• 🇳🇿 🇲🇲 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🇦🇶 🇮🇳
    Australian & Asian
    Drug Discussion

    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Got a lawyer?

M

mort

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
248
(Originally posted in this thread, but it was off topic and ignored)
There's been a bit of discussion on being busted or harassed by police, and some discussion of the legal side of the process.
I'm curious - everything I've ever read or been told tells you that in these situations the first thing you should do is to call a lawyer. So, does everyone on here have a lawyer organised (and their all-hours telephone number handy)? Do you think we should?
I know there's groups like the legal aid - but perhaps there are independant lawyers who are 'friendly' to the cause, who would be better in these situations?
Talking to voodoo gurl, at parties in Toronto groups similar to ravesafe used to hand out cards for sympathetic lawyers in case there was a police bust. The same thing also happened at public protests and rallys.
 
Recently (very, in fact) a friend of mine mentioned to me that they always keep in their wallet the business card of a 'good' criminal lawyer. I've never even thought to do this, though each time I see someone say "I had a talk to my lawyer, and..." I wonder whether I should have a lawyer too. Obviously, drugs are illegal, and to enjoy them you must break the law. If you get caught breaking the law, in general you need legal advice.
Now, I don't for a moment think that it would be appropriate to list any law firms or lawyers numbers publically on BL. It would be pretty rude for a couple of reasons, I think.
However, if anyone has hints on HOW to find a good lawyer, or the steps they went through to find the right legal aid for themselves, whether it was an emergency call, or planning for emergency, maybe that would make a good thread?
BigTrancer :)
 
BT, your friends must be loaded - spend heaps of money on drugs, and even more on legal fees ;)
Lawyers are notoriously expensive - even for the 'casual' chat. They can be ok if you are a new client, but once they get you in and you have to sign a form for them to work on your behalf... well.. the bucks really start to roll :)
For most people, I really don't think that going to this extreme is necessary. I think you have to ask yourself, what it is you are actually doing to require your lawyers 24 hour numbers, et cetera.
If your activities are such that you do, and you think that you will be engaging police ... perhaps you should be doing something else that night :p
Taking a pill and having a good night does not require a lawyer. Anything else you do, is your own dumb fault :)
dimmo
 
Originally posted by dimmo:
Taking a pill and having a good night does not require a lawyer. Anything else you do, is your own dumb fault.
That is a ridiculously naive thing to say. How did you get that one pill? You bought it from a dealer. You could be at that dealer's house the moment the police swoop in the arrest them, and you will be charged with heavy duty posession, regardless of how many you intended to buy. And anyway, the posession of one pill is illegal, it's just that many jurisdictions in Australia will not be bothered charging you. But that said, many still will.
I admit that lawyers are expensive, but there is a world of differene between actually having one on retainer, and simply knowing the phone number of one, in case of emergencies. Also simply knowing how to go about getting legal aid is something that many people fail to realise, and when you are arrested it is often too late to do anything about it.
So if people can take the time to at least think about these issues they will be doing a great deal to reducing the harm that could come to them. Nothing fucks up your life more than a criminal record, and nothing is more tragic that finding out afterwards that you could have avoided it by doing a few simple things.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by dimmo:
BT, your friends must be loaded - spend heaps of money on drugs, and even more on legal fees ;)
Just become a (good) dealer then. Plenty of drugs and you can afford a lawyer.
A criminal record is a fucked thing to have for such petty things as possession and having a good time. If there is any possible way out of it, then what's stopping you?
Click to expand...
 
you dont skimp on lawyer costs when your in trouble, if you have a shit lawyer and end up getting a criminal record its harder to get a job and you cant go overseas. even if you are one of those poor saps who got busted on the way down to kryal with a few pills on you, its not worth risking a permanant mark on your record.
 
In all my wheelings and dealings, I have never seen someone done for one pill. Having said that, it could happen. Just as you could be booked for jaywalking. However, mostly, it doesn't happen..
Think Harm Minimisation
Think Crime Minimisation
A lot of people bring the police presence on themselves, I see it time and time again. And once the police presence is there, they then might get 'harassed' - or arrested, depending on what you might have done or what drugs are in your possession.
Fact is, some people go overboard, some people may not even realise it - and I'm not just talking about biccies here.
I believe if you're constantly worrying bout which lawyer your going to be calling tonight, you might want to consider other activites.
Going overboard can mean a number of things here, ie driving under influence of drugs (asking for trouble), consuming a pill while carrying 10 others in your pocket (not a good idea), carrying pot, etc.
dimmo.
 
Whether you think you're gonna get arrested or not, having the phone number of a lawyer in your wallet 'just in case' is never a bad idea - as Cowboy Mac said, you just don't spare a cent if there's a chance you can avoid having an indictable offense on your record. Also, I believe that when you get your "phone call" the Police are under no obligation to provide you with a phone directory.
BigTrancer :)
 
Dimmo - I'm sorry, but trying to judge when or when you don't need a lawyer whilst doing anything that is illegal is a bad idea. Because like you said, you never know. You could have that one pill on your person, you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the cops could just be in a bad mood. And if I was to ever get caught with even just one pill, I'd want the best lawyer I could afford (I'd even take out a loan if it would help).
So - does anyone have suggestions for places to get information for those people who would want to get this organised before it's too late?
(BT - perhaps you should explain some of the reasons for not wanting to list contacts on here.)
 
The law institutes in each state will have a referral service. Doing a search for criminal law specialists in Victoria gives you this list. You would have to ring around a little bit to determine if they are available on 24 hour call or such, but this could easily be done beforehand. The difference between finding a good one and a bad one is generally word of mouth (which I can't help with), but then any lawyer should be better than no lawyer. Good Luck.
 
Thanks for the replies BT, Mort et al.
Having a number is fine - better to be safe than sorry if that's how you want to look at it :)
What I am saying is, those who do get in trouble, and the people I have known, have done something that they shouldn't have.
So for example, if you want to drive home after a big night out, and you get pulled over, under the influence of many things, drugs perhaps in your possession et cetera.
Then, I say again, it's your own stupid fault, and you will have nice legal bills.
All I am saying is:
Try and stay out of trouble! :)
Think smart
dimmo
NB: I think you will ALL agree avoiding trouble is better than having a good lawyer to get you off!
[ 05 March 2003: Message edited by: dimmo ]
 
Mort: The main two reasons I'd mention for not wanting contacts on here are that listing these details provides free advertising for the firms without their permission/knowledge, and the permission of the owners of Bluelight.
BigTrancer :)
 
dimmo, staying out of trouble is a good idea. A lawyer can help with your sentence, even if you can't get off completely. They know how to word things in certain ways...always handy.
A friend who is a lawyer can probably help by coaching you beforehand as well.
 
A good laweyer is worth his weight in gold, never skimp on a lawyer. You don't have to talk without a lawyer, even at three in the morning, if you can't get a lawyer ask the police to give you a bed for the night and deal with it in the morning. A night in the cells is far preferable than potentially incriminating yourself. Don't rely on legal-aid for serious matters, they will more often than not provide sub-standard legal advice, same goes for a lot of the 24 hr referal places.
 
I've thought about the whole business card in the wallet thing, probably not a bad idea, but I figure that I have a few very good friends that I could call and say something like "i'm in a bit of a bother, please find me a good lawyer now and get them to meet me at xyz police station", then sit down and shut up until someone gets there.
 
i have a barrister, got his number in my fone so im kind of lucky and unlucky at the same time. Atleast i know the way the legal system works by now, if u get arrested just remember you don't have to say anything until your with your or a lawyer, and don't belive one word that comes of the cops mouth, they always bullshit and bluff.
Oh yeh and legal aid sucks, used it once, never again the cunt fucked me up further.
 
^^^ if you got done for something i dont think they will let you have access to your phone.
 
^^^ Agreed they probably wont let you use your own phone to make the call, but they would have to allow you to get the number off it.
Denying you access to the lawyers number is the same as denying you access to the lawyer and if a judge got wind of that it would be bye-bye charges!
One little reminder: If you do get done for possesion of pills always refer to them as pills, not as "Ecstasy" or any other specific term. If you admit that they are "Ecstasy" this is what will be put down on the charge sheet. If you simply say "I don't know what is in them" you will probably get charged with possesion of an illegal substance and it will be up to them to prove that it is such. Who knows, you might be lucky and get done with some pills that contain only trace amounts of MDMA, or perhaps even bunk pills.
But don't be cheeky about it. Just politely say you have no idea what they are, they are just pills. You don't need to admit to anything else. It is up to you whether or not you admit they belong to you, but there is no need to elaborate.
 
Just politely say you have no idea what they are...
I wouldn't even go that far, a good prosecutor could use a statement like that to infer some guilt (ie: "who would reasonably walk around with ten pills in their pocket and not know what they were"). If the police officer asks you what they are, answer with a simple "I won't answer any questions until my lawyer is present". The only thing you have to provide an answer for is your name and address, anything beyond that should be avoided until a lawyer is present. You shouldn't even think of answering a question until you've had time to confer with a lawyer and he agrees to let you answer it.
[ 06 March 2003: Message edited by: digital_yoda ]
Click to expand...
 
^^^ Absolutely. But a lot of people find it hard to actually do that. I guess I was stressing the point that politeness is the key; say you aren't going to say anything, but say it calmy and don't let them provoke you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top