Whether we like it or not there is one justice system for the rich and famous and another justice system for the rest of us. There is a case that just occurred in Toronto that is not to be believed. It is a stain on our justice system.

On May 16, 2006 Suzanne Mizuno was the passenger in a car driven by her brother Jamie Mizuno. They were on their way to a family dinner. They were on Huntington Road, south of Major MacKenzie Drive when a Nissan Maxima traveling southbound swerved into the oncoming lane and impacted Jamie Mizuno’s Honda Civic. It all happened in a split second. Jamie Mizuno tried to avoid the vehicle but the Maxima slammed into the passenger side of the Honda Civic. Suzanne Mizuno was pronounced dead at the scene. Her brother and the driver of the Maxima were treated for minor injuries.

The driver of the Maxima was David Clark, one of Canada’s top jockeys. According to court testimony, Clark had a blood-alcohol level over the legal level of .08. York police breathalyzer technicians estimated his blood alcohol level was between .120 and .170 at the time of the crash. In April, 2007 David Clark pleaded guilty to both impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm.

Any sane person would expect that the court would throw the book at David Clark. Don’t we read every day in the newspapers about how the police and the courts are getting tough on drunk drivers? Murder is murder whether your weapon of choice is a gun or a motor vehicle. David Clark was sentenced to two years less a day of house arrest after pleading guilty to drunk driving in a car crash that killed Suzanne Mizuno and injured her brother Jamie. And, get this – David Clark can leave his home to work. He’s not discovering the cure for cancer, he just rides horses! His license was taken away at the time of the crash and he is prohibited from driving for 3 years. After David Clark serves his term of house arrest he will be placed on 2 years probation and have to do 240 hours of community service. David Clark may now face disciplinary action from the Ontario Racing Commission, the governing body that licenses jockeys. They were waiting for the court to rule on the case before taking any action.

Where is the justice? Why does the court care that David Clark is a famous Canadian jockey? He’s a garden variety drunk driver who committed murder and he is not spending one night behind bars. Shop lifters do more time. Where is the justice for Suzanne Mizuno and her family?