Suspended Ottawa lawyer found guilty of criminal harassment, extortion

James Bowie arrives at the Ottawa courthouse in February 2025. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

Suspended Ottawa lawyer James Bowie has been found guilty of criminal harassment, extortion and uttering threats.

An Ottawa judge found Bowie guilty Tuesday afternoon on two counts of uttering threats, and one count each of criminal harassment and extortion.

Bowie had pleaded not guilty to harassing a former friend after she stopped communicating with him, asking her to get him a gun and uttering threats to kill an ex-client who went public with misconduct allegations against him.

Bowie admitted to twice placing a GPS tracker on the former friend’s vehicle. During the trial, the friend testified Bowie “descended into madness.”

Bowie also sent a slew of messages to the woman that weren’t returned.

At trial, Bowie’s lawyer Eric Granger argued that “none of Mr. Bowie’s actions in the relevant time frame to this case were criminal and none of the four offences alleged by the Crown have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Granger acknowledged that “Mr. Bowie engaged in certain behaviours that were unflattering….no question he may well have to answer to some of those behaviours on other forums.”

A charge of extortion relating to allegations he offered ex-client Leanne Aubin legal services in exchange for oral sex was previously withdrawn by the Crown. A ban on identifying Aubin was previously lifted at her request last month.

In her closing arguments, assistant Crown attorney Kerry Watson said Bowie’s version of events was “akin to a plot out of a John Grisham novel.”

“His evidence under oath was inconsistent, it was illogical, and it was at times bizarre,” she stated.

This is a breaking news story. CTV News Ottawa will have the latest as it becomes available