Clint Brant, one of the eight Mohawk protesters found guilty of mischief to property-related charges for their involvement in heated clashes with police and road blockage in April 2008, put a net in the water Sunday night, hoping to catch fish for his family not knowing if he'd be heading to jail or home Monday.
After another chapter of what Justice Geoffrey Griffin described last month as the longest and most complex trial held in the Napanee Ontario Court of Justice (39 days of proceedings), Brant and others accused -- Daniel Doreen, Steven Chartrand, Jerome Barnhart, Kathy Baptiste, Curtis Fox, Jason Maracle, and Maththew Kunkel -- will have to wait until next Monday and Oct. 12 to find out about their future.
In a courtroom packed with most of the accused, approximately 50 family members and friends, as well as seven OPP officers, the Crown suggested that Chartrand, Barnhart, Maracle should be sentenced to three to six months for mischief-related charges and also discussed their leadership role in the April 2008 clash with the police. The Crown added that Doreen, who was also found guilty of assault stemming from his attempt to resist arrest, should serve three to six months in custody. Finally the Crown suggested six months in custody for accused Clint Brant, also found guilty by Griffin of obstructing a peace officer and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
On the other side of the courtroom, the defence asked Justice Griffin if both Chartrand and Brant could stand up to answer a few questions and address the proceedings.
"Your honour, I don't think custody is the answer for any of us (accused) here today," said Chartrand. "Back in April 2008, we were all standing up for what we believe in."
"I understand what you're saying, but how did you see things coming to an end back in 2008, and did you feel you were disrupting the brother community (Town of Deseronto) when the events took place," asked Justice Griffin.
"What we did was not to show any disrespect towards the Town of Deseronto your honour," responded Chartrand. "All we did was trying to stop those developers from getting their project done on our land. We all have families and homes. We won't learn anything by going in custody."
Clint Brant also stood up in court, wearing a vest showing the Mohawks' logo.
"Your honour, there's only 2,000 of us on the reserve and we always worry how people will perceive us," said Brant with emotion in his voice. "It's easy to express words, but in confusing times like it was the case for us in April 2008 and since the beginning of the trial, you need something to remind you where you come from and what you believe in."
Justice Griffin then asked Brant if the whole Mohawk community was taking responsibility for what happened in 2008.
"As you can see here today, in these time of steam, we are like a unit," said Brant. "They all stepped up to the plate to guide me."
Accused Fox, Maracle, Doreen, Chartrand, Barnhart, and Baptiste will be back in the Napanee courtroom to hear their sentences Oct. 4, and Brant and Mathew Kunkel, who took the hardest hit of all the accused in the case as he was found guilty of possession of a weapon (brass knuckles), unauthorized possession of a weapon, assault with a weapon, and assault causing bodily harm, are expected back in court on Tuesday, Oct. 12.