Late last month, an Ontario law firm published an open letter to the Attorney General of Ontario denouncing the Crown Attorney’s Office of Rainy River (Fort Frances) for using the Ontario Provincial Police to intimidate their firm.
Douglas Judson, partner at the Fort Frances-based firm Judson Howie—the largest criminal defence firm in Rainy River District—states that the Fort Frances Crown Attorney’s Office “had requested that the OPP investigate defence counsel in our office for potential criminal charges.”
The firm issued the letter more than a year after first bringing the matter to the attention of Ministry officials, including through a public statement published last May.
“The conduct of these state actors threatened defence counsel in our office with criminal prosecution for carrying out routine and necessary legal work to effectively represent accused persons before the court,” states Judson Howie’s letter.
In the open letter to the Attorney General of Ontario, Mr. Judson claims that the Ontario Provincial Police’s Serious Fraud Office were tasked with investigating the firm for criminal charges as far back as 2024. On May 19, the Ministry corroborated Judson’s claim before the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, stating:
“The Crown’s Office in a small Ontario jurisdiction became concerned with the conduct of a firm of Criminal Defence Counsel who were representing accused parties in the local criminal court. The conduct was sufficiently concerning that the Crown’s Office asked the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct an investigation to determine whether the conduct met the threshold for criminal charges to be laid.”
Judson’s letter goes on to describe the conduct alluded to by the Ministry as “core defence functions: interviewing witnesses, obtaining sworn statements, and gathering evidence on behalf of accused persons facing criminal prosecution.”
The Crown sets its sights
Judson Howie first became aware of the Crown investigation in late 2024. In March of 2025, members of the firm discovered an assistant Crown attorney for the District of Rainy River, Sivadanesh Koveerasingham fraternizing with OPP investigators Declan Weir and Kevin Costa at a bar in Fort Frances.
Koveerasingham—who had only been appointed assistant Crown attorney in May of 2024—was transferred to the District of Thunder Bay after the firm had reported their findings to Ann Pollak, the Crown attorney of the District of Rainy River.
Despite Koveerasinghamn being transferred out of Rainy River District, detectives Weir and Costa continued their investigation into Judson Howie LLP. Both detectives are based at OPP detachments in southern Ontario.
Notably, Judson states on March 25, 2025, detectives Weir and Costa targeted the firm’s former placement student from the Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. The student was confronted publicly at the law school in Thunder Bay by the detectives, who were in plain clothes.
“The officers identified themselves as being from the ‘Serious Fraud Department’ of the OPP and confirmed that they were investigating our firm,” Judson explains in the letter, “They proceeded to demand that the student answer questions. Our student reported to us that the officers implied that her career could be impacted. She was frightened and intimidated by this.”
Judson continues, “We are left with the distinct impression that Mr. Koveerasingham triggered an irresponsible, malicious, and resource-intensive police investigation on the bald allegation that members of our firm prepared false sworn statements — which he never bothered to test in court through cross-examination.”
Law and order in Ontario
While Judson Howie wrestles with Crown misconduct and Ministry inaction, the OPP is itself being probed for widespread corruption. In recent years, there is a notable trend of increased repression via Ontario’s justice system. In Toronto, labour activists are targeted in pre-dawn raids. Premier Doug Ford called for “tough on crime judges” on the heels of the Maplehurst Correctional Complex scandal.
Last week, an Ontario Court Justice tossed out a case after crown attorney Marnie Goldenberg accosted and berated a witness after cross-examination in a courtroom hallway. Goldenberg told the witness—a police officer called upon by the defence—“We protect our own.”
“It remains our view that in reaction to these incidents, the Ministry continues to rubber-stamp serious misconduct which chills effective representation of accused persons, subverts public confidence in the administration of justice, and undermines the independence of lawful defence advocacy,” says Judson, “These issues engage the rule of law itself. They warrant independent examination, public transparency, and meaningful accountability.”
The North Star approached the Crown Attorney’s Office of Rainy River (Fort Frances) for comment and received no response.
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