News Shorts and Other Busyness

Mother Festival Charges Dropped - Black Moon Fight On

Squall 12, Spring 1996, pg. 13.

Most of the charges brought against individuals involved in last July’s Mother Festival have finally been dropped.

The Crown prosecution Service now says there is insufficient evidence to press charges of “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance” - Criminal Law Act, 1977.

However, the Section 63 CJA charges brought against Black Moon Sound System are still being pressed, with Police still having most of Black Moon’s music equipment confiscated on the day. Some of the equipment belonging to a third party not present on the actual day, has subsequently been returned in poor condition. According to the owner, the lighting rig recently released from the police impound “looks like they’ve been stored in a garden shed”.

The individuals consequently charged with “public nuisance’ after the Mother, had left the Corby site after being ordered to do so under the powers of the Criminal Justice Act. As such they could not be charged with any of the Act’s clauses. Instead they were targeted with public nuisance prosecution.

The Black Moon Sound System, on the other hand, were unable to dismantle their rig on time and were even told by some members of the police force that they “might not have to move” (see SQUALL 11). Some tape recordings of police advice are being used to aid their evidence. Black Moon’s defence solicitors are also challenging the charges on the basis of the “reasonable time” required to be given when Section 63 is invoked by police. They claim that one hour was not enough time to dismantle and remove a whole sound system.