The Hearing

My congregant M who is L's sponsor went to his hearing. He approached L's PD with a letter attesting to L's hard work to build a life and the fact that M believed that this "failure to report" was really just an honest mistake on L's part. The PD had no idea who L was and wasn't even sure he was his client. Yep and he was to represent him in court. L was to be first up on the docket, but the judge moved him to the end so the PD could at least read his file. The long and short of it is that based on what M told the PD, he managed to get another hearing on September 8, and bail is reduced to $5000 (which is still out of reach for L or his wee church). We are still working on some type of intervention in conjunction with his therapist, and he is getting visits from folks in the church and from me. This is, as C pointed out, a far cry from the first time he was there. But still, he is there, and there is not a good place to be, and clearly his representation leaves something to be desired! The two-tiered justice system in this country makes me want to scream and tear my hair. This is the same PD he had the first time. The one who, IMHO did not do such a great job of explaining all the ramifications of what it would mean to his whole life if he pled guilty to this crime that L was saying he did not do. But this is where we are today. There is no undoing the past. Appeals, it appears are not even possible at this point...what is done is really done. So pray on for L that he can hang in there until September 8, and for the wisdom and compassion of the judge on that day that she can see that he is not a menace to society and let him go to try again to make a small life with his D.