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If history is any guide, here is what may well happen in the tragic story of Abdirahman Abdi.

The accused, Ottawa police Const. Daniel Montsion, will get the finest legal representation against the manslaughter and assault charges he faces; the trial will be long and emotionally draining; the police will, at times, look terrible; ultimately, he will be acquitted; and almost no one will be satisfied at the outcome.

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It is all guesswork at this point, of course, but is this not the pattern of charges laid against Ottawa police officers by the Special Investigations Unit?

Consider its most widely-known local prosecution, that of Sgt. Steven Desjourdy for the cell-block treatment of a 25-year-old intoxicated woman in 2008. He was charged with sexual assault and represented by Michael Edelson, one of the city’s leading criminal lawyers. It’s what union backing and a lot of money gets you.

The Crown’s case was a little wobbly from the beginning but so sure was the defence of its position that it called no witnesses. Guilty of a criminal act? Are you kidding?