ALBERTA LAW REPORTS Sixth Series Reports of Selected Cases from the Courts of Alberta and Appeals VOLUME 34 (Cited 34 Alta. L.R. (6th)) SELECTION EDITOR Walter J. Watson, B.A., LL.B. ASSOCIATE EDITORS E. Mirth, Q.C. E.H. Molstad, Q.C. A.D. Nielsen, B.A., LL.B., Q.C. EDITORIAL STAFF Cheryl L. McPherson, B.A.(HONS.) Director, Primary Content Operations Audrey Wineberg, B.A.(HONS.), LL.B. Product Development Manager Nicole Ross, B.A., LL.B. Julia Fischer, B.A.(HONS.), LL.B. Supervisor, Legal Writing Supervisor, Legal Writing Peter Bondy, B.A.(HONS.), LL.B. Susan Koster, B.A.(HONS.), LL.B. Lead Legal Writer Lead Legal Writer Jim Moore, B.A.(HONS.) Senior Content Editor ALBERTA LAW REPORTS is published 18 times per year. Subscription Alberta Law Reports est publi´e 18 fois par ann´ee. L’abonnement est de rate $487.00 per bound volume including parts. 487 $ par volume reli´e incluant les fascicules. 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Les analyses The analysis contained herein should in no way be construed as being either comprises dans les pr´esentes ne doivent etreˆ interpr´et´ees d’aucune fa¸con official or unofficial policy of any governmental body. comme etant´ des politiques officielles ou non officielles de quelque organ- isme gouvernemental que ce soit. 8 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of 8 Le papier utilis´e dans cette publication satisfait aux exigences minimales American National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Pa- de l’American National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of per for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. ISSN 0703-3117 ISBN 978-0-7798-5737-1 Printed in Canada by Thomson Reuters THOMSON REUTERS CANADA, A DIVISION OF THOMSON REUTERS CANADA LIMITED One Corporate Plaza Customer Relations 2075 Kennedy Road Toronto 1-416-609-3800 Toronto, Ontario Elsewhere in Canada/U.S. 1-800-387-5164 M1T 3V4 Fax 1-416-298-5082 www.carswell.com Contact www.carswell.com/email R. v. Dominic 219 [Indexed as: R. v. Dominic] Her Majesty the Queen, Respondent and Elia Dominic, Appellant Alberta Court of Appeal Docket: 1307-06542Q1 - dismissed. Lower level on order. 2016 ABCA 114 Catherine Fraser C.J.A., Patricia Rowbotham, J.D. Bruce McDonald JJ.A. Heard: February 9, 2016 Judgment: April 21, 2016 Criminal law –––– Narcotic and drug control — Evidence — Miscellane- ous –––– Accused admitted to possessing 11 grams of cocaine but maintained it was for personal use due to cocaine addiction — Trial judge found that accused possessed it for purpose of trafficking, in part based on expert testimony from police officer — Accused appealed conviction — Appeal dismissed — Trial judge made no reviewable error in concluding that officer’s experience and spe- cialized training were sufficient to qualify him as expert in practices and habits of users of cocaine — Probative value of officer’s evidence on practices and habits of cocaine users was not outweighed by its prejudicial effect — Evidence was legally relevant and trial judge properly admitted it — Trial judge did not admit into evidence any testimony that was beyond scope of officer’s expertise, nor did judge misunderstand limitations of officer’s evidence — It formed part of only one of 10 comprehensive reasons for convicting accused — In outlining those 10 reasons judge carefully detailed web of circumstantial evidence that compellingly led to conclusion that Crown proved accused’s possession of co- caine for purposes of trafficking beyond reasonable doubt. Evidence –––– Opinion — Experts — Miscellaneous –––– Accused admitted to possessing 11 grams of cocaine but maintained it was for personal use due to cocaine addiction — Trial judge found that accused possessed it for purpose of trafficking, in part based on expert testimony from police officer — Accused ap- pealed conviction — Appeal dismissed — Trial judge made no reviewable error in concluding that officer’s experience and specialized training were sufficient to qualify him as expert in practices and habits of users of cocaine — Probative value of officer’s evidence on practices and habits of cocaine users was not out- weighed by its prejudicial effect — Evidence was legally relevant and trial judge properly admitted it — Trial judge did not admit into evidence any testimony that was beyond scope of officer’s expertise, nor did judge misunderstand limi- tations of officer’s evidence — It formed part of only one of 10 comprehensive reasons for convicting accused — In outlining those 10 reasons judge carefully detailed web of circumstantial evidence that compellingly led to conclusion that 220 ALBERTA LAW REPORTS 34 Alta. L.R. (6th) Crown proved accused’s possession of cocaine for purposes of trafficking be- yond reasonable doubt. Cases considered: Mouvement la¨ıque qu´eb´ecois v. Saguenay (City) (2015), 2015 SCC 16, 2015 CSC 16, 2015 CarswellQue 2626, 2015 CarswellQue 2627, 382 D.L.R. (4th) 385, 34 M.P.L.R. (5th) 1, [2015] S.C.J. No. 16, 22 C.C.E.L. (4th) 1, 470 N.R. 1, 83 Admin. L.R. (5th) 183, [2015] 2 S.C.R. 3, 332 C.R.R. (2d) 183 (S.C.C.) — referred to R.