Canadian Supreme Court justice investigated after altercation at Paradise Valley resort

By Ignacio Ventura
Published: Monday, March 13, 2023 - 8:36am

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2023 O’Connor Justice Prize
Charlie Leight/ASU News
Louise Arbour (second from left) is welcomed to the podium by (from left to right) Ambassador Barbara Barrett, retired Justice Ruth McGregor and Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Russell Brown at the presentation of the 2023 O’Connor Justice Prize.

A Canadian Supreme Court justice has been placed on leave after a physical altercation at a Paradise Valley resort. Justice Russell Brown’s conduct is now being reviewed by the Canadian Judicial Council.

Brown was in Arizona in January, as retired Canadian Justice Louise Arbour was being honored by ASU at the Montelucia resort.

The altercation — involving Brown and a man named Jonathan Crump — took place shortly after the ceremony. In a complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council, Crump alleged that Brown harassed his friends and followed them back to their hotel room.

A confrontation ensued, with Crump punching Brown in the face. Crump’s group later called Paradise Valley police, who made no arrests and described the incident as a brief physical altercation between two intoxicated males.

In a statement, Brown said he did not instigate the altercation and that the comments made by Crump were “demonstrably false.”

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