Go here
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167342&highlight=critique
for the beginning of the story.
As we resume the tale, the BG has his day in court on the A&B charge. He has an appointed lawyer who wants to ask for a continuance because 1/2 hour ago the BG says he has some witnesses, but he does not know their last names or where they live. After a few mouthfuls of discussion on why he should not have waited until 1/2 hour ago to tell his lawyer about the existence of witnesses that he does not know the last names or addresses of, the judge says we go to trial right now.
We go through the usual song-and-dance of who is who and why each of is standing in front of the bench, then the Commonwealth Attorney (DA for you folks who do not recognize the CA title) gets me to give the short version of the long story, plus a few follow-up questions about how scared was I and why did that 6-foot-plus skinny young man scare me, and I told her all about his bad mouth and threats and my poor health making me even weaker and more vulnerable than I look.
The defense goes for a version of "my man never said those things, and anyway he threw the bottle at the car, not the witness." The CA counters with "Then why did Mr. Skidmark have to dodge the bottle, which he has testified hit the top of the quarterpanel where he was standing?" The defense gets the BG to say again he did not throw it at me, but at my car.
Now the judge wants to stop & see if the A&B charge should be amended to Attempted A&B plus Destruction of Property. The judge decided to let it stand at A&B as originally charged.
A few more words from the local cop on how the BG came to be siezed and detained, then incarcerated, and the judge asks for warp-up statements. The CA calls it clear-cut and asks for the whole library full of books to be thrown at the BG. The defense talks about all the other charges his client has been arrested for in the interim, and has served his time for most of them, and did not cause trouble while locked up (except for "that one time") and says maybe 20 days would be a good sentence.
The judge sits & thinks a few moments, and says he is going for the maximum penalty - one year with none suspended + $2,500 fine. Appeal bond of $2,500 cash and restraining order not to bother me, plus continued community supervision if he makes bond. The BG looks kind of sad as he & the appointed defense lawyer go out to the cashier's office to say they do not have $2,500 cash on hand.
Before dismissing the case the judge gives a sermon about this case being not just me vs. the BG, but everybody standing up to thugs who do not behave politely in society. Then he calls me "a hero, a real community hero."
After stopping off on the way out to thank Officer Friendly for his assistance that night, I get stopped by one of the Bailiffs, who warns me that a scruffy-looking character that seemed to be connected to the defendant has just gone out into the hallway ahead of me, and that any of the Deputies would be glad to escort me to my car if I wanted the company. I also get another county cop come up to me & say "This is a good reason for a concealed handgun permit and a .40 cal." I let him know I have the first but prefer .45 acp only because there is not a .46 acp.
I do a few u-turns and through-the-stripmall parking lot runs just to check my 6, and have the jimmy-bar and alarm set up even before bedtime. Seems I once heard somebody say "Even if you are paranoid, there is probably somebody out to get you" or something like that.
I'm planning a low profile, extra survellience, and some changes of route & routine for a few days to see if anything makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Oh, yeah. The "hero" thing really embarassed me. It still does.
stay safe.
skidmark
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167342&highlight=critique
for the beginning of the story.
As we resume the tale, the BG has his day in court on the A&B charge. He has an appointed lawyer who wants to ask for a continuance because 1/2 hour ago the BG says he has some witnesses, but he does not know their last names or where they live. After a few mouthfuls of discussion on why he should not have waited until 1/2 hour ago to tell his lawyer about the existence of witnesses that he does not know the last names or addresses of, the judge says we go to trial right now.
We go through the usual song-and-dance of who is who and why each of is standing in front of the bench, then the Commonwealth Attorney (DA for you folks who do not recognize the CA title) gets me to give the short version of the long story, plus a few follow-up questions about how scared was I and why did that 6-foot-plus skinny young man scare me, and I told her all about his bad mouth and threats and my poor health making me even weaker and more vulnerable than I look.
The defense goes for a version of "my man never said those things, and anyway he threw the bottle at the car, not the witness." The CA counters with "Then why did Mr. Skidmark have to dodge the bottle, which he has testified hit the top of the quarterpanel where he was standing?" The defense gets the BG to say again he did not throw it at me, but at my car.
Now the judge wants to stop & see if the A&B charge should be amended to Attempted A&B plus Destruction of Property. The judge decided to let it stand at A&B as originally charged.
A few more words from the local cop on how the BG came to be siezed and detained, then incarcerated, and the judge asks for warp-up statements. The CA calls it clear-cut and asks for the whole library full of books to be thrown at the BG. The defense talks about all the other charges his client has been arrested for in the interim, and has served his time for most of them, and did not cause trouble while locked up (except for "that one time") and says maybe 20 days would be a good sentence.
The judge sits & thinks a few moments, and says he is going for the maximum penalty - one year with none suspended + $2,500 fine. Appeal bond of $2,500 cash and restraining order not to bother me, plus continued community supervision if he makes bond. The BG looks kind of sad as he & the appointed defense lawyer go out to the cashier's office to say they do not have $2,500 cash on hand.
Before dismissing the case the judge gives a sermon about this case being not just me vs. the BG, but everybody standing up to thugs who do not behave politely in society. Then he calls me "a hero, a real community hero."
After stopping off on the way out to thank Officer Friendly for his assistance that night, I get stopped by one of the Bailiffs, who warns me that a scruffy-looking character that seemed to be connected to the defendant has just gone out into the hallway ahead of me, and that any of the Deputies would be glad to escort me to my car if I wanted the company. I also get another county cop come up to me & say "This is a good reason for a concealed handgun permit and a .40 cal." I let him know I have the first but prefer .45 acp only because there is not a .46 acp.
I do a few u-turns and through-the-stripmall parking lot runs just to check my 6, and have the jimmy-bar and alarm set up even before bedtime. Seems I once heard somebody say "Even if you are paranoid, there is probably somebody out to get you" or something like that.
I'm planning a low profile, extra survellience, and some changes of route & routine for a few days to see if anything makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Oh, yeah. The "hero" thing really embarassed me. It still does.
stay safe.
skidmark