Article content continued

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Facebook page had been shared 29 times and contained several comments from people who said they would write letters.

Johnson’s defence lawyer could not be reached Tuesday, but Christina Sweet, secretary-treasurer of the Windsor Criminal Lawyers Association, said character letters are vital in sentencing.

“I always give the accused a list of things I want them to do. Getting these letters is one of them … The more I have the better.”

Sweet said they can be as important as bringing to court proof of counselling or, in cases of theft or property damage, making restitution.

Speaking generally, Sweet said letters should cast the client in the best light possible. “In any sentencing, it’s always valuable to have people in the community attest to the person’s good character, say they are reliable, say they are sensible and that this act was out of character.

“You need people who are willing to put into writing that he or she is a valuable member of the community.”

The Ben Johnson support page was set up on Sept. 4, after Superior Court Justice Kirk Munroe convicted the professional hockey player. It features what appears to be a wedding photo and a second photo of Johnson and his bride, identified in the messages as Kate. In the second photo, Johnson is sporting a New Jersey Devils T-shirt.

Johnson was selected by the Devils in the 2012 entry draft. He went on to play with their American Hockey League farm team in Albany and with teams in the East Coast Hockey League.

The Devils moved swiftly to drop Johnson after his conviction. Within two hours of the judge delivering his ruling, the NHL franchise put out a statement saying it had initiated the process to terminate his contract.

Johnson, who remains free on bail, returns to court in Windsor next month for sentencing.

ssacheli@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/WinStarSacheli