PEI Potato farmers granted partial victory in slope violation conviction

Two potato farmers from Prince Edward Island (Canada) that were convicted of planting potatoes on a slope that was too steep were granted a partial victory from the P.E.I. Court of Appeal.

Alex Docherty, chairman of the PEI Potato Board, and his brother-in-law Blake MacDonald were found guilty in 2013 of planting row crops on land that was too steep at a property in Kingston the previous summer.

According to court documents the farmers were each fined $3,420.

Both men appealed.

In a written decision, the P.E.I. Court of Appeal upheld the conviction against Docherty.

But the court quashed the conviction against MacDonald, saying there wasn't enough evidence presented in court to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.