Portfolio — Joel J. Wittnebel

Judge apologizes to Peel rapper ‘Avalanche The Architect’ for describing lyrics with “black macho flavour”

My second piece on Darren John aka Avalanche the Architect and is ongoing legal battles. This one, a small victory as a previous judge is forced to apologize for remarks he made in denying John legal aid.

NEWSJoel WittnebelJanuary 15, 2019

Peel Police close out a violent year, but are statistical jumps as troublesome as they appear?

When reviewing the past year’s crime statistics, I’m like a kid at Christmas. In Peel Region, 2018 was a fascinating (and scary) year to be covering crime. Here’s my first look at the numbers and providing a bit of valuable initial context.

NEWS, POLICEJoel WittnebelJanuary 8, 2019

Brown and Crombie welcome groundbreaking report that slams police carding as ineffective and harmful

Important commentary from local mayors on a critically important report for their two cities.

NEWSJoel WittnebelJanuary 2, 2019

City halts critical downtown project as uncertainty lingers about what lies beneath

How the City of Brampton missed this water channels beneath the city is beyond me, but they are now causing serious delays to much needed infrastructure.

NEWSJoel WittnebelDecember 13, 2018

Peel police, local MPs look to Ottawa for money to help stem rising crime, youth violence

Violent crimes committed by youth are on the rise in Peel Region, and Peel police are now looking to the federal government for help in creating programs to address the issue.

NEWS, POLICEJoel WittnebelDecember 8, 2018

Grewal's gambling addiction raises questions about security protocols, opposition MPs say

The Raj Grewal saga continues.

NEWSJoel WittnebelDecember 7, 2018

Bains grilled in House of Commons over photo with director of company that sold land to Brampton

The Pointer’s coverage reaches the House of Commons as Mississauga MP Navdeep Bains is questioned repeatedly about his ties to the company involved in the city’s controversial land deal.

NEWSJoel WittnebelDecember 4, 2018

Brampton law firm silent on its employment of former MP Raj Grewal, who resigned due to a gambling problem

A Brampton law firm that was paying Grewal is not speaking publicly about its relationship with the former MP or what work he did for the firm while serving as an elected official.

NEWSJoel WittnebelNovember 27, 2018

Brampton MP Raj Grewal resigned over gambling problem

A few iterations of this story were posted on The Pointer - Brampton website as I followed the developments — first him resigning for health reasons, followed by the revelation that it was actually to do with a gambling problem. This was a story that put a national spotlight on Brampton, and The Pointer.

NEWSJoel WittnebelNovember 22, 2018

Judge cites “black macho” lyrics in denial of legal aid for Peel-based rapper

When we talk about issues and bias in the criminal justice system, Darren John’s case is Exhibit A. Can a judge really turn down legal aid because he doesn’t like a rapper’s lyrics?

NEWSJoel WittnebelNovember 20, 2018

A Q&A with Patrick Brown on his tell-all book Take Down

After his fall from grace as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, newly elected Brampton mayor Patrick Brown dropped a bomb with his new memoir Take Down: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown.

NEWS, FEATUREJoel WittnebelNovember 15, 2018

Unclear what Brampton will get from Ottawa’s $200M funding to combat gun and gang violence

Politicians love coming to Brampton and Mississauga with the promise of funding dollars to address major crime issues. However, when it comes time to deliver on those promises they are less than forthcoming.

NEWS, POLICEJoel WittnebelNovember 13, 2018