From Karen Selick, on The Justice Report:
Michael Schmidt, after the sentencing last Friday, outside Newmarket court.
“A fact that hasn’t yet been publicized following the sentencing of CCF client Michael Schmidt on Friday, November 25 is that in addition to the fine of $9,150 imposed by Justice Tetley, a “victim surcharge” totaling $1,945 was also added to the tab. The total amount that Michael is supposed to pay is therefore $11,095.
Under section 60.1 of Ontario’s Provincial Offences Act, the “victim surcharge” gets added automatically. The amount is determined on a little chart found in the regulations, here.
According to the Office for Victims of Crimes, the money from victim surcharges gets put into a “victim’s justice fund account” and is used “to assist victims of criminal offences”. However, criminal offences are defined as offences under the Criminal Code—things like murder, assault and robbery. These have nothing to do with the offences under the Provincial Offences Act.
So for the peaceful acts of distributing raw milk and operating a milk plant without a licence, Michael is forced to pay compensation to people who were violently assaulted or robbed by unknown criminals.Does this make sense to you?…”
Read it all on The Justice Report.
Karen Selick from a post-sentencing video clip from CBC news. Click on above image to go to CBC news web page to view it. Then click on video below the main picture to bring up the video viewer.
The Bovine 
The victim surcharge is just another tax. How about the government compensate Michael’s cowshare members $1945 for harassing them in their attempts to exercise their rights of individual liberty, the right to enter a private contract and the right to eat wholesome and healthful food? While they are at it, please keep the cheques coming for filling our grocery stores with foreign produce while allowing our farmland to be paved over, for allowing poisonous ingredients in our food, for stocking our shelves with GMO foods without labeling them, for deferring to big agribusiness over family farms as a matter of policy, etc, etc, etc…… Michael’s “victims” were in court supporting him!
Just when you think things couldn’t get any more ridiculous…
Karen, I hear you… But please note that the same applies to traffic tickets. It is perhaps a very poor label for a tax.
I would suggest that the myriad of “ridiculousness” in our society be points of reflection for personal growth and empowerment by asking the question: what am I missing? What is the common denominator?
In the alternative, we can just go on complaining about the ridiculousness of the specifics, or of it all. But I hardly find that empowering.
If I may suggest, contemplate (not superficially, by really) a non-conventional idea suggested by a non-licensed lawyer. A seven year education does not mean the underpinnings at law were included in the curriculum. I realize that this might entail some humble pie… but just ask a medical doctor how much education he received about nutrition.
I wish I had the b***s Michael Schmidt has. I’m an Argentinian living in Toronto and I have to say the milk one consumes over here sucks. Milk in Argentina is not raw, unless you happen to be close to somebody who has a cow. Still, the pasteurization and filtration process over there is not as agressive as it is in Canada and the US. Even in the UK they don’t ultra-pasteurize milk.
Now everyone’s trying to say Milk sucks and it’s bad for you. Processed milk definitely is, but natural raw milk is something else.
I myself are dying to try some. All this laws which are designed to protect the big milk distributors have to change.
One must thank Michael for his persistance for he might be able to do it, but we all have to help with the noise. Tweet, blog or talk about this at work.
I wish Michael Schmidt the best of luck!
You need not worry about the fines ,the supporters will pay them for Michael at some point.Has he has no money,he is broke.I was shocked when he told the courts what he had done in regards to his assets,it may come back and bite him at a later time!It is nice to know that their are new farmers in the GTA suppling raw milk
Cheese and Rice!!!! “The supporters will pay them for Michael at some point.” It won’t be me and I hope it will not be any one of you. Paying those things would not be right or fair or what Michael wants. Folks- when it comes to fines, put your hands in your pockets and keep them there.