Manitoba to appeal James' sentence on sex charges

Graham James arrives at a courthouse in Winnipeg on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, prior to being sentenced for sex assaults. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

WINNIPEG — Manitoba's Justice Department has filed an appeal of the sentence handed to former hockey coach Graham James on sex abuse charges.
James was sentenced last month in Winnipeg to two years in prison for sexually assaulting two of his teenage players, Theo Fleury and his cousin, Todd Holt.
In the appeal notice, Manitoba Justice says the judge made a mistake in sentencing and over-emphasized the significance of prior sentences for similar offences.
The Crown had asked the trial judge to impose a six-year sentence.
When James was sentenced last month there was widespread outrage from his victims and the public.