Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jun 2006
Source: Windsor Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Windsor Star
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/windsor/windsorstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501
Author: Don Lajoie
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

CRACK DEALER HOUSE ARREST SOUGHT

A Windsor doctor will be asked to help determine whether a drug 
addict, convicted of trafficking crack cocaine, resisting arrest and 
dangerous driving, might be a good candidate for house arrest rather than jail.

Superior Court Justice Richard Gates adjourned Wednesday the 
sentencing of William Harman, 37, of Windsor until July 25 to give 
the court time to call in the testimony of a physician.

The testimony will be to determine whether there is a reliable method 
to monitor the convict's potential drug abuse if he is allowed to 
serve his sentence in the community.

Harman's lawyer, Frank Miller, argued his client, convicted in 
November 2005, would be an appropriate candidate for conditional sentencing.

He suggested Harman could be hooked up to an electronic tether and 
serve his sentence at home with his mother. Doctors could monitor him 
through urinalysis to ensure he had not returned to his use of crack. 
In his submission to the judge, Miller argued Harman would stand a 
better chance of drug rehabilitation if he remained in the community 
and had access to regular and intense counselling.

But federal prosecutor Richard Pollock said that, although the 
offender's rehabilitation is a concern, it's more important that 
society be protected from the spread of the drug culture and noted 
the court's main concern should be deterring other like-minded 
criminals and the denunciation of drug trafficking.

"He comes to court saying 'I'd like the benefit of a conditional 
sentence,'" said Pollock, in asking for a jail sentence of 18 months 
to two years. "My submission is that the answer of the court should 
be a categoric no."

Harman was arrested in October 2003, after crashing his motorcycle 
while trying to escape police.
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