Vindication

It's finally over. A few days before my court date, my attorney informed me that the DA had decided to forego postponing the case until February and instead issue me what's called an ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal) on December 13 rather than waiting until February to do so. That was welcome news because it meant that I'd have this whole thing behind me before the end of the year and not have to go to court again. The ACD lasts for one year and is conditioned on my staying out of trouble for that period of time. At the end of one year, my case will be dismissed and sealed, and it will be, in essence, as if the arrest never existed. It's exactly what we were shooting for, and we got it. In the words of my attorney, I'm a free man.

The End Draws Nigh

Everything went as planned. More to come.

Back to Court

Here we go, folks. I'm headed back to court today for my second appearance before the judge. Wish me luck.

Come Monday

I haven't heard from my attorney, so I assume that everything is set to go as planned. I'll be in court at nine o'clock Monday morning. My lawyer ran a little late last time, and I was anxious as hell when they began calling defendants forward. I just knew I'd be called before he arrived, but little did I know that defendants aren't summoned before the judge until after your attorney signs in. Needless to say, I wouldn't have been sweating bullets if I'd known that. It turned out that he'd e-mailed me, giving me a heads-up that he'd be late; however, I didn't see the e-mail until after I'd left court.

Winter Blues

The winter solstice is two weeks away, but Old Man Winter has taken hold of the city. Looking out the window as the sky darkens, I sit here and listen to the wind whistling past the Flatiron. I woke up yesterday morning to the first snowflakes of the season, but they were gone as fast as they came. I spoke with my dad this morning, and he said that it might snow in Mississippi tonight. I'm hoping to escape the cold while I'm down there; however, I know firsthand that I may not be so lucky.

Seven Days

Seven days from now I'll be in court again. I've gotten a haircut for the occasion. If everything goes according to plan, I should be okay. That would mean I'll have my third and final court appearance sometime around February. I hope that's the case.

Good News, Bad News

There is good news and bad news. The good news is that I am no longer in the dark regarding how much this legal mess is going to set me back, but the bad news is that it's every bit as expensive as I'd feared. I originally had to pay $1,000 up front, which covered two hours of attorney fees. A few days ago I received my second bill, an additional $1,425. That puts me at $2,425 thus far, and I have two more court appearances. I reckon that'll be at least another $1,500, so I'm looking at anywhere between $4,000 and $5,000 total. Fortunately, I don't have to pay it all at once. There were some attorneys who wanted $5,000 right off the bat.

Mississippi Bound

I was skeptical; however, due to a stroke of good luck, I'll be crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and heading to Mississippi for eight days over Christmas. I hope to see all my friends who live in the area or who may be visiting as well.

Two Fish Tacos and a Coke

That's what I had for lunch today. I picked up the fish tacos from the Endless Summer taco truck on Bedford Avenue. I awoke at ten o'clock this morning and immediately went to work on my bedroom. The furniture is in place, my bed is made, and only a few boxes remain unpacked. I have two windows facing the street. I am on the top floor and have a nice view overlooking Williamsburg. All that's left now are the finishing touches and getting everything just so. I imagine I'll be done by this weekend. It's back to work on Monday, but it has been really nice having this entire week off.

Almost There

I watched the sun set over Brooklyn from my new place today. I've been unpacking and arranging my bedroom. Yesterday was tough. Loading up the van was easy enough, but unloading it and hauling box after box up three flights of stairs took its toll. I woke up this morning stiff as a board. It's a relief, however, to have the move behind me. After I finished up yesterday evening, I ate a pizza at Fornino and drank a couple of ice-cold beers. It may be the best pizza I've ever eaten, and those cold beers tasted like heaven.