Province urged to call inquiry into former star prosecutor’s career Advocates for wrongly convicted point to George Dangerfield's sullied record
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2019 (2069 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
An organization that advocates for wrongly convicted inmates is calling for the Manitoba government to launch an inquiry into the career of former star prosecutor George Dangerfield.
Kyle Unger, who reached an out-of-court settlement Monday for compensation for the 14 years he spent behind bars for a murder he says he didn’t commit, is now the fourth of Dangerfield’s high-profile convictions to be overturned after federal judicial reviews.
“Mr. Dangerfield is in a league of his own,” Innocence Canada case management counsel Bhavan Sodhi said Tuesday.
“Innocence Canada’s view, of course, is that even if there’s potential for one more (wrongful conviction), a review is warranted… I hope the justice minister will seriously consider it.”
Unger’s murder conviction joins those of James Driskell, Thomas Sophonow and Frank Ostrowski prosecuted by Dangerfield in the late 1980s and early 1990s that have been quashed.
In total, the four men spent 53 years behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit.
Innocence Canada has also submitted the Dangerfield-prosecuted convictions of Robert Sanderson and Brian Anderson for federal review.
“It’s possible there are more (wrongful convictions),” Sodhi said. “I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s a question that comes up every time another Dangerfield case is uncovered.”
Manitoba politicians contacted by the Free Press Tuesday were mum or non-committal when asked if they’d support such a review.
A request to interview Justice Minister Cliff Cullen was declined. A written response from Cullen was sent to the Free Press, but it did not address questions posed about the possibility of an inquiry into Dangerfield’s convictions.
The statement also highlighted the settlement between Unger and the RCMP and Manitoba government — the details of which have not been disclosed — was reached “without any admission of liability by any of the parties.”
Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont initially agreed to an interview, but backed out minutes before it was to commence. He then declined to respond to written questions.
A request to interview Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew or NDP Justice Critic Nahanni Fontaine was declined. A written statement from Fontaine was sent to the Free Press, but it failed to address any of the submitted questions.
In 2005, the province called a public inquiry into Driskell’s conviction, headed by former Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Patrick Lesage, who found the work of several Crown prosecutors, including Dangerfield, “fell below then existing professional standards expected of lawyers and agents of the attorney general.”
In the years since, Dangerfield has been found to have withheld information from defence attorneys, relied on dubious evidence to secure convictions and made financial deals with jailhouse informants that he failed to disclose.
Sodhi said the need for an inquiry is clear, given what is known about Dangerfield’s record.
“What would be beneficial is a formal process that would allow people to make submissions, that would hopefully give the community some sort of assurance that these cases have been reviewed in light of what we’ve been uncovering,” he said.
“We were very happy to hear that Kyle (Unger) finally settled, since it’s been a long haul for him… But I just think none of these people are the same afterwards. The compensation helps, it (can) make things a little bit easier, but it’s definitely an uphill battle.”
Dangerfield, who is in his 80s and believed to be living in British Columbia, has previously declined repeated requests for comment from the Free Press.
ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Written statement from Justice Minister Cliff Cullen:
”Manitoba co-operates fully with the reviews of alleged wrongful convictions… brought by individuals who have been convicted of offences and make applications to have them reviewed by the federal Justice Minister. This includes providing them with the prosecution files to assist them in their review.
“Manitoba co-operates fully with the reviews of alleged wrongful convictions… brought by individuals who have been convicted of offences and make applications to have them reviewed by the federal Justice Minister. This includes providing them with the prosecution files to assist them in their review.
“Manitoba has learned from prior Commissions of Inquiry which have led to changes in policy, particularly in the area of use of in-custody informers and disclosure.
“There have been important developments since the Unger prosecution that help maintain the integrity of the criminal justice system…. Manitoba supports these developments and, through our Criminal Justice System Modernization Strategy, we continue to take steps to make our criminal justice system fair and just for all Manitobans.”
Written Statement from NDP Justice Critic Nahanni Fontaine:
“Manitobans must feel confident that our justice system is fair, transparent and reliable. The provincial government must take any evident pattern of miscarried justice seriously and ensure the process to right wrongs in our court system is open and accessible.”
Ryan Thorpe
Reporter
Ryan Thorpe likes the pace of daily news, the feeling of a broadsheet in his hands and the stress of never-ending deadlines hanging over his head.
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