Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Long known for its corrupt police force with close links to an underworld filled with gangsters and thugs. The police and underworld are so close together that when a mobster secretly agreed to turn states witness, the police leaked his location so he and his wife were executed on their front lawn. There were calls for a Royal Commission, which the Police Union blocked. (I wonder why?)

Last year an Underworld war erupted, with criminals killing each other in public places. One man was shot while he played poker machines alongside addicted gamblers and pensioners.

Channel 9 has sought to cash in on this with a series "Underbelly" aired on national TV last night, everywhere except Victoria. Some idiot judge thought should the Victorian Police ever get off their asses and charge someone, the TV show could be prejudicial. The idiot judge banned it from screening in Victoria.

Channel 9 argued with the Judge that it would be all over the Internet, but the Judge didn't know what an 'Internets' was. Surely enough as soon as the show aired, it was all over Bittorrent. Some bars in Victoria ignored the ban and beamed the show from Interstate anyway.

Judges are overpaid, arrogant and conceited. I reckon potential jurors are smart enough to distinguish between fiction and reality if a case ever goes to court. Banning a show in an entire state is overkill. Last year we had an idiot judge ordering a company to "keep records of RAM". Judges should get educated or STFU.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/underbelly-ban-shot-to-pieces/2008/02/14/1202760433867.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/indepth/section/0,,5006562,00.html