A former small claims court judge who pocketed a quarter of a million dollars from the cemetery funds of his Catholic church will spend the next year under house arrest. Houlahan’s work within the church and in Ottawa’s legal community “placed you in a position of grace. McCann said – and the judge accepted – that Houlahan always intended to straighten out the bank accounts and pay the money back, although it never happened. Ratushny gave Houlahan a conditional sentence of two years less a day, with conditions he spend the first year under house arrest. Once the conditional sentence is completed, Houlahan will remain on probation for another year.

Source: National Post April 22, 2017 01:07 UTC