I was ordered to face court in Ipswich after the police had requested charges against me for the "naming, on the Internet, of a Queensland MP" facing 50 child sex charges including rape be dismissed in Brisbane because they were brought in the wrong jurisdiction.
The charge read: "At Karana Downs in the Ipswich Division of the Ipswich Magistrates Courts District in the state of Queensland one Charles Scott Balson by a statement published otherwise than in a report concerning an examination of witnesses or a trial did reveal the name of the defendent (censored) charged witha prescribed sexual offence namely rape to which the said statement related before the said defendant was committed for trial or sentence upon those charges."
The day before I had circulated a press release to the Queensland media alerting them to the fact that I would be making a statement about the Office of Crown Law.
After about an hour in court one on the first floor my name was called and I stood before the Bench.
Her Honour asked me if I wanted the case adjourned to give me time to get legal advice. I replied that I was pleading "not guilty" and was looking for a hearing date in which to be heard.
After looking at the writ of summons Her Honour turned to the police prosecutor saying, "I have never seen a summons like this before, have you?" The policeman replied, "No". Her Honour adjourned the Court and disappeared to get advice, returning back about five minutes later and then refering to one of her books.
She then set down a date for the 8th March saying that I would be placed on bail until then. Before I left I had to sign bail form.
Before my case there had been cases of drunken driving, drugs and other petty crimes with many of those accused being repeat offenders. Not one was placed on bail or had conviction recorded against them.
I walked downstairs and faced the waiting media...
Images left to right: making my statement about a request for a special prosecutor (see below); last image Chris Griffith from The Courier-Mail asks what I felt about the way in which charges were laid.
My statement:
"One of the basic foundations of any democracy is the separation of powers. This has become a very grey area under this "accountable" Beattie Government.
"The Office of Crown Law, for example, has become highly politicised. This fact is spelt out in the Lindeberg Petition which has been tabled in Parliament. I was singled out for arrest by the Office of Crown Law.
"I call on the government to establish a special independent prosecutor to immediately investigate the claims and allegations raised in the Lindeberg Petition.
"If they don't let the voters of Queensland know and understand that the Labor government is not fair dinkum."
I showed the media a copy of the Lindeberg Petition.
After my statement I was asked a series of questions by the media, including:
I was asked if I was happy about my treatment and I replied, "Of course not."
I was asked if I felt that I had been singled out by Crown Law and I replied "Yes".
I was asked who the other organisations who's allegedly breaches of the Act were. These alleged breaches were in the police evidence provided to me in their case against me were. I replied "That must surely be up to the Office of Crown Law to look into."
The Courier-Mail's biased report on the case.
The Queensland Times' coverage of the
case
The book: "ENEMY OF THE STATE"
details the story
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