family matters
A week after Dan was arrested, accused of stalking, after we bailed him out and saw a lawyer regarding the criminal court case that we were now bracing ourselves for, we are visited by a Plant City Police Officer, handing us the documents of a Temporary Injunction placed by a local judge against Dan. He is not to go certain places; if he does he’ll be arrested and put in jail immediately. The civil court case is just one week away! Woow, we have been hit by a double whammy: a criminal court case AND a civil court case (both regarding the same situation, and yet 2 separate cases).
We speak to a second lawyer; a free consultation. The man is excellent, much better than the first lawyer we met, but also a great deal more expensive. Welcome to the USA, the land of lawyers & court cases; they even take credit cards. After consulting with this man we decide to go it alone, as it were, in the civil case. However, we will certainly need a lawyer for the criminal case. I study the materials for the civil case, and prepare as much as I can. I’ll sit with Dan and speak on his behalf (if & when he doesn’t).
We make it to the court house for 1.30 PM, the time we’re summoned to be there, and get to follow several cases, some with, some without lawyers. Sad situations on the whole, and hugely exhausting to follow all this conflict that people have with each other. Eventually it is our turn; I find it nerve wrecking. The opposing party is a mother & daughter of 17. Before soon, the judge gets the girl to tell her story, and after some time Dan is asked to give his report, his view of things as it were.
The judge is good; he listens well, and is gentle & firm in his interactions with who is there. After a while the judge has heard enough and decides to grant the injunction. The case is suddenly finished and we have to wait to get the papers that are being prepared. In his closing statement the judge tells the mother & daughter to relax (now that they have what they came for) and to just look the other way when they happen to see the young man in question (Dan). This is important! We feel that the ‘other’ family has over reacted on several occasions (I suppose you can’t blame people for being vigilant) and in some ways they have (unwittingly) given Dan just the kind of attention that made him curious and unwilling to let go. Just a few kind words to him and a request to move on would have diffused the situation. The family did the opposite. Alternatively, just one phone call to us (Dan’s parents) to put us into the picture, would have probably stopped the whole thing in it’s tracks. Sadly this is not how people think here; they get alarmed very quickly and call the police. The police are in the business of ‘nailing’ offenders, and yes Dan gave them what they were looking for.
So now we’re having to prepare for the criminal case, including hiring a lawyer, which costs an absolute fortune. What madness; we’re having to spend all this money just to keep Dan out of jail. Jail (for any length of time) would cause a massive set-back for Dan. He doesn’t need jail; he needs therapy. Please pray for a miracle here; the case to be dropped and Dan to (begin to) see his need for help.
Meanwhile Dan has been offered a full time car detailing job here in Plant City, and we’re excited for him. Dan has done his drug test, and filled in all the paper work; now we’re waiting for the call that all is clear and he can start work. Hopefully these court cases will not spoil this wonderful opportunity for him to work professionally, 5 days a week.
Tags: car detailing, court case, lawyer
