There’s lots of court news. Here we go:
(1) Donald Grecco (Diocese of St. Catharine’s, Ontario)
Ex priest and previously convicted child molester Donald Grecco has a court date this afternoon (Tuesday, 02 February 2016)
02 February 2016: 2 pm, “to be spoken to,” Cayuga court house (55 Munsee St. N., Cayuga, Ontario)
If anyone hears or see any news regarding the outcome of this court date please pass on the word.
As always, please keep the complainants in your prayers.
(2) Father Yvon Arsenault (Archdiocese of Moncton, New Brunswick)
A tentative trial date in the fairly distant has been set for Father Yvon Arsenault on his charges from the Miramichi
21-24 February 2017: TENTATIVE trial dates, Miramichi Law Courts (679 King George Highway, Miramichi, New Brunswick)
Yes, that’s right. 2017!
He has a court date prior that for ‘motions’ at which time the trial dates will be confirmed:
03 January 2017: 1:30 pm, motions (tentative trial dates of 21-24 Jan, to be confirmed), Miramichi Law Courts (679 King George Highway)
You may recall that Arsenault is also facing numerous charges in charges in Moncton, New Brunswick. A trial date on the Moncton charges is scheduled to begin 11 October 2016 in Moncton and last about a month.
(3) Father Linus Bastien (Diocese of London, Ontario)
Father Linus Bastien has a court date on Thursday related to assessing his fitness to stand trial:
04 February 2016: 10 am – related to assessing his fitness to stand trial, Windsor Superior Court of Justice (245 Windsor Avenue)
His trial date is set to start in March:
07 March 2016: TRIAL booked for two weeks. Windsor Superior Court of Justice (245 Windsor Avenue)
It sounds as though he is doing everything in his power to avoid trial. I urge those in the Windsor area who are free to do so to attend court this Thursday (04 February) to find out what is happening and what arguments are being used regarded his health.
A reminder that some of these charges have been dragging on for over four years.
Please keep the complainants in your prayers.
(5) Father Robert Courture (Diocese of London, Ontario)
This past December Father Robert Couture was found GUILTY at a trial by jury of theft over $5,000. He has a court date this Friday to set a date for sentencing:
05 February 2015: to set date for sentencing, Windsor Superior Court of Justice (245 Windsor Avenue), Windsor, Ontario
Please pray for the former parishioners who were betrayed by this priest.
(6) Father Stephen Amesse (Archdiocese of Ottawa)
After a preliminary hearing, Father Stephen Amesse was committed to stand trial in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (that means the judge determined there was sufficient evidence to go to trial)
I have just received confirmation regarding his next court date
05 February 2016: 09:30 am, Assignment Court, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Ottawa courthouse (161 Elgin St.)
Please note that this is NOT the trial. Father Amesse has been committed to stand trial in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. His case has being transferred to that court and now starts the process of moving to trial in that court. There is nothing unusual about this at all. There will now, without doubt, be a series of court dates related to discussing the length of trial, and/or witnesses to be called, and/or disagreements regarding evidence to be used at trial, and or a plea deal. These generally are ‘in chambers’ behind closed doors and are NOT open to the public. That whole process starts this Friday, and this will be in open court. That means the public can attend. Father Amesse probably will not be there, but his lawyer or a lawyer acting in the stead of his lawyer, will be there. It will be dealt with in a matter of minutes.
The bottom line is that a trial is probably at least a few months, if not a year, away.
I encourage those who can do so to attend on Friday to try to get a sense of what is happening. Acoustics are often poor in the court rooms to try to sit as close to the front as you can is you hope to hear anything
Please keep the complainant in your prayers.
There are numerous other bits of information to pass along to you. All being well I will get at those this week. Yesterday I decided that I will do my physiotherapy and hot packs and so on at home . The visits were taking huge chunks out of my days, and if I had other commitments during the week requiring me to be out and about I was going day after day without getting near the computer. The problem is solved 🙂 I feel like a huge weight is off my shoulders . There is still a stack of forms to fill out regarding the accident, but I suddenly feel that I have time 🙂 Such a relief!
Enough for now,
Sylvia