Trial
On 25 April 2001, Rogers pleaded guilty to fraud before Justice Greg Rodgers of the Ontario Court of Justice. Justice Greg Rodgers stated that she had engaged in "almost four years of deception and dishonesty."
"I am satisfied you did not lead an opulent lifestyle, even with these two sources of income," Justice Rodgers said in his verdict, "but welfare is there for people who need it, not for people who want it, who want things and who want money."
Rogers, who was pregnant at the time of her trial, was sentenced to six months of house arrest, permitted to leave the house for medical, religious or shopping reasons only on Wednesday mornings, and for a maximum of three hours. She was also ordered to repay the full amount of her overpayment.
With the fraud conviction, Ontario Works suspended her welfare benefits for three months, leaving Rogers with no income to pay her rent, buy food or medication, or even pay her fine. (Around the same time, the Harris government increased the maximum penalty for welfare fraud to lifetime suspension — although this penalty did not directly affect Rogers' situation, it was reviewed in the subsequent inquest.)
Read more about this topic: Kimberly Rogers
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