Meet the Fight the Fines Team
The Fight the Fines Campaign in Ontario
The Fight the Fines campaign is a pro bono legal service organized and supported by The Democracy Fund, a charitable non-profit legal clinic supported solely by donations. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and provincial restrictions in Ontario came a new legal landscape with thousands of people and businesses being charged for various reasons under various statutes– both provincial and federal. Fight the Fines was created in 2021 to support those unable to afford or find legal representation for their matters. They vary from basic Trespass To Property Tickets with a $65 fine to quasi-criminal corporate charges with fines in the millions.
With over 2,000 people in need, TDF enlisted Jenna Little to spearhead their campaign, organize the clients and defense in Ontario, and fight the fines. She couldn’t do this alone!
Jenna Little, MBA graduated from Humber College with a diploma in Court & Tribunal Agents in 2004. She then completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at York University, and then a Maser of Business Administration at the Unversity of Fredericton in 2018. That same year, she also completed the Osgoode Certificate in Provincial Offences Practice. She has extensive experience defending provincial offences and case management. She is passionate about arguing Charter applications, crafting appeals, legal research and writing, and making novel arguments. She is based out of Pickering, Ontario.
Kaitlyn completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, studying Religion, Society and Ethics, and graduated with distinction in 2010. She went on to pursue paralegal studies, graduated with high honours and was licensed as a paralegal in 2013. She has worked mainly in criminal law and provincial offences throughout her career. Kaitlyn is passionate about issues arising in the intersection of mental health, ethics and the law. She joined the Fight the Fines team intially to assist with out-of-province matters in 2021 and now works solely on cases in Ontario; she based out of Etobicoke, Ontario.
Mark graduated from the University of Guelph in 2010 with a major in Criminal Justice and Public Policy. He Completed his Paralegal Studies diploma from Sir Stanford Flemming College in 2014. His focus is trial and Charter advocacy with an emphasis on defending serious, quasi-criminal matters. He has also represented clients in matters concerning minor, summary conviction, criminal charges laid under the Criminal Code of Canada. He is based out of Napanee, Ontario.
Kristen obtained a paralegal diploma from St. Clair College in 2016. Her primary focus was initially on employment law related matters as well as the defence of provincial offence charges involving a wide variety of violations including traffic tickets, commercial vehicle violations, snowmobile operation charges, among other issues. She joined the team in 2022 and is based out of Windsor, Ontario
Sandra completed her honours diploma in Paralegal Studies at Westervelt College in 2016. She has worked in the provincial offences scope since graduating and has become a general practitioner in recent years. She joined the team in 2022 and is based out of Brantford, Ontario.