Reefer Madness hits the NT Courts
The Aboriginal People and Marijuana = violence and depression equation

Justice Sally Thomas is the former Chief Magistrate of the Northern Territory, a position she held from 1982 - 1996. Which might explain why my complaints of political discrimination and victimization -- which included as evidence, a case in which Justice Sally Thomas presided -- faced such hostility from the Court registrars on appeal.

"The victim was "hit repeatedly on the head and back with a tree branch and punched and choked during the attack which lasted about 25 minutes. She suffered broken ribs, a broken eye socket, a punctured lung and a damaged shoulder." (NT News, 18 December, 2002)

"Justice Sally Thomas, sentencing Munar said the youth had smoked six bongs of cannabis that day."

"That might explain why he would attack a complete stranger with such ferocity but it did not excuse it" - Justice Sally Thomas

Armed violence condoned by Judge

In 1996 when I appeared before Justice Sally Thomas as a Police prosecution witness, she was openly hostile.

I had been robbed of all my possessions at my home on the Cox Peninsula and when myself and four Aboriginal men from Belyuen Aboriginal Community caught the thieves (returning to steal my roof) they pulled guns and threatened to kill me.

It was no simple robbery. These armed vigilantes were sent to remove me from my home on Crown land - An ownership by the Crown, disputed by local Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal people (my family) now own the Cox Peninsula.

My insistence that my home was built on Aboriginal land, my alleged marijuana growing, my dreadlocks and the solidarity of the Belyuen people, made justice an impossibility before a bigoted Justice Sally Thomas and the usual redneck jury.

 

Despite...

- the defendants hiring the truck we described, during the period I was robbed

- the defendants having guns seized by Police, in particular, the pistol pointed at my head being registered to the individual we had described as the gunman to Police

- (or because of) having four Aboriginal men from Belyuen as witnesses to this armed menacing

...These cowardly armed vigilantes were acquitted.

 

One can imagine what would happen to me if I committed similar offenses.

 

State compliance in armed home-invasion

The Police took two weeks to even come out and interview me about this armed home-invasion.

Compare this lack of enthusiasm, to the 27 Police visits to my bush home (to victimize me) when I complained of local racism three years later.

Police also ignored local thugs who threatened to kill me (harassing myself and my partner at the time --a Canadian tourist) for three months prior to the trial in the NT Supreme Court.

That the NT Police were not concerned about a person running around with a 9mm automatic pistol (given the risk to their own members) demonstrates State complicity.

How else to explain the six weeks it took to apprehend a suspect, who had used his driver's license to hire the truck.

The Law makes it clear that growing marijuana (which I have never been charged with) is a lesser offense than home invasion, theft, threatening to kill and menacing with firearms.

 

Not fit to judge

These latest remarks by Justice Sally Thomas, demonstrate the absurdity of her bigotry and unsuitability to judge matters involving marijuana or people described by the NT Police, as "alternative lifestylers". Which I take to mean -- as not bigoted Territorians.

In fact given the lopsidedness of her view on what comprises a serious criminal offense -- I doubt Justice Sally Thomas is fit to judge any matters at all.