reodica family went to mass and visited Jeffrey's grave to mark the second year since his death. It seemed fitting that last week was designated as the break from the Coroner's inquest into Jeffrey's death which began on May 8, and went on for the next two weeks. It gave the Reodica family time to remember Jeffrey and just grieve - something which they say they haven't had time to do having been so busy trying to find the truth behind Jeffrey's shooting. But in the two weeks of the inquest which have passed, it has become apparent that the truth will not be uncovered so easily, despite the tape recordings, forensic evidence, and...
the 2nd major J4J rally & march on May 6 Join us as we rally before the Coroners Inquest into Jeffrey Reodica's unjust death by the hands of Toronto Police officers almost 2 years ago. This particular inquest may be one of the most controversial inquests to ever take place in Ontario. The inquest is relied upon to reveal the truth as to exactly what happened on May 21, 2004. It will look into how and why 17-year-old Jeffrey had to be killed. It will later provide recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening again. We hope that this campaign will result in improved relations between Toronto's youth and police, and more so, a restoration of faith in our police. We need the police. And our children and youth deserve to live, play and work without fear of them. The inquest happens daily beginning at 9am on Monday, May 8 and is open to the public. We encourage all to participate in the rally and to attend the inquest. Parents, children, youth, family and friends, concerned citizens, community groups, associations and businesses will unite once again to witness and ensure that the truth is unfolded at the inquest. To enlist your organization for endorsement, support and attendance: justice4jeffrey@ reodica.com PRESENTED BY THE JUSTICE FOR JEFFREY REODICA COALITION AND THE HELP OF ITS MANY SUPPORTERS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: CASJ - Community Alliance for Social Justice , BADC - Black Action Defense Committee , FCYA - Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance , TPAC - Toronto Police Accountability Coalition , TYC - Toronto Youth Cabinet (City of Toronto), GYC - Grassroots Youth Collaborative, OCAP - Ontario Coalition Against Poverty , PNJP, PJW - Prisoners Justice Week, SIKLAB, PJAC, MINERVA RECORDS
Interactive Map
 * ENDORSE THIS EVENT * Coalition to host speakout against police violence Commemorating 17-year-old Jeffrey and other victims
Several young boys, aged 14 to 18, witnessed Jeffrey Reodica get shot 3 times in the back by 2 plainclothes men. J4J has been instrumental in struggling for truth and justice in the shooting death of 17-year-old Jeffrey by Toronto Police. A Coroners Inquest will begin on May 8th, 2006. The inquest is open the public and supporters are strongly encouraged attend. Your presence will show that this injustice exists right before our very eyes. The lives that were ended viciously should never be forgotten. Please be part of the struggle to completely eliminate police brutality here, and everywhere.
** The International Day Against Police Brutality occurs on March 15. It first began in 1997 as an initiative of the Black Flag Collective in Switzerland, with the help of the 'Montreal Collective Opposed to Police Brutality'. The date was chosen because on March 15, two children, aged 11 and 12, were beaten by the Swiss police. Since its first year, the annual International Day Against Police Brutality has been a success, with more than 50 groups within 14 countries participating in 1997.
 * SPONSOR THIS EVENT * Over $1,300 raised for Jeffrey's Memorial Trust Fund Sold out talent showcase commemorates Jeffrey Reodica
This year's event commemorated Jeffrey Reodica and, for the first time, offered a means for post-secondary youth of the Filipino Canadian community to respond to his violent death. Jeffrey, 17, was shot 3 times in the back by plainclothes Toronto police officers on May 21st, 2004. A controversial Special Investigations Unit (SIU) decision cleared the officers despite the obvious contradictory findings. A Coroners Inquest into his death was recently announced to begin on May 8th, 2006. Many thanks to the organizing groups, York University's Filipino Students Association (FSAY) and Ryerson University's Filipino-Canadian Association (FCAR); the Opera House staff; the many talented performers; the sponsoring businesses; and the over 800 supporters who attended!!! The annual spectacle, organized by the FSAY and FCAR Filipino associations, was designed to showcase the local talents of fresh, young performers of the GTA who seek to expose their vocal, instrumental, and dance skills.
The York University and Ryerson University's Filipino students associations are non-profit organizations that represent university students in the Greater Toronto Area. Each year, the two groups engage in a collaborative effort aiming to preserve and promote the Filipino culture through a variety of modern, traditional, social, athletic and cultural events. SPONSORS: VYBE / ONTARIO STAGING LTD / NEW LOOK HAIR & BEAUTY SALON / THE ONE CLOTHING CO. / COLUMBIA PICTURES / HACIENDA LOUNGE / GOLDEN VALLEY RESTAURANT / ARISTOCRAT RESTAURANT / TELEPHONE SERVICES / MEDIA FORMULA GROUP / EVOLUTION TATS / SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS REST. / UKPC/FCYA / DELAMARC TRAVEL & TOURISM / 5TH ELEMENT SOUND CREW
   
 * SPONSOR THIS EVENT *
Finally! A date has been set for the start of the Coroners Inquest into the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Jeffrey Reodica. The long awaited inquest will begin at 9:30am on Monday, May 8th, 2006 at the Toronto Coroners Courts in downtown Toronto, only two days after what would have been Jeffrey's 19th birthday. The inquest was expedited after constant appeals to members of Ontario's parliament, provincial minister Monty Kwinter and to the Coroners Office. Hundreds and hundreds of phone calls, letters, faxes and emails were sent out to these officials. Jeffrey's older brother, Joel says, "The last few weeks have been grueling. We did what we had to." Success in attaining the date is directly attributed to all the individual supporters and over 160 organizations of J4J who participated in about 24 weeks of intensive appeals to the province and its officials. "It's encouraging to see some of our hard work finally paying off. It's a small step forward, but the real battle has only begun." Coroners Inquests are open to the public and all supporters, family and friends are welcome to attend the Toronto Coroners Courts at 15 Grosvenor Street (and Yonge St) in the city's core. Dr. Bonita Porter will preside as inquest coroner, and Mr. Robert Ash will act as counsel to the coroner. This inquest was announced quicker than usual for cases of this nature. Dr. James Edwards, regional supervising coroner, said, "We expedited it because there was so much community interest in the case." The family and coalition are thankful to all those who raised concerns via letters, emails, faxes and phone calls. J4J and the community were in an uproar after a controversial Special Investigations Unit (SIU) decision cleared officer Dan Belanger. A Coroners Inquest was called immediately following the SIU press release however a date for the proceedings remained unscheduled for 15 agonizing months. Supporters were concerned and unsatisfied with the possibility of the inquest beginning five, ten, even fifteen years down the road. "All we're really asking for is the truth to finally come out. We thought we could get answers from the SIU, instead they left us all with so many more questions. They were no help to us", says Joel.
An inquest is a public hearing held under the authority of the Coroners Act for the purpose of presenting evidence to a jury of five members of the community in which a person died. After hearing the evidence of and other matters relevant to the circumstances of the death the jury must answer five questions: who was the deceased and how, where, when and by what means did the deceased die. The jury may also make recommendations based on evidence heard that if implemented might avoid deaths in similar circumstances. No one will be on trial at the inquest. But if there is sufficient evidence uncovered against Detective Dan Belanger, the proceedings will be halted and the officer will go on trial.
In August, the coalition delivered an open letter to the Chief Coroner Barry McLellan, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Monte Kwinter and Premier Dalton McGuinty. Minister Kwinter has replied, stating that he cannot exert any influence on the Coroner's office because the latter is an arm's length body from the ministry. Meanwhile, Chief Coroner McLellan wrote that he has passed on the request to the specific coroner in charge of the Reodica inquest and that an inquest date would be scheduled before the end of the year.
The J4J Coalition will soon be mobilizing the public for a e-mail/fax/letter-writing campaign to Ministers of Provincial Parliament to ask them to help exert pressure on the Coroner's Office. To participate in this action, send an e-mail to joel@reodica.com, or check this website for details.
"All for One" dinner-dance considered as another successful event; Coalition is starting to knock on politician's door. With the evening certainly a busy night for most people, organizers where concerned with the possible turn-out. A number of gatherings were taking place around the city, all at the same time. "Because there were plenty of events going on at once, we were worried that there may not be that many people that could make it to this one", Flora Reodica, the mother of Jeffrey and one of the driving force behind this event. "This was to be a big night to launch the next phase of our campaign". But volunteers for this fundraising evening were overwhelmed by the people that showed up at the door. Everyone was impressed with the turn out, the lively musical entertainment and the general atmosphere of the night. This was not just another "Filipino thing". People from all corners were in attendance, all in support of the campaign. And the message on the Saturday night of November 5th, 2005 was to draw the attention of the public to their current action: the attempt to make our politicians aware that the death of Jeffrey is just a part of the overall social injustice that they feel is going on, on a regular basis, here and around the world.
Some people who could not be available that evening purchased tickets for support. Others just showed up at the door. "The volunteers and corporate sponsors just made it a lot easier for us to stage this second event. The last few weeks really took a lot of toll on the core group of organizers. The cause and the end result of this event really made it all worthwhile. Our approach to ask the people in attendance, and the general public for that matter, to write their respective MPP's and the Coroner's office may hopefully avoid years of waiting to find answers to my brother's tragic death. And if we can save just one life by correcting what was wronged, then it will somehow eased the pain". Joel Reodica, brother of the late Jeffrey. Joel also happened to be the volunteer disc jockey and the main ...
The long version will be much longer, at least one hour long, and be an in-depth journey into all aspects of this horrible chain of events including the family's hardships, legal hurdles, youth-police relations, long-term ramifications, police accountability, racial profiling, and systemic problems to name a few. Both versions will also give a much clearer picture of who Jeffrey truly was from childhood footage to some taken just days before he was shot by police. The teaser video can be viewed, downloaded and shared. Burn the video file onto CD and pass it onto your friends and family - or even upload the file to websites or your favourite P2P sharing services! A limited number of burned CD-ROM discs are also in free circulation around the city. To support or sponsor this project please contact Joel via the CONTACT page. Project Team: Christina Santiago. Min Sook Lee. Gail Navarro. Joel Reodica. Warren Credo. Jan Marzo. Contributors: Marc Sacramento. Alex Lisman.
 Become an Official J4J Supporting OrganizationJoin over 160 other organizations Justice for Jeffrey is aware of the enormous challenge of achieving truth and justice in this particular case, and thus are appealing to all organizations, associations and groups city-wide, province-wide, and even nationwide for assistance. Recently the J4J Coalition has taken the fight to the Government of Ontario with over 160 organizations across Toronto, Canada and abroad have joining in the campaign as signatories in an Open Letter sent to offices which oversee the promised Coroners Inquest into Jeffrey Reodica's death. The aim is to expedite the start of the Coroners Inquest as soon as possible - justice delayed is justice denied.
As evident at the last succesful rally on May 21, 2005 in downtown Toronto (see "After 1 year we still fear!"), the public and the rest of the supporters of the Reodica family would like to see the promised inquest take place now! This should not be a lot to ask for. Support J4J in style: New fundraisng tees arrive!  
Funds are desperately in need to support the family and community in its quest for justice. The associated legal expenses are mounting and to date over $30,000 in legal costs is owing. Willie and Joel Reodica, the father and son of Jeffrey, were invited to speak and table at
 "After 1 year,
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May 2006 - 
Read the TORONTO SUN: "I would have shot more, says cop" 
Community demands action from Province's Ombudsman & AG; Philippine Consulate
Harsh realities for youth, community
High 12°C
VIEW THE 
VIEW 
In Toronto, this event is being coordinated by the Justice for Jeffrey Coalition (J4J), with participation from the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC) and other concerned community groups. Members from Justice for Jeffrey, BADC, the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance, and the Reodica family will speak, as well as special performances by spoken word artists Len Cervantes, Spin from Pueblo Unido, and more!
Presented by the
Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition (J4J),
Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada / Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA),
Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ) and
Black Action Defense Committee (BADC).
Coroners Inquest Date: May 8th, 2006!
The coalition and supporters are solely relying on this inquest to finally reveal the truth behind Jeffrey's death.
And on this night, all are in solidarity.
The completed video is to come in two different formats: one short and one full length. The short version will be approximately 15 minutes long and will summarize the major events and issues since Jeffrey was killed. This can be used in classrooms, lecture halls, workshops and conferences as an educational and informative aide.
We are requesting permission to include the name of your organization as an official supporting organization of the Justice for Jeffrey Reodica Coalition and its campaign for truth and justice for Jeffrey and justice for all people.
Chief Blair Meets with Family
Jeffrey was killed including the violent history of the subject officers and the inconsistent investigation by the Special Investigations Unit. Moreso, he was informed of the ongoing disturbances in the community by the same racist youths who instigated the hate crime the day before the shooting of Jeffrey and the children and youth who remain at risk today. 
Campaign extends nationwide: 
a worldwide reunion conference which took place in downtown Vancouver. The success of this outreach has led to further discussion of planning a nationwide fundraising and awareness tour with hopes of stops in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton and Windsor!
The Reodicas say they're being denied access to crucial info in police shooting.
Reodica family lawyer Barry Swadron, left, addresses a media conference at the Filipino Centre in downtown Toronto
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The visibly shaken father of a 17-year-old Scarborough boy who died after being shot by a plainclothes police officer last May told a press conference he won't stop fighting for his son until the officer involved is punished by the law. 
"We're not out to lynch someone. This is one nice family who suddenly lost an integral member. We believe it shouldn't have happened. There's no way to bring Jeffrey back but there's probably a lot of Jeffrey's out there and we want to make sure that they remain alive." 
