David Little, 60, is scheduled to go to trial May 23 on charges of failing to
file income tax returns for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002.
He said he refuses to pay taxes because he contends tax money is used in part
to fund abortion procedures. He argues that to force him to indirectly participate
violates his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
He was in court Thursday, seeking to have his trial delayed because he has to
focus his attention on ailing family members.
On March 1, Judge Leslie Jackson told Little to return to court with evidence
of the nature of those illnesses and how long it would take for those personal
matters to be resolved.
Little said Thursday his wife and stepdaughter are suffering from "demonic oppression" and
need to undergo exorcism rituals in order to be healed. Prosecutor Suhanya Edwards said Little's open-ended request for an adjournment
is unreasonable.
She said there was no specific evidence as to how long he thought it would take
for his family to get well. Little said some exorcism rituals resolve the problem after only one session,
but he's also aware of one exorcism that has been ongoing in Rome for 16 years.
"Lucifer was the most intelligent of all the angels," he said, and the Devil
won't be "pigeonholed" into a timetable. The battle between God and the Devil "is a war, a real vicious war," he said. "I'm going to stay with (my wife) until she's well."
Little filed letters and documentation with the court from his wife and from
a woman he said is familiar with exorcism rituals.
He called no witnesses to back up his request for the adjournment of trial. Edwards opposed the motion, noting Little hasn't established clearly the veracity of his claims. "We have no expert before the court," she said.
She also called into question the reliability of documentation filed by Little's
wife. Edwards pointed out that a questionnaire in the woman's handwriting and
a letter supporting her husband's request to the court didn't match up.
She said the phrasing of the letter was much more articulate and advanced, indicating
someone else might have written it for the woman to sign.
Jackson agreed, noting there was a doubt as to whether or not the wife penned
the letter.
Little said the woman had assistance in drafting the letter, which explains the
discrepancy in the tones of the two documents.
Edwards also said there's no indication of what Little does for a job even though
he has a family to support. He said "benefactors" are giving him money to support his family. "The stress has been enormous, as you might expect," he said, noting he is deeply
in debt now. "My credit's ruined."
He said a local doctor who supports his cause but wishes to remain anonymous
has pledged to care for Little's family should he go to jail over this tax case.
He then told Jackson the unnamed doctor has "great respect" for the judge and
his father. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Jackson said, clearly annoyed. Little said he wasn't trying to curry favour with the judge.
Jackson said the matter of adjournment came down to whether he believed Little
was being diligent in dealing with the case or if he thought the accused was
just trying to manipulate the system.
"Part of the problem here is the lack of evidence before the court," the judge
said.
He denied the request for the adjournment and said the trial would proceed as
scheduled May 23.
During his submissions, Little said his wife has already undergone one exorcism
ritual Monday and further sessions were expected.
He said two Christian but non-Catholic women performed the rituals in the area
and have done so with success many times. He did not name them.
Little also said he'd been in touch with Bishop Faber MacDonald, bishop for the
Diocese of Saint John, of which Fredericton is a part.
He said the bishop was performing "prayers of exorcism" on his family's behalf. When contacted at his office Thursday afternoon, MacDonald said Little's representations
that he's performing exorcism prayers is not entirely accurate. "That's his interpretation," the bishop said. He described what the Little family members are going through as something of "a deliverance" and "an awakening of the mystery of evil."
The bishop said they are wrestling with personal demons and trying to improve
their lives through God.
"Spiritual crisis is a good expression," he said. MacDonald said it is not a case of a separate, demonic entity inhabiting a person's
body. "It's a very personal matter," the bishop said.
