Judge Budzinski graduated with a degree in science in 1966 from the University of Toronto and worked as a waiter, teacher, and computer programmer, followed by a law degree in 1969 from Osgoode Hall Law School and York University. He was called to the Ontario Bar 1971 and practiced Criminal Law as a Defense Counsel, Counsel for the Peel Regional Police Association and Crown Attorney. Justice Budzinski also served as Vice-President of the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association. As a Prosecutor, he advanced from Assistant Crown to Deputy Director, Director of Planning and Acting Assistant Deputy Minister. He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1982. In 1992, he was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice, presiding in Brampton and later in Toronto.
During his legal career, he has prosecuted and defended all types of criminal cases in all levels of Courts throughout Ontario in all eight Regions — files included murder, sexual assault and domestic and elder abuse, significant frauds, intellectual property theft, high-grading, blockades of roads and railways, demonstrations and civil rights issues. During the ‘80s’ in his various roles with the Ministry of The Attorney General, he helped develop the policy for Hate Literature Prosecutions jointly with the Ontario Provincial Police, sat on a Federal–Provincial Task Force investigating the laws related to Trade Secrets, initiated Criminal Fraud prosecutions in Canada for “Intellectual Property type theft including “Video Pirates”; introduced and oversaw the implementation of Domestic and Elder Abuse protocols, the latter in association with the Ministry of Health, as well as the introduction of the first official Diversion Policies and Programs for the Criminal Courts in Ontario.
1991, as Assistant Deputy Minister, he supervised an eighty million dollar budget and 700 legal professionals. He dealt with the Askov and Morin Crisis. He had to implement a provincial response regarding Court Delay, putting thousands of cases at risk. Later, as a Judge, he was consulted/interviewed by the British Columbia and Alberta Provincial Judges Associations and the New Zealand Law Reform Commission on Pre-Trials.
Management experiences included budgeting, presenting business plans to the Management Board, overseeing resource allocation, and dealing with Human Resources regarding hiring, promotional competitions, equity programs, wage negotiations, policy discipline, and removal from office.
He was responsible for overseeing the implementation and operation of the Victim Witness Program, Domestic Abuse Education for Crowns and Police, the new Provincial Offences Program, a Review regarding the procedures regulating Nursing Home Prosecutions and assisted the Assistant Deputy Minister with the implementation of The Zuber Commission’s Report on Regionalization of The Crown Attorney’s System. His department supported the Martin Committee and initiated work on formalizing a process for “Plea Negotiations.” His appointment as Acting Assistant Deputy Minister for Criminal Law in 1990 included responsibilities as Director of Native Policy and Chairperson of the former METFORS, a forensic psychological assessment centre in Toronto. During his tenure as Assistant Deputy, he initiated a series of reviews, including the procedures regarding the North’s “Fly-in” Courts to Indigenous communities, the modernization of its ethical role and resources and the transfer of METFORS to CAMH and the Ministry of Health; a study of the Educational System for Crown Attorneys. The latter resulted in developing a “Shared Responsibility” protocol negotiated with the Crown Attorney’s’ Professional Association.
He served under Attorney Generals and governments representing all three political parties in Ontario until he was appointed a Judge.
He has developed courses and lectured on evidence and advocacy to police personnel, Crown Attorneys, Centre of Forensic Sciences, Probation Officers and Defense Counsel at various times at York University, Brock University, Humber, Sheridan and Seneca Colleges for the Applied Arts and Sciences, and the Ontario Crown Attorneys School at Western University, The Special Investigations Unit, The Ontario Provincial Police College in Barrie, The Ontario Police College at Aylmer and the Canadian Police College in Ottawa. He has developed courses and training videos such as: ‘Basic’ and ‘Advanced Investigative Techniques, ‘Obtaining Statements, ‘Reliable Investigations and Testimony,’ ‘Biases Good and Bad,’ and ‘How Judges Think’ as well as several training videos in conjunction with Toronto Police Services, Peel Regional Police and Humber College. Justice Budzinski also conducts mentoring or shadowing programs for young persons or people interested in Law and public advocacy, independently and in conjunction with the University of Toronto and the Ontario Justice Education Network. Recently, he was recognized by the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation for 20 years of ‘Youth Support and awarded the ‘Arbour Award’ by the University of Toronto for his mentoring of students.
He has lectured at all Police Colleges in Ontario and various Universities and Community Colleges on advocacy and implicit bias and how it can be used to generate more reliable investigations and testimony explaining fundamental matters such as why Lawyers like to get witnesses mad, how to answer the question, “Isn’t it Possible” the powers of objectivity, dignity and empathy.
He has worked with OJEN (Ontario Justice Education Network and the Law Society of Upper Canada ) to deliver educational programs throughout the Greater Toronto Area; conducted Mock Trials at Shopping Malls and Community Centres in conjunction with “Second Chance” and OJEN as part of public education programs and celebration of “Law Day.”. Both with the Etobicoke and Toronto Board of Education, he has developed Shadowing Programs for Teachers and Community Youth Leaders to understand the Criminal Justice System better,
He has been a member of:
- The American District Attorney’s Association,
- American Judges Association,
- Vice President of the Ontario Crown Attorney’s Association,
- Canadian Bar Association
- Advocates Society
- Law Society of Upper Canada
He resides in Toronto with his wife, Judy, who has been married since 1970. He has two sons, Michael and David, daughters-in-law Dominika and Wendy and four grandchildren, Charlotte, Michael, Ryann and Wesley. He last presided at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto at 2201 Finch Avenue, West, until he retired in June 2019