Imprisonment Would Be of No Assistance to the Accused': Angione, 1974

• Author: Constance Backhouse
• Pages: 263-285



EChapterF

“IMPRISONMENT WOULD

BE OF NO ASSISTANCE TO

THEACCUSEDAngione

T   in judgeschambers try ing to hammer out a set

tlementfort heaemptedrape caseset fortria ldownstairs in theWindsor

Courthouse. Ontario Supreme Court judge Edson Livingstone Haines had

called the lawyers into his private chambers to di scuss a plea bargain. Frank

JosephMontello the defence lawyerwas keen on the ideahi sc lientwas

probablyfacingtwotothreeyearsofpenitentiar ytimeifhewereconvict

ed of the sexual assault he was charged w ith perpetrating upon his female

employeeRaymondJHoulahantheCrown prosecutorwasabitmorere 

luctant because Montello was proposing a very unusual resolution. He was

oeringa guilty pleato the lessser iousoence ofindecent assaulton the

conditionth athis client payrestitution of tothe vict imi nsteadof

going to jail. Montello had brought the cash with him, to demonstrate his cli

entssincerityandwascountingouthundreddollarbillsonJudgeHainess

deskHe pausedpeered upat the bigwindow alongsidethe judgesdesk

andqueried Shouldthat fellowbe looking atusHai nesand Houlahan

lookedupstartledtoan emptywindowandonlyt henrealized thatMon

tellowaskiddingTheycontinuedtodiscussthepleabargainJudgeHaines

hadareputation asamaverickwhol ikedtosele casesItwasSept em

berandinnovationwasintheair

Montello and Houlahan were no strangers to each other. They had squared

ob efor ead i ere ntj udge earl ie rin Sep tem ber in ate nd ayt ri alf org ang rap e

HoulahanhadaccusedMontellothenoft ryingtoblackenthecomplain ants

reputationMontellowho described Houlaha nasaveryfeisty Crownlost

ﾆﾊﾈCarnalCrimes

Firstlawrmstri kelaunchedWindsorStarSeptemberat