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Grinch Jobs
by chuck woolery at 03:16 PM on December 22, 2003
Ah, back posting again after a longer than expected hiatus.
Basically I got busy at work, didn't find myself inspired, and didn't post anything. Now with Christmas upon us, and a million (ok 8) relatives having travelled to my home province for Christmas, I thought... January just might work. With those relatives I have the good fortune to have a good portion of my family together over the holidays...
And then I had an epiphany. To many other people I have become the Grinch that stole Christmas, as I have been able to keep some of their close relatives in jail over the holidays.
The case that gave me this realization was a interesting little robbery case that I did a bail hearing on last week. Interesting in the sense that the offenders departed significantly from the normal type. The normal type is offenders escalate from more minor crime, to more major crime... from shoplifting to B & E to Robbery etc etc.
In this case neither of the two people who robbed the gas station have criminal records.
But I digress. The Grinch part of this story is the Bail hearing.
I got a call from the Police one sunny monday morning, telling me there was a robbery on Friday, that they had two guys in custody, that the offenders were appearing in my courtroom, and did I have a some time to talk to them before Court opened? Well, of course.
So I got the court package, a quick chat with a couple police officers, and off to court to try and keep a couple robbers who terrified a store clerk in jail.
Out from the side door came the two young guys (19ish), both crying as they were led in by the guards. Of course them crying in the Dock set off the Mother and sister of one of them. and I ran a bail hearing for the one, with the mother and sister (and the offender) quietly crying through the whole thing.
When the Judge gave his decision and denied bail, then the hysterics started. The mother started begging the judge to let her son out, that she could keep him out of trouble, please please etc...
As she left the courtroom I felt a little bit like the Grinch, with a heart that is two sizes too small...
I didn't get a chance to talk to her (and she probably didn't want to talk to me) and I felt a little sorry for her... But I still sleep better at night knowing that he is behind bars.
comments (6)
The nature of our jobs turns you and me into Grinches. Just today another claimant threatened my life cuz his kids won't have a christmas cuz I refuse to pay him. Did I mention that he neglected to mention a prior injury that left him permanently totally disabled; yet he was working in a carpet warehouse? Or that his wife threw him out on Thanksgiving, and took out a restraining order?
by anna at December 22, 2003 6:47 PM
Are you a Grinch for keeping these "alleged" criminals off the street? Possibly. But I can't imagine what is Grinchier than robbing a poo store clerk a week before Christmas. Did you rob a store? Then you can probably feel good about yourself.
by mg at December 22, 2003 8:55 PM
This is where I could come in and make some lame comment such as "Yeah, bad enough it was a poo store..." but that would be too childish, even for me.
Grinch or not, both you and Anna were just doing your jobs. They had a choice not to break the law, but they did and they got caught so now they have to deal with the consequences.
"El que siembra su maiz que se coma su pinole"
(The spanish equivalent to "You reap what you sow")
by Lucy at December 23, 2003 3:28 AM
The Grinch feeling wore off.
Some people do deserve to be on the inside, christmas or not.
I've had a couple people I've prosecuted threaten to kill themselves if we continued prosecuting them. The last one was a lady who embezzeled 15K from a youth theatre group. I felt really really sorry for her too. (not really)
by chuck woolery at December 24, 2003 4:26 PM
I wouldn't dwell too much on the grinch idea either, as I was just earlier this year robbed at Gunpoint while working Midnights at our Small-town Shell. As it turns out The kids who are currently being prosecuted are both a lil bit younger than me, and one of them used to ride the school bus with me. The thought of them going to jail makes me perfectly happy. If they didnt want to go to jail they shouldn't have done what they did because they perfectly well knew the consequences of getting caught. Besides why do something like that in a small town when you know you are going to run your mouth off to someone who will tell someone else then of course everyone in town will know and someone will snitch. I have to testify the 8th of January against them. I went in for a desposition earlier this month and they had both of them in the room with me. It was really unnerving and I was scared to say much with them there in the room cause say they dont get convicted, think the idea of me telling on them will sit well.. Hell No. But thats enough of my Rambling. I just want to thank you for putting the people that need to be in jail where they belong.
by Megan at December 25, 2003 6:40 PM
Thanks Megan. I appreciate the sentiment.
by chuck woolery at December 25, 2003 9:25 PM