Disclaimer

So, this is my Blog, my thoughts / feelings / ideas. You may comment if you like. If you attack me, I come back at you with reckless / racist / suicidal abandon. If you compliment me, I thank you. If you don't ever visit again I don't care. Other than that, just enjoy what I write, or not.
Salagatle!


LIU - Look It Up!

LIU
-->

Friday, September 14, 2012

Update 3 - the hearing

Following my release, I got hold of another attorney, a friend of mine in fact, who I trust to look after my interests. He was not available the previous day, and that was why I called on the other "no show" lawyer.
Anyway, he was still in Cape Town. All he said was to appear in court, and tell the magistrate that my council was attending to matters in Cape Town, and respectfully requests a postponement for 3 weeks for "discovery". LuckyL and I arrived at the court before 8am. The doors / gates only open at 8.30 or 9! The lawyer who was involved with arranging my release turned up, as I had requested his attendance to do the request for postponement. Anyway, he said the roll would only come up around 11.30, and he had something to attend to in Randburg, so would be back. I said that he didn't have to worry, as I was confident enough to address the magistrate with the request myself. Done, he left, and we waited. And we waited a long, longtime. These clowns have fuckall else to do other then collect the dockets for hearing, and enter them onto a list to put up on the board, so that everyone knows which court they need to appear in. That came out at 11.30. It's no wonder our courts are overflowing with cases, they work a fucking half day. As it was, I heard that there was a braai arranged for the afternoon, so the courts would close by 1pm! WTF! Start after 11.30, and stop by 1!!!!

Anyway, we found my name, went to the relevant court room, and sat and waited to be called up. Eventually it was my turn, I went up onto the dock, made my statement, and he agreed to postpone for 3 weeks - next court date is the 21 September.

Next Tuesday I had a meeting with my attorney.  I gave him the whole run down, information, contact names, and the authority to gather information. His opinion is that with the video evidence, this could probably be withdrawn. I sure hope so.
He copied me in on an email he sent to the Risk Manager at the store, the guy who gave me his card, asking for any / all information he might have. The response came back - with their internal investigation, he was unable to get even one statement. Not one - with all those morons who can be seen on the video actually being involved? Well, obviously none of them want to confirm that their colleague threatened me, so they rather say nothing. Which is great as far as I can see. If they couldn't give their employers a statement, then how can they be called as witnesses in the court? And if they cant, then it's his word against mine and LuckyL's! If anyone does come to be a witness, I am going to advise my attorney to ask them for a copy of the statement they gave to their employers. Thing is, if they "didn't" see anything then, they cant testify now, or, they were lying to their employer, so, whats to say they not lying now??

So, first prize will be if the advocate that we are going to chat to, who has a very good relationship with the Chief Public Prosecutor, can get them to withdraw the charges. If that does notwork, the video footage, and the fact that he has no witnesses basically means he has no case. So, we will see where this goes.

Salagatle!

5 comments:

Divemaster GranDad said...

There will be even less chance of anything happening if the video footage does not have sound...

I hope so... :-) Good luck...

Wreckless Euroafrican said...

Personally, I would prefer sound - then they can hear him threatening me... but somehowI don't think it will have.
Salagatle!

Divemaster GranDad said...

Ummmmm....I think you might want to delete these posts about the hearing as well....?

Wreckless Euroafrican said...

@DMGDad - why?
Salagatle!

Divemaster GranDad said...

I thought that seeing as the matter is sub judice, you might want to take them off?