The Manitoba Law Society Discipline Hearing Panel has ordered a one-year suspension
On September 19, 2021, between about 9:45 PM and about 10:10 PM, Ms. Fourmeaux Clemens was driving her motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol. The evidence suggests that the impairment may have been exacerbated by its interaction with certain prescription medications that she was taking.
While she herself has little recollection of the events of that evening, witnesses at the criminal trial described her erratic and aggressive driving. The most disturbing aspects of which involved: (a) the unprovoked and repeated ramming of the rear-end of a vehicle being operated by an individual wholly unknown to her, and (b) the following of that person for a considerable time and distance notwithstanding their repeated attempts to get away from her. The “chase” ended only when Fourmeaux Clemens lost control of her vehicle on a roundabout and crashed into a concrete post.
The erratic behaviour continued a short time later, after police located her at a nearby coffee shop, with Ms. Fourmeaux Clemens being aggressive and uncooperative with both the officers and the paramedics who were in attendance.
She was convicted in June 2023 of two offences under the Criminal Code of Canada: one count of operating a motor vehicle while her ability to do so was impaired by alcohol, contrary to Section 320.14(1)(a), and one count of assault with a weapon, contrary to Section 267(a).
Mitigation
Ms. Fourmeaux Clemens described a serious incident of intimate partner violence which she endured in January 2021, and advised that – with the support of a team of dedicated helping professionals – she is working to rehabilitate her personal well-being. With their support, she also continues to work with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.
She described her extensive community involvement with organizations such as Manitoba Harvest, Siloam Mission, Villa Rosa, and the Christmas Cheer Board, all of which are dedicated to improving the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized members of society. She is active in her faith community and, during her time in active legal practice, often worked pro bono.
Fourmeaux Clemens emphasized that her behaviour during the late hours of September 19, 2021 was “out of character”, and that – in the aftermath – she was “mortified” by the reputational damage her actions had visited upon the profession she loves and respects.
(Mike Frisch)