For those of you familiar with the story, it has come to a great climactic point today. For those of you unfamiliar with it, here's a quick catch up. I was arrested last month for some weed, guns and a powdery substance I probably shouldn't specify, but you can probably guess. The cops wanted me to turn in my dealer and I refused. These guys are Columbians from Miami; they would've killed me. So because I refused, they hit me as hard as possible with three felonies. I am/was a gun owner but a totally non violent one, and they had nothing to do with the drugs. But posession of firearms during the commission of a felony is a pretty serious charge, and the charge that stood to get me in the most trouble.

So I went to court today and my lawyer told me he was going to go ahead and get the case tried today instead of waiting for a bench trial next month. He was the first attorney in the courtroom, and the first attorney up talking to the DA and negotiating my plea. He then came and told me what the DA had offered even before court was in session (I'll tell you that in a minute). The judge came into the court and did roll call and then gave a 40 minute recess while she talked to the other lawyers and let them talk to their clients. My attorney was the ONLY one who had already gotten all this taken care of and just remained in his seat all calm and collected. That's when I knew I had the right guy.

I was the 4th person to go before the judge. I was sworn in, read my rights, and questioned by the court officials. The DA read his new recommendation for my sentence. The judge questioned me, heard what my attorney had to say, and went with the DA's reccommendation. Originally it was two years in prison. My attorney successfully negotiated with the DA under the first offender act to give me 2 years probation, recommended drug rehab (which I'm already in), and a $200 fine...and I get to go on nonreporting probation status after the first year!!!!

I have been given a year of intense probation and fined $2,100 for a dimebag of weed in the past. This time I had 3 felonies. I pled guilty to the drug charges under first offender, and since I had the weapons properly stored, that charge was dismissed. So I still got off of two felonies with basically a year of probation, rehab I needed and was already in anyway, and a fine I could pay with pocket change!!!! And at the end of my probation, I still get all my rights back and this whole nightmare is sealed from my criminal record.

Yeah I got off EASY. But don't get me wrong; I still don't consider it getting off easy. I consider it my last chance to turn my life around. If I violate this probation, I could go to prison for 25 years. I will do everything in my power to see that does not happen. I will finish my rehab and follow it up with after-care, AA, NA, new friends, and whatever else I can do to keep myself off drugs. I will be happy to get my guns/gun rights back, but will have nothing to do with them for the next two years. It may be a rough time, but it will be a rough time as a free man.

Very lucky indeed. Make sure you do not take the gift you have been given for granted. I know people that have done time on very petty charges. Hell I was once detained for hours for carrying a suspicious bag that turned out to be concealing fresh baked bread.

Stay away from anything illegal. Change your habits. Getting high is'nt freedom. Freedom is being sober.

For those of you familiar with the story, it has come to a great climactic point today. For those of you unfamiliar with it, here's a quick catch up. I was arrested last month for some weed, guns and a powdery substance I probably shouldn't specify, but you can probably guess. The cops wanted me to turn in my dealer and I refused. These guys are Columbians from Miami; they would've killed me. So because I refused, they hit me as hard as possible with three felonies. I am/was a gun owner but a totally non violent one, and they had nothing to do with the drugs. But posession of firearms during the commission of a felony is a pretty serious charge, and the charge that stood to get me in the most trouble.

So I went to court today and my lawyer told me he was going to go ahead and get the case tried today instead of waiting for a bench trial next month. He was the first attorney in the courtroom, and the first attorney up talking to the DA and negotiating my plea. He then came and told me what the DA had offered even before court was in session (I'll tell you that in a minute). The judge came into the court and did roll call and then gave a 40 minute recess while she talked to the other lawyers and let them talk to their clients. My attorney was the ONLY one who had already gotten all this taken care of and just remained in his seat all calm and collected. That's when I knew I had the right guy.

I was the 4th person to go before the judge. I was sworn in, read my rights, and questioned by the court officials. The DA read his new recommendation for my sentence. The judge questioned me, heard what my attorney had to say, and went with the DA's reccommendation. Originally it was two years in prison. My attorney successfully negotiated with the DA under the first offender act to give me 2 years probation, recommended drug rehab (which I'm already in), and a $200 fine...and I get to go on nonreporting probation status after the first year!!!!

I have been given a year of intense probation and fined $2,100 for a dimebag of weed in the past. This time I had 3 felonies. I pled guilty to the drug charges under first offender, and since I had the weapons properly stored, that charge was dismissed. So I still got off of two felonies with basically a year of probation, rehab I needed and was already in anyway, and a fine I could pay with pocket change!!!! And at the end of my probation, I still get all my rights back and this whole nightmare is sealed from my criminal record.

Yeah I got off EASY. But don't get me wrong; I still don't consider it getting off easy. I consider it my last chance to turn my life around. If I violate this probation, I could go to prison for 25 years. I will do everything in my power to see that does not happen. I will finish my rehab and follow it up with after-care, AA, NA, new friends, and whatever else I can do to keep myself off drugs. I will be happy to get my guns/gun rights back, but will have nothing to do with them for the next two years. It may be a rough time, but it will be a rough time as a free man.