Samuel's Blog

Cop threatens to sue John Laws

October 23rd, 2005 at 07:23pm

Of all the cases of stupidity this planet shows, this has to be near the top of the list. The police woman who gave 83-year-old Pat Gallen a $30 for crossing the road slowly is threatening to sue John Laws for defamation. Laws, and the rest of the media, criticised this police woman, and the fine was revoked after a public outcry. according to previous newspaper articles on the matter “A police spokeswoman said it was not clear if any disciplinary action would be taken against the officers involved”, so let me get this straight, QLD police revoked the fine, a clear sign it was a wrongful fine, and were considering disciplining the officer(s) involved, the entire media criticised the officer(s) involved (including Today Tonight if memory serves me correctly) and yet this stupid police woman is singling out John Laws for defamation???

As if the fine wasn’t stupid enough, she somehow got the hair-brained idea that she should sue only one of the people who criticised her? She is quite clearly one of the stupidest people on the planet.

So far only The Sunday Mail have covered the story, and their research is a little odd as well. They contacted Pat Gallen (the elderly lady who was fined), she refused to comment, and that is fair enough, but they also rang 2UE

A spokeswoman for Sydney station 2UE was unaware of the proposed legal action and said she could not comment.

The Sunday Mail is the Sunday edition of a daily newspaper, just like The Sun Herald and The Sunday Telegraph, which indicates that the story surfaced yesterday, which would mean that The Sunday Mail rang 2UE yesterday…on the weekend…They would have ended up speaking with the producer of one of 2UE’s Saturday programs…somebody who would have no connection with John Laws or his show…so of course they know nothing about it, nobody did until The Sunday Mail published the story today.

To add to the confusion of this stupidity, I’ve just checked back over my archive of “Best Of Laws” segments, which are the 24 minutes highlight segments for each week…none of them contained anything about Pat Gallen, which indicates that, if John Laws did say anything, it wasn’t much. I think I recall him saying something about it, but from memory it was pretty much in line with the rest of the media, and I’m pretty sure other said worse.

I have a message for that police woman, grow a brain, some thicker skin, and stop trying to make money out of sections of the media which have done nothing to harm you.

The full Sunday Mail article can be read here, and is mirrored below.

Samuel

Cop to sue John Laws
DAMIEN STANNARD
23oct05

FLAK: Radio talkback host John Laws

A POLICEWOMAN is planning to sue radio talkback star John Laws after he criticised her for booking a grandmother for crossing a road too slowly.

The Queensland Police Union is backing the Atherton-based officer’s legal bid, saying Laws’ comments, made on his nationally syndicated 2UE talkback show, defamed her.

Laws criticised the officer for issuing a ticket to pensioner Pat Gallen, 83, for not crossing the road in a straight line in Malanda, near Cairns, this month.

She was coming home from shopping.

The ticket – and the media attention that followed – created a storm and the $30 fine was waived after a public outcry.

But QPU vice-president Senior-Sergeant Denis Fitzpatrick said the ticket was issued lawfully and Laws had impugned the officer’s character.

“We’re gathering evidence because our lawyer is of the opinion that we have a case,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Sydney station 2UE was unaware of the proposed legal action and said she could not comment.

Sen-Sgt Fitzpatrick said an apology would not suffice “and I don’t think that’s likely”.

He said the officer was upset by Laws’ comments and the union was angry about incorrect media reports.

Mrs Gallen declined to comment.

Entry Filed under: Bizarreness,Lunacy/Idiots,Samuel's Editorials,TV/Radio/Media

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