Splendour In The Grass – Local Court Appearances
Byron Bay Local Court to be busy with Splendour In The Grass offences A high-visibility police operation took place at the four-day Byron Bay festival – Splendour In The Grass – with 350 drug detections and a “record ammount” of more than 3kg of illicit drugs seized, predominantly MDMA tablets and to a lesser extent […]
3 Quick tips for a safe & happy Splendour
It’s Splendour In The Grass time! Make sure your weekend is full of good memories; here’s 3 vital points to make sure your weekend is the best ever: 1. Taking Drugs at Splendour In The Grass Latest statistics show that 4 out of 5 festival goers will take recreational drugs while they’re at the festival. […]
NEW LAWS: From 20th May 2019
Drink driving and drug driving – going to court PENALTIES FOR LOW RANGE DRINK DRIVING (s110(1) of the Road Transport Act) THESE PENALTIES APPLY UNLESS YOU TAKE THE MATTER BEFORE THE COURT where you may argue that no conviction (no loss of license and no fine) is the appropriate penalty, once the Magistrate understands (i) […]
The top 5 categories of offences in the NSW local courts, in 2017
If you have a court attendance notice for the local courts of NSW, here are some 2017 statistics that hopefully leave you feeling less-alone. I’ve selected these 5 groups of offences because together they comprise the bulk of the work of the NSW local courts. In 2017, there were 16,418 people who faced a local […]
5 Things To Do if you’ve been charged with drink or drug driving offence
1. Don’t leave it too late to decide if you want the services of a lawyer A good result, in ANY court matter, is all about the preparation – and the more time you have, the better prepared you will be. For example, you will need great references that support your submissions; and to […]
Splendour In The Grass Legal Hotline
THE LOCAL COURT LAWYERS have a SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS legal hotline: 0413 310 008 If you’re charged with an offence at Splendour In The Grass, you’ll likely be appearing in the Byron Bay Local Court on August 21 or 22. THE LOCAL COURT LAWYERS – we are experts in all local court matters, because […]
medicinal cannabis & recreational-use cannabis
Exactly what is the difference between medicinal cannabis and recreational-use cannabis? And why is medical cannabis legal? In my experience, people feel trepidation when it comes to ‘medical cannabis’: on the one hand “it’s a plant, its natural, and everyone’s talking about the medicinal uses, so maybe its ok”; and on the other, the voice […]
Should Alcoholics be treated differently?
– to Recreational Drinkers in the Courts? What an odd day: in the morning we defended a guy charged with breaching an ADVO (an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order), and inflicting assault (occasioning actual bodily arm), on his partner. That same evening I was asked to talk at a public forum hosted by AA, about ‘alcoholism […]
Transport options on the Far North Coast
Cosies, – check. SUNSCREEN, – check. Hat, towel, water bottle, – check. You’ve got some loose plans for Club counter-meals, a good feed of fresh-caught local seafood, and your favourite bevvy is in-stock at the local bottle shop… you’re all good. So, what’s missing? HOW TO GET AROUND, HASSLE FREE… UBER: yes, we’ve finally got […]
Top 4 most common charges at Schoolies in Byron Bay
Underage drinking To buy alcohol, or supply alcohol to a minor, is an offence. If you are a minor (under 18) and caught buying alcohol, you will be fined (at least $220) or forced to face a court (where you could be fined $2,200). The bottle-shop, and the person, at the shop, selling you the […]
Schoolies Legal Hotline
THE LOCAL COURT LAWYERS have a SCHOOLIES legal hotline: 0413 310 008 If you’re charged with an offence at Schoolies, you’ll likely be appearing in the Tweed Heads or Byron Bay Local Court. If you’re not from here, you’ll need to plan to return to Tweed or Byron for your court date. 24/7 Schoolies Tweed/Byron […]
SCHOOLIES – How to stay out of trouble
I asked two police officer friends of mine: “how can Schoolies have fun but avoid the police?” Here’s what they said: 1: “Don’t fail the attitude test” (as my police friend described it). If the police approach you, just be pleasant. They added: “the rude one’s, the one’s who are drunk and obnoxious and carry-on, […]
6 Tips on: How To Find a Good Lawyer
1: A “good lawyer” is a lawyer experienced in providing legal advice in the area of law you require, who also has a good reputation. For example, you consult a lawyer, with a good reputation and experience in family law, if you are going through a divorce. Your search should include terms like: “family lawyer […]
Disqualified from Driving?
Good news for some disqualified drivers: Changes to the law came into effect on October 28, which mean some disqualified drivers will be able to have their licenses returned to them, if they successfully apply to the local court. The changes apply to: disqualified drivers who have not had any traffic offences for two years, […]
SCHOOLIES IN NSW….. FOR UNDER 18’S
SO YOU’RE 16, 17 and going to schoolies. This blog is aimed at YOU – the under 18’s. You have rights… For a start don’t agree to an interview until you get legal advice. Police record most conversations they have with you, even in the street they might be recording, and you may not even […]
Driving with the presence of cannabis or amphetamine in an oral fluid sample
This is colloquially known as a “s111 offence”, because that’s the section of the Roads Transport Act that renders driving with the presence of a drug, in your saliva, an offence. But not any drug…… read on. The mobile drug testing (“MDT”) units are limited to testing only for cannabis (pot, weed, green, hash, mull, […]
What will the court consider when deciding if you can get a section 10?
(“How do I get a section 10”?) Before a Magistrate will decide if an accused person deserves a section 10, there are certain things the Magistrate will take into account. (see our blog – “what is a section 10?” –there are 3 types of s10’s). The same law that makes it possible for a Magistrate […]
What happens if I plead NOT guilty?
Firstly, lets look at pleading guilty: If you plead guilty to a charge in the local court, and you enter this plea on your first return date (the first time you have to appear in court), you generally get the benefit of a sentencing discount of 25%. What happens next depends on the Magistrate and […]
Can I get a section 10?
(and, by the way, exactly what is a section 10?) Everyone wants a s10. Everyone. (Except me. Instead, I want a dollar for every time someone has said to me “can I get a section 10?”) “Can you get a section 10 for drink driving?” “Does section 10 apply for drugs?” “My friend got a […]
5 Tips so Splendour In The Grass isn’t a pain in the A–!
If you’re going to Splendour In The Grass at Byron Bay this July, here are some tips from the Local Court Lawyers to ensure you have the best festival ever (with no regrets): 1. Bring your GOOD VIBES: leave your bad vibes with your ex-. An alcohol and drug induced bad attitude wrecks SPLENDOUR for […]
