Damon, you must be aware that these guys don't consider themselves as outlaw motorcycle GANGS. This is a term used freely by police and media. They are Motorcyle Clubs, that is what the MC stands for on their vests. You are just blindly believing media propaganda. SOME members are obviously law breakers, but definitely not ALL. Just as SOME police have been convicted of peadophilia, drugs, murder and corruption to name a few, to brand ALL police as drugdealing peadophiles would be ridiculous. As it is ridiculous to tar all club members with the same brush, when there are MANY, (and yes, I know them personally, have you ever met any?) who get up, go to work at normal jobs, raise families and live within the law. It is so unfair to the honest ones to suffer the slurs against them when they haven't done anything wrong. Can you honestly say that there are NO law breakers in your local football/golf/bowling club? If some members of your local social club or whatever were doing something wrong, how would you feel if YOU were branded as a criminal because you are a member of the same club as them? I accept that some bike club members have broken laws, but to assume that EVERYONE in that club is doing it too, or even has KNOWLEDGE of what each and every member is doing, is too far a stretch of the imagination. Most intelligence on bike club behaviour has come from American fiction books, and is not the reality. As Australian citizens, the Rebels and every other bike club,have the right to visit where they want. If individuals do the wrong thing, I'm sure the law will deal with them, but why should EVERY member suffer the consequences for the actions of the few.

I do take your point 'unbiased'. There seems to be a stinky stigma attached to the OMCG name, much the same as the 'profession' of lawyer.

'In my experience bikers are unfairly targeted.'

Your experience??? Your blurb says 'Damon has 15 years experience in criminal law and was formerly a NSW prosecutor and member of the NSW Police Service.'

What did you do? 6 mths as a prosecutor and 14 and a half years as a school based officer? Give me a break.

People, stop taking the bait. This blog is a hunting safari to round up publicity and 'fame'.

Damon
As posted by vulcan "you never fail to amaze me". Do you not notice the word "gang" in morocycle gang?
These "people" intimidate" through numbers and have committed heinous crimes on persons. But I suppose you defended the bikie who bit off an ear or a finger and ignored the ex-bikie gang who so feared for his well-being that he committed suicide.

Of course you want these people in this town where you defend the likes of these scum. You can defend them when the inevitabel occurs when they AGAIN have wonton disregard for the law! You can line your pockets and coffers when they require bleeding heart representation in court.

Once again you bleeding heart fails to move me. They are not wanted here!

And as for the speeding fine, are you saying gang members should be immune from punishment under the law?
ASTONISHING- if you do the crime do the time.

continuing from my last comment that interrupted by a technology failure....

No we dont want these guys coming here causing problems, dealing drugs to our kinds, and making a general nuisance of themselves, but that is what the Police are for, to protect lives, property and uphold the law..

They are not here to judge if a person is 'good enough' to visit our region.

That is not Policing, that is dictatorial.

Im with you Damon .. you are right -- and you are right to express your views in this, great, free, fair nation of ours!

Well done Damon! I completely agree with what you say. When I was a teenager on the coast if I even got in trouble the last people I could turn to were the police beacasue of corse being a teenager on the coast you were obviously tar with the same brush as all off the bad teenagers and not one ounce of help was offered your way, but it always seemed there was a friendly bikie around to help you out no matter how small the situation. Has nobody seen the charity runs the bikies do and no not ALL the money they help charities with is DIRTY money a lot of it is hard earned money, and even if it is dirty money isn't it better that they're not spending it on drugs or things to make their lives better and actually giving to people who need it. They might have a reputation of being 'bad' people but can you honestly tell me of someone who has never done anything wrong in their life? Just because they choose that way of life they shouldn't be stalked by police beacause of it. There are many unsoled crimes out there police could be solving instead of wasting valuable time and tax payings money following a lead that is going to go nowhere. Once again I commend you Damon, keep up the good work.

this doesn't make sense. why would damon call for the police to leave bikies alone - isn't that doing himself out of a job as a defence solicitor? surely the more trouble they get in, the more potential clients?

newsblog from Coolum, i bet you would a different view if they started a club house near you and were making drugs. You are a goose.

The ignorance of unbiased, notthenorm and darkknight is astounding. I worked with Damon in the cops for years and he was a smart street cop and an excellent police prosecutor however it seemed to me that a person with Damon’s intelligence and ability was always going to be held back in the public sector. The fact that Damon is an honours graduate in business and law and operates his own successful law firm provides fuel for jealous people who have not been asked to write articles on matters affecting law and order and instead spit vile venom at every opportunity.

Notthenorm, your ignorance is plain for all to see. You write, “which hardly equates to 15 years experience as a defence lawyer” If you simply read his profile you will see that it says that Damon has “15 years experience in criminal law”. I am glad you’re not a solicitor, you would be sent to prison for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

In response to Bigmuzz: You worked with Damon for "years" and he was a smart street cop and an excellent police prosecutor? His profile indicates that he joined the NSW police in 1993 and then in 1995 he was (rather rapidly, I'd suggest) promoted to Acting Sergeant, Prosecutions (which isn't actually a promotion, it's a secondment to a higher rank). He resigned and became a legal practitioner in 1998. That would suggest that, taking time out for his training at the Academy, he would have had, at the most, 18 months on the street before he went into Prosecutions. Someone seems to be telling porky pies. I'm wondering, is Bigmuzz a psuedonym for Damon Locantro? Regardless, I'm baffled how any educated person could argue that an OMCG like the Rebels are unfairly targeted. Surely, if Damon Locantro was a good street cop then he would have no doubt about the illegal, violent conduct of OMCG such as the Rebels. Or is it more a case of not wanting to upset prospective clients?

Part 2.......

5) You write on 5 September, 2008, "Further your web page states 'Our lawyers are uniquely qualified having been serving Police Officers, Detectives and Prosecutors' As you are the only solicitor in the practice is this statement not also blatantly misleading or are we the public to assume that you are all those people rolled into one?

I know for a fact that since Locantro Lawyers has been in operation, a number of solicitors have been employed by Damon, including former Officers. If you do some more “digging” Sherlock you may be able to find out.

6) You write on 5 September 2008, “And the biggie... "We are among the most experienced defence law firms in Australia" and after only 6 years as an admitted solicitor?

Experience is subjective. I have seen many defence solicitors who rarely attend court, and have never instructed in a trial. I can tell you that as a prosecutor and before I completed my law degree I was up against senior counsel and there was no excuse for poor performance. You must be on top of your brief and you must be skillful at what you do, so your digging means nothing ‘notthenorm’.

7) I assume the last paragraph was your little attempt at a rhetorical question. If it really means so much to you, then find out for yourself. You have proved that you have brilliant investigation skills by finding out how long some-one has been admitted.

Turning to dburriswriter...well well, another individual who does not read the detail or who chooses to ignore it. How many years are there between 1993 and 1998....um maybe five year(s)? See that "S" there dburris. I am quite happy to identify myself to you and I will send you my resume if you like. Damon obviously does not need to use pseudonyms. If you look at his second last blog you will see that he responds to Darknight, which was long overdue after Darknight's months of drivel and spite. I am a mate of Damon's yes, absolutely and I get annoyed when cowards attack him personally. So wonder away dburriswriter from Los Angeles? It will give your brain something to do. If you look back, you will see that my comments have nothing to do with OMCG's but about other people's ignorance in playing the man and not the ball.