Rod, at 13:39 on Mon, Feb 20 1995, you wrote to Bill Grimsley ...

RS> I remember the first time I saw him he had a massive collection of 
RS> burns down the inside of each arm as a result insane games involved 
RS> in seeing who could hold a lighted cigarette like that longest.

BG> Presumably you knew that this used to be a favourite, almost
BG> prescribed test of manhood with genuine Maifioso in the US
BG> earlier this century (and even these days, it would seem)?

RS> This one hasnt got any mafia connections in the literal sense. In 
RS> fact even has a black relo, mother of his grandmother or something. 
RS> Which comes in handy apparently now.

Dunno how it works in Oz, but I've just finished reading an incredibly
interesting book on NY Mafia Boss, Paul Castellano, and several of his
"mates", one of whom (John Gotti) killed him.  Seems that unless
you're of pure Sicilian blood or origin, you can't join the Mob.  Whilst
that is slowly changing in the US, I can't imagine that places like
Griffith would be any different.  IOW, if this bloke's granny is an Abo,
he's probably got Buckley's of getting "made" into the Mafia. 
|-)

BG> There has actually been some suggestion that people like these are 
BG> suffering from a specific genetic abnormality, something to do with 
BG> a chromosome completely missing from the gene, I seem to recall, 
BG> but whilst the evidence points towards this being possible, I've 
BG> seen no conclusive proof so far.

RS> Yeah, wouldnt surprise me. I think we are actually seeing a bit of 
RS> an odd outcome in human society in many ways. In prior times those 
RS> sorts of people could just become pirates or mercenarys etc.

True, and some still do.  They tend to become career criminals like Darcy
Dugan, and more recently, pricks like Neddy Smith.  Some even become
coppers too, but you already knew that.  |-)

RS> Nowadays we just pay them welfare and have to watch some pretty 
RS> unspeakable outcomes instead.

And in almost every single case, these people had exhibited anti-social
behaviour long before embarking on their criminal careers.  It's not as if
there was no prior indication whilst they were still kids or teenagers. 
These days they call it stuff like ADD, and dose them up on amphetamines,
for Christ's sake!  16,000 of them Australia wide, according to the report
on ACA last night.

RS> he's 34 now, wife and two kids. Never actually worked a day in his 
RS> life, paid a total of $2.50 in tax apparently.

BG> Perhaps he'll end up like Capone then, put away for tax evasion 
BG> because the coppers had no evidence that he was a crime boss.

RS> They have the evidence all right. He has been going thru the 
RS> courts for quite a few years on a drug bust. No results so 
RS> far incarceration wise. Its a hell of a saga actually.

I'm surprised that the southern states appear not to have adopted the
attitude of the Qld Govt, where the assets (cars, houses, the lot) of
big-time drug growers or dealers are deemed to have been purchased with
illegally-obtained money, and are confiscated and sold at auction.

BG> The only thing that's changed though is that nowadays, kids like 
BG> that can get the dole or Austudy (or WTF you like to call it),

RS> How do you think he has existed for the last 20 years ? Dole
RS> and currently Austudy. Training to be a lawyer would you 
RS> believe, external law degree.

Don't prior felony convictions prevent acceptance to the Bar?

BG> and at a much earlier age than ever before.

RS> About the only thing thats changed lately is the homeless 
RS> kids allowance.

Dunno, I'm sure that Austudy hasn't been around all that long, then there's
the family allowance payment, although that goes directly to the parent,
not the kid, and cuts out at age 16 anyway.

BG> Fucking amazing, when stuff like this has obviously been 
BG> going on for half a century or even more. It's social 
BG> engineering at its worst IMO.

RS> Dunno about social engineering, utterly rorted welfare 
RS> system anyway.

It might not be intentional, but the availability of easy money tends to
encourage people to become bludgers regardless.

RS> He is now doing an external law degree from UNE in Armidale.

BG> ROFL!  Wants to conduct his own defence presumably.

RS> He's actually got grand plans involving becoming a legal aid 
RS> lawyer. He has been largely running his own defense without 
RS> counsel all these years since the drug bust and has been 
RS> running rings around the legal system, appeals right up to 
RS> the Supreme Court and all. Unbelievable.

I can't wait to hear what happens when he finally obtains his law degree,
and applies for admission to the Bar though.  |-)

BG> He'd likely never get to use his new found knowledge though, 
BG> as I doubt that this particular magistrate would be allowed to
BG>  sit on the bench at your loony Mafia mate's obviously 
BG> forthcoming trial.  |-)

RS> Apparently its most at the decision of the defendant, he can 
RS> please himself. He is currently up on a drunk driving charge, 
RS> and no license, and is trying to run some complicated 
RS> argument that a defense of automatism reverses the onus of 
RS> proof, its up to the crown to prove he doesnt suffer from it. 
RS> Apparently the act says that explicitly.

Interesting.  The basic tenet of law puts the onus of proof on the
prosecution, but I thought that medical conditions were the opposite when
being used as a defence.  Can't find the bloody dictionary (Rob must have
taken it to school), so I've no idea what Automatism is, and I presume you
don't mean Autism.

RS> He was up for mention the other day, with the magistrate he has 
RS> appealed right up to the Supreme Court. Apparently they have had 
RS> some pretty bitter runins on that. The magistrate asked him if he 
RS> wanted him to disbar himself but the drug baron said he didnt mind, 
RS> mainly on the devil you know principle.

Isn't that decision up to the magistrate himself?  Surely he should be
worried about the inference drawn if he sits on this case?

RS> He's also got some complicated scheme running to shaft them 
RS> for costs if they lose, on the basis that they should have 
RS> realise that their case was defective by now and so if they 
RS> go ahead anyway, they will have to pay when they lose.

It's amazing you know, that such a deviously brilliant mind should be
wasted on a life of crime.  He must know by now that he could have become
quite successful in an honest profession.  That's the sort of thing which
makes me wonder if it's genetic.

RS> God knows what this bugger has cost the state quite apart from 
RS> welfare payments over the years in the court system alone.

Look on the positive side though.  All of his ill-gotten gains have been
redistributed through the economy, so it's not a total waste.

(continued to next message)  <== See, I can do that too!  |-)

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 2.2e