Schapelle Corby will celebrate freedom 'with a joint', says former lawyer Kerry Smith

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Schapelle Corby will celebrate freedom 'with a joint', says former lawyer Kerry Smith-Douglas

SCHAPELLE Corby's former lawyer has made a bizarre appearance on TV saying the convicted drug dealer will celebrate her release from a Bali prison with a 'big marijuana joint'.

Kerry Smith-Douglas was on The Today Show this morning talking about the impending release of Corby when her clumsy joke left viewers, and the Nine network's golden boy Karl Stefanovic, gobsmacked.

HOPES HIGH: CORBY 'FREE FROM JAIL WITHIN WEEK'

The interview started with a fairly routine question but quickly strayed into dodgy territory.

Karl asked, "You must be a little bit excited by all this, not very far away now?''.

Smith-Douglas replied: "Yes, it's very exciting, there's going to be a lot of parties going on once she is released, and I can't wait''

Karl: "Are you going to be having a party?''

Smith-Douglas: "Oh you betcha''.

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Awkward ... Karl Stefanovic, left, reacts to the interview with lawyer Kerry Smith-Douglas. Source: Supplied
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All good so far, I hear you say. But what followed left Karl and the studio in nervous laughter.

Karl: "How do you think she will celebrate?''

Smith-Douglas: "She'll probably pop a cork of champagne and then roll up a big marijuana joint the size of a cigar and kick back and enjoy herself.''

NOT HAPPY: CORBY ARREST OFFICER 'DISAPPOINTED'

All the while the big-haired lawyer was making hand gestures, apparently alluding to rolling up said "big joint."

Corby is serving a 20-year sentence after she was convicted for the importation of 4.2kg of cannabis into Bali in 2005.

Karl was quick to seize on Smith-Douglas' comments, asking "You haven't been smoking this morning have you?''

Smith-Douglas replied with laughter and another joke: "My eyes are red, I know".

Karl then asked Smith-Douglas about an apparent fallout with the Corbys - to which she replied she had a disagreement with the Corby "campaign committee'' - not the family.

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So close yet so far ... Schapelle Corby will find out over the next couple of days whether she will be freed on parole. Source: Getty Images
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"I did have a disagreement with their campaign committee. They didn't want the media knowing what was going on with Schapelle.''

In closing the interview, Karl returned to the earlier conversation about marijuana and again it strayed into dangerous territory.

REACTION: TWITTER NAMES THINGS CORBY MISSED

Karl: "We hope that what you said at the start will not affect her chances of getting out?''

Smith-Douglas: "I was concerned that what John ... not John Howard ... whose … Tony Abbott was recently caught listening in to the President's telephone conversation, and I thought that may have affected her capability of getting out quickly on parole.''

Karl: "That may have not been Tony Abbott.''

Karl wished the eccentric lawyer all the best with her Corby party, noting she already had her hair all done up for the occasion.

"Thank you very much, God Bless Australia,'' she replied.

A representative of the Corby family is being approached for comment.

With a vid at -

http://www.news.com.au/national/sch...rry-smithdouglas/story-fncynjr2-1226819233406
 
The vid is a classic.

She may be joking but I seriously doubt schapelle will be using any weed when she gets out for along time. As part of her parole she has to stay in Bali living with her sister for a few yrs until she can even return to Aus. So I very much doubt she will be celebrating her release with a big fat joint, not in Indo you would imagine, after doing 10 + yrs and developing mental issues in their shit hole jail.
 
I really hope she does get out, she has done way too long for a fucking plant and I am sure the jail over there is pretty bad.

Would kinda suck getting out and having to spend the next several years still in Indonesia instead of coming home, as it seems she will have to, but that is still much much better than rotting away in a dungeon.
 
Yeah I hope she's out soon too.

Personally I highly doubt she even did it, if she did I think it was probably meant to be removed at Syd (from bris). But I rekon it was probably corrupt baggage handlers who used her body board bag in Bris after she checked her stuff in and they were supposed to take it out at Syd but didnt get a chance to for whatever reason and it went with her to Bali without her knowledge it was in there.

What type of idiot takes that much adelaide hydro to Bali? Surely it would sell for more and easier in Aus and who'd take the risk? It's so obvious in a body board bag and so stinky, one quick look in it by customs and they'd notice it.
 
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Opposition builds against imminent release of Schapelle Corby

OPPOSITION is building in Indonesia against the imminent release of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby.

Indonesia's national anti-narcotic movement, Granat, is critical of their government's impending decision to grant Corby parole.

Chairman Henry Yosodiningrat said the decision will hurt "the people's sense of fairness in this country".

"What Corby has done is a narcotic crime, an extraordinary crime," he said.

"Narcotic crime is a humanitarian crime that has claimed many victims."

SCHAPELLE CORBY WILL 'CELEBRATE WITH A JOINT'

Mr Yosodiningrat suggested Corby had been given special treatment by his government.

"We question the commitment of Indonesian government to save people from drugs."

Granat unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit two years against the Indonesian President's decision to grant Corby clemency.

SCHAPELLE CORBY 'FREE WITHIN A WEEK'

But there are no plans to try to block Corby's release through the courts this time.

"Of course we will convey our disappointment. But we will not file other lawsuit as before. I think it is enough showing that our government have no commitment to save people from

drugs," he said.

Nine years after her arrest and conviction for smuggling more than 4kg of marijuana into Bali, the former Gold Coast beautician will move from Kerobokan prison to her sister's family home.

Indonesian Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin said he would sign her parole papers, along with those of 1700 other prisoners by Friday.

"Corby doesn't get any special treatment. As long as she fulfils all the requirements, and based on the recommendation of the correctional monitoring team, she has the right to get her right. And based on the law, she will get it. So, there is no special treatment for Corby," Mr Syamsuddin told reporters in Jakarta.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...-schapelle-corby/story-fni0xqrc-1226819549469
 
poledriver said:
Yeah I hope she's out soon too.

Personally I highly doubt she even did it, if she did I think it was probably meant to be removed at Syd (from bris). But I rekon it was probably corrupt baggage handlers who used her body board bag in Bris after she checked her stuff in and they were supposed to take it out at Syd but didnt get a chance to for whatever reason and it went with her to Bali without her knowledge it was in there.

What type of idiot takes that much adelaide hydro to Bali? Surely it would sell for more and easier in Aus and who'd take the risk? It's so obvious in a body board bag and so stinky, one quick look in it by customs and they'd notice it.
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Her family. And foreigners were apparently paying a premium to smoke good hydro in Bali over the local schwag, so it was a very profitable enterprise. Of course she was guilty (as guilty as you can be trafficking a plant - but that's another issue), guilty as sin, something went wrong with the pay-off. That is all. She lost the best years of her life to make her Dad and her brother rich.
 
bit_pattern said:
Her family. And foreigners were apparently paying a premium to smoke good hydro in Bali over the local schwag, so it was a very profitable enterprise. Of course she was guilty (as guilty as you can be trafficking a plant - but that's another issue), guilty as sin, something went wrong with the pay-off. That is all. She lost the best years of her life to make her Dad and her brother rich.
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Varying opinions are good as I said, and the facts are pretty obvious in this case that there were huge cover ups. People went on national TV here and said they were part of the failed attempt to move the weed from Bris to Syd in her luggage and she did not know about it, why would they do that? And why would she never admit guilt even though she could have reduced her sentence more by doing so? If she was guilty and did it for profit why would other people claim to be part of the corrupt baggage handlers who were moving it between states in Aus? I just dont get it. She thinks she can just breeze through Bali customs with all that smelly hydro in her body board bag? She doesn't look that dumb or mentally handicapped, but who knows maybe she is. Maybe she was brainwashed to do it by her bro and dad so they could get rich…? Weed in Bali is pretty cheap and not many people have much money there generally, I really dont see it as a place to move loads of hydro to. When I went there was plenty of strong hash that was dirt cheap, who is going to pay top dollar for hydro there when hash is so cheap.


[video=youtube_share;MXSwZw7LvEU]http://youtu.be/MXSwZw7LvEU[/video]

So a non drug user just follows what her father and brother ask her to do because it will make them rich? And she knows the consequences could be life in jail or death, so she just goes along with it? Seems pretty lame argument.

There are so many facts in that vid that show the case was a cover up and there is hardly any evidence, real evidence she actually knew about the weed. So what her dad and bro had been involved with drugs before, it doesnt mean she would say yes to smuggling 4 kg's of hydro, and again why wouldnt she admit guilt, even later on to get more reductions in her sentence, she has never admitted guilt.
 
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bit_pattern said:
Hmm, and that right there is why you hear so much about poor Schapelle in the media than you do her fellow prisoner Renae Lawrence

845677-1768b2dc-3edc-11e3-8139-2fc28a7acf56.jpg


"Pretty white woman victimised by swarthy foreigners" is always going to sell more papers than a "butch dyke junkie"
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No, Renae Lawrence and the rest of the Bali 9 who strapped heroin to their bodies and tried to smuggle it back here (from Bali) got plenty of media attention and she specifically got more media attention recently when she plotted to kill a prison guard with a shank and has been moved to another prison I think. They were also fucked over by the Australian government, I think it was Scott Rush's father from memory who dobbed them in and asked for them to be busted in Aus on their way back, he said he was suspicious of what his son was up to over there and when told he was in the process of smuggling heroin he was told they would be busted when they got back to Aus to as not to face either the death penalty or life in jail over there, again the Aus government sold them out, like they did Schapelle. Unlike Schapelle the Bali 9 knew what they were doing and were caught with the heroin on them, no doubt in that case. In Schapelle's case there are plenty of doubts. For me anyway, believe what you wont tho :)
 
poledriver said:
Varying opinions are good as I said, and the facts are pretty obvious in this case that there were huge cover ups. People went on national TV here and said they were part of the failed attempt to move the weed from Bris to Syd in her luggage and she did not know about it, why would they do that? And why would she never admit guilt even though she could have reduced her sentence more by doing so? If she was guilty and did it for profit why would other people claim to be part of the corrupt baggage handlers who were moving it between states in Aus? I just dont get it. She thinks she can just breeze through Bali customs with all that smelly hydro in her body board bag? She doesn't look that dumb or mentally handicapped, but who knows maybe she is. Maybe she was brainwashed to do it by her bro and dad so they could get rich…? Weed in Bali is pretty cheap and not many people have much money there generally, I really dont see it as a place to move loads of hydro to. When I went there was plenty of strong hash that was dirt cheap, who is going to pay top dollar for hydro there when hash is so cheap.


[video=youtube_share;MXSwZw7LvEU]http://youtu.be/MXSwZw7LvEU[/video]

So a non drug user just follows what her father and brother ask her to do because it will make them rich? And she knows the consequences could be life in jail or death, so she just goes along with it? Seems pretty lame argument.

There are so many facts in that vid that show the case was a cover up and there is hardly any evidence, real evidence she actually knew about the weed. So what her dad and bro had been involved with drugs before, it doesnt mean she would say yes to smuggling 4 kg's of hydro, and again why wouldnt she admit guilt, even later on to get more reductions in her sentence, she has never admitted guilt.
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Yeah I really don't care enough to watch an hour and a half of theorising. I have NFI - I don't think she is pure of heart, I lived with an associate of her brother for a time, from what I've heard (and, no, I don't think that qualifies for anything really, just saying what I've based my views on, do not expect anyone else to accept) they were all up to their eye-balls in it. Whether she is guilty or not is largely irrelevant, no-one should be punished like that over a plant, she should definitely be brought home - it's horrendous to see her or any other drug smuggler rotting in conditions like those experienced by Indonesian prisoners.

But, I really don't give that much of a shit over it to engage in pointless conjecture. In guess once Women's Weekly or whoever ends up paying her millions for her story, we'll all know the truth #shrugs

On that point, and not in response to any of your arguments, just as an addendum to the discussion, this is an interesting piece about the wisdom of making that sale published in Crikey today:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/02/06/schapelle-corbys-3m-payday-or-will-she-be-smart-and-shut-up/

Get ready: you’re about to see a lot of Schapelle Corby on your television.

And not just there. She’ll be in magazines and maybe even on Dancing with the Stars. At least, that’s how one celebrity manager reckons whoever snags that fateful first interview with her will try to get the most bang for their buck. Corby could rake in a record amount of cash.

Interest in the convicted drug smuggler, who could well be released on parole tomorrow, is enormous. She’s a controversial figure. Many think she’s innocent. Slightly more than half think she’s guilty, but they’ll tune in anyway.

Celebrity booker Max Markson says he can’t think of any Australian figure who’s so bankable for TV network executives. The big three networks — Nine, Seven and Ten — will pay millions to secure an exclusive interview. And once they get it, they’ll milk it for all its worth.

“They’ll run it over two or three nights,” Markson told Crikey. “You could have it on 60 Minutes, A Current Affair and the news. There’s just so much material there. You wouldn’t use it in one hour.”

Most television “tell-all” interviews net their subjects a few thousand dollars at most. This isn’t like that. A confessional with Corby could sell for $3 million, Markson estimates. After all, the Beaconsfield miners got $2.6 million between them. This is a bigger story than that, so that’s the floor on any negotiations.

A $3 million figure would be the highest amount ever paid for such an interview in Australian history. “This is the King Kong,” Markson said. “Nothing else comes close.”

One Nine insider told Crikey any interview would be ratings gold: “Any deal would be spread across multiple platforms and programs, possibly over a number of months [or] years.”

Markson tips Nine or Seven to tie in magazine exclusives with the interview. Seven, if it snags the exclusive, would cross-publish the interview throughout its magazine empire (probably New Idea), while Nine might do something similar with Bauer Media’s Women’s Day and The Australian Women’s Weekly.

But will there be an interview at all? Another high-profile celebrity agent who’s done this all before isn’t so sure. “I’d be very surprised if she’s in a position to do any interviews,” the agent said, insisting on anonymity.

Corby is likely to have stringent parole conditions attached to her release. The agent couldn’t see why she would risk her parole or eventual release by upsetting the Indonesian government. By the time Corby is allowed to return to Australia, it will be two years after her release, and while some interest will still exist in her story she won’t be able to command the same high price for it as she can now.

“The only way the TV networks can do this is to interview the family about how it’s been for them, maybe with her sitting in the room. That’s a TV moment that probably won’t breach the parole conditions. That’s where the exclusive could come from,” they said.

Any exclusive would net Corby a hefty sum, though this will decrease the more careful Corby is to keep within her parole conditions.When deciding which of the networks to go with, Markson says money talks — louder than any slights over previous coverage. Corby’s sister Mercedes won a defamation action against Channel Seven in 2008, while Channel Nine will soon be airing a TV movie based on a book that alleges the drugs in Corby’s boogie-board belonged to her father.

There are also legal considerations to consider. Apart from Corby’s parole conditions, Australia has laws against profiting from crime. With Corby in Bali, that could complicate matters. In 2007, Commonwealth authorities sized more than $100,000 in royalties from Corby’s 2006 autobiography My Story (the Queensland Supreme Court later allowed her to keep $280,000 of the proceeds). It’s reasonable to expect any similar payout over an interview would also draw the interest of the Tax Office. However, there’s also no law against the family profiting — Corby’s sister Mercedes has pocketed at least $100,000 from various media appearances, plus the defamation payout from Seven.

Who got paid the most? Australia’s most expensive tell-all interviews:

2007: Channel Nine paid freed Beaconsfield miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell $2.6 million;
2006: Channel Nine paid convicted (but shortly released) drug user Michelle Leslie $600,000;
2005: Channel Ten paid Iraqi kidnap victim Douglas Wood $400,000;
2004: Channel Nine paid wrongly convicted Lindy Chamberlain between $75,000 and $150,000;
1997: Channel Seven paid Thredbo disaster survivor Stuart Diver $250,000.
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theWhiteLarryBird said:
those are two different women. what is your point?
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My point was that one of those women (and this goes deep into Australian culture and the way this was presented at the time, not expecting you to know the history) was a pretty white woman who's plight was championed in the tabloid press, the other was a dog-ugly, dyke, junkie from the western suburbs who, despite sharing the same jail, didn't garner quite the attention that this young lady got.

Clearly she is - kinda - hot, certainly don't begrudge you for pointing it out. It's just that this issue plays into some rather glaring biases adopted by the Australian national media. They do love a soap opera ;)
 
bit_pattern said:
My point was that one of those women (and this goes deep into Australian culture and the way this was presented at the time, not expecting you to know the history) was a pretty white woman who's plight was championed in the tabloid press, the other was a dog-ugly, dyke, junkie from the western suburbs who, despite sharing the same jail, didn't garner quite the attention that this young lady got.

Clearly she is - kinda - hot, certainly don't begrudge you for pointing it out. It's just that this issue plays into some rather glaring biases adopted by the Australian national media. They do love a soap opera ;)
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Not really... one was clearly guilty and working with 8 other people, all caught red-handed. The other had so many things that caused doubt to be cast on the situation. If Schapelle had been caught with heroin strapped to her body the media would have painted her as a scumbag and called for the death penalty too. You're basing your bias on the fact that it all came down to looks. It didn't.

Do you even remember the media coverage of the 'Bali 9'? It was just as big as the coverage Corby got.
 
Black Rabbit of Inlè said:
Not really... one was clearly guilty and working with 8 other people, all caught red-handed. The other had so many things that caused doubt to be cast on the situation. If Schapelle had been caught with heroin strapped to her body the media would have painted her as a scumbag and called for the death penalty too. You're basing your bias on the fact that it all came down to looks. It didn't.

Do you even remember the media coverage of the 'Bali 9'? It was just as big as the coverage Corby got.
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Meh, perhaps.

I still say that some of the themes in the coverage of SC absolutely dripped with a certain kind of nationalistic pride (the Today Tonight tone of coverage). Like I said though, I don't *really* care enough to make a point of it but let's just say I'm considerably more cynical of the tabloid media in Australia than you.

#shrugs
 
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