Those were the words directed at 48-year-old Tuntutuliak resident Harry David after the judge found him guilty of Lawful Gear and Gear Specifications in Bethel Court today.

The attempts by David’s attorney to sway the judge by stating that no one notified David about restrictions and that David didn’t know what the rules were had no effect. The attorney’s arguement that the state should have done more to inform the Yupik speaking residents of the rural community that lacked many of the communication means as their urban counterpars fell on deaf ears.

Magistrate Bruce Ward said in court that David was negligent for not finding out what the restrictions were, and reckless for not carrying a VHF or listening to announcements on the radio.

David was fined $500 with $250 suspended and placed on probation for one year.

This first court decision bodes poorly for the rest of the defendants appearing before the magistrate on similar charges.

Because the charges are violations rather than criminal, there is no jury option, even though the defendants wanted a jury.Without a jury trial, the defendants only option for speaking their piece about the why of their violations is through testifying during their trial in a limited fashion or pleading guilty and speaking in the court before the sentence is laid out.

It doesn’t seem likely that any of the defendants will be pleading guilty however.