Deceit instead of defeat?

Going to court last tuesday didn't turn out to be fun. The combination of little sleep, public transport and Melbourne winter weather turned into a cold which still lingers around a bit. It eased a little bit when Sergeant Mark Stephens rang me up to tell me about his decision, whether to prosecute me for unicycling without a bike helmet or not.

While I stayed much calmer on the phone than at court, Sgt. Stephens sounded a bit apprehensive. He stated, however, that the both charges against me were dropped. My vague information about the second charge was enough to find it, so after patiently listening and making sure that I got him right, I asked for a written confirmation about the charges being dropped.

His reaction seemed a bit odd to me at the time, as if I should simply rely on his word. He even asked for my address. I'm quite sure there will be a file with my name available to him, but I went along anyway. The easiest way to prosecute someone is certainly to prevent the defendant from showing up.

So i asked Sgt Stephens for a written confirmation before the date of the second charge (July 30th), and was surprised to find a letter from the Magistrate Court today, as he suggested it might take time for this written admission of error.

What I got though was an 'Advice of hearing', stating my first charge was adjourned for a 'mention' on the 24th. So far, it looks like the second broken promise by people in Vic Police uniform. If it wasn't a silly game, I would turn the attack around and start suing Vic Police for harassment. However, mentioning harassment in person to one of perpetrators seems more satisfying than deploying a phony legal system against itself.

Another opportunity to stay calm while speaking truth to power, hidden behind a uniform swearing allegiance to the genocidal British crown. At least I now know what to expect, and might have some fun with the interaction after all.