Judge Judy has nothing on Toowoomba courts

WHEN one considers the popularity of TV court shows like Judge Judy, the People’s Court and Hot Bench, I can only wonder just how our courts would rate on the box.

A BBC World Service radio documentary that I listened to late one night a couple of years ago said that Judge Judy’s contract each year was $47 million, which was non-negotiable.

If she’s being paid that much, it makes you wonder just how many people are tuning in.

Yet, for mine, Toowoomba’s courts are far more entertaining.

It never ceases to amaze me how ordinarily sensible and intelligent people can do such stupid things, particularly once they start using drugs.

Just this week there was the 27year-old bloke who was a passenger in a car pulled over by police.

While the driver was being spoken to by one officer, another officer moved the vehicle out of the driveway of a busy hotel bottle shop.

“What’s that smell?” the cop asked before looking down to see a bag of “weed” at the foot of the passenger.

Scenes like that are played out in our courts all the time.

I well remember a young bloke not that long ago who marched into the Hume St police station to complain about the quality of the drugs he had just bought from a guy in the street.

He was soon arrested.

Or the bloke pulled over while driving on a Toowoomba street.

Knowing he was wanted on warrants, he gave his brother’s name.

Well, how was he to know that very cop had arrested his brother just two hours earlier and had him locked up in the watch house.

Or the bloke being caught selling drugs in the bar of the old Gladstone

Hotel back in the 1990s.

Obviously, in the drug world little concern is given to the responsible service of illicit substances as this guy had his stash taped to his scrotum. I kid you not, that was said in court. He thought, “The cops will never look there” – even though they do.

This guy would make a deal with a punter, then reach down into his jocks, fondle around a bit and rip out a bag of “weed” that had hitherto been attached to his nether regions.

How would that go in these COVID-19 days?

I suppose it would be okay as long as he wore a mask.

My favourite though, is back in the 1990s when I reported on a guy who was stealing from his employer’s clients to support a bad drug habit.

He was into his drug dealer for $15,000 and his barrister told the court how his client was trying to pay off his dealer who he feared.

The magistrate, long since retired, told the defendant that the first thing he should do is pay off his drug dealer – for his own safety.

Believe or not, the drug dealer took the addict to the police station with a copy of my article and complained “See, the magistrate said he should pay me first, right?”

And, somehow, that dealer walked out without being arrested.

Never did find out if he got his money.

OBVIOUSLY, IN THE DRUG WORLD LITTLE CONCERN IS GIVEN TO THE RESPONSIBLE SERVICE OF ILLICIT SUBSTANCES...