If this beauty queen drama queen had been freed we would have to had endured a near continuous showing of her on talk shows and "Larry King Live"..nighty..phew, we dodged a bullet there folks. Damn she can act.
Posted on 05/26/2005 10:32:40 PM PDT by Critical Bill
A Bali court has sentenced Australian Schapelle Corby to 20 years in prison for trying to smuggle 4.1kgs of marijuana into Indonesia.
Judges also fined Corby 100 million rupiah ($A13,000).
Her lawyers immediately said they would appeal.
The Australian government has offered assistance to Corby's defence team to launch a legal challenge, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence and also said they would appeal.
Earlier, Corby, 27, broke down in tears as the panel of three judges in the Denpasar District Court said the charges against her of smuggling marijuana had been "convincingly" proven.
Soon after, they formally declared her guilty and passed sentence.
"Twenty years?," said Corby, who was standing to hear the verdict from chief judge Linton Sirait.
She immediately turned to distressed mother Rosleigh Rose and appeared to shout: "Mum it's OK".
As the courtroom descended into chaos, Corby then hugged her interpreter and pushed through police to get to her mother and father Michael Corby.
She kissed other members of her family and was then led away by police through a crush of media to a waiting vehicle, which rushed her back to Kerobokan prison.
Corby backer, Gold Coast businessman Ron Bakir, said she would appeal.
"This is a massive injustice," he told reporters, crying.
"I'm speechless, I'm speechless I really am, I really don't know what more we could have done.
"We just have to keep fighting - that's all we can do."
Corby's lawyer Lily Lubis said the appeal process had already begun, but added of her client: "She will not survive."
Also outside the court, Glen Jeffers, a family friend, made an impassioned plea to the Indonesian president, linking the case to Australia's tsunami aid to the country.
"We'll continue to fight until an innocent girl is set free to live and enjoy her life," the man said, reading from a statement.
"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, when Indonesia was struck by the tsunami, Australia gave aid.
"Nine Australians gave the ultimate - their lives - in a helicopter crash on the island helping Indonesians.
"Australia and Indonesia have become good friends. For a friendship to grow there must be giving from both friends
"Mr President, we have seen enough innocent lives wasted in the past year. Please sir, let's not waste another innocent life.
"All Australia asks is that you give Schapelle back to us. Schapelle is innocent."
Earlier, the judges said that based on the evidence and testimony from witnesses, the charges against Corby of importing illegal drugs into Indonesia were convincingly proven.
They said they had discounted much of the evidence, including that from Australian criminologist Paul Wilson, Corby's own family and evidence that Australian baggage handlers may have planted the drugs.
Corby's Indonesian lawyer said she did not understand why the judges in the case rejected all the evidence presented in her defence.
"I can't understand why they do that," Corby's lawyer Lily Lubis told reporters outside the Bali court soon after Corby was sentenced.
"This is crime case. Crime case you have to consider the material fact that is brought to the court. They did not do that.
"Even the witnesses that were with Schapelle from when they leave the house until they came to airport in Denpasar, they did not take anything from there. I can't understand it, why did they do that?"
She refused to respond to questions about whether Schapelle had received a fair trial.
"They say there is justice but you can hear directly today what is that."
Asked whether justice had been done, Ms Lubis said: "I don't think so."
Ms Lubis said an appeal would be lodged soon.
Corby's family erupted in anger after the verdict, her mother and sister shouting at the judges.
"Liar, liar. Honey, we are going to take you home," Corby's mother Rosleigh Rose shouted.
Police and relatives rushed to placate the pair.
Mr Downer said the Australian government has offered assistance to Corby's defence team to launch a legal challenge.
Australia would begin discussions in the next 10 days about a prisoner transfer agreement, he added.
Mr Downer told reporters that Corby's team would be offered two QCs, who had experience in Indonesian courts, on a pro bono basis.
"Schapelle Corby's team have said they will appeal this decision," he said.
"The Australian government has in the past offered the assistance on a pro bono basis of two QCs to assist Schapelle Corby's defence and we are renewing that offer to Schapelle Corby.
"Our consul general ... will be talking to Schapelle Corby today and making the offer of the legal assistance."
Mr Downer said the Attorney-General's Department could continue to provide financial support to Corby to help pay for her defence.
"In the case of Schapelle Corby we have provided very substantial support," he said.
"And obviously we will consider any application from Schapelle Corby's defence team for further financial support to assist with the appeals."
Mr Downer said the government was also relieved that the court did not impose the death sentence.
"We're relieved that the court hasn't sentenced to death, which was a concern we initially had," he said.
"And we have made it very clear that the Australian government doesn't support the death sentence, so that at least didn't happen and it could have happened.
"But remember that this verdict and this sentence is subject to appeal so let us not pre-empt what will happen in the appeals process.
"The appeals court could take a different view."
Mr Downer said the government would begin discussions in the next 10 days with the Indonesians on a prisoner transfer agreement.
"We don't know how long this will take to negotiate but we know the Indonesian government is very willing to enter into negotiations on a prisoner transfer agreement," he said.
Mr Downer said any transfer could only occur after all the appeals process was completed.
"Whether such a transfer agreement would apply to Schapelle Corby would depend very much on what happened in the appeals process," he said.
Earlier, the Indonesian judges said they did not want to give an impression that Indonesia was a haven for drugs.
They also declared their decision had been made without pressure from any party.
Corby was arrested in Bali last October when customs officers discovered the drugs stashed in her luggage.
She claimed the marijuana was put there without her knowledge, possibly by airport baggage handlers.
A tired-looking but composed Corby, dressed in a black and pale trousers, sat patiently as the judges began their judgment, which in the end took more than two hours to deliver.
Prosecutors in the case said they would appeal the sentence, saying it was too lenient.
Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said he believed the judge had erred and should have given Corby a life sentence.
"For us justice is life for anyone who imports that much marijuana," he told reporters.
Chief Judge Linton Sirait said later he would not comment further on the judgment.
Asked whether it was fair, he told reporters: "I cannot comment on my own judgment.
"You heard what I have said."
If this beauty queen drama queen had been freed we would have to had endured a near continuous showing of her on talk shows and "Larry King Live"..nighty..phew, we dodged a bullet there folks. Damn she can act.
I'm scratching "smuggle marijuana into Indonesia" right off my "things to do" list.
20 years for 9 lbs. of pot.
Well, at least she hasn't been caned yet. Poor dear. She should learn to travel wisely.
I read that "good" pot is hard to find in Bali and the only people you can trust to buy from are Westeners. So smuggling in strong hydroponically grown dope has been going on for years and is big business.
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It sounds as though they were allowed to present it however the judges didn't believe it.
Apparently, in Indonesia you're guilty until proven innocent beyond a reasonable doubt--and any evidence of your innocence will be discounted by the court.
WTF??? 9 pounds of pot, not like you can just hide that in your shoe or "forget" you had a little shake in your pocket. 9 pounds takes up some space. Sounds like she rolled the dice on a big payday and lost, IMO.
Remorseful, no doubt. Innocent, I don't know. My own gut is she did it without realizing the possible repercussions.
It was found in her Boogie ( surf board) bag. There is good evidence that it was planted by corrupt baggage handlers however there are still other factors pointing away from her innocence ( not least her family).
There are a lot of places in the world I simply don't want to go.
Finally, justice has been served. She got what she deserved. You smuggle drugs, you pay the price, it's that simple. She was caught with the drugs in her possession, and those naive people still think she is innocent, GET REAL! Drug dealers don't look like drug dealers these days...open your eyes
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The Indonesians will trade for someone in the Australian jails. Probably some high level terrorist type. They picked someone that Australia would be unwilling to let rot. Anyone that has travelled in that part of the world knows damn well you don't try to get through the airport with 9 lbs of dope in your luggage in Indonesia. Everyone from Indonesia goes to Hong Kong to party with drugs for the weekend. Kind of like Amsterdam. Or so I hear.
Drugs are bad, um-kay.
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