A field trip
The weekend was good and pretty uneventful as a whole. On Saturday I hooked up with my sex buddy for a bit for some good fun, and this time I didn't have any of the soul-searching bad feelings. Then I watched Chicago on television that night. And on Sunday I slept in much longer than I had expected, until a bit after noon, and then went shopping with The German, which was good fun. And I got lots of healthy food, yay! The one bad thing was that I left my cellphone at work over the weekend. So had no phone.
Today a few of us went on a field trip, organized for us by The Meat, to the criminal courthouse. It was very interesting and very different from where I work. It had an oppressive quality to it. And things were at most times very slow, but then when we sat in on a bond hearing, things moved at lightning speed.
The one longer evidentiary matter that we sat in on dealt with the state's attorney moving to admit into evidence statements made by an 8-year-old girl to a child advocacy case worker. The case worker testified and went over the various open-ended questions that she asked, and the little girl's replies. The defendant, the girl's uncle, sat at the defense table with his attorney, in his prison garb, and looked merely interested, but certainly not sorry. It's alleged that he sexually molested his little niece on four occasions. And from what we heard, I think there are also allegations that he molested two other girls as well, I think both relatives. When the hearing was over and the defendant got up to go back to lockup, he sauntered across the room as if he owned it. That part was the most shocking to me - his apparent lack of a conscious and lack of fear.
All in all, it was most depressing to me because most of the defendants are black males. And we were told that 85% of the caseload is drug-related. From possession to robbery, burglary, and murder - resulting indirectly from drugs. The judge we talked to said that crack is the most prevalent among the defendants, but they see some heroin. And methamphetamines (sp?) is starting to make more of a showing. What is so depressing, though, is that most of those black men have probably not known anything different. When they were little they saw guys going to prison, they knew people who were then murdered. And as they grew older they didn't know any other way. And many probably got hooked on crack as an escape from a life with no future and no hope. That's so incredibly sad! But things aren't going to change for the majority of kids growing up today. And that's even more sad. And the number of people going through that courthouse every year is staggering.
On a completely different note, I forgot to write something that The Meat said to me last week. He told me that we need to find me a guy, because "[I'm] to good to waste." I loved that! Along with being sexy as hell, he's also one of the best people that I know in the entire world, and I value everything about him. I'm a much better person by knowing him.
Tomorrow night after work I leave for Michigan on the Amtrak, to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. It's the best meal of the entire year!!! But it will be a bit weird this year as it's the first time my brother won't be there. So it will be just my mom, dad, grandma and myself. It will still be nice, and fun to be home and spend time with my parents, but that little something will be missing and I think we'll all be just a little sad. My brother and The Bitch, otherwise known as The Sister-in-Law (TSIL) aren't really celebrating the holiday at all I don't think. Neither of them have any vacation time yet as they just started their new jobs in Atlanta. At least they're coming for Christmas though. My mom finally gave in and bought tickets for them ($1,000 each) to come. I'm not looking forward to TSIL, but I guess I have to take her in order to see my brother. Which sucks!!!
Anyway, I have to get going now as I need to drop my keys off at the The German's front desk on the way home. He's going to take care of little Emma and James for me while I'm gone! Only I'm going to miss my babies and cuddling with them, and they are so loving and need lots of love, so even though I'm excited about seeing my parents, I hate leaving my babies.
Today a few of us went on a field trip, organized for us by The Meat, to the criminal courthouse. It was very interesting and very different from where I work. It had an oppressive quality to it. And things were at most times very slow, but then when we sat in on a bond hearing, things moved at lightning speed.
The one longer evidentiary matter that we sat in on dealt with the state's attorney moving to admit into evidence statements made by an 8-year-old girl to a child advocacy case worker. The case worker testified and went over the various open-ended questions that she asked, and the little girl's replies. The defendant, the girl's uncle, sat at the defense table with his attorney, in his prison garb, and looked merely interested, but certainly not sorry. It's alleged that he sexually molested his little niece on four occasions. And from what we heard, I think there are also allegations that he molested two other girls as well, I think both relatives. When the hearing was over and the defendant got up to go back to lockup, he sauntered across the room as if he owned it. That part was the most shocking to me - his apparent lack of a conscious and lack of fear.
All in all, it was most depressing to me because most of the defendants are black males. And we were told that 85% of the caseload is drug-related. From possession to robbery, burglary, and murder - resulting indirectly from drugs. The judge we talked to said that crack is the most prevalent among the defendants, but they see some heroin. And methamphetamines (sp?) is starting to make more of a showing. What is so depressing, though, is that most of those black men have probably not known anything different. When they were little they saw guys going to prison, they knew people who were then murdered. And as they grew older they didn't know any other way. And many probably got hooked on crack as an escape from a life with no future and no hope. That's so incredibly sad! But things aren't going to change for the majority of kids growing up today. And that's even more sad. And the number of people going through that courthouse every year is staggering.
On a completely different note, I forgot to write something that The Meat said to me last week. He told me that we need to find me a guy, because "[I'm] to good to waste." I loved that! Along with being sexy as hell, he's also one of the best people that I know in the entire world, and I value everything about him. I'm a much better person by knowing him.
Tomorrow night after work I leave for Michigan on the Amtrak, to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. It's the best meal of the entire year!!! But it will be a bit weird this year as it's the first time my brother won't be there. So it will be just my mom, dad, grandma and myself. It will still be nice, and fun to be home and spend time with my parents, but that little something will be missing and I think we'll all be just a little sad. My brother and The Bitch, otherwise known as The Sister-in-Law (TSIL) aren't really celebrating the holiday at all I don't think. Neither of them have any vacation time yet as they just started their new jobs in Atlanta. At least they're coming for Christmas though. My mom finally gave in and bought tickets for them ($1,000 each) to come. I'm not looking forward to TSIL, but I guess I have to take her in order to see my brother. Which sucks!!!
Anyway, I have to get going now as I need to drop my keys off at the The German's front desk on the way home. He's going to take care of little Emma and James for me while I'm gone! Only I'm going to miss my babies and cuddling with them, and they are so loving and need lots of love, so even though I'm excited about seeing my parents, I hate leaving my babies.
