There`s a guilty plea in the offing for Father Daniel Miller. Yes, that’s right, – Father Miller will be pleading guilty.
Thank goodness for eyes and ears in the Pembroke court house this afternoon at 2 pm. Here is my understanding of the salient facts:
(1) Father Daniel Miller was in court with Monsignor Father Proulx;
(2) Father Miller’s lawyer Robert Carew was NOT in court. There was no legal representation for Father Miller in court;
(3) Despite Mr. Carew’s absence 03 June 2013 (10 am) has been set for a sentencing hearing. Mr. Carew apparently will not be available for that date either!. Justice Belch advised that 03 June it is and Mr. Carew can send a representative;
(4) 17 September 2013 (10 am) has been set for sentencing. That will also be the day that those victims who wish to do so can read their Victim Impact Statements in court.
I don’t know if Father Miller is pleading guilty to all 12 charges from his six victims. I doubt it. Usually these guilty pleas come after a bit of plea bargaining which whittles away one charge here, and another there. We’ll find that out in due course. My hope is that there hasn’t been too much whittling.
And, hats off to Justice Belch for insisting that the date of 03 June will proceed and that Mr. Carew can send a representative.
How many days has Mr. Carew been a no show? Perhaps it just seems more than it is? Still, a little odd to say the least that he was a no show today, especially with his client there. I got the impression that Father Miller knew that Carew wasn’t going to be there. But, just a bit strange. It’s all been a bit strange.
So be it.
Any way, I commend all you victims who came forward. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. There is a light at the end of the tunnel 🙂
Enough for now,
Sylvia
Sylvia,
Thank you for that update about Fr. Daniel Miller.
It takes so much courage for victims to come forward.
“Father Daniel Miller was in court with Monsignor Proulx.” How often does an accused priest arrive in court accompanied by a Monsignor (and no lawyer) and then the priest pleads guilty!
I am encouraged. Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears there was an institutional response from the Church which gives me hope.
1yellowknife,
I wonder where you got the news that Fr. Peter Proulx was a Monsignor?
No matter what it does seem odd a lawyer was not there in court.
At least the judge did something good about Fr. Miller’s lawyer issue.
All I know Fr. Peter Proulx was he’s the one the majority of the time in court, he sorted represented the church/Bishop for those troubled clergy: Fr. Dan Miller, Msgr. Robert Borne and the ex-Msgr Bernard Prince.
Lina, it was my error. I had erroneously referred to Father Proulx as “Monsignor” – I corrected without commenting, but have now shown the initial error as a strike-out so it doesn’t cause any further confusion. So, 1yellowknife was quoting what I had originally blogged. My apologies to all for the confusion.
1yellowkinfe, I realize the circumstances are unusual, but my understanding is that there was no “guilty” plea per se in court, but the Crown did tell someone after court that Father Miller is pleading guilty, and the two scheduled court dates all are dates one would expect after a guilty plea. So, it’s not truly the case that the priest pled guilty. I doubt that that could happen without a lawyer present? But, it was obvious that an agreement had been reached before Friday between defecne and Crown on a guilty plea and on the need to schedule those particular court dates.
1yellowknife…that Monsignor word in your post is solved.
Thanks Sylvia!