J.J. Clarke harassment case moved out of criminal court
Posted Jan 13, 2022 04:42:00 PM.
The Ottawa Valley's most famous TV weatherman no longer has to worry about criminal harassment charges landing him in jail.
J.J. Clarke, whose real name is Ron Rowat, was arrested in January of 2021, and was found not criminally responsible in his case on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
Rowat was accused of sending messages to three people that made reference to Ottawa Valley triple murderer Basil Borutski.
His lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, confirmed to CityNews that the matter against Rowat has been moved out of the criminal courts and into the mental health system, before an Ontario review board.
Rowat was known as J.J. Clarke, evening weatherman on CJOH-TV, which later became CTV Ottawa, from 1985 until 2020, when the station announced his departure. He also hosted the station's talent show Homegrown Cafe in the 1980s and '90s, in addition to emceeing countless charity events in the region, including the CHEO Telethon.
“It's clear to me, from both the nature and the content of the charges, that he was not the same person that Ottawa has known and loved for those decades,” Greenspon told CityNews Ottawa in March of last year.
Rowat maintained his innocence throughout the process, pleading not guilty to the harassment charges.
In March, Greenspon said Rowat currently had Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver, but that he was “in a safe place with friends who care for him.”
