Domotor removed from Sask. party caucus, stripped of appointments
MLA Ryan Domotor, previously a member of the Saskatchewan Party, was arrested on Nov 16, 2023 for sex solicitation.
His arrest came following an investigation conducted by the Regina Police Service between November 14 and November 16. The investigation targeted sexual exploitation and human trafficking in the city. All in all, 16 individuals were arrested including Domotor.
The Saskatchewan Party was swift in their response to the situation. According to an email released by the province’s current government, Domotor was removed from the Saskatchewan Party caucus. By Nov 17, the day following his arrest, Domotor was stripped of all government appointments and responsibilities including his appointment to the cabinet economy committee.
At the time of Domotor’s arrest, Premier Scott Moe stressed that there is “ absolutely no place in our government, nor frankly in the assembly, for someone who has been charged with such a crime.”
The first court hearing in the Domotor case took place on Jan 4, 2024. Domotor was absent during the first hearing of the case. He was represented in court by Darren Kraushaar, a lawyer from McDougall Gauley LLP. Kraushaar claimed that he and his client were seeking referral to an alternative measure program to settle the matter and hoped to avoid a criminal court process.
Alternative measures are available for non-violent criminals in Saskatchewan and are essentially out-of-court methods of settlement via mediation.
The next, and final, hearing of the case was scheduled for Feb 1, 2024. Domotor, who was once again not present during the hearing, was represented by Lawyer Darren Kraushaar. Following the hearing, the criminal charges against the MLA were stayed without a resolution of guilt or innocence.
A stayed charge can be reactivated within a year. After a year, the Criminal Code of Canada deems that proceedings never commenced.
Crown prosecutor Carmody Hallamore said that given the non-violent nature of the charges, Domotor was referred to the program through Regina Family Services.
Prosecutor Hallamore also made clear that there are a variety of considerations made to determine eligibility for alternative measures. There are also many factors that contribute to the final decision. These include the severity of the charges, past criminal record, or history of similar offences.
In his comment about the case Kraushaar claimed that this “is a common result involving an accused facing this type of allegation for the first time.”
Situations such as Domotor’s sex-solicitation charge are sensitive and should ideally be handled with great caution, especially in cases where public representatives are accused. Any action that could lead to or encourage sexual exploitation and human trafficking should be condemned with the appropriate amount of severity. Whether the crown’s verdict is stringent enough is a subject of much contemplation.
Domotor was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the October 2020 provincial election as a representative of Cut Knife-Turtleford. According to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, he served 12 years on the town of Turtleford Council and 17 years as the area coroner.
It is also interesting to note that the MLA received a certificate in Local Government Legislation in 1993 from the University of Regina, making him a U of R alumnus.
He continues to represent the electoral district of Cut Knife-Turtleford as an independent, and currently resides with his wife and two sons in Turtleford where he has lived for 29 years.
