SA Newspaper article

[MelonFarmer]

Sorry about the low quality jpg, 100k is a tight limit.

[HellSpawn]

Very good article..

[CDG]

Yeah it was in Sundays paper a couple of weeks ago... I thought it was a good & positive article about SA Paintball.... :)

:respekt: to those that made it happen.

[CDG]

This is a post from the Sappa R4 thread in the dates and results section regarding the article.


Actually Jaqui from the old shoot to thrill team who started the whole ball rolling, thanx to her and Shane for that, also I've gotta thank Karla for the interview, not having any idea about paintball before hand and being relatively new to news reporing I reckon she did a great job of getting the story across. :respekt:

So well done Jaqui and Shane!!! :respekt: :bow: :respekt:

[bunkerboy]

Here here. At last a reporter actually got in touch with someone in the pb community before the piece was written, and not just getting all their info from the anti-gun lobby. A good positive piece of journalism, with no sign of the usual backlash in the 'To the Editor' section of the following weeks edition. Well done to those involved:D

[Deadeye]

that was a good article, i hope to see something similar in Victoria soon with 'Vic laws change, sport grows' hmm maybe need somethigna bit more catchy. I liked how in the article they refured to X ball and other countriesand how its becoming so developed, always good at getting us away from the warlike image just as they stated.

[Jamie_Cracker]

that was the best article that i have seen

[JJJ]

I like how it had that typical SA touch of "we are getting something into the state as opposed to losing it ie Gran Prix"

[Kenty]

Top Floor Whhhhhhoooooooooooaaaaaaaaaah.
Great article. I think everyone should push for more news everywhere.

[Deadeye]

whos the team in the picture?

[blacky]

The picture is of two Total Eclipse Players, The new fields owner and Travis the Camera dude. Talk about your highs and lows of paintball, one week we have a kick arse article about how misunderstood paintball is then if you check todays advertiser it mentions about a massive seizure of paintball markers in VIC, Bill can edit this if he feels I'm divulging personnel details. Danny Cummings has apparantly had a massive seizure of over $60,000 worth of paintball markers at his property. This is due to an tip off of alledged unlicensed players using markers in Victoria. This is a sad day for Victorian and National Paintball, I my Sympathies go out to Danny Cummings, its not fair mate! :mad:

[Mary101]

that article goes well with whats being talked about in the legislation forum, but the sixty thousand dollars worth of paintball markers being confiscated, strike me dead how the heck did that happen

[Deadeye]

having several fields brings a lot more attention to yourself, and I dont think the police could see why one person could legitimently need so many field when they hypothetically are not running unlicensed punters.

[TRENT]

Yeah, its a bit of a giveaway.

[Mary101]

yeah, so what's going to happen, is the field owner going to get charged like the Western Australian operator Jason Anderson, if so what steps are being taken to help him

[Jamie_Cracker]

what can we do for him if he broke the law blatantly like he is accused of????

[Deadeye]

well he will be charged and theres a possible 2 year gaol term:( Hopefully he beats it somehow and sets a precedent

[Deadeye]

hopefully through this publicity although negative we can show how pointless the laws are and perhaps the Victorian law Reform Commision might look at suggesting changes.

[Mary101]

Jamie I know he broke the law but if we can set a precedent like what happened in Western Australia we may set the stage for changes to interstate law on the matter. The point that was made in the W.A. case that markers are not designed to kill and maim, perhaps with that we can show that to play with rentals on a officially sanctioned field is well putting it simply no problem in the fact that it is indeed safe (and yes ogre I remember the triggerhappy little prick on sunday) and that lincences are indeed not required by people who would only play every now and then. Getting them to bring the age of playing down to sixteen may be a stretch, but we can only try, but first we have to get this bloke in the clear, and I'm not so sure he's going to get a slap on the wrist.

[Jamie_Cracker]

yeah i hear what your saying and i hope that it all comes off,but it is a very big deal and when you are talking about breaking laws like that the government likes to jump on people

[CDG]

yeah i hear what your saying and i hope that it all comes off,but it is a very big deal and when you are talking about breaking laws like that the government likes to jump on people

...especially if they decide to make an example out of him.... :( :( :(

[Deadeye]

i dont think its possible either. In WA they tried to bust the guy for having a prohibited weapon, but paintball markers weren't actualyl classed as a prohibited weapon there? and because of the Magistrates interpretation of the word weapon he was able to get off. Over here there is set laws and codes saying exactly what the Victorian legal system believes a paintball marker to be which is crap so technically there isn't much for the judge to interpret and he will just have to really set down a sanction. Im not sure would this be a summary or inditable offence? Seems very borerline, he might have a better chance of getting of if it were a inditable case heard by a jury.

[Jamie_Cracker]

man you used some big words that went over my head but i think i got the jist of it
if the laws say they were prohibited weapons that wouldnt leave much room to manuver in

[Deadeye]

yep, thats right, now I just wonder what defence they are going to use, as a lot of meaning may potentially come from the verdict which is going to rely on a VERY good defence.

I heard to that the federal govt has been given 6 months to get all gun laws in Australia in line and identicle across the country, has anyone else heard of that? Hopefully if tis true they will base laws on S.A

Was just thinking too the judge could look at the W.A case and it may serve as a perswaisive precedent for him to follow? Maybe the Judge or Jury would see that and go how can we punish this guy when clearly he has broken a law which is pointless as paintball markers aren't weapons? Its hardly an effective law currently anyway as it doesn't reflect community opinion. Its going to have to change, hopefully sooner rather than later.

[Mary101]

agreed, however as much as public opinion may swing one way, the government may decide on staying put with the laws they have, therefore an impasse. But that rumour sounds rather good

[Jamie_Cracker]

dead eye i have heard the same rumour i hope that it is true

[roo boy]

that article 4got 2 mention that players in Adelaide r a bunch of girlies!!!
:p :p :p

[eukanuba]

yep, thats right, now I just wonder what defence they are going to use, as a lot of meaning may potentially come from the verdict which is going to rely on a VERY good defence.

I heard to that the federal govt has been given 6 months to get all gun laws in Australia in line and identicle across the country, has anyone else heard of that? Hopefully if tis true they will base laws on S.A

Was just thinking too the judge could look at the W.A case and it may serve as a perswaisive precedent for him to follow? Maybe the Judge or Jury would see that and go how can we punish this guy when clearly he has broken a law which is pointless as paintball markers aren't weapons? Its hardly an effective law currently anyway as it doesn't reflect community opinion. Its going to have to change, hopefully sooner rather than later.

There seems to be some slight confusion here..

It was a local magistrate, not a judge.

There was(is) no jury in a local court.

The case was not appealed by the police prosecution.

The merit of the case was based on the fact that a paintball marker, while falling under the definition of a " Firearm " is infact not designed to penetrate, only mark the skin - and therefore should not be classified as a firearm.

A firearm is defined as anything which can fire a projectile.. a bic pen and a glob of blu-tac is technically a firearm.. this is along the same line that ( for example ) you do not need to touch a person to commit an act of assault, you only need to pass wind at them, that can be taken as an assault - its all about laws and how they can be taken to mean many different things.. Its all in the interpretation..

There was no ruling made by the magistrate that it is not a firearm, it was an off the cuff comment after the ruling had been given, bear no question about it.. It was off the record.

How many bloody people here are passing chinese whispers and its starting to become fact from fiction I dont know..

If you dont _KNOW_ dont comment.

I am not having a personal shot at anyone, just trying to clear some of these rumours up.. we cant go forward if we dont know the truth.

Even the police agree ( the ones I have spoken with ) that the laws against paintball are old and need revision.. but we still have laws over here in W.A. that say you cant carry your cannon across another mans land... and public floggings were still legal..

Theres lots of old laws that are being revised, be patient.

- Eukanuba.

[Deadeye]

There seems to be some slight confusion here..

It was a local magistrate, not a judge.

There was(is) no jury in a local court.

The case was not appealed by the police prosecution.

The merit of the case was based on the fact that a paintball marker, while falling under the definition of a " Firearm " is infact not designed to penetrate, only mark the skin - and therefore should not be classified as a firearm.

A firearm is defined as anything which can fire a projectile.. a bic pen and a glob of blu-tac is technically a firearm.. this is along the same line that ( for example ) you do not need to touch a person to commit an act of assault, you only need to pass wind at them, that can be taken as an assault - its all about laws and how they can be taken to mean many different things.. Its all in the interpretation..

How many bloody people here are passing chinese whispers and its starting to become fact from fiction I dont know..

If you dont _KNOW_ dont comment.

I am not having a personal shot at anyone, just trying to clear some of these rumours up.. we cant go forward if we dont know the truth.

Even the police agree ( the ones I have spoken with ) that the laws against paintball are old and need revision.. but we still have laws over here in W.A. that say you cant carry your cannon across another mans land... and public floggings were still legal..

Theres lots of old laws that are being revised, be patient.

- Eukanuba.


OK firstly if you look at my post you will see that I am refuring to the case here and that I did not call the W.A magistrate a judge. Read again. The case hear would I believe be heard as an inditable offence therefore it would not be heard in a local magistrate court but in a County Court which hear all inditable offences excluding murder and treason, and a Jury IS used in this level of court heirarchy.

Secondly in regard to interpretation of statute. In WA I believe paintball markers were not covered under any firearms act, yet from what Ive heard paintball was illegal there and th police decided to prosecute the field owner with having a prhitbited weapon and lots of things can fall into this category. Luckily due to the judges interpretation it was seen a marker is in no way a weapon and so the charge was dismissed.

In Victoria a marker is set out in the Firearms Act and laws in regards to its classification are very clear. So interpration is going to be very limited by a judge when he looks at the defendents defence in relation to the statute. Though his case may be aided by judge using the W.A(and heres the key word) 'Perswaisive' Precdent which was set in the case over there. It doesn't matter that the decision was made in a different court heirarchy or that it was in a lower court, it can still be looked upon as a refurence for the Judge hearing the acse here. Any comments made by the magistrate during the case are known as a 'Obiter Dictums' or comments made 'by the way' and these themselves can also be used as perswaisive precedents for our Judge here to look upon.

Thanks for your comments and trying to clear things up but essentially everything you just said had no bearing on what we have been discussing and little relevance to the points which have been previosuly made when associating the Victorian case to the Western Australian case.

[eukanuba]

OK firstly if you look at my post you will see that I am refuring to the case here and that I did not call the W.A magistrate a judge. Read again.

Wasnt having a go at you deadeye, what you said has been repeated and repeated over but with W.A. used as the case.. not victoria..

Alot of people are confused as to what actually happened, I was only commenting on W.A. and not victoria..

What you said is correct, and people should note that it is different from state to state but there are occasions where, if appealed can be used as a precedent in a court of law.

(/rant)

- Euk.

[JJJ]

Nice one Roo Boy!!!!!

I wonder where you learnt to play???????

Are you coming out of retirement next season?

[roo boy]

Yeah next year i will be back, same with the bro 2 hopefully shooting the new ephantom. :cool:

We had wicked balling days down there in the land of skunk.
Hard slammin in ya face ball Adelaide style 100% pure aggression.
Much better than counter punch find the back barricade & dump paint style!!!

Lookin 4ward 2 it.
u still shootn a cocker :yawn:


Nice one Roo Boy!!!!!

I wonder where you learnt to play???????

Are you coming out of retirement next season?

[JJJ]

Yeah next year i will be back, same with the bro 2 hopefully shooting the new ephantom. :cool:

We had wicked balling days down there in the land of skunk.
Hard slammin in ya face ball Adelaide style 100% pure aggression.
Much better than counter punch find the back barricade & dump paint style!!!

Lookin 4ward 2 it.
u still shootn a cocker :yawn:

You are way old school - dont know if you will be able to keep up :p

Yes, I shoot an E-Blade

[vonsplatt]

Does Jason Anderson need financial assistance with his legal defence.? Has anyone ,who knows him asked.??Are any of us prepared to reach in our pockets????

[roo boy]

You are way old school - dont know if you will be able to keep up :p

Yes, I shoot an E-Blade

I know we is old skool but we can still snap shoot!