Two-thirds of COVID-19 charges result in convictions in N.B., $117K in fines
About two-thirds of tickets issued for alleged violations of New Brunswick's emergency rules designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in convictions so far, and fines totalling more than $117,000.
Roughly a quarter were withdrawn and seven per cent are still before the courts — eight months after all remaining mandatory COVID measures were lifted, data from the Department of Justice and Public Safety shows.
A total of 676 Emergency Measures Act tickets were filed with provincial court between March 19, 2020 and Nov. 20, 2022, said department spokesperson Geoffrey Downey.
Of those, 435, or 64.3 per cent, resulted in a conviction, he said in an emailed statement.
In 405 of those cases, offenders were ordered to pay fines totalling $117,550.30. In the other 26, the judge released the defendant without penalty, said Downey.
He did not explain the outcome of the remaining four cases.
Of the total 676 tickets issued, 176 — or 26 per cent — were withdrawn because the Crown believed there was no reasonable prospect of conviction, Downey said.
Forty-seven, or seven per cent are still before the court. Sixteen tickets, or 2.4 per cent, resulted in an acquittal, while two — just 0.3 per cent — resulted in the defendant being deemed unfit.
"This covers all charges under the Emergency Measures Act, not any that may have been laid under the Occupational Health and Safety Act," said Downey.
The department was not immediately able to provide a further breakdown of the pandemic tickets by offences, such as failing to mask in indoor public places, exceeding gathering limits or failing to physically distance.
