posted on Oct, 11 2012 @ 08:57 AM
"So, you're actually taking me to jail?'
'Wow"...I said.
Now that I've started this thread, my heart is pounding because of the anger and frustration of what I'm about to recount.
A few minutes before my question to the policeman(corporate agent), I was rushing quickly through china-mart(wal-mart).
I had a few things on one side of the store and my wife was filling the cart with groceries, on the other.
I stopped to look at some sporting goods, and set a bunch of baseballs rolling on the floor. Whilst I was picking
up the baseballs, I had my hands full and unknowingly slipped one in my pocket. (it was still wintery, and I had
my winter coat on.) So the baseball remained in my pocket long enough for them to snatch me up and charge
me with a crime. We purchased 250.00 dollars worth of merchandise moments before the loss prevention team
came down on me. Seperating me from my wife and not allowing me to just pay for the stupid baseball.
Okay, I've had months to come to terms with this justice system that I had to witness because of my crime.
The police drove 30 miles to pick me up and 30 miles to book me into the county jail. It cost me 450 dollars to
bail out, not to mention the jail would not dispense medication that I had in my possession with a valid
prescription. They laughed and gawked at me. I'm a 42 yr old average white guy, who raises 3 young
children and is a big brother to a 45 yr old developmentally disabled man. I am not a thief.
I explained to the ignorant prosecutor who said "We need to go ahead with all cases like this, we can't have theft
in our community." Okay fine. Like I said, I came to terms with the fact that the item was in my possession
unpaidfor. Before I approached the PA, I approached a couple lawyers who wanted 1500 dollars to handle my
case, the PA agreed to a pre-trail diversion, if I pay 400 dollars. The 400 bucks was itemized on the receipt, and
the money was going to like 15 different agencies that had nothing to do with law enforcement or the courts,
including DNA processing fee, which was never done on me, so it must be a fund...unless...
So, I get home with my pre-trial diversion, and it says on there that I need a drug abuse evaluation??? Fine print,
half way down the paper...the clerk came out to the court room, and we both signed it on the back of a chair, no
questions asked.
I think, I just might not do that and just let the charges come back up, if the state so wishes. I do not feel like
participating in their little fund raising game anymore. What would they do if I just decided to let it go to trial, and
let a jury of my peers decide my fate for my crime.
P.S. China-mart loss prevention said that they are not going to persue a no-trasspass order for me, why?
Because they know I wasn't stealing, and that I was only making a mistake.