A former university professor is facing six months in jail after a judge deemed him a clear and present danger to the court system. Rick Mehta, previously of Acadia University, was sentenced for repeatedly threatening employees within the provincial Justice Department.
Judge Alonzo Wright, delivering the sentence in Kentville provincial court, expressed a stark lack of faith in Mehta’s potential for compliance with any non-custodial order. He cited a pattern of blatant disrespect and declared Mehta had “made it quite clear” he would disregard the court’s authority.
The six-month sentence significantly exceeded the Crown’s recommendation of 45 days for each of the two counts of uttering threats. This escalation underscored the judge’s deep concern regarding Mehta’s behavior and potential for further disruption.
Mehta’s trial itself was a spectacle of defiance. He repeatedly insulted the judge, referring to him as a “spaced-out idiot,” and attempted to turn the courtroom into a stage, reciting lines and acting out scenes from popular movies.
The outbursts didn’t stop there. Mehta proclaimed himself “God’s representative on Earth,” labeled court officials as “Satan’s minions,” and even claimed to have power of attorney over the judge himself. He dismissed the courthouse as “the devil’s court” and questioned the judge’s competence.
The threats extended beyond verbal attacks. Evidence revealed Mehta sent a letter and an email to Justice Department employees, demanding a response by a specific deadline. He ominously alluded to a scene from the film *They Live*, quoting the line, “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum,” a phrase delivered before a violent confrontation with alien invaders.
During the trial, Mehta engaged in bizarre questioning of witnesses, asking a Crown witness if they were aware of violating “the supremacy of God principle” and suggesting a police officer’s training was incomplete without exposure to Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” He even asserted his authority over the judge based on the Income Tax Act.
The judge noted Mehta’s refusal to cooperate with a pre-sentence report as a “deliberate act of defiance.” This refusal, combined with a history of nine prior convictions for breaching court orders related to a previous threats case, solidified the judge’s decision.
Following his release, Mehta will be subject to probation, including restrictions preventing him from approaching the Kentville courthouse and specific Justice Department employees. He is also required to undergo assessment and counseling for potential substance abuse, mental health concerns, anger management, and violence prevention.
Throughout the proceedings, Mehta maintained a defiant stance, submitting a written statement claiming the Crown and the plaintiffs had engaged in “mischief and perjury.” He concluded by questioning the sanity of a court attempting to impose a contract on a “sane individual.”
