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CAAB Report 141

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22 November 2004
 
DPP v Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy
alleged offence of 'obstruction of the highway'
Harrogate Magistrates' Court
 
The case was suddenly adjourned until 21 December 2004.  At a pre-trial review on 5 August 2004, a trial date was fixed for 22 November 2004 and a District Judge was appointed to hear the case.  The next day the District Judge was to hear various cases against Lindis Percy. Two days of court time had been set aside.  We were expecting the trial to proceed.
 
Arriving at court ready for the trial, we were told that no District Judge had been appointed.  The case was to be heard by a lay Bench of Magistrates.  No court time had been allocated for the cases against Lindis Percy on 23 November. 
 
Mr Moore (Crown Prosecutor) made an application for the case to be adjourned on the grounds that he had only just received the file (that morning).  A Judgement had been served on him by the Defence and he wanted to scrutinise this.  Richard Reed (Defence solicitor) said he could serve a skeleton arguement within 30 minutes but this was not accepted and the case was adjourned until 21 December 2004.
 
We were very much inconvenienced by the inefficiency of the court.  However there is little that can be done.
 
The Magistrates then spent some time deciding on the bail conditions imposed previously.  An application to vary the previous bail conditions was made by Richard Reed (representing Lindis),  on the grounds that the added bail conditions of 15 metres put Lindis in a dangerous place.  The Magistrates decided on the following bail conditions:
 
"You are not to go within 5 metres of any part of the perimeter fence of Menwith Hill.  In addition to this you are not to go within 15 metres of the main gate of RAF Menwith Hill".
 
These varied conditions allow Lindis to safely join the weekly Tuesday night demonstrations (6pm - 8pm).
 
The magistrates  re-imposed  Anni's unconditional bail conditions.
 
Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy
Joint Co-ordinators 
CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB)
8 Park Row, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 1HQ, England, U.K.
Tel/fax no: +44 (0)1943 466405 0R +44 (0)1482 702033
 
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever does."     Margaret Mead

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