pen and ink doodle, it not good or anything but just keeping up with original stuff by me

It arrived (or I went to the mailbox and found it) at about 10:30 today. It was a letter from the Legal Aid Commission and addressed to me. It told me I have an appointment at Wyong with a solicitor on the 18th of next month. whoopee! things are certainly moving along at a pace!

At the bottom of the second page it told me my case was listed for reply but I have to pay the commission $75 dollars before they will start. Payment can be made by credit card (accepted only at head office over the telephone), cash, cheque or money order at any branch of the commission.

It took several tries to get through the automatic phone system. For some reason they expect you to know which of their boxes you fit into and thus which of their sections you are trying to contact. It took me a few guesses and the machine did some strange stuff that left me listening to dead air if I took too long to think over which number I was going to push. As the call is long distance I am wondering how much it will add to my phone bill. Finally I was through to a sweet gal in the “grants” section of the commission. Feeling as though I had passed a test I told her about my mission. Pay the toll and get the grant and get the solicitor to actually read some of the stuff I have given them. I should have been surprised . She had no idea what I was talking about and insisted that head office would not take my payment vis credit card and over the phone! She asked my details and when she had them made a lot of “Oh gee, this isn’t right.” kind of noises. She then asked if I would mind if she rang me back as something was wrong with my records. Of course. Several hours have passed.

It says it would assist if I could prepare a written statement detailing exactly what occurred. This statement should have as much detail as possible and include details of conversations with police or others about the incident including names and addresses of witnesses. No, no, no! That is not what I was informed is to happen nor is it useful to my defence nor is it a good idea tactically. Now I will call back.

Head office girl told me that they COULD take the payment. Then she looked up my files and told me I have only my name on file and she asked for the file number on the letter. There is no file number on the letter or in the computer at their office. She was angry at me for not having a file number and for knowing I was supposed to have one. She would not deal with me any more but suggested I ring Gosford Legal Aid office as that was on the letter. I will do that now.

So there is a file number and I have it now. I will call back to head office. Another long distance call. Oh great now I get the machine again. Nope a person put me through to accounts receivable.

A really pleasant lass answered the phone immediately. That is a common thing across the world. Paying bills is never held up by automatic voices or unpleasant tellers. Anyway she was nice and told me that I didn’t need to have worried about the file number as any number will get a payment done. How many hours did I wait until someone told me that. The contribution is paid so I am through for the day.

I managed to almost finish the drawing of the convenience store. I hope to finish it tonight and I will get over to pick up the newly framed ones tomorrow dropping that off for framing while I am there. Contacted the doctor about getting my spine scanned in those suspect places. Most of the pain is gathered in the hip which is a bitch because I am forced to sit down pretty much all day now. The overall pain envelope has softened a little or the pain-killers are having more effect. I am still in a cyclone of emotional highs and lows but it isn’t anything new so I just cope

So I rang law access because I am really worried about one thing. I was asked if I wanted to be there when the police brief of evidence was given to the court. I have said that a few times throughout the last few posts because it is on my mind. I said I did not because I was so ill and couldn’t face anything else at that moment but have since had time to think that I may be disadvantaged by something they produce there that is not properly explained to me later.

The person I got on the phone, another very pleasant and helpful lass, (yes, I know you are all liberated but I am getting older and crotchety and so use terms like that) convinced me that the next meeting with the solicitor on the 18th will be the unveiling of the prosecutor’s brief of evidence by my solicitor. Ah look as I write there is more evidence. I was concerned that the over head CCTV at the scene either would not work or the footage would not be available. It was one of the few things I was able to say after the incident. Please, get the CCTV vision. I said that several times and both the cops and the estate agents said it would be available on court day. I do not believe a word of that. I rang and asked the police at the station if it could be grabbed and preserved but nobody thinks i have an ice cube’s chance in hell of getting it. It is very, very incriminating for the estate agents and the guys who beat me up as they cannot say they just held me until the police came if there is footage of them treating me brutally and also the sequence of events they gave the police is untrue. So I was worried about getting it.

On my computer right now is some very high definition footage taken by another source from a very excellent angle so I can relax. I have checked it out quickly as I have posted but I am exhausted and will do something with it later. They will get to give their witness statements and then the court will see the footage and it will be way too late to say oops. The firemen in particular will be facing the outcome of that lie on their careers and on their status as trusted people if they go to court and testify with that hanging in the air. It will also give teeth to my claims of complicity in the whole affair. I have to rest I am rambling!