For Napatistas, 2005 looms as another year of court cases

The Northern Territory police state will ratchet up its bid to jail members of the Network Against Prohibition next year.

NAP members face three trials by judge and jury, plus one full-bench appeal, an appeal before a Judge, and numerous Magistrate’s Court hearings.

They have already beaten dozens of charges and will be hoping they have similar success in 2005.

On Tuesday, December 7, Robert Inder-Smith and Gary Meyerhoff appeared before Justice Sally Thomas in the Supreme Court, and Nicolette Burrows joined us on the phone from King's Cross, to set dates for a trial by jury for the August 1, 2002, peaceful occupation of Chief Minister Clare Martin’s electorate office in Parap.

There will be a "mention" on April 4, and the trial proper has been set down for two weeks, commencing on Tuesday, May 3.

Also on December 7, in the same court, before the same judge, Rob, Nicolette and Gary were joined by Micky Barry, who had flown up from Canberra, and Stuart Highway, who came in on the No.4 bus from Nightcliff.

Nicolette, Stuart, Micky and Gary are facing serious criminal damage and other charges, arising from a police attack on a peaceful NAP protest - our sixth Smoke-in for Human Rights, on October 12, 2002.

Prosecuting lawyer Michael Carey was keen to have these major hearings back-to-back, but we Napatistas managed to dissuade Justice Thomas from this course of action, and the second set of charges was set down for a mention next May 9.

Co-defendant Ema Corro didn’t appear in court and we are not sure if a warrant was issued for her arrest.

The Napatistas were in the Magistrate's court the next day, Wednesday, December 8, with Nicolette represented in absentia by legal aid lawyer Alex Hill. Dates needed to be set for the “back-up” charges for Martin’s office occupation, as well as for the sixth smoke-in. As is current practice, the “back-up” charges were adjourned until the outcome of the Supreme Court Matters.

The Napatistas had their bail extended.

Though Hill’s application on Nicolette's behalf left a lot to be desired. Alex was successful in his application for a warrant to be issued to lie on the files until the next mention date. Neither the prosecution or the magistrate had mentioned the issuing of warrants. Ironically, magistrate Daynor Trigg complied. It was Trigg who found her guilty of contempt of court in late October 2002. Nicolette will be appealing this decision in the first half of 2005.

Joining the fray next July will be fellow Napatista Scott White, who will face the not-to-be-missed Supreme Court trial for his alleged role in the "parliament Invasion". Scott, who is expecting the birth of his first child in February, faces a trial from July 18 to 22.

Also in February, on the 15th, PARIAH Co-ordinator Mick Lambe will face a hearing in the Magistrate’s Court for contempt of court. On a date to be set, Gary will be appealing the conviction of "affixing a bill to a fixture without a permit".