On Unexpected Outcomes

As most of you know, I have a laundry list of issues revolving around a suspended driver's license. Today I went to court to clear up the penultimate charge, leaving me with only the charge in Guilford County between me and driving privileges.

If you ever get an itch to see what misdemeanor court looks like, don't scratch it.

Seriously.

Don't do it.

It's a long process. You'll be surrounded by people that will baffle and boggle you. I was the only defendant in a tie. The. Only. One. Most people had jeans and t-shirts on. In a courtroom. A. COURTROOM. WHAT THE HECK. And some of the attitudes that some of these people had blew my mind. Back-talking the judge, or refusing to speak in a voice above a mumble. I don't understand people. Or the girl who had three DUIs in the space of a few months. I get that a courthouse might not be the best place to see the best society has to offer, but not just the dregs get involved in things like the charges some of these people were up for. I'm not a dreg of society. I just didn't make very wise decisions for a few years. I shake my head.

But despite a very...stressful start to my morning and a three hour wait, I got my charge resolved. With a Prayer for Judgement Continued. For those not in the know, that's as close to a dismissal as you can get without, y'know, getting the case dismissed. Granted, if I get into any more legal trouble, I get slapped with the charge and following sentence. But if I stay clean? It's a lack of conviction. Awesome. I hadn't even considered a PJC as a possibility.

Here is where I need to talk up my lawyer, Mr. Todd Paris. He managed to get me in as a write in on the docket today. When the initial feeling I was given was an October or November court date. When we went up to the tables before the judge, he explained that I was working to resolve these old issues, how I was working up through them in order and the DA, without prompting or request, offered the Prayer for Judgement Continued. We were thinking it would end up being plead out to Failure to Notify DMV of an Address Change. Which is a non-moving violation and okay in my book. A PJC, though, is far better than I had hoped.

And despite RCCC grasping my check like a wizened old miser, I'll be able to hire an attorney in Guilford County and maybe get this all behind me very soon. At least, I hope so.

goodbye, ruby tuesday