Lex Wotton

Lex Wotton was a two-time councillor on the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council when 36-year-old Palm Island resident Cameron Doomadgee was arrested for public drunkenness on November 19, 2004, and died in police custody a few hour later. When the coroner's report was read at a community meeting, Wotton and the others learned that Doomadgee had suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured liver, and a ruptured portal vein as part of his arrest. Outraged, the community led a riot of 1,000 on Palm Island that resulted in several public buildings being burned down. Wotton was arrested, but on his release, he was hailed as a hero by many residents of Palm Island. He continued to act as a leader and even ran for mayor of the North Queensland Aboriginal community. Approximately four years after the riot, Wotton was found guilty of inciting a riot and sentenced to seven years in prison. (from wiki page Trial of Lex Wotton)

Queensland Judgments on the Wotton Case

• R v Wotton (2007) QDC 181 (07/2087) Brisb Nase DCJ 25/05/2007
• (2007) QSC 042
• (2006) QDC 202

Alternative Media Coverage

• "Drop the Charges Against Lex Wotton! - Melbourne Speakout", Sydney Indymedia, 23 September 2007.
• Hamish Chitts, "Palm Island: Lex Wotton speaks", Green Left Weekly, 7 December 2007.
• Paul Benedek, "Free Lex Wotton!", Green Left Weekly, 25 October 2008.
• Kerry Smith, "Protests demand: Free Lex Wotton", Green Left Weekly, 1 November 2008.

Mainstream Media Coverage

• ABC Radio National, "The Sentencing of Lex Wotton", The Law Report, 11 November 2008.

Related Media

• "Move-on laws told to catch up", University of Queensland, 1 December 2006.
• Dennis Eggington and Kate Allingham, "Move on Laws: A New Mechanism for Police Control", Indigenous Law Bulletin, 2006.
• Terry O'Gorman, "Move On Powers", Seminar on Move On Powers Parliament House, Brisbane, 22 March 2006.

Related Documentaries

• Copwatch - These Streets Are Watching
• Torture: America's Brutal Prisons
• Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties (2004)

Resources and articles

Related Sourcewatch articles

• Australian Federal Police
• Police Violence
• Prison-industrial complex
• Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security (Based at Griffith University, Brisbane)
• Unity of First People of Australia (recruiting indigenous people into the police force)