document_title: Airman Battle Uniform

question_text: when did the air force start wearing abu's

question_tokens: when did the air force start wearing abu 's

text: Airman Battle Uniform

text: History[edit]

text: 2003–2006: Prototypes and testing[edit]

text: The first prototype of the ABU was unveiled in the summer of 2003, based on the Vietnam War-era Tigerstripe pattern.[2] The early uniform prototypes consisted of trousers, an embroidered undershirt, and a blouse. The camouflage pattern, developed by Tiger Stripe Products and based upon their popular copyrighted Original Vietnam Tiger Stripe, was a blue/gray, tiger stripe pattern.

text: After months of "wear testing", Air Force officials revised the color scheme and camouflage pattern due to feedback received from Airmen. The new elementary semi-pixelated tiger pattern would trade its dominant blue overtones for a more subdued palette, which still includes some blue tones.[3] However, few of the functional recommendations made by Airmen in the field were implemented into the uniform which remains very similar in design to the older BDU style uniforms.[4] This has been a subject of many complaints from Airmen returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan who had been wearing the Airman Combat Uniform (ACU) as a temporary issue uniform. These complaints include the ABU's inability to keep Airmen cool while working in desert conditions due to the thickness of the material (13 ounces) and large interior "map" pockets, lack of storage space and the low ease of use with government issue personal body armor. While not officially recommended, USAF Airmen can cut the pockets out of the inside of the blouse because it does not alter the outer appearance of the uniform.

text: 2007: The ABU makes its debut[edit]

text: On 2 October 2007, the Air Force began issuing the ABU to enlisted trainees in Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB and was issued to the Class of 2012 at the United States Air Force Academy on 26 June 2008, and is now available for purchase by all Airmen. Since 2008, it has been issued to Airmen deploying to locations in CENTCOM, including Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Personnel in other countries were issued DCU uniforms while inventory lasted. The ABU is available at Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) military clothing stores. Although the Air Force has officially recognized color variations in different set of ABUs, all variations are currently authorized to wear and the problem should be fixed when the patterns are finalized within a year.

text: 2009: Airman Battle Shirt introduced[edit]

text: Starting in 2009,[5] airmen who were deployed or training for deployment were issued the new Airman Battle Shirt (ABS). The ABS was developed by Massif Mountain Gear and based on the Army Combat Shirt (ACS). Like the ACS, the ABS is a stand-alone shirt designed specifically for use with Improved Outer Tactical Vest armor in warm and hot weather. It is intended to greatly increase user comfort through the use of lightweight, moisture-wicking, and breathable fabrics. Since it is only issued to deployed or predeployed airmen, the ABS is not authorized for wear outside of the deployed setting. The ABS features the same tiger stripe pattern on the sleeves as the ABU features.

text: In 2010, MultiCam was authorized to replace the ABU-pattern on the Airman Battle System-Ground in the War in Afghanistan by Air Force ground forces.[6]

text: In June 2011, The Air Force Times released the announcement of a summer weight ABU to be available in 2012. The Improved Airman Battle Uniform will be made of a 50–50 nylon-cotton blend and is the same material used by the Army for the ACU. Just like the ABU, the IABU is machine washable and also wrinkle resistant. Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz gave approval of the IABU coat and pants which will be available to trainees at Basic Military Training first. No special allowance will be given to troops since they are not being forced to buy the uniform, although it will cost about the same as the current ABU.[7]

text: The ABU became mandatory (completely replacing the BDU and DCU) on 1 Oct 2011, marking the beginning of fiscal year 2012,[8] though most airmen had been wearing the ABU for several years by that point.

text: In May 2012, the Air Force changed the terminology of the new ABU uniforms to RABU (Rip-stop Airman Battle Uniform). "U.S. Air Force - Mobile"

text: 2016: Civil Air Patrol adopts the ABU[edit]

text: The Air Force's civilian auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol, wear-tested the ABU in late 2015. In May 2016, the national commander of the Civil Air Patrol issued a memorandum allowing the wear of the ABU effective June 15, 2016.[9][10] However, the uniform is worn with dark blue name tapes (with white lettering) and insignia cloth and black boots in order to distinguish CAP personnel.

text: Features and attributes[edit]

text: The Airman Battle Uniform is similar to the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) in color, with the inclusion of slate blue, but is otherwise nearly identical to the BDU layout. The ABU is to be worn with low-maintenance sage green suede combat boots. The ABU does not have features of the U.S. Army ACU, such as tilted/slanted pockets, sleeve pockets, hook-and-loop attachment points and closures, gusseted back, mandarin collar, etc. However, the ABU does have essential NIR (near-infra red) qualities. The sleeves are authorized to be rolled up.[11] The heavy weight of the material, along with the multiple layers used to make the interior pockets, retains more heat than the ACU or BDU in hot climates such as the Middle East. A new version of the ABU blouse has the multiple layers and inside pockets removed.

text: Overview of the Airman Battle Uniform is as follows:[12]

text:
Headwear

Patrol cap's shape remains the same, including sewn vent holes instead of grommetted vent hole.
Boonie cover is available for the ABU for use only in deployed locations.
Organizational (e.g., squadron, group or wing) ballcaps are not authorized (exceptions being authorized bush hats, berets, and RED HORSE)
Sage-green watch cap for cold climate garrison and deployed locations with the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) parka.
The Army's sage-green ACU fleece watch cap was authorized in 2010.

Sand T-shirt (cotton, cotton blend, flame-retardant, or wicking material)
Organizational T-shirts are authorized for wear on Fridays as a morale booster, but are subject to command level discretion. The change came with a revision of AFI36-2903 in 2014.
Blouse

All insignia, including occupational badges (aeronautical wings, occupational badges, etc.), are embroidered in midnight-blue thread with urban-gray background with the exception of rank insignia for 2nd Lieutenant and Major, which incorporate brown thread.
Name and service tapes are embroidered in midnight-blue thread on ABU background tapes.
Patches (e.g., MAJCOM, wing, group, squadron, etc.) are not worn with the ABU, with the exception of aeronautical and chaplain badges and duty shields for Security Forces and Fire Protection; however, occupational badges (up to 3) are authorized and encouraged.
2 internal map pockets (allowed to be removed and no longer a feature in current production runs).
Pen pocket on left forearm (holds two pens).
No other patches are authorized – except the Commander's badge.

Outerwear such as APECS parka, rain jacket are available for the ABU

The sage-green fleece jacket is now authorized as an outer garment.[13]

Rigger's belt, sand
Trousers

Elastic stretch waist
Additional pocket inside thigh cargo pockets
Two lower leg cargo pockets
Tool pouches on lower leg pockets (with two pen pockets on the right pocket)

Combat boots are rough-out sage green

Boots are available from a number of manufacturers (Belleville, Corcoran, Bates, Danner, Rocky, Converse, Rockport, etc.).
Sock color must match boots.[14]

text: The ABU comes in 236 different size options in both male and female sizes which are only offered in temperate weight. Additionally, its permanent press finish means the uniform cannot be starched, pressed or dry-cleaned. Airmen are able to pull the ABU from the dryer and wear it without further treatment. Any further treatment would degrade the effectiveness of the uniform and damage the NIR capability.

text: No mixing of camouflage patterns is currently authorized with the ABU except when in deployed locations such as the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR), or when ACU or camouflage field items, such as magazine/utility pouches, personal body armor, helmet covers, knee/elbow pads, etc., are authorized. Exception to this policy is the ECWCS Gore-Tex parka which, with installation commander approval, is authorized for wear with the ABU. Only the AF APECS Parka or DCU Gore-Tex is authorized in the USCENTCOM AOR. Backpacks and other accessories must be sage, black, or ABU pattern. As many accessories are not made in ABU specifically, ACU pattern accessories are authorized.

text: Criticisms[edit]

text: Airmen generally rejected the "map" pockets inside the blouse because they are difficult to access without unbuttoning the shirt, are poorly placed for use due to sweat, and act as an additional layer of an already heavy uniform. Newer production blouses lack these pockets.

text: Despite improvements to the uniform such as wash and wear fabrics and improved NIR coverage, the uniform still has known problems. One of the most common complaints is that the uniform is too hot for wear in high temperature environments. In 2008, responding to these criticisms that the new Airman Battle Uniform was too heavy and hot, the USAF's 648th Aeronautical Systems Squadron at Brooks City-Base revealed their plans for a switch to a lighter, more breathable fabric with the combat blouse section of the ABU. The original heavyweight nylon/cotton blend was changed to a lighter-weight nylon/cotton poplin material. Priority will go to those serving in the Middle East or other hot-weather theaters.[15]

text: A second criticism is that the suede boots are too easily damaged and impossible to clean if they are exposed to grease, oil, or other petroleum products. In 2011, a new "Maintainer" style of boot, made with sage green full grain leather, was authorized for wear by all airmen to address these concerns.

text: Additionally, the uniform has been criticized for failing to incorporate any but the most superficial features designed into the ACU and MCCUU. The semi-digitized, tiger-stripe pattern has been criticized for being ineffective and unrealistic. These issues were addressed in an open letter from the pattern developer, Tiger Stripe Products, to servicemembers of the USAF, in which the developer agreed with the criticisms, but blamed the Air Force leadership for them.[4]

text: For a time, Airmen deployed to locations in Southwest Asia abandoned their ABUs in favor of DCUs because ABUs were not suitable for the intense heat of the environment. However, as of 1 November 2011, the DCU was officially phased out and no longer authorized for wear at any deployed location.

text: As of 1 February 2012, the ABU is no longer authorized within Afghanistan, though still used by a few airmen. To have uniformity with the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, and seeing the need to better blend with the landscape and provide a lighter & cooler uniform for the desert environment, the Air Force approved and adopted the wear of the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP), or Multicam, when on deployment to Afghanistan. The ABU is still worn outside of Afghanistan, as Multicam was not authorized outside Afghanistan operations. However, some AFSOC and ACC units began utilizing the Multicam/Scorpion W2 uniform in-garrison as well under local commanders' policies, and AFCENTCOM officially rechristened the uniform the "Airman Combat Uniform" in an August 2017 supplement to AFI 36-2903 Dress and Appearance.[16]

text: As DoD regulations require uniforms that do not melt when exposed to fire or high voltage for certain AFSCs, a cotton variant is in initial production (2010) for fire fighters, electricians, mechanical personnel who work with electrical power for HVAC, and several other AFSCs. This version is a 100% cotton ABU coat and pant that is Certified to NFPA 1975 Standards for Station/Work Uniforms for Emergency Services (2009 edition) by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. An additional feature of this NFPA ABU is the lack of the interior "map pockets" (a common complaint regarding the ABU). The NFPA ABU can be used upon approval by unit commanders by personnel requiring a fire-retardant fabric. The fabric is also NIR Compliant. There is another 100% cotton ABU version that is discontinued but available in limited quantities in both men's and women's sizes but this version is not fire retardant. Since the NFPA ABU's are 100% cotton, they are not nearly as durable, nor as "wash and wear" as the regular ABU's, but they are much cooler in extremely hot weather.

text: Users[edit]

text:
Dominican Republic – Dominican Air Force
 United States – United States Air Force and Civil Air Patrol
 Egypt – Egyptian Air Force


document_title: Criminal sentencing in Canada

question_text: maximum length of a probation order in canada

question_tokens: maximum length of a probation order in canada

root

text: Criminal sentencing in Canada

text: Sentencing hearing[edit]

text: When a person is found guilty of a crime, a finding has been made that all essential elements of the offence have been met (either by admission through a guilty plea or after the elements have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a trial). However, there may be facts that did not have to be determined for the defendant's guilt to be decided (i.e. severity of a victim's injuries, motivation for the crime, etc.). If the guilty verdict was determined by a jury, the judge may have to determine what facts the jury relied on to reach their verdict (since jury deliberations are confidential in Canada[1]).

tag: p

text: When the additional facts are in dispute, the party relying on the fact has the burden to prove it. The general standard of proof at a sentencing hearing is a "balance of probabilities". If the Crown, however, is relying on an aggravating fact or a prior conviction, the burden of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt".[2]

text: There are a number of exceptions to the normal rules of evidence. For example, the judge may permit hearsay evidence. A probation officer can interview the defendant and other people associated with the defendant and file a report. A victim impact statement may be filed with the court (with the option of having it read out by the victim). The defendant is also given an opportunity to personally speak to the court.[2]

text: Appeals[edit]

text: Either the Crown or the accused may appeal against a sentence.[3] An appellant must demonstrate that either the sentence imposed was "demonstrably unfit" or the court "erred in principle", for example by placing undue emphasis on a particular sentence principle. Except for an appeal against a finding that the accused is a dangerous or long-term offender, the court upon allowing an appeal must then determine a fit sentence and may not remit the matter back to the court of first instance. The court of appeal considers the sentence anew and the sentence may be more or less severe than the sentence imposed, regardless of who appealed; this is referred to as the "Hill Principle"[4]

text: There are some additional considerations taken into account at an appeal. Given the high stakes for both the accused and the safety of the public, fresh evidence of post-sentence conduct is routinely admitted. Where the appellant was granted bail pending appeal and has presented fresh evidence indicating that reincarceration would be unduly harsh, the court of appeal may reduce a sentence despite the absence of a reviewable error. Where the Crown appeals against the sentence and the court of appeal determines that a longer period of incarceration is warranted, the court will often stay the order if the accused has been out of custody for a lengthy period of time or has fully complied with the terms of a non-carceral sentence. The court of appeal will only order the reincarceration of the accused in cases where the facts support it or where the additional period of incarceration is substantial. Accused persons will also be given credit for complying with the terms of a non-carceral sentence.

text: Variations[edit]

text: Under the Criminal Code and the Youth Criminal Justice Act the original sentencing judge retains jurisdiction to vary a sentence imposed under a very limited number of circumstances. A probation order can be varied at the request of the accused, probation officer or the prosecution. Under s. 732.2(3) of the Criminal Code a court that sentenced the accused (or a court to which the probation order is transferred under s. 733(1)) may modify the conditions, relieve compliance of a condition or decrease the duration of the probation order. The length of probation cannot be increased since this would infringe section 11(h) of the Charter. There is virtually no case law on the constitutionality of variations rendering the probation order more onerous, such as adding terms and conditions. Conditional sentences may be varied in a similar matter except the duration cannot be varied.

text: Where the court imposes a driving prohibition over 5 years, the National Parole Board may decrease the period of prohibition after 5 years where the court-imposed prohibition is less than life or after 10 years where the court imposed prohibition was life.

text: Where the court imposes a fine and specifies a required time period to pay the fine, the accused may apply to the court for an extension of the period to pay a fine. Courts will usually only grant the variation, however, if the accused has made a reasonable attempt to pay the fine or has a reasonable excuse for failure to do so.

text: Purpose of Sentencing[edit]

text: Section 718 of the Criminal Code sets out the purposes of sentencing:[5]

text:
Denunciation
Deterrence
Separation of offenders
Rehabilitation
Reparation
Promotion of responsibility

tag: ul

text: Sentencing Principles[edit]

text: There are a number of sentencing principles found in sections 718.1 and 718.2 of the Criminal Code:[6][7]

text:
The sentence must be proportionate to the nature of the offence.
The sentence must be reduced or increased depending on the mitigating and aggravating factors (discussed more below).
The sentence must be similar to sentences imposed on similar offenders for similar offences in similar circumstances, but it remains open to the sentencing judge to deviate from the range.[8]
If the sentence is consecutive, it must not be unduly long or harsh.
An offender should not be deprived of their liberty if less restrictive sanctions are appropriate.
All available sanctions other than imprisonment that are reasonable in the circumstances should be considered, with particular attention for aboriginal offenders.

text: Aboriginal Offenders[edit]

text: Under s. 718.2(e) the court is required to consider all reasonable alternatives to imprisonment for all offenders, with particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.[7] This section was initially interpreted narrowly as requiring particular attention only to on-reserve Aboriginal offenders. Application of this section was clarified in R. v. Gladue where the Supreme Court of Canada held that it applied to Aboriginal offenders generally, not only to those living on reserve. The court found as a matter of judicial notice that the Aboriginal peoples have a long-standing disadvantage in Canadian society and the effects are felt for generations.

text: Aboriginal heritage is not a "get out of jail free card." Rather it requires the court to place a higher emphasis on alternatives to incarceration that are based on traditional Aboriginal justice principles such as restorative justice, where community members and the victim will be involved in the process. However, where the crime is more serious in nature, Aboriginal heritage plays a lesser role as courts will place a higher emphasis on protection of the public, denunciation and general deterrence. Moreover s. 718.2(e) is not a substantive power which allows a court to impose a sentence outside the legally acceptable range. For instance, where an offender faces a 4-year minimum sentence, the court cannot sentence below that.

text: Aggravating factors[edit]

text: There are a number of aggravating factors a judge is required to consider both at common law and by statute. Common-law factors include whether or not the victim was a vulnerable victim (children, taxi drivers, late-night clerks, etc.).

text: General statutory aggravating factors are found in section 718.2 of the Criminal Code.[7] They are:

text:
Motivation due to bias, prejudice, or hate
Domestic violence
Abuse of person under 18 years old
Breach of trust or authority
Offence was committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization
Terrorism offences

text: There are also specific aggravating factors for organizations found guilty of an offence. In addition, some offences have their own specific aggravating factors. For example, section 255.1 of the Criminal Code makes it an aggravating factor if a person commits a drinking and driving offence when their blood alcohol concentration is in excess of 0.160.[9]

text: Prior findings of guilt[edit]

text: The court is allowed to take into account prior findings of guilt when determining the appropriate sentence.[2]

text: For some offences, a prior finding of guilt will create a higher minimum sentence. However, the court cannot rely on the higher minimum sentence unless the Crown notified the defendant prior to defendant's plea.[2] Even if the defendant was not notified, or the Crown chooses not to file the notice with the court, the court can still rely on the prior finding of guilt as an aggravating factor.

text: Credit for pre-trial custody (this section is out of date)[edit]

text: If a defendant spent time in custody while awaiting his trial (that is, he was not released on bail), the judge is allowed to take that into account when determining the sentence.[10] There used to be no specific formula, and historically judges generally gave a "2 for 1" credit for pre-trial custody.[11] This was subsequently changed by legislation.

text: In 2009, the Parliament of Canada passed the Truth in Sentencing Act which mostly eliminated a judge's discretion to give credit for pre-trial custody beyond one day for every day served.[12] The bill received Royal Assent on October 23, 2009 and came into force on February 22, 2010.[13][14] The new law came into effect on March 1, 2010, but the new law does not apply to accused persons taken into custody before that date.[15]

text: The new rules are as follows:[16]

text:
Generally, the maximum credit a judge may give for pre-trial custody is one day for every day served.
A judge has discretion to increase the credit to 1.5 days for every day of pre-trial custody, provided the person was not detained due to prior convictions or because they were breaching their bail.

tag: ol

text: Pre-trial custody can be used to reduce a minimum sentence.[11]

text: There is no specific sentencing option called "time served". If credit for pre-trial custody is equal to or greater than what the appropriate sentence would be, the trial judge will either suspend the sentence (discuss in more detail below), or sentence the person to one day (which will have the practical effect of just requiring the person to report once in person to the prison).

text: Pre-trial custody has no effect on a life sentence, and does not affect when a person can apply for parole. It is sometimes referred to as "dead time".

text: Sentencing options[edit]

text: Summary[edit]

text:
Type of sentence
Description

Absolute/conditional discharge

Available if accused is not subject to a minimum penalty and the offence is not one punishable with a maximum sentence of 14 years' imprisonment or life imprisonment
Sentence results in a finding of guilt rather than a conviction
Absolute discharge purged after one year, and a conditional discharge after three years
May not be recognized by the United States for entry purposes

Suspended sentence

Available if accused is not subject to a minimum penalty
Accused is placed on probation for up to three years
Sentence may be revoked by sentencing court if accused fails to abide by terms of probation

Fine

Accused may be fined up to $5000 for summary offences or any amount for indictable offences
Court must consider ability to pay
Fine option programs available in certain jurisdictions (performing community service in lieu of paying fine)
Range of civil remedies for default

Imprisonment for under two years

Accused eligible for conditional sentence if criteria are met
Accused eligible for sentence abatement of 1 day for every 2 days served, provided the accused is of good behaviour and obeys the institution rules
Sentence may be combined with either probation or a fine, but not both

Imprisonment for two years or more

Accused eligible for parole after serving one-third of the sentence imposed, unless court orders that parole may not be sought until the accused has served the lesser of one-half of the sentence imposed or 10 years
Accused persons are eligible for statutory release after serving two-thirds of sentence imposed unless accused person is deemed an unacceptable risk
Those accused sentenced to life imprisonment or to indeterminate setences (for offences other than murder or high treason) are eligible for parole after 7 years but are not eligible for statutory release.

tag: table

text: Absolute and conditional discharges[edit]

text: If it is in the best interests of the accused, and not contrary to the public interest, a judge may discharge an accused after a finding of guilt. A discharge is only possible if there is no minimum sentence for the offence, and the offence is not punishable by 14 years of imprisonment or a life sentence. When the court grants a discharge, the accused is not considered to have been convicted of the crime, notwithstanding the finding of guilt.[17]

text: A discharge may be absolute or conditional. If conditional, the defendant will have to comply with terms under a probation order (described in more detail below). If the accused breaches the terms of the conditional discharge, the court which made the order can revoke the conditional discharge and sentence the accused for the offence.[17]

text: The effect of a discharge is that it will not be considered a criminal record. An absolute discharge is purged after one year. A conditional discharge is purged after three years.[18]

text: While a discharge does not result in a criminal conviction, there is a finding of guilt. This finding can be used in civil proceedings and may result in refusal of entry into the United States which does not currently recognize discharges or pardons.[19]

text: Probation and suspended sentences[edit]

text: Probation orders[edit]

text: Probation may be ordered in combination with other sentencing options, or if there is no minimum sentence, on its own as a suspended sentence. Probation cannot be ordered in combination with a term of imprisonment of more than two years, and it cannot be in combination of both a fine and imprisonment.[20] If an individual is subject to a probation order and subsequently convicted of a different offence and receives a sentence which results in imprisonment for over two years, the probation order is not voided.[21]

text: The maximum length of a probation order is 3 years.[21]

text: A probation order will require the defendant to comply with a number of conditions. Some of the conditions are mandatory: "keep the peace and be of good behaviour", appear in court when required to do so, and notify the court and probation officer of any change of address or employment. There are also a number of optional terms, which include reporting conditions, non-consumption conditions, non-possession conditions, non-attendance conditions, non-association/communication conditions, and treatment conditions. Community service can be part of a probation order, with a maximum of 240 hours, over a maximum period of 18 months.[22]

text: Failure to comply with a probation order is a criminal offence. Committing an offence while bound by a probation order means the offender failed to comply with the order, due to the mandatory condition of "keep the peace and be of good behaviour".[23]

text: Suspended sentence[edit]

text: Where the court sentences the accused to a suspended sentence, the accused is placed on probation for a period of up to three years. During this time the accused must comply with these conditions. A suspended sentence is not considered a final sentence, since an accused who is convicted of breaching the conditions of the probation order may in addition to being sentenced for the offence of breach of probation, may also have the suspended sentence revoked. Once a suspended sentence is revoked, the court which originally sentenced the accused may re-sentence the accused. This has been held not to be a case of double jeopardy since a suspended sentence is not a final order.

text: Fine[edit]

text: A fine can be ordered on its own or in addition to probation or imprisonment.[24] It cannot be ordered in combination of both probation and imprisonment.[25]

text: If the offence is a summary conviction offence (or a hybrid offence where the Crown elects to proceed summarily), the maximum fine is $5,000, unless otherwise stated in the statute.[26]

text: Before a court imposes a fine, it must inquire into the ability to pay the fine.[27]

text: Failure to pay the fine by the time required in the order can result in the person being found in default. A number of remedies exist, including imprisonment. In the past a court that imposed a fine would also impose a hypothetical sentence in the event of default. This led to gross inconsistencies so in 1995 Parliament created a fixed formula for determining the number of days of imprisonment. This formula is determined by taking the unpaid amount and any costs associated with incarcerating the accused as the numerator and eight times the provincial minimum wage as the denominator. For example, an unpaid fine of $640 in a jurisdiction with a minimum wage of $8 hourly would be approximately 10 days.

text: In addition, unless waived by the court, the defendant is required to pay a victim fine surcharge in addition to whatever else the judge imposes as sentence. The surcharge is 30% of the fine imposed or, if no fine is imposed, $100 for an indictable offence and $50 for an offence punishable on summary conviction. This amount may be increased or decreased depending on the discretion of the court.

text: Restitution[edit]

text: Restitution can be ordered by the court for any property damage, lost or stolen property, or any physical or psychological injuries suffered by a victim.[28]

text: Conditional sentence[edit]

text: A conditional sentence is a sentence of imprisonment which is served in the community, usually under very onerous conditions. The common vernacular for this type of sentence is "house arrest." Since its introduction in 1997, its availability has greatly narrowed. Originally a conditional sentence was available when the following conditions were met: (1) Court finds imprisonment under two years appropriate; (2) permitting the offender to serve his sentence in the community would not endanger the public; and (3) the imposition of a conditional sentence is consistent with the fundamental principles of sentencing. It was not available where for offences carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment.

text: In 2008 additional restrictions were added. A conditional sentence is not available for offences which are considered "serious personal injury offences." The current law bars the use of a conditional sentence for additional offences, such as sex offences, theft over $5000, terrorism offences and any offence which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of fourteen years or life.

text: Imprisonment[edit]

text: General rules[edit]

text: If the offence is a summary conviction offence (or a hybrid offence where the Crown elects to proceed summarily), the maximum sentence of imprisonment is 6 months, unless otherwise stated by statute,.[26]

text: If the offence is an indictable offence (or a hybrid offence where the Crown elects to proceed by indictment), the maximum sentence of imprisonment is 5 years, unless otherwise stated by statute.[29]

text: Generally, a judge has the discretion to order a sentence to be served concurrently (at the same time) or consecutively (one after the other) with any other sentence a defendant is serving, or any other sentence arising out of the same transaction.

text: If the total sentence is two years or more or one of life imprisonment, the defendant will serve their sentence in a federal penitentiary. If the total sentence is less than two years, the defendant will serve their sentence in a provincial jail.[30]

text: A sentencing judge also has the power to delay the time before a defendant is allowed to apply for parole. The maximum parole ineligibility period is half of the sentence or ten years, whichever comes first, unless the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment.[31]

text: Life imprisonment[edit]

text: Life imprisonment is the mandatory sentence in all cases of high treason or murder. Life imprisonment is also a possible maximum penalty for a range of other offences, but the sentence is only mandatory in cases of high treason or murder. When an accused is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder or high treason, then the following parole ineligibility periods apply (which includes youths sentenced as an adult):[32]

text:
Offence/circumstances
Parole ineligibility period

High treason, first-degree murder (with no additional circumstances) or second degree murder by an offender previously convicted of murder
25 years

Second degree murder (with no additional circumstances)
10–25 years

First degree murder (16 or 17 years old at time of the offence)
10 years

Second degree murder (16 or 17 years old at time of the offence)
7 years

First or second degree murder (14 or 15 years old at time of the offence)
5–7 years

text: When a jury convicts a person of second-degree murder, they can recommend to the judge a parole ineligibility period, but the judge is not bound by the jury's recommendation.

text: In cases of multiple murder, after considering the jury's recommendation (if there is one), a court may also order that the parole inelibility period be served consecutively to the one being served. Amendments to the Criminal Code in 2011 permit the judge to impose consecutive parole ineligibility periods for first or second-degree murders committed as part of the same "transaction" (or as part of the same series of offences).[33][34] One of the first cases where the new sentencing provisions were used was a multiple murder in Edmonton, Alberta of three armoured car guards by one of their co-workers. The perpetrator in that case was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years - 25 years for one first degree murder conviction, ordered to be served consecutively to two concurrent 15-year parole ineligibility periods for two second-degree murder convictions as part of the same series of offences.[35] Subsequent to this sentence Justin Bourque, convicted of the first-degree murders of three RCMP officers in Moncton New Brunswick in 2014, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 75 years. Consecutive parole ineligibility periods were also imposed in the case of serial killer John Paul Ostamas in June 2016, who was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 75 years for the second-degree murders of three homeless men in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

text: Parole and remission[edit]

text: An accused person serving a sentence of less than two years is eligible for remission against the sentence at a maximum rate of 1 day for every 2 days served, provided the accused is of good behaviour and obeys the rules of the institution. Remission credits abate the actual sentence and effectively most accused serve two-thirds of the sentence imposed (e.g. an accused sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment will be deemed to have completed the full term after serving 8 months). While the sentence may deemed to be served for some purposes, for other purposes, remission is irrelevant. For instance, the delay period for an application for a criminal record suspension (formerly called a pardon) disregards any remission earned.

text: An accused person serving a determinate sentence, other than life imprisonment, is eligible for statutory release after serving two-thirds of the sentence. Unlike remission, the sentence is not abated; rather the accused person will be released on parole and will be subject to conditions for the last one-third of the sentence. The National Parole Board may refuse statutory release for certain accused persons or for certain offences, and as such, many accused persons end up serving their entire sentence in custody and are only released on their warrant expiry date.

text: Any accused person sentenced to a term of imprisonment greater than six months may apply for parole after serving one-third of the sentence. (Until 2011, where an offender was sentenced to a term of 2 years or more, the offence was non-violent, and the offence was included in the list of eligible offences under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the accused person was eligible for release after serving one-sixth of the sentence or six months, whichever was greater. However, this possibility was removed as a result of legislation that was passed by Parliament in 2011).

text: An accused person granted parole is still legally subject to a warrant of committal and is deemed to be "in custody." This will be the case until the expiry of the term of imprisonment; if the accused is sentenced to a life sentence or an indeterminate sentence, the accused will be subject to the jurisdiction of the National Parole Board for the rest of their life.

text:
Type of remission
Two years or more
Less Than two years

Remission
Ineligible
Two weeks remission for every month served if the accused is of good behaviour and obeys the rules of the institution

Parole
One-third of sentence (one-half in some cases) or 7 years if sentenced to life or to an indeterminate sentence for non-murder/non-high treason offences
One-third of sentence (temporary absence available after serving one-sixth of sentence)

text: Long term offenders[edit]

text: If a person is convicted for their third or more offence found in section 752 of the Criminal Code, the Crown can apply for the person to be declared a long term offender. The Crown can only make such applications with the personal consent of the Attorney General.

text: A long term offender is a person where there is a substantial risk the offender will re-offend and be a danger to the community, but there is a reasonable possibility of eventually controlling the risk in the community.

text: When sentenced as a long term offender, the defendant must first serve their prison sentence, and then be placed on a long-term supervision order in the community for a maximum of 10 years.

text: Dangerous offenders[edit]

text: If a person is convicted for their third or more offence found in section 752 of the Criminal Code, the Crown can apply for the person to be declared a dangerous offender. The Crown can only make such applications with the personal consent of the Attorney General.

text: A dangerous offender is a person where there is a substantial risk the person will re-offend and be a danger to the community, and there is no reasonable possibility of eventually controlling the risk in the community.

text: When sentenced as a dangerous offender, the defendant is placed on an indefinite sentence, where the accused may apply for parole after 7 years and every 2 years thereafter. Even if a dangerous offender is granted parole (which is rare), the offender is subject to indefinite supervision by the National Parole Board.

text: Ancillary orders[edit]

text: A number of additional orders may be made by a judge at the time of sentencing - either optional or mandatory. These include weapon prohibitions,[36] driving prohibitions,[37] forfeiture of crime-related property,[38] DNA orders,[39] and sex offender registry orders.[40]

text: Youth[edit]

text: Youth are sentenced under a different regime found in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). The YCJA also dictates how and when a court can order a youth sentenced under the adult regime.

text: Constitutional issues[edit]

text: There are a number of constitutional rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that can affect criminal sentencing:

text:
Section 7 states "everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice." Since most criminal offences come with the risk of imprisonment, which impacts a person's liberty, the principles of fundamental justice must not be violated.
Section 9 protects everyone from arbitrary imprisonment.
Section 11(i) states that if the sentencing provisions are changed between the date of the offence and when the defendant is found guilty, the defendant gets the benefit of the lesser punishment.
Section 12 states that "everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment." This can impact both the type of sentence available (either generally or as applied to the specific offence) and the length of the sentence.


document_title: Turn in one's grave

question_text: where does the phrase roll over in his grave come from

text: Turn in one's grave

text: Etymology[edit]

text: The earliest known example is a 4 November 1801 House of Commons speech by a Mr. Windham warning Britain against giving too much power to France during the preliminaries to peace following the revolutionary wars: "Thus have we done a thing altogether unknown in the history of this country ; a thing which would have scared all former politicians ; a thing, which, if our old Whig politicians were now to hear, they would turn in their graves."[5] One of the earliest uses is found in William Thackeray's 1849 work The History of Pendennis, where Mrs. Wapshot, upset by a man's advances on the widow of Mr. Pendennis whom the widow had "never liked," says it's "enough to make poor Mr. Pendennis turn in his grave."[6] Another early use of the phrase is in historian James Bryce's 1888 work The American Commonwealth in which he said: "Jefferson might turn in his grave if he knew."[7] It has also been said that circa 1906, when George Bernard Shaw was invited to Henry Irving's funeral, he said "If I were at Westminster, Henry Irving would turn in his grave, just as Shakespeare would turn in his grave were Henry Irving at Stratford," implying that Irving's productions of Shakespeare would have made the actor as offensive to Shakespeare as Shaw had made himself offensive to Irving with the numerous critical reviews he had written of Irving's work.[8] In 1902, the work Current Literature stated that "William Morris might well turn in his grave if he could see the uses to which his fine dreams of beautiful books have been put."[9] Where the sorry state of people's spelling/punctuation/literary skills come under criticism, the act is generally said to make "Shakespeare turn in his grave," as he is associated with high literary standards. One example of this is when a national newspaper opined that writing the word "cough" with an "F" would cause such a thing to occur.[10]

text: Variations[edit]

text: Other forms or "fanciful variants" of this idiom includes:

text:
Roll over in one's grave[7]
Turn in one's grave
Spin in one's grave: In 2000, the Boston Globe ran a story on Yitzhak Rabin, in which the headline read: "Rabin spinning in his grave on Jerusalem widow says"[7]

text: The Spanish version of the phrase is "revolverse en su tumba".[11]


document_title: Estimated date of delivery

question_text: when do many obstetricians date the onset of pregnancy from

text: Estimated date of delivery

text: Origins of the term[edit]

text: Confinement is a traditional term referring to the period of pregnancy when an upper-class, noble or royal woman would withdraw from society in medieval and tudor times be confined to their rooms with midwives, ladies-in-waiting and female family members only to attend them.[3] This was believed to calm the mother and reduce the risk of premature delivery. Except in threatened pregnancies (for example, in pre-eclampsia), "lying-in" or bedrest is no longer a part of antenatal care.

text: Estimation methods[edit]

text: Due date estimation basically follows two steps:

text:
Determination of which time point is to be used as the origin for gestational age. This starting point is the woman's last normal menstrual period (LMP) or the corresponding time as estimated by a more accurate method if available. Such methods include adding 14 days to a known duration since fertilization (as is possible in in vitro fertilization), or by obstetric ultrasonography.
Adding the estimated gestational age at childbirth to the above time point. Childbirth on average occurs at a gestational age of 280 days (40 weeks), which is therefore often used as a standard estimation for individual pregnancies.[4] However, alternative durations as well as more individualized methods have also been suggested.

text: Estimation of gestational age[edit]

text: According to American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the main methods to calculate gestational age are:[5]

text:
Directly calculating the days since the beginning of the last menstrual period
Early obstetric ultrasound, comparing the size of an embryo or fetus to that of a reference group of pregnancies of known gestational age (such as calculated from last menstrual periods), and using the mean gestational age of other embryos or fetuses of the same size. If the gestational age as calculated from an early ultrasound is contradictory to the one calculated directly from the last menstrual period, it is still the one from the early ultrasound that is used for the rest of the pregnancy.[5]
In case of in vitro fertilization, calculating days since oocyte retrieval or co-incubation and adding 14 days.[6]

text: Estimation of gestational age at childbirth[edit]

text: Childbirth on average occurs at a gestational age of 280 days (40 weeks), which is therefore often used as a standard estimation for individual pregnancies.[4] However, alternative durations as well as more individualized methods have also been suggested. There is in any case considerable variation among individual pregnancies.

text: Variability[edit]

text: Given that these gestation lengths are only estimates of an average, it is helpful to consider gestation time as a range of dates rather than as a single "due date". The median is merely a guideline for the day at which half of all births occur earlier, and half of all births occur later. Births rarely occur on a due date, but they are clustered around due dates.[8] A study of singleton live births in the US came to the result that childbirth has a standard deviation of 14 days when gestational age is estimated by first trimester ultrasound, and 16 days when estimated directly by last menstrual period.[7]

text: Standard 280 days[edit]

text: Naegele's rule[edit]

text: Naegele's rule is a standard way of calculating the due date for a pregnancy when assuming a gestational age of 280 days at childbirth. The rule estimates the expected date of delivery (EDD) by adding a year, subtracting three months, and adding seven days to the origin of gestational age. The result is approximately 280 days (40 weeks) from the start of the last menstrual period. Another method is by adding 9 months and 7 days to the first day of the last menstrual period.

text: Naegele's rule is named after Franz Karl Naegele (1778–1851), the German obstetrician who devised the rule. Naegele was born July 12, 1778, in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 1806, Naegele became ordinary professor and director of the lying-in hospital in Heidelberg. His Lehrbuch der Geburtshilfe, published in 1830 for midwives, enjoyed a successful 14 editions.

text:
Example:
LMP = 8 May 2009

text: 280 days past the start of the last menstrual period is found by checking the day of the week of the LMP and adjusting the calculated date to land on the same day of the week. Using the example above, 8 May 2009 is a Friday. The calculated date (15 February) is a Monday; adjusting to the closest Friday produces 12 February, which is exactly 280 days past 8 May. The calculation method does not always result in 280 days because not all calendar months are the same length; it does not account for leap years.

text: Mobile apps[edit]

text: Mobile apps essentially always give consistent estimations compared to each other and correct for leap year, while pregnancy wheels made of paper can differ from each other by 7 days and generally do not correct for leap year.[9]

text: Other suggested durations[edit]

text:
276 days for both ultrasound-estimated and LMP-estimated gestational age in a US study of 1867 singleton live births.[7]
281 days after LMP with a standard deviation of 13 days, was the result of a population-based study of 427,581 singleton births in Sweden.[10]
281 days after LMP for first-time mothers and 280 days for all others were the medians found by a 1995 American study of 1,970 spontaneous births. Standard deviation was 7–9 days.[11][12]
282 days after LMP was recommended for cases where LMP is the only known factor, in a study of 17,450 patients combining LMP and ultrasound measurement techniques.[13]
A median of 288 days (274 days from the date of ovulation) for first-time mothers and 283 days (269 days from the date of ovulation) for mothers with at least one previous pregnancy was found by a 1990 study of 114 white, private-care patients with uncomplicated pregnancies and spontaneous labor. The authors suggest that excluding pregnancies involving complications (that often lead to pre-term deliveries) accounts for the longer periods.[14]

text: Individualized[edit]

text:
Parikh's formula is a calculation method that considers cycle duration. Naegele's rule assumes an average cycle length of 28 days, which is not true for everyone. EDD is calculated using Parikh's formula by adding nine months to the start of the last menstrual period, subtracting 21 days, and then adding duration of previous cycles.[15]
Multiple linear regression models have also been developed that account for maternal parity, age, and race, all which have been found to be important variables determining the length of human gestation. Multiparous women, women aged less than 19 or more than 34 years, and black women have been found to have shorter gestations than primiparous women, women aged 19 to 34 years, or white women.[16]


document_title: My Little Pony: The Movie (2017 film)

question_text: who does zoe saldana play in my little pony

text: My Little Pony: The Movie (2017 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: The ponies of Equestria prepare for their first Friendship Festival, overseen by Princess Twilight Sparkle in Canterlot. The festivities are interrupted by an invasion of monsters commanded by the broken-horned unicorn Tempest Shadow, who uses magical obsidian orbs to petrify Twilight's fellow princesses; Princess Celestia gives Princess Luna incomplete instructions to seek help from "the queen of the hippo" before they are both petrified. Twilight flees the city alongside her five pony friends – Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy – and her dragon assistant, Spike. Tempest is contacted by her superior, the Storm King, who reminds her to gather all of Equestria's princesses for him to harness their magic through his mystical staff, promising to restore her horn in exchange.

text: Twilight's group travel to the desert city of Klugetown in search of the aforementioned "hippos". A feline con artist named Capper offers to escort the group, secretly intending to sell them to settle a debt; however, he develops a genuine friendship with them. Twilight discovers an atlas that reveals the "hippos" to be hippogriffs, exposing Capper's treachery. After the group evade a pursuing Tempest aboard a delivery airship, Tempest brings Capper to guide her to them, but he deliberately misdirects her to atone for deceiving the group.

text: During a lunch break, the airship's birdlike Captain Celaeno and her crew reluctantly allow the group passage, revealing themselves to be former pirates that have been forced into the Storm King's service. Rainbow Dash persuades the pirates to defy orders and take the group to the hippogriffs' kingdom on Mount Aris. In celebration, she performs a Sonic Rainboom that inadvertently gives their location away to Tempest, forcing the group to escape in a makeshift hot air balloon before Tempest destroys the ship with the pirates and Capper on board.

text: The group reach Mount Aris to find it deserted; while exploring the ruins, they become trapped in an underwater cavern, where they are saved from drowning by the seapony Princess Skystar and led to her undersea home of Seaquestria. Skystar identifies her kind as the hippogriffs, transformed by a magic pearl used by her mother, Queen Novo, to hide from the Storm King; Novo demonstrates by turning the ponies into seaponies and Spike into a pufferfish. When Novo denies them the pearl to use against the Storm King, Twilight desperately attempts to steal it while letting her friends unknowingly distract the seaponies. She unwittingly triggers an alarm, prompting the outraged queen to banish the entire group to the surface.

text: Abandoned by her friends over her actions, Twilight is abducted by Tempest and brought to the Storm King in Canterlot to have her magic absorbed; en route, Tempest gains Twilight's sympathy when she divulges how she lost her horn in a monster attack as a filly, which caused her own friends to shun her for her dangerously unstable magic. Meanwhile, after Spike alerts Twilight's friends to her capture, Capper, the pirates, and the hippogriff Skystar return to help them infiltrate Canterlot and mount a rescue. The Storm King retaliates by conjuring a tornado in the city with his newly empowered staff, betraying Tempest as well. Twilight saves Tempest from the tornado and reunites with her friends, who work together with her to take the staff. The Storm King hurls an obsidian orb at the group to reclaim the staff, but Tempest jumps in his way, petrifying them both. The Storm King's body falls and shatters, while the group use the staff's magic to revive Tempest, who returns the stolen magic to restore the princesses and the damaged city.

text: The Friendship Festival resumes, and the ponies celebrate with all of the allies Twilight's group have made on their adventure. Tempest is disheartened by her still broken horn until she is convinced by Twilight to join the party by producing a fireworks display with her magic, happily accepting the group's friendship.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Tara Strong as Twilight Sparkle, an intelligent alicorn who is Equestria's Princess of Friendship, responsible for spreading friendship and harmony across the kingdom. She is the leader of the "Mane 6" ponies. Rebecca Shoichet performs Twilight Sparkle's singing voice.
Ashleigh Ball as Rainbow Dash and Applejack, two of the "Mane 6"; Rainbow Dash is a loyal pegasus with an adventurous spirit, and Applejack is an honest apple farmer pony.
Andrea Libman as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, two of the "Mane 6"; Pinkie Pie is a party-obsessed pony filled with joy and laughter, and Fluttershy is a kind, timid pegasus who cares for animals. Shannon Chan-Kent performs Pinkie Pie's singing voice.
Tabitha St. Germain as Rarity, a generous fashion designer unicorn and one of the "Mane 6". Kazumi Evans performs Rarity's singing voice.
Cathy Weseluck as Spike, a baby dragon who is Twilight Sparkle's faithful assistant.
Emily Blunt as Tempest Shadow, an embittered unicorn once known as Fizzlepop Berrytwist who serves as the Storm King's second-in-command in order to repair her broken horn.[9][10] On the development of the character, screenwriter Meghan McCarthy said, "We just arrived at this idea of a character who had come from Equestria, and had not had the positive experience that Twilight [Sparkle] and her friends had. It felt like a good counterpart to our heroes was to have a villain who didn't just not get friendship, but had a reason that she didn't understand it." McCarthy also called Blunt's performance "a big influence" on how the character was animated in the film.[11]
Michael Peña as Grubber, a wisecracking hedgehog creature and Tempest Shadow's cohort.[12] McCarthy said that Grubber "needed to be goofy" to counterpoint the "very straight-laced, hardcore" Tempest. Peña ad-libbed much of the character's dialogue, with McCarthy saying, "You get Michael Peña in a recording booth, and you just are like, 'Please just go and say funny things.' He will be there for hours, just giving you all kinds of really great material that was not something that we had originally scripted!"[11]
Liev Schreiber as the Storm King, the despotic, satyr-like leader of the storm creatures who conquers lands in search of powerful magic to control the weather.[13] On his acceptance of the role, Schreiber said that he wanted something child-friendly for his kids to watch, noting his repertoire of violent, adult-oriented films.[14] Comparing his character to Basil Rathbone, Schreiber said the Storm King "is prone to temper tantrums, and he's a little crazy. He has a wide range of behaviors."[1] He considers the character to be "one of the more intense roles [he's] played".[15]
Taye Diggs as Capper, a humanoid alley cat who is a cunning yet good-hearted con artist.[16] Diggs, who was excited to appear in an animated film, says, "I'm very movement-oriented, so just looking at the way Capper is positioned, the expressions on his face, all enhances my performance. It's really cool."[1]
Zoe Saldana as Captain Celaeno, a humanoid parrot and jaded pirate captain who is relegated to the Storm King's delivery service.[17] Saldana says Celaeno "cares for her crew", adding, "She's a responsible, thoughtful, and empathetic leader. That's a terrific, very poignant message to give to children about leadership – that it's okay for you to want to be a leader as long as you know that the responsibilities that come along with it."[1]
Kristin Chenoweth as Princess Skystar, an excitable seapony and magically transformed hippogriff princess.[18][19] Chenoweth said of her character, "Let's just say she's been locked up for a while and is longing for friends." She joked that she dabbled in method acting for the role, making sure her hair was "on point for every recording session".[20]
Uzo Aduba as Queen Novo, the benevolent ruler of the hippogriffs-turned-seaponies, and Princess Skystar's mother.[21] The character is described by Chenoweth as "loving but also a little too strict and stern".[1] Detailing her role, Aduba says, "She [wants] to protect her group to the best of her ability, and [wants] to create a life of peace and stability. She doesn't take any nonsense, and will do everything in her power to protect her family."[1]
Sia as Songbird Serenade, a pegasus and famous pop star in Equestria.[22] The character's design is modeled after Sia's likeness.[23]

text: Nicole Oliver, St. Germain, and Britt McKillip reprise their respective roles from Friendship Is Magic as alicorns Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance. St. Germain also voices Granny Smith, Applejack's grandmother, and Muffins, a cross-eyed gray pegasus. Michelle Creber and Peter New voice Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh, Applejack's younger sister and older brother, respectively. Michael Dobson voices Bulk Biceps, a muscular pegasus. Samuel Vincent voices Party Favor, a balloonist unicorn.

text: Adam Bengis voices Code Red, one of the Canterlot ponies. Brian Dobson voices Verko, a mole-rat crime boss in Klugetown. Max Martini, Mark Oliver, and Nicole Oliver respectively perform as three of Captain Celaeno's parrot-like crew: Boyle, first mate Mullet, and Lix Spittle. Michael Dobson, Andrew McNee, Tegan Moss, Sabrina Pitre, Rhona Rees, and Vincent all feature as assorted citizens of Canterlot. Richard Ian Cox, Michael Dobson, McNee, New, and Nicole Oliver also perform as denizens of Klugetown. Additional voices are provided by Alistair Abell, Caitlyn Bairstow, Julia Benson, Christine Chatelain, Brian Dobson, Paul Dobson, Rondel Reynoldson, Jason Simpson, Sarah Troyer, and Siobhan Williams.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: At San Diego Comic-Con International in 2012, Friendship Is Magic head writer Meghan McCarthy commented on the possibility of a feature film based on the series, saying that it was not in her control whether or not the film would be made.[24] The film was announced on October 20, 2014, with Joe Ballarini attached as screenwriter and McCarthy as co-executive producer.[4] Hasbro Studios president Stephan Davis said of the film that "I think it gives us an opportunity to tell a bigger story, that maybe we [can't] tell on television" and that "[it's] also an opportunity to broaden the franchise".[25] The film is one of the first being produced through Hasbro Studios' self-financing film label Allspark Pictures, which also produced the live-action adaptation of Jem and the Holograms.[4] During PonyCon AU on February 22, 2015, McCarthy said that the movie would be unrelated to the Equestria Girls spin-off franchise, and that the crew was "going all out on it, to make sure it doesn't just feel like an extended episode".[26]

text: Series director Jayson Thiessen and McCarthy were both confirmed as the film's director and screenwriter, respectively;[27] Michael Vogel was also signed on as co-executive producer alongside McCarthy, with Hasbro executives Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis as producers.[27] Rita Hsiao and Vogel were later announced as co-writers alongside McCarthy.[28][29]

text: On April 30, 2016, concept artwork and other information was officially revealed at PonyRadioCon in Moscow; the panel included additional plot details such as the main characters' transformation into "sea ponies" for a portion of the film.[30]

text: Casting[edit]

text: The initial Lionsgate announcement listed the principal voice cast of Friendship Is Magic – Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck – reprising their roles alongside actress Kristin Chenoweth as a new character.[31] On February 12, 2016, it was announced that Emily Blunt joined the voice cast.[32] By April 27, 2016, actors Michael Peña and Uzo Aduba were in negotiations to join the cast.[33] On May 16, Liev Schreiber and Taye Diggs were confirmed additions to the cast.[28] On June 20, Ashleigh Ball stated through Twitter that she had begun recording for the film's songs.[34] At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016, singer Sia was announced to be portraying a new "pop star pony" character called Songbird Serenade.[22] On January 11, 2017, it was reported by Variety that Zoe Saldana had joined the cast.[35] Friendship Is Magic voice actress Nicole Oliver confirmed via Twitter on January 23 that she would also be a part of the film's cast,[36] reprising her role as Princess Celestia.[37]

text: Animation[edit]

text: On April 2, 2016, Michel Gagné joined the film as an effects animator, taking an eight-month hiatus from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made by Sony Pictures Animation.[38][39][40][41][specify] In early October 2016, Gagné reported that Nik Gipe was hired onto the film's staff as his assistant. He also mentioned that the film was being animated using Toon Boom Harmony instead of the usual animation software Adobe Flash that is used in the television series.[6] According to art director Rebecca Dart, they wanted to keep to the look and feel of the television show, and the use of Toon Boom Harmony enabled them to add "simple yet impactful changes" to the designs for the big screen, such as depth and shadows for their eyes and ears, and the impression of heart-shaped indentations on the bottom of their hooves.[42] The production of the film ended by July 29, 2017.[43]

text: The production crew used simple 3D modeling in Autodesk Maya as to determine camera locations, lens, and angles, rough lighting, character and prop placement, and which way the characters would be looking and expressing. The pre-visualization crew were able to use the 3D backdrops that became more detailed throughout the film's development to integrate the simple 3D character models, and then were able to test the Toon Boom animations on top of these scenes using the placement established by Maya, helping to speed up the production.[44]

text: Music[edit]

text: The film's official soundtrack was released on September 22, 2017 by RCA Records.[45]

text: The film's songs and score were composed by Friendship Is Magic songwriter Daniel Ingram, who first announced at GalaCon 2015 that he would be collaborating with a live studio orchestra for the film.[46] On his songwriting for the film, Ingram said, "I had to challenge myself to push beyond what had been done in the TV show; to write bigger, more epic."[47] It was stated through the PonyRadioCon panel that the film would have a total of eight original songs.[30] At Hasbro's Toy Fair investor presentation on February 17, 2017, it was announced that there would be seven songs.[48] Around 5,800 pages of sheet music were created for all orchestral parts of the score.[49]  Recording for the score began on June 5, 2017, and finished on June 11.[50][51]

text: Sia contributed an original song to the film,[52] "Rainbow", which was released as a single on September 15, 2017.[53] A music video for the song later released by Entertainment Weekly on September 19. The video was directed by Daniel Askill and features a dance performance by Maddie Ziegler, a previous collaborator with Sia, intercut to scenes from the film.[54] Danish band Lukas Graham also contributed an original song for the film titled "Off to See the World",[55] which was used in the film's first trailer and played over the closing credits. Other artists included in the album are DNCE and CL.[56][57]

text: Release[edit]

text: On August 7, 2015, Lionsgate announced that they would distribute and market the film worldwide except in China.[31][27] The film was showcased at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on May 10 along with eight other Lionsgate features to help sell the film to international distributors.[58]

text: My Little Pony: The Movie was originally scheduled for release in the United States on November 3, 2017,[59] but it was subsequently moved up to October 6, 2017.[8] Theatrically, the film was accompanied by a 5-minute animated short from Hasbro Studios' web series Hanazuki: Full of Treasures.[60] A private premiere screening was held in New York City on September 24, 2017, twelve days prior to the nationwide release date.[7]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: Numerous toys based on characters, sets, and props from the film were made by Hasbro, and a vast majority of the products was released on August 1, 2017.[61] The 2016 PonyRadioCon panel included a brief preview for some of the planned merchandise being developed for the film, including T-shirts and graphics.[30] On July 27, 2016, the My Little Pony Collectible Card Game hinted on Twitter about a new set of cards based on the film.[62] Hasbro's toyline for the film was shown and promoted at Toy Fair 2017 and various other toy conventions.[63][64][65]

text: Several books and comics related to the film have been announced: My Little Pony: Annual 2018, which contains "exclusive content from the My Little Pony movie" was released on August 10, 2017;[66] and a "prequel" story released on August 1.[67] On January 23, 2017, Hachette Book Group listed five different books for the film, all released on August 29, 2017.[68][69][70][71][72] Books based on the film have been showcased at BookCon 2017 on June 4, with guest appearances by Andrea Libman and Ashleigh Ball.[73] IDW Publishing released a four-issue comic book miniseries titled My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel, with the first issue released on June 28, 2017.[74] Viz Media released an art book for the film on August 29, 2017.[75] A comic adaptation based on the film by IDW was released on September 27, 2017.[76]

text: A teaser trailer for the film was released online on April 6, 2017,[77] and in theaters alongside Smurfs: The Lost Village the following day. The first full trailer debuted online on June 28, 2017,[78] and was released with Despicable Me 3 two days later.[79] Another trailer was released by USA Today online on September 12, 2017.[80] The same day, the official My Little Pony Facebook page hosted a live Q&A stream with two of the movie's characters, Pinkie Pie (voiced by Andrea Libman) and Twilight Sparkle (voiced by Tara Strong).[81] Another trailer was played during the season 12 finale of America's Got Talent on September 20, 2017.[82] On September 27, 2017, the official My Little Pony Facebook page hosted a live Q&A stream with art director Rebecca Dart, who drew a custom artwork of Rainbow Dash (voiced by Ashleigh Ball).[83]

text: On September 30, 2017, a special titled The Making of My Little Pony: The Movie aired on Discovery Family, a joint venture between Discovery Communications (now Discovery, Inc.) and Hasbro;[84] it was watched by 18,000 viewers.[85]

text: Home media[edit]

text: My Little Pony: The Movie was released on December 19, 2017 for digital downloads and was later released on January 9, 2018 for DVD, Blu-ray, and On Demand.[86] Its special features includes a deleted scene, a music video for the song "I'm the Friend You Need", three featurettes starring the Mane Six, an exclusive Equestria Girls animated short, and the Hanazuki: Full of Treasures short bundled with the film's theatrical release.[87] However, the home media release lacks a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and instead has a standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix.

text: A home media bundling both this film and the namesake 1986 film will be released on October 16, 2018, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the My Little Pony toy line. The releases contain the same bonus features as its DVD/Blu-ray counterparts.[88]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: My Little Pony: The Movie has grossed $21.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $38.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $60.3 million[3] on a production budget of $6.5 million.[89]

text: In the United States and Canada, the film was expected to gross between $10 million and $17 million from 2,528 theaters in its opening weekend.[90][91] It made $3 million on its first day, including $290,000 from Thursday night previews.[92] It ended up opening to $8.9 million finishing 4th at the box office behind Blade Runner 2049, The Mountain Between Us, and It.[93] Amid Amidi of Cartoon Brew stated that, despite the opening being considered a disappointment, any reasonable return from the film would be seen as positive by Hasbro because it is tied to the toy line.[94] The film dropped 54% in its second weekend, making $4.1 million and falling to 9th.[95]

text: Its biggest markets outside North America are China with $7.3 million, the UK with $4.9 million, Russia with $2.3 million, and Germany with $2.3 million.[96]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Charming and sweet, My Little Pony: The Movie will please its dedicated fanbase, even if it's unlikely to encourage non-devotees to gallop along for the ride."[97] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[98] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[92]

text: Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Truthfully, this film feels like four episodes of a cartoon strung together, and there are times, especially during some of the latter musical numbers, where it truly drags." She also remarked on the film's animation, saying it "embraces the flat, colorful, Saturday-morning cartoon look and feel".[99] Christy Lenore of RogerEbert.com gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4, criticizing the narrative as being "all over the place" and having "a multitude of underdeveloped, crammed-in characters", while commending the film for retaining the Friendship Is Magic television series cast and staff.[100] Josh Terry of Deseret News criticized the film, saying parents should "put their money into some new My Little Pony toys" rather than go see the movie.[101]

text: Gwen Ihnat of The A.V. Club gave the film a "C" grade, favoring the improved animation over the television series, but adding "you have to wonder to what use it's being put".[102] Elizabeth Weitzman of TheWrap wrote positively of the film, saying, "Like its television predecessor, is all dressed up in bubbles and cupcakes and rainbows. But it's so jam-packed with rousing girl power, it passes the Bechdel Test with (literally) flying colors."[103] Amy Nicholson of Variety called the film "at once clichéd and exceptional", praising its female characters and calling the story "emotionally wise".[104]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award

Category

Recipient(s) and nominee(s)

Result

Ref(s)

Behind the Voice Actors Awards

Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Feature Film

Tara Strong (as Twilight Sparkle)

Nominated

[105]

Emily Blunt (as Tempest Shadow)

[105]

Ashleigh Ball (as Rainbow Dash)

[105]

Best Female Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role

Uzo Aduba (as Queen Novo)

[105]

Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film

Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck, Emily Blunt, Michael Peña, Liev Schreiber, Taye Diggs, Zoe Saldana, Uzo Aduba, Sia, and Kristin Chenoweth

[105]