03.17.07

I’m Back

Posted in personal, miscellaneous, front line stories at 12:10 am by misstyrios

Guess what? I’m back to the blog. I know it has been seven months and honestly, I’m ashamed of that. I started this blog as a labor of love, after having my semi-professional writing gig come to an end. But since taking the bar last summer, I have actually become a real public defender and cases and clients and commuting have consumed me. By the time I am home and able to write, my brain is fried and I end up watching television. But I have recently discovered the fantastic plethora of public defender blogs out in internet land and I have been inspired to truly kick mine into gear.

To keep you occupied while I start writing up a storm, I recommend Indefensible, written by David Feige, author of the book by the same name. And I have just discovered Ipse Dixit, which beautifully combines PD musings and American Idol snark. That combination must be loved. Finally, a special shout out to Arbitrary and Capricious, the only blog by someone I don’t know to link to one of my stories here!

Today, I was on arraignment duty in district court. It was a light day without many arrests, so the atmosphere in lock-up seemed a little more bearable than usual. Most often, it is crowded, smelly, and hot and I focus all of my attention just on the clients I need to talk to. I have learned to generally shut out the cat calls and insults that are sometimes hurled around by men whose confidence is somehow boosted by being locked up. But today, there were only a couple of people there and they were quite friendly and funny:

Defendant 1, upon seeing me waiting at the door of lock-up for a court officer to let me back into the courtroom: You don’t have a wedding ring! You’re not married?

Me: Ha. No, I am not married.

D1: Are you getting married?

Me: Eventually, hopefully.

D2: Aww, you should get married. You’re so pretty.

D1: I have a couple of engagement rings I haven’t used. Do you want one?

It was rather hilarious.

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