Screenwriter needs your help

[Rights Fighter]

It depends on how close the family members are. Obviously the jury are not going to take anything into account if it's a brother or mother in a professional capacity etc as that would be construed as family sticking up for each other.

A family friend would be ok as a professional but I don't think the OP was asking about family members who are professionals per se, was he? I thought it was asked in general.

The question was:

Can character references be garnered from family members if they are recognised professionals, or must they come from professional persons outside the family unit?

I cannot see that there would be a bar to family members acting as professionals although the more distant the better. The jury would not be asked to regard the character witnesses as "experts" in any event as these are character references only..

[AMVC]

Hello Saffron & Rights Fighter,

I was asking about family members that happen to be recognised professionals, i.e. a doctor, teacher, et cetera.

So if I got accused and my dad happened to be a G.P. of 30 years, could he provide a character reference?
Obviously I wouldn't amass references purely from family members, but would one be OK if that family member was an upstanding, respectable individual?

Furthermore, when would it be advised to gather these character references? Would a solicitor advise this as something to do as soon as possible?

I hope those questions make sense, I am so ill today.

Thank you

[Rights Fighter]

I cannot see that it would do your case any danger - I've attended trials where family members who are upstanding members of the community have given character references.

You should ask your sol for clarification though.

[LS]

Hi Andrew,
It is one of the last things a solicitor tends to ask for, but one of the first things a Barrister checks is available. Seemingly.

In my FA case, neither of them were at all interested in character references, just in those who could show the other party were liars. No one seemed interested in showing that this just wasn't me.

Oddly though, I had a capital offence trial some years back, and character references were quite high up the Wanted list. I can't say the same for FA-type trials, in my experience having been through one.
LS

[Rights Fighter]

Good character references are not likely to sway a jury when it comes to alleged sex offences but they can be very helpful at sentencing, after conviction, to mitigate (argue to lessen) the sentence.

After all, just because an MP, GP, head teacher etc writes a good character reference does not mean that the alleged offences happen. Sex offences usually happen in private and nobody can say that they know another person inside out.

However in a no-FA trial, if the person is accused of theft when 25 people can come forward and say that this person has been entrusted with X, Y and Z, then that is more likely to be taken into account.

[AMVC]

Hello folks

I have a wee question if I may because the police have yet to call me back with an answer and I'm getting a mite impatient.

Can somebody on bail, moreover somebody bailed on a rape accusation, change address and move to a different county?

I imagine there is paperwork and procedures that must be submitted and adhered to, but I need a definitive answer on this.
If anyone can help I'd be most grateful.

Take care

[LS]

Yes, I did. However, the court has to approve it and write it into your bail conditions. In my case it was the magistrate's court, as the fiasco hadn't gone to the Crown Court at that time.

[LS]

Sorry Andrew, I forgot to add that you have to apply in advance, ie it can't be backdated. Your solicitor applies for a change of residence on your behalf to the magistrates'- or crown court.
Often the courts will bail you to a different county if they think you may interfere with witnesses.

[AMVC]

LS, thank you so very much for the swift answer.

I've kept away from the forums of late because I've completed the preparation phase and when I have a casual browse on these boards I invariably read something that gives me a gush of insight and inspiration.
e.g. 'casehardened' wrote in another General Discussion thread, "...in fact nowadays I couldn’t perform if they were merely unenthusiastic."
I want to be done with looting folks misery and leaving. That said...

Thanks again LS

Take care

[LS]

No problem. Don't ever think you're using and leaving. Feel free to visit, if it wasn't for you no one would get to see what it's really like.
regards
LS

[RFLH]

I'd be happy to give you an opinion on it when its finished.

[Saffron]

Yes, me too! I studied Drama for my degree.

[Butterfly3030]

film about false allegations

Hi Andrew,
I don't know if you are still reading these replies but here goes - my son has recently had false allegations filed against him and tonight he said that he wants to die because the girls involved are calling round their mates and rounding up a whole load of them to go the police and lie about him. If he gets convicted on these b----ches evidence, he will find a way to kill himself and i will probably join him.

Put that in your film!

Very distraught mother with better things to do than help you further your career in the film business.

This is not fun, this is not Hollywood and you will NEVER understand how it feels, not will you ever capture it on screen because it is inside of you that dies when this is happening. Not outside.

[Rights Fighter]

Well said.

Would I be correct in thinking that you are in the US? If so I can send you some links to some US support sites.

HUGS

[LS]

I can fully empathise with Butterfly and what she has gone through, along with her son. My own ordeal was in not only being falsely accused of a crime I didn't commit, but of also being convicted of it. If someone were to read what happened to me, and how it was allowed to happen, and how it went as far as a conviction, they would wonder how it could happen in this society in the 21st century. That has given me the unenviable position of being able to see what should not be possible to happen in a "civilised" society, happen.

Since then I've seen the effect the whole experience has had on my family, and watched my uncles, aunts and cousins turn on both me and my closest, so I've seen many angles I would rather not have seen people I love go through, but I apologise if any of my words distress.

There is nothing, nothing to stop what I'm going through happening to anyone else. The general public think mud sticks, regardless. However, I made one stupid spur-of-the-moment mistake and took some silly photos, which I've paid for in full eight times over, but it did not make it right for someone to visit something far worse on me, and for the police and cps to wear blinkers in order to support it. Because I grew up wanting to be a cop, I was taught to be honest, and if I saw something going down I'd report it. Obviously after a couple of years every time a crime appeared on the police national computer my name must have appeared on it, due to me having been the one who reported them.
Information came to me - from a very senior police source - that after one of my workmates stole money from the place I worked at that this one particular police force were out to "have me for anything." That was the exact terminology. And then I dropped into their lap with my stupidity.

So when a police force can bend rules, ignore evidence, fail to investigate even superficially, turn a blind eye when numerous crimes are committed, just to put one over on someone, then I'd like people to know that it happens. This is unfortunately often the norm in these FA cases, though usually just out of political correctness to raise conviction rates rather than to pursue a grievance.

To this end, any medium which reaches the public and educates them that not everyone charged with rape is necessarily guilty can only be a good thing. In making the public aware that this goes on every day, then those who smooth the way for false accusations to reach a court will have to be a lot more accountable for their actions if they are carried out under the glare of a spotlight with a knowledgeable public watching.
This doesn't just apply to anyone accused of rape - you can be falsely accused of any offence, but only those of a sexual offence permit a conviction based on virtually no proof whatsoever, yet the public continue blithely on, convinced that if they don't do any wrong then they won't see the inside of a prison cell. That is not a good attitude to have, especially if we had a strict government and the sentencing included chemical or physical castration, or even more severe punishments.

I may not agree with Andrew being a freelance scriptwriter hoping to make money out of my woes, but then I've got an inept cop who got a raise, promotion and a commendation out of me. Out of the two, I'd rather a jobbing screenwriter trying to make ends meet and get the truth out made something out of me, rather than a 2-bit plod who did all she could to bury the truth.