CHRONICLE 16-17 ISSUE 03

Campus chronicle.durhamcollege.ca October 25 - 31, 2016 The Chronicle 11
Advocate for wrongful convictions does time at DC
who are wrongfully convicted.
“There is a good chance that
someone in this audience will be
called for jury duty, or will end
up working in the legal system.
You may end up being part of an
actual case,” he said, “If there is
one person in this audience that
heeds Ron Dalton’s message today
and is able to prevent a wrongful
conviction, then our efforts will
have been worth it.”
Photograph by Barbara Howe
Ron Dalton spoke to students about his work advocating
for those who are wrongfully convicted. Dalton is with DC
professor Joanne Arbour, who organized the seminar.
Former bank manager
is free but will never
get back the years he
spent behind bars
Barbara Howe
The Chroicle
It happened to me… It could happen
to you!! That was the slogan
stamped on a black T-shirt draped
on the table in front of the podium
at a recent seminar held at Durham
College (DC).
Ron Dalton spoke to about 60
students from various programs,
about his struggle with the Canadian
legal system which robbed
him of the best years of his life.
Dalton lived in Gander, N.L.,
and in 1988 his wife, Brenda, died
at their home. One year later, the
former bank manager was convicted
of second-degree murder
and spent almost nine years in jail.
According to Michael Brooke,
of Longboarding for Peace (LFP),
which sponsored Dalton’s visit to
DC, the former bank manager had
no previous convictions and led an
exemplary life.
It took 11 years to get Dalton a
new trial and secure his freedom.
In June 2000, forensic evidence determined
his wife had choked on
some cereal and died. In 2006 the
Canadian government apologized
to him and awarded him $750,000
in compensation.
However, the money did not
bring back the years Dalton missed
with his family. “His daughter is
the most emotionally affected by
what happened,” said Jacinta Dalton,
Ron Dalton’s second wife who
was at the seminar. “She was in
kindergarten when he went to jail.
He watched her graduate from high
school days after he was freed,” she
said.
According to Dalton, his conviction
was based on the evidence of
a pathologist who was not trained
in forensics. The pathologist concluded
the signs of trauma inside
Brenda Dalton’s throat (caused
by an inexperienced and clumsy
emergency room doctor inserting
a breathing tube), could only have
been made by strangulation and
directed the police to speak to her
husband.
Dalton still has trouble adjusting
to life outside prison. He described
how the sight of a mailman in uniform,
or the sound of jingling keys
will take him back to those dark
days behind bars. “I have a deep
distrust of the Criminal Justice System,”
said Dalton
The talk coincided with Wrongful
Conviction Day. Organized by
Innocence Canada, the day is set
aside to highlight the causes and
remedies for wrongful convictions.
Dalton now advocates for Innocence
Canada on behalf of those
who are in prison for crimes they
did not commit. He is now married
to Jacinta Dalton, who is also acquainted
with legal wrangles. She
advocated for her son to be exonerated
from a murder charge.
Innocence Canada is a non-profit
organization whose mandate is to
identify, advocate for, and exonerate
individuals convicted of a crime
they did not commit and to prevent
wrongful convictions though legal
education and reform. According
to Dalton the organization has
helped secure 28 exonerations to
date.
LFP’s Brooke said the aim of the
talk was to educate students of the
flaws in the Criminal Justice System.
LFP is a non-profit organization
which empowers skateboarders
to step up for the good of their
communities. It also encourages
people to learn more about those