This sounds familiar...

[balthazarr]

From http://www.theage.com.au/national/ma...504-asnv.html:

Magistrate probed over speeding ticket 'irregularity'
Nick McKenzie and Fergus Shiel
May 5, 2009

Magistrate Carmen Randazzo has been booked speeding nine times.
VICTORIA'S Chief Magistrate is investigating an alleged irregularity relating to a speeding ticket received by a Melbourne magistrate who was booked speeding nine times in the space of several weeks.

The magistrate under investigation is Carmen Randazzo, the daughter of prominent Melbourne Italian identity Antonino "Nino" Randazzo. Mr Randazzo is also a senator in the Italian parliament.

The Age believes that Ms Randazzo informed the Department of Justice that a person called Antonino Randazzo was driving her car at the time of one of the offences.

The explanation is believed to have been queried last year by a departmental officer, who raised the possibility that Mr Randazzo was overseas at the time of the driving offence.

When The Age tried to speak to Ms Randazzo last night, her husband said she was unavailable to comment.

In a statement, the Chief Magistrate, Ian Gray, said: "Matters such as these are taken seriously by the court. Given the nature of these allegations, I am investigating them." He did not answer further questions, including how long he had known about the allegation.

A spokeswoman said that Attorney-General Rob Hulls was aware of the investigation. "The Chief Magistrate is investigating this matter and will report to the Attorney-General upon completion of his investigation," she said.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department's secretary only learned of the investigation on Friday when first contacted by The Age.

Before she was appointed as a magistrate in mid-2006, Ms Randazzo was the first barrister from Victorian Legal Aid to be appointed a senior counsel.

She is highly regarded by criminal lawyers as a fair and hard-working magistrate.

It is believed Ms Randazzo was given nine speeding tickets in the space of a couple of months in February-March 2008, including several involving her departmental car.

When the Department of Justice received a reply from Ms Randazzo in connection to one of the notices, she said Antonino Randazzo was driving.

When told by The Age there was an issue surrounding his daughter and a speeding ticket, Mr Randazzo said from Italy: "I know nothing about it."

When pressed further, Mr Randazzo said: "She is able to look after herself. I have nothing to say. I am very busy."

It is understood Ms Randazzo has not been interviewed by the Department of Justice.

The Age has no information to suggest Mr Randazzo was not in the car when the speeding offence in question occurred.

Did she? Didn't she? Place your bets people.

Seriously, though... how can they expect the Average Joes and Janes to take such offences seriously, when the people charged to oversee the laws seem to flout them?