The criminal lawyer Daniel Rock, who has marked several decades of practice by his tenacity and his involvement in many mediatized trials, died suddenly and accidentally at his home last week at the age of 75.
“He was really what we call a fighter. He was a person who was fighting enormously and who went to the front, ”says Nellie Benoit, his former colleague with whom he worked for 25 years in the Rock Vleminckx Dury Lanctôt, located in downtown Montreal.
During his career, Me Daniel Rock greatly marked criminal law, she said. He has represented many customers, many of whom have made headlines in recent decades.
Important trials
He notably defended Gilles Perron, former director of Radio-Canada accused of the murder of his wife, before being acquitted three years later in 1992.
Me Rock also pleaded in the trial of the riot of Archambault in July 1982 where prisoners assaulted unarmed employees and initiated a hostage-taking at the Archambault Institute in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines.
The riot that killed five people and seven injured is one of the deadliest to have taken place in a penitentiary in Canada. The criminalist represented prisoner Claude Poirier, who was accused of the murder of three prison guards. He was acquitted.
More recently, he represented Yves Plamondon who was released after more than 20 years of detention for triple murder. Thanks to his work, he asserted a miscarriage of justice which caused excuses from the court.
“A huge void”
Beyond his trials, Me Rock leaves a memory of a generous and empathetic man, but who also loved humor a lot.
“He leaves a huge void in the office. He has always had a paternal figure. He was very patient and took the time to listen and give good advice, ”says the one who was her intern 25 years ago.
He would have formed fifteen lawyers who still practice today and some of whom have become judges.