In that other thread about people not keeping appointments on time, I mentioned that after I had retired from the Marines, I returned to the Public Defender's office, where I had started my legal career, over fifteen years ago. Got some nice feedback about that, which I appreciate.
Today, I had a nice reminder of why I did this. I took a homeless guy to trial. He was accused of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (two counts). In front of our hardest sentencing trial judge, he was facing a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years, if convicted as charged. Had he been convicted, he'd have been in prison at least until he was 60 -- not a pretty picture for him.
The case was a load of, ummmm, fragrant mud. He had approached a couple with a lone twenty, seeking change, so he could call someone for a ride. They assumed he was just panhandling, and basically attacked him, both verbally and physically. When it got called in, they claimed he attacked them, with a knife no less.
But he was arrested within minutes of the incident, still in sight of his "victims", and no knife was ever found, on him or nearby.
The wife, today, swore up and down that my guy slashed at her husband with "the knife". She described it today as a folding blade knife. In the under-oath statement she gave about 30 min post incident, she said my guy had a box cutter, and made no mention at all of my guy slashing at her hubbie. Sure, we'd all forget that, wouldn't we. . .
The jury found him guilty of misdemeanor (no weapon) assault x2, a pair of 2nd degree misdemeanors. Max time for each is 60 days. Judge "Goldenheart" gave him two sixties, consecutive, for 120 days total. But he had already served 145 days pre-trial, so he went straight home (or, er, back to the streets and homelessness...). But boy was he happy and grateful.
There's no feeling like standing between a righteous, but powerless man, and the misguided authority of the State. I will sleep well tonight, after giving thanks for having the power and skills necessary to stop the government dead in its tracks (when it deserves to be stopped).
Hey, justice happens sometimes!
Today, I had a nice reminder of why I did this. I took a homeless guy to trial. He was accused of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (two counts). In front of our hardest sentencing trial judge, he was facing a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years, if convicted as charged. Had he been convicted, he'd have been in prison at least until he was 60 -- not a pretty picture for him.
The case was a load of, ummmm, fragrant mud. He had approached a couple with a lone twenty, seeking change, so he could call someone for a ride. They assumed he was just panhandling, and basically attacked him, both verbally and physically. When it got called in, they claimed he attacked them, with a knife no less.
But he was arrested within minutes of the incident, still in sight of his "victims", and no knife was ever found, on him or nearby.
The wife, today, swore up and down that my guy slashed at her husband with "the knife". She described it today as a folding blade knife. In the under-oath statement she gave about 30 min post incident, she said my guy had a box cutter, and made no mention at all of my guy slashing at her hubbie. Sure, we'd all forget that, wouldn't we. . .
The jury found him guilty of misdemeanor (no weapon) assault x2, a pair of 2nd degree misdemeanors. Max time for each is 60 days. Judge "Goldenheart" gave him two sixties, consecutive, for 120 days total. But he had already served 145 days pre-trial, so he went straight home (or, er, back to the streets and homelessness...). But boy was he happy and grateful.
There's no feeling like standing between a righteous, but powerless man, and the misguided authority of the State. I will sleep well tonight, after giving thanks for having the power and skills necessary to stop the government dead in its tracks (when it deserves to be stopped).
Hey, justice happens sometimes!
