The day finally came for Schapelle Corby to find out her fate in Bali. The attention has been massive and I went along to see the circus. Never having been to the District Court in Denpasar I was trying to locate the address on a map and on the web. Ika called Information on my cell phone and they told me the address was Jl. Sudirman #1. I elected to take a Bluebird taxi from Seminyak and the ride was about 20 minutes. When we arrived the fare was 25,000rp and the young taxi driver did not have change for my 100,000rp note. We then drove around the block asking random people if they had uang kacil (small money).
I had heard the trial was starting around 9am and did not want to miss the drama. Finally we got change and I jumped out in front of the court, which is on a busy 4-lane road. Walking unobstructed past several policemen I passed through a metal detector and straight across to the small courthouse. The scene was a free for all. Australian media personnel were milling around with their camera gear and a mixture of foreigners and Indonesians were gathered outside the courthouse.
The courthouse itself is a 2-storey building with white walls, white tiled floor and just ceiling fans for comfort. All the windows were open and people, myself included, were crammed up against the windows snapping photos and watching out for any sign of a verdict.
The whole scene conjured up images of a trial 100 years ago in the South (USA). Imagine the local court somewhere in Alabama, steaming hot, a poor county, serious conservative judge and all the locals hanging from the rafters.
There were supposedly 100 Bali police on hand but they do not exude the same threatening presence as American cops and crowd control seems a total mystery to them. I got a group of them to take a photo and they all wanted to see their picture afterwards. Plenty of pushing and shoving among the spectators. I ended up standing on a frame of a bench along with some other people for about an hour. My perspective allowed me to see Schapelle, seated centrally next to her translator and the 3 judges. On the far side of the court was a table of serious looking people dressed in court robes, obviously the prosecution. On my side of the court was another table of people, all more smartly dressed including one very attractive lady, this was the defense.
Around the window frame was the public gallery, to the right of which sat the mother of Schapelle and other relatives. The 3 judges had microphones attached to a loudspeaker system outside. When I arrived they were into the lengthy process of describing the charges and the cases of the defense and prosecution. One judge, the nearest one to me went on for about an hour and really put some zest into his delivery. He was not just reading, he was spitting it out like a Muslim cleric with attitude. No doubt about that guys verdict. As he got to the defenses argument I heard him repeat the words, subjective, subjective, several times. Schapelle was crying as this meant her case was already in tatters.
stayed tuned for part II
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Barrie,
I know the moment you are refering to. Yes it was rather annoying how those guys with cameras step in front and say “Excuse me mate I need to be here.” I felt like saying “Excuse me mate while I launch that camera over the wall.” I was actually working too, but the ‘real press’ have the ‘agressive-agressive’ routine down pat.
No worries I had many chances to get photos. That was cool about having a trial in Bali, a free-for-all and close access to all involved.
I tell you mate, The Corbys (tv reality show ) is something that is waiting to happen.
G’Day Nick,
I truly couldn’t believe the insensitivity of the media. They are a pack of Ghouls. Okay, so they have a job to do, but, a bit of the decorum factor should have been in order.
At least you got your 10 seconds of fame Nick!
Facists. Whats the point? Let the girl go. You people suck.
police are morons in general.
this is sad.
this is pretty obvious. if she is a pothead who got tricked into thinking she could make a few grand doing this…wow.
is she pretty and stupid?
or was she framed?
i think she actually made a really really stupid mistake
i think she just did not think she would be caught,
i pity her.
they tried to get me to drag bags of coke from pero when i was a very beautiful young woman who would never cause suspicion.
i did not do it. the 60G was not that alluring.
i pity her.
i really do.
but she’s not a bad girl.
Yeah you are right the Corby’s are tailor made for a gross reality TV show and the media have been feasting on this one. The reality is that everyone knows the Indonesian system of justice is not fair and never has been. Under Suharto it was worse yet Bali was never so busy..
All those in prison in Bali hopefully will get on an exchange program.
Come to Bali people and help out. Take your plastic back, support an orphan, discourage drug and tobacco use, help make the system more accountable, be the change that you would see in the world. Don’t just watch your TV and believe that image of Bali. Hey this is a circus; enjoy but enjoy responsibly and intelligently..Adeng adeng.
i cant believe Bali did that to schapelle after everything we did for them in the past few years. They don’t deserve anymore tourisim from Australians at all. I totally agree with Tom Armstrong who ripped up his ticket to Bali cos now they dont even deserve life after what they did to this young Australian girl. She had a perfectly normal life and now they have ruined it. If that was me I would not have coped, she cant have anything now….no baby, no fun and most of all NO LIFE!!!
a perfectly normal life? Guys, dont you read her history? internet is a powerful tool for information, you can’t be that ignorant.
you know what? If the judges say Schapelle is guilty and sentense 20 years behind bars, I would pull up the finger and say in their fat ass faces that SCHAPELLE CORBY IS F***ING INNOCENT AND SHE IS A VICTIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Schapelle did swear on god’s behalf that some other bastard putted the drug in her bag and they don’t believe it… Well, I’m telling the judges, that you can kiss my ass because I think you lot of F***ers would be drinking beer and the next day you convict her of that!! And if you don’t release her as an innocent girl like she is now, I will setup the blow out of your country and you lot would be dead… And one more to say to John ‘coward’ Howard since he didn’t help Schapelle Corby…
“JOHN HOWARD, YOU ARE STUFFED, SEXED UP, F***ED UP FAGGIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
G’day Nick,
You’re a TV star!. I was watching CH 7 and sure enough, there you were poking your head (or trying to) through the window before some buffhead cameraman stole your scene!.