Crown Attorneys Appointed

The Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service has appointed two new Crown attorneys to its special prosecutions section and two new Crown attorneys to the Halifax Region. Frank Hoskins, Chief Crown attorney of the Public Prosecution Service's Halifax Region and the special prosecutions section made the announcement today, March 30.

Diane McGrath and Craig Botterill are the two new Crown attorneys in the special prosecutions section.

A native of Chatham, New Brunswick, Ms. McGrath is a 1992 graduate of the University of New Brunswick Law School. She was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1993. Ms. McGrath was a lawyer in the Sydney office of Nova Scotia Legal Aid and later in a private law firm before joining the Truro office of the Public Prosecution Service in 1996. In 1999, she was seconded to the Public Prosecution Service's special prosecutions section in Halifax. In 2003, Ms. McGrath was designated a Senior Crown attorney.

Also a Senior Crown attorney, Craig Botterill is originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1983 and then joined the Edmonton Crown Prosecutors' office. Mr. Botterill returned to Halifax in 1987 to join the Halifax Region Crown attorneys' office, transferring to the Supreme Court section in 1988. Mr. Botterill has prosecuted many complex cases including murder cases. From 1992 to 1996 he was responsible for the Prostitution Task Force. Mr. Botterill has particular expertise in cybercrime prosecutions.

Len MacKay and Alonzo Wright are the two new Crown attorneys in the Halifax Region.

Mr. MacKay is a Halifax native. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1993 and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar a year later. Mr. MacKay spent seven years as a criminal defence lawyer with the Halifax law firm of Garson, Knox and MacDonald before joining the Dartmouth office of the Public Prosecution Service as a term Crown attorney in 2001.

Also a native of Halifax, Alonzo Wright graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1994 and was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1995. Mr. Wright has been a night court prosecutor for the Halifax Regional Municipality and enjoyed a brief stint as a federal prosecutor before joining the Dartmouth office of the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service in 1999 as a term Crown attorney.

"Each of these Crown attorneys is an able prosecutor with unique strengths," said Mr. Hoskins. "These individuals are a valuable asset to the special prosecutions section and the Halifax Region respectively."