Group rallies at legislature after Crown decision not to appeal Brady Francis verdict

Fifty supporters of Brady Francis's family rallied outside the New Brunswick Legislature on Wednesday, angry the acquittal of the man accused in his death won't be appealed.

Earlier in the day, the Crown announced it won't appeal a judge's decision to find Maurice Johnson not guilty in the hit-and-run death of Francis two years ago.

"My first reaction, disappointment," said Jessica Perley, mother of Francis, 22. "So much disappointment and anger, loads of anger."

Francis, from Elsipogtog First Nation in eastern New Brunswick, died after he was hit by a driver on Feb. 24, 2018, in Saint-Charles.

Johnson was later tried for failing to stop at the scene of an accident that caused a person's death. But Court of Queen's Bench Justice Denise LeBlanc ruled in late April thatthe prosecution wasn't able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Johnson struck Francis or left the scene knowing he had struck a person.

Lawyer Malian Levi spoke at the rally on behalf of Francis's family and Mawiw Council Inc., an organization representing Elsipogtog First Nation.

"What are you going to do, New Brunswick?" she asked. "What are you going to do to make sure your people are safe? What are you going to do to ensure that this doesn't happen again?"

"I feel deeply for the family. I feel like this is not only a First Nations issue but it's a deeper New Brunswick issue because these systems continue to dehumanize us and act like we're not here or we don't matter."

With her legal background, she said, she feels there is more the people of New Brunswick, "not just First Nations," can do to bring about change to make people safe.

"This is a public issue and these people, the Attorney-General, the ministers, they represent the public of New Brunswick and we are the public of New Brunswick," Levi said.

Supporters of Brady Francis' family have started an online petition calling for a new law called Brady's Bill,which would change the Motor Vehicle Act to make it mandatory to report any collisions with large wildlife to a conservation officer.

Johnson's wife, Jacinthe Johnson, testified in court the couple thought they hit a deer the night Francis was killed, but they didn't stop and kept driving toward their home.

Perley said her family has been trying to heal from the loss of Brady over the last two years but having to be confronted with his loss all over again when the trial began in January has made it difficult.

"The verdict was just like another punch in the gut."

The decision not to appeal hurt the family again, she said.

"We're there to support each other in the healing process," Perley said. "Our spirits are strong. It's never easy."