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A rioter taunts the police during a riot in Vancouver June 15, 2011.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

The first of the Stanley Cup riot cases could enter the courtroom by late November and observers already fear the impact those hearings will have on an overloaded legal system, and whether the focus on riot proceedings will delay other trials.

Vancouver police announced Monday that charges have been recommended against 60 alleged rioters. No charges have been laid in connection with the June 15 mayhem and the police force's recommendations must still be approved by the Crown.

Dozens of court cases have been abandoned in B.C. this year because of lengthy delays. Samiran Lakshman, president of the B.C. Crown Counsel Association, said adding 60 – and potentially hundreds more – cases to the docket won't help.

When asked what impact the flood of riot cases could have on other trials, Mr. Lakshman said: "If you add to the stack of cases that are currently being heard, then you're going to get close to that situation where it's an unreasonable delay."

He said booking a one-day trial at Vancouver provincial court can already lead to a nine- or 12-month wait.

"If a lot of those rioters want trials … there will be an enormous delay or clog in the system," he said.

The Crown has put together a five-prosecutor team to handle the riot cases. Of course, some of the people it prosecutes might not have the means to hire a lawyer. That could mean the Legal Services Society is pressed into action.

"Certainly, the pressures from the rioters are on our mind right now in terms of how we have to build our budget next year and look at what we've got left for this year," said Mark Benton, the society's executive director.

Mr. Benton said it's still unclear how many of the rioters might need to rely on society lawyers.

Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu announced the charge recommendations during a news conference at department headquarters. He called the riot that left millions of dollars in damage and more than 100 people injured "the largest crime spree in the history of B.C."

The force has been heavily criticized for the pace of its investigation – no charges have been laid 4½ months after the incident. But Chief Chu defended his department's handling of the case.

"Over the past few months there have been those who told us that our decision to be thorough was wrong. They urged us to rush cases to court," he told reporters.

"But we believe the public expects more from the police. We believe the community supports the independence of the police and our professional judgment to conduct thorough investigations, not cut corners in order to satisfy the vocal criticisms of a few."

Police have recommended 163 charges against the 60 people linked to the rioting, fighting and looting. The charges range from mischief, assault, and break and enter. Chief Chu said "hundreds" of people will be charged by the time the investigation is over. The force earlier said 500 to 700 people would be charged and that the investigation could span two years.

He did not release a cost for the total investigation, though he said the video processing alone cost $300,000.

This isn't the first time police have sent riot files to the Crown. Days after the incident, the force forwarded eight files to the Criminal Justice Branch. The Crown sent them back to police, feeling they were incomplete. Monday marked the first time since then that the police recommended charges against anyone believed to have participated in the riot.

Criminal Justice Branch spokesman Neil MacKenzie said the Crown would proceed as quickly as reasonably possible. He said some of the alleged rioters could appear in court by the end of November.

Mr. MacKenzie wouldn't speculate on the severity of sentences the Crown would push for.

When asked if the Crown might again send files back to police, Mr. MacKenzie said he anticipated the material police would be providing was much more comprehensive this time around. He said police and the Crown worked in close co-operation on the cases and the Criminal Justice Branch has already reviewed some of the material.

George Moen, president of Blenz Coffee, one of whose locations was hit hard during the riot, said he had no problem with the pace of the investigation.

"It's not a question of speed. It's a question of whether they get it right," he said.

Mr. Moen's sentiments were echoed by Wynne Powell, president of London Drugs, which was also looted.

But Robert Gordon, director of the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University, questioned the speed with which the investigation has moved.

"Swift justice is the best of all," he said.

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