File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Defamation Suit

Court hearing for Kamloops mayor’s defamation suit against councillor pushed to January

Oct 31, 2024 | 12:10 PM

KAMLOOPS — A court proceeding to hear evidence in Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s defamation lawsuit against a Kamloops councillor has been delayed until January.

Hamer-Jackson filed the suit against Councillor Katie Neustaeter on June 12, 2023, alleging statements she made about his conduct and his interactions with her father were false and constitute defamation. Neustaeter filed a response to Hamer-Jackson’s suit six weeks later, denying all the allegations and describing examples of the mayor’s alleged boundary violations.

One year later, Neustaeter filed a so-called SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) application to have the suit dismissed.

Evidence was originally scheduled to be heard beginning next Monday (Nov. 4). Lawyers have requested more time, resulting in the hearing being pushed to January 20 to 24, 2025.

Neustaeter released this statement to CFJC Today:

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Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson recently said that he sues people in an attempt to “hit the jackpot”, but I believe that treating court filings like lottery tickets is reckless.

Lawsuits like this one place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers, manipulate a process that’s meant to achieve justice for legitimate victims, and contribute to our challenges with crime.

Valuable court time and resources should be reserved for the prosecution of criminals. Instead, those people are free to continually perpetuate harm because others are gaming the system.

My experience so far is that the only winners in a frivolous and vexatious lawsuit are the lawyers and, as far as I can tell, this is an other example of that.

For my part? I just want this to be done so I can focus on my family and my work.

Contacted by CFJC Today, Hamer-Jackson said the delay is meant to allow his legal team more time to prepare.

“Our legal team was just presented four affidavits on October 18, two weeks before the hearing was supposed to start. It’s going to take more time to prepare than two weeks,” said Hamer-Jackson.

“[Neustaeter’s team has] had a little more time but I guess they’ve found some city councillors and city staff members to participate so it’s going to take a little more time to prepare,” he added. “They probably should have been in a long time ago, from what I understand.”