Anyone here do pro bono?

[Exile]

Vendor, businessman charged

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A vendor is to be tried on March 5 for allegedly burning businessman Mark Azan with hot water, in an incident last month for which Azan has also been charged.
The case against Azan will be mentioned on the same day the vendor, Janet Parkinson, is to be tried.

The date was set yesterday when both parties appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.
Charges against the two stem from an incident on December 28 last year along East Street in downtown Kingston.
In her case, Jackson is claiming that Azan allegedly used his vehicle to hit her cart, damaging it and that he was burnt when he allegedly stretched his hand out of his vehicle to damage the goods on her cart.
Azan, in his cross claim, alleged that the woman threw the water on him after his vehicle hit her cart that was in the road.
Azan has been charged with malicious destruction of property and Parkinson with assault occasioning serious bodily harm.
Yesterday, attorney Peter Champagnie, who is representing Azan, told the court that Parkinson should be tried first based on the seriousness of the injuries to his client. The court agreed.
Parkinson is without representation.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2IHnxN3yW

[Peter R]

Wouldn't the court appoint someone? Legal aid or whatever it is called? That exists in JA doesn't it? just asking.

[Mosiah]

Jamaican reporting - plain stupid!

Jackson is claiming that Azan allegedly used his vehicle to hit her cart, damaging it and that he was burnt when he allegedly stretched his hand out of his vehicle to damage the goods on her cart.

Jackson is already claiming this. So why bother to use the word "allegedly'? Not once, but twice!

The statement just makes no sense whatsoever! If she is claiming an allegation, then...she knows not what happened and the case should be thrown out!

But I am sure that is not what she did. It is the reporter who is an asz!

[Peter R]

You taking the case??

[Mosiah]

It is alleged that I might.

[Mosiah]

I feel so strongly about this that I did some research on the Net. And someone agrees with me!

Charges & Allegations

During the initial flurry of stories concerning President Clinton's relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the late ABC-TV news anchor Peter Jennings interviewed humorist and social commentator P. J. O'Rourke. Jennings asked O'Rourke to discuss "the alleged age difference between the President and Ms. Lewinsky," to which O'Rourke wittily replied, "Yes, Peter, we haven't yet determined whether there actually is an age difference between President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. There is only an alleged age difference."

Jennings smiled at the reply, realizing that he had misused the word "alleged." The word allows journalists to discuss claims that have not been proved, but it is a word easily open to abuse.

Say, say, say

The best way to use the words "allege," "alleged" and "allegedly" is not to use them at all. Instead, have your scripts reveal who is making the claim by using phrases such as "police say" or "prosecutors say" followed by the substance of the allegation. For example, a story about a bank-robbery suspect that contains the sentence

...34-YEAR-OLD MILLARD FILLMORE ALLEGEDLY ROBBED THE "BANK NOW" BRANCH ON CHURCH STREET....
should be rewritten so that the sentence reads

...POLICE SAY 34-YEAR-OLD MILLARD FILLMORE ROBBED THE "BANK NOW" BRANCH ON CHURCH STREET....

As another example, if a sentence in a story about a local government official facing trial for corruption reads

...ZONING BOARD PRESIDENT DOLLY MADISON IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN BRIBES FROM DEVELOPERS....
rewrite the script into something like

...PROSECUTORS SAY ZONING BOARD PRESIDENT DOLLY MADISON TOOK BRIBES FROM DEVELOPERS....

Always use the verb "say" in such scripts. Avoid the temptation to employ other verbs (such as "claim," "state" or "charge") when reporting allegations. Other verbs bring connotations that will color your reporting. For example, if your script has police claiming that an individual committed a crime, your listeners may well interpret the script as indicating that you the reporter do not believe the police. To speak of someone charging an allegation implies legal actions -- charges -- have been filed. To maintain as unbiased and accurate a report as possible, stay with the neutral verb "say."

[Time]

I feel so strongly about this that I did some research on the Net. And someone agrees with me!

Charges & Allegations

During the initial flurry of stories concerning President Clinton's relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the late ABC-TV news anchor Peter Jennings interviewed humorist and social commentator P. J. O'Rourke. Jennings asked O'Rourke to discuss "the alleged age difference between the President and Ms. Lewinsky," to which O'Rourke wittily replied, "Yes, Peter, we haven't yet determined whether there actually is an age difference between President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. There is only an alleged age difference."

Jennings smiled at the reply, realizing that he had misused the word "alleged." The word allows journalists to discuss claims that have not been proved, but it is a word easily open to abuse.

Say, say, say

The best way to use the words "allege," "alleged" and "allegedly" is not to use them at all. Instead, have your scripts reveal who is making the claim by using phrases such as "police say" or "prosecutors say" followed by the substance of the allegation. For example, a story about a bank-robbery suspect that contains the sentence

...34-YEAR-OLD MILLARD FILLMORE ALLEGEDLY ROBBED THE "BANK NOW" BRANCH ON CHURCH STREET....
should be rewritten so that the sentence reads

...POLICE SAY 34-YEAR-OLD MILLARD FILLMORE ROBBED THE "BANK NOW" BRANCH ON CHURCH STREET....

As another example, if a sentence in a story about a local government official facing trial for corruption reads

...ZONING BOARD PRESIDENT DOLLY MADISON IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN BRIBES FROM DEVELOPERS....
rewrite the script into something like

...PROSECUTORS SAY ZONING BOARD PRESIDENT DOLLY MADISON TOOK BRIBES FROM DEVELOPERS....

Always use the verb "say" in such scripts. Avoid the temptation to employ other verbs (such as "claim," "state" or "charge") when reporting allegations. Other verbs bring connotations that will color your reporting. For example, if your script has police claiming that an individual committed a crime, your listeners may well interpret the script as indicating that you the reporter do not believe the police. To speak of someone charging an allegation implies legal actions -- charges -- have been filed. To maintain as unbiased and accurate a report as possible, stay with the neutral verb "say."

Hmm, US newspapers only need to attribute a story 'to a source' and they are protected. Jamaican libel laws are pretty strong compared to the US.
"allege," "alleged" and "allegedly" protect the newspaper from libel lawsuits. If your script simply reveal who is making the claim then does that protect you from a lawsuit in Jamaica?

[Bricktop]

What is the law regarding handcart use on the roadways?

[Peter R]

..and bicycle? when a bicycle scratch my car, I can't even get a licence plate nor compensation...

the irony is I do a little cycling myself... LOL

[Mosiah]

Perhaps our laws have our media reporters a little bummy, so they pad their reports with sufficient "allegeds" to protect themselves.

But, in my view, it's unnecessary.

Our abuse of the word have us talking about people convicted for an alleged crime, months after sentencing and lock-up!

It makes no sense!

[Mosiah]

There must be a law for road users, no matter what you are driving, pedalling or pushing. Hell, even some drivers think that they can walk away from some small accidents.

But because dem so indiscipline and operate in such an ant's nest like downtown, good luck trying to get some compensation from them.

Maybe that idea from the former mayor was not such a bad one - formalise this handcart thing by having them pay for licence plates. Maybe insurance and fitness too!

[Muadib]

Dat Higgler Gad Bless... Mark Azan ??

Or is ongly bad man face him kick off ??

[Mosiah]

Mi fi tell yuh! I know Mark very well!

[Assasin]

"Maybe that idea from the former mayor was not such a bad one - formalise this handcart thing by having them pay for licence plates. Maybe insurance and fitness too!"

Should have been done long time ago. Some a them travel faster than cars through the streets of downtown.

[Bricktop]

Can yuh imagine how much frock over head and cow bawling would occur on the nightly news if they initiated such a thing?