You mean change their “English” name, right?[/quote]
Some people change their “English” names, and others change their “Chinese” names. When I had been here less than two years, somebody said something, or I read something, that somehow gave me the impression that I should get a chop. So I went to some shop where they make such things, and they gave me a chop with a four-syllable Chinese name on it. I showed it to a Taiwanese and the Taiwanese told me that I shouldn’t use the chop, because I am a foreigner, so I threw it away. At some unknown time, someone in the health care system gave me a Chinese name, and it is on my jianbao card, my APRC (along with my English name; it was never on any of my old ARCs, to my recollection), and maybe a few documents.
So both Chinese names are names that someone assigned me in a casual manner. I’m not at all sure that my current Chinese name is my real name in the eyes of the law. Neither am I sure that the Name Act would apply to any changes in my Chinese name.
The issue, as I see it, is whether Mr. Dean killed a man, and I can’t for the life of me see how these other issues have any bearing on it.[/quote]
They have a bearing on honesty. If it is my word against yours but you have no dirt on you but I do then who would a stranger believe you or me? This case seems to be Mr Dean versus the driver. Who will the magistrate believe? So yeah the circumstances in which he changed his name and the fact that he is wanted on suspicion of another crime (common or not) may be a factor in deciding which party to believe. No ? The issue is not because the suspect changed his name rather the worry that he may have changed his name while be sought in connection to a possible copyright infringement case. Or did the name change have no relation to that? If it did have a relation to that then I can see how these points may have some part (a small one) in deciding whether to believe a KTV driver or Mr Dean.
If the suspect was in possession of additional passports then this would be a factor in deciding bail. That is reasonable is it not?[/quote]
I guess so, about the bail, but I’m not much concerned about the bail issue. As to the honesty issue, if Mr. Dean had been known to have been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty, I would give you the point. But actually, Mr. Dean under the law as it is written here in the ROC, shouldn’t have to prove his innocence, because the law doesn’t require it. According to the law as it’s written here, the other side bears the burden of proving his guilt. According to the law. But he certainly shouldn’t have to prove his innocence of something of which he hasn’t been formally accused.
[strike]This is an excerpt from a recent United Daily News article:
[quote]法官確認林克穎是通緝犯後，當庭下令將他逮捕歸案，並將林轉交通緝案承辦法官審理，林被帶上手銬時臉色鐵青，完全沒料到自己會因車禍案件扯出通緝犯身分。
法官認為，林克穎是通緝犯有逃亡之虞，決定讓他10萬元交保、同時限制出境、住居，並將他責付給董姓女友，林昨天獲保離開法院時，面對媒體詢問未發一語，迅速離開法院。 [/quote] udn.com/NEWS/SOCIETY/SOC1/5659669.shtml[/strike]
[color=#FF0000]Edit:[/color]
I made a big mistake and posted the wrong excerpt. The following is about what I was looking for, from the Taiwan Daily:
[quote]昨 上午再度開庭，法官葉力旗比對指紋發現，林克穎（Zain Taj Dean）與柯睿明是同一人，他在87年間即以柯睿明（Khala Hami）名義在台居留，任職怡法公司時被微軟控告侵權而起訴，卻不到法院出庭遭通緝，原來他早已潛逃出境，改名林克穎再回台做生意，當庭將他逮捕歸案。
下午針對通緝案開庭，林克穎強調，他當年是公司經理，微軟因找不到公司負責人就告他，後來有一個退休法官告訴他乾脆出國，他才出境，改名後再回來台灣，法官認為他有逃亡之虞，但考量他在台灣有居所，裁定以10萬元交保代替收押。自由時報0612
[/quote] taiwandaily.net/gp2.aspx?_p= … 2Lkkf4u/0G
I can’t read Chinese, but using Google Translate, I seem (not really sure, hoping someone with Chinese ability will help) to gather from the above that someone (whether Mr. Dean himself, his lawyer, or someone else, I can’t tell) is saying that Mr. Dean worked for the Yee law firm (which I think, from what I’ve seen on the Internet, is involved with tech stuff) when some incident occurred in which Microsoft alleged a copyright infringement. It also (and again, I may be wrong about this) seems to say that no one came forth to formally accuse him (I’m certainly ready to be corrected if I’ve misinterpreted that). Given that the media here initially published the face of the wrong person and also alleged that Mr. Dean tried to leave the country (he had already planned to leave before the incident in question), that he was captured on video getting behind the wheel (instead the driver was), and that he has two passports (there is no evidence so far that he does, unless you count expired passports), I think I’ll wait and see about the Microsoft thing.
At 1:35 in this video, you can see a letter from the British Trade and Cultural Office, a letter concerning Mr. Dean’s passport. You can’t read everything on it, but I leave it to you to decide whether it’s genuine and what it means.
If I’m still here in February of next year, I’d better renew my passport unless I don’t mind getting in trouble. My old passport will expire. Let’s see, I’ve had two Chinese names, and next year, I’ll have two passports. Hmm, I guess next year I’ll look like a crook. I certainly hope nobody accuses me of a copyright infringement (I’ve long felt that by the very fact of living in Taiwan, a person is under suspicion of being involved in copyright infringement). And those things, coupled with the fact that I’m a foreigner, make me hope I never wind up in a car with a driver who runs over someone.
You spoke of dirt. That’s what it looks like somebody is doing. Looking for dirt, any kind of dirt. When somebody goes looking for dirt instead of focusing on the actual crime of which a person is accused, why, I can’t help wondering how strong their case is. I’m not saying the dirt-seekers won’t be successful, though.
I very stupidly copied and pasted the wrong article. I apologize to you, and to anyone else who may have been confused or misled. This is similar to what I was looking for, excerpted from the 
I very stupidly copied and pasted the wrong article. I apologize to you, and to anyone else who may have been confused or misled. This is similar to what I was looking for, excerpted from the 
He also did the look of shame thing in court with head down and tears in the eyes.