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The magistrate was disagreeing with a comment made by radio and television journalist Ossie Rogers, who told the magistrate that three charges which were brought against him by the police at Sparendaam Police Station were merely a campaign to waste his time, because the police had promised they would ensure that he visits the court as often as possible, thereby wasting time.
Rogers cited the actions of the police whom he anticipated would not be ready to proceed with the matter when it is called again on September 28, thereby initiating the coming back and going forth to court.
Incidentally, the very Ossie Rogers has been a beneficiary of magistrate Moore’s position of not making the Sparendaam Court a comeback court. Rogers reminded the magistrate that he was the very magistrate who had thrown out four charges brought against him in February by the police at the very court, after those charges were found not to have merit.
Yesterday, Magistrate Moore read three charges brought against the journalist. Those are for failing to comply with police directions, resisting arrest, and failing to produce documents as requested by a police officer.
The charges generated some amount of confusion, since the prosecutor told the court that Rogers was being arrested for failing to comply with police directions, but the magistrate pointed out that the offence was not one that warranted arrest, as the police was charging.
Magistrate Moore reminded that once traffic police can see the person who refuses to follow directions – drive without seat belt, use a cell phone while driving, and driving a tinted vehicle, and the numbers for those vehicles are recorded is all that is needed by the police in preparing charges, since they would be able to identify the errant driver when he or she appears in court.
In the past, Magistrate Moore has had cause to throw cases out of his court mostly for sloppy work done at the level of investigating ranks, and in some cases, those who make the arrest.
