Possibility of Pardon

Possibility of Pardon

On April 19, 2010 The Vancouver Sun reported that Homolka will be eligible to seek pardon for her crimes in the summer of 2010.^{[58][dated info]} Offenders convicted of first or second degree murder or with indeterminate sentences cannot apply for a pardon, but due to her plea bargain Homolka was convicted of manslaughter, making her eligible. If she is successful her criminal record will not be erased but will be covered up in background checks, except those required for working with children or other vulnerable persons. The Canadian government plans to introduce legislation this year to make pardons more difficult to get.

On June 16, 2010, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said an agreement has been reached between all federal parties to pass a bill that would prevent notorious offenders like Karla Homolka from obtaining a pardon.^[59]

[edit]Movie

In 2004, producers from Quantum Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based production company, announced the release of the movie Karla(with the working title Deadly),^[60] starring Laura Prepon as Homolka and Misha Collins as Bernardo. Since the announcement of the movie, Tim Danson – the attorney for the families of French and Mahaffy – was given a private screening of the film, and following this, announced that the families had no objection to the film being released. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has called for a boycott on the film. The film was released in Canada by Christal Films in the major markets of Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto,Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax.

[edit]In popular culture

In 1997, Lynn Crosbie, Canadian poet, novelist and cultural critic, published Paul's Case, termed a "theoretical fiction". After systematically analyzing the couple's crimes it provided an examination of the cultural effects of the shocking revelations and controversy surrounding their trial.^[61]

Episodes of Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Close to Home^[which?] were inspired by the case, as well as an episode of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries called "Know Thine Enemy", aired in 2007. Due to the Canadian publication ban on details of the crimes that was in force at the time, the original Law & Order episode^[which?] could not be shown on Canadian television.

Dark Heart, Iron Hand is a documentary broadcast by MSNBC and was rebroadcast as an episode of the series MSNBC Investigatesretitled "To Love and To Kill" concerned the case.^[62][63]

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