08.22.08
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 1:53 pm by misstyrios
There was an article in one of the papers today about the death of one of my former clients. She was the first of my clients to pass away (that I know of at least). She was young and she was a severe addict. I once got her out of jail and straight into a detox. The last time I saw her, she remembered me as the lawyer who got her help. She looked healthy. She had a tough life, but she was a genuinely nice person and I’m very sad to hear that she died. I don’t think there were a lot of people who helped her out in her life, so I like to think that I did help her, even a little, even if it didn’t ultimately make a difference.
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09.02.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 2:41 pm by misstyrios
I am at the office on a long weekend because I have a trial scheduled for Wednesday and I spent all day yesterday moving to a new apartment (and every night for the past few weeks packing for it, hence the lack of posts recently). But I am not polishing off my motions in limine or perfecting my cross examinations because I cannot stop reading about and watching Clay Buchholz pitching a no-hitter for the Red Sox last night. Click on the “Buchholz’s no-no: Watch all 27 outs.” I have watched it three times and it makes me CRY. I rarely, rarely miss a Red Sox game, but I could not watch it last night because I was lugging heavy boxes to my new place, where we do not yet have the tv and cable set up. So I missed actually watching it, but it is an amazing feat (and only his second major league start!)
If you have not noticed, I love the Red Sox. Possibly more than I love anything else in the world (loved ones excluded).
Now I really have to get to those jury instructions.
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08.23.07
Posted in miscellaneous at 12:20 pm by misstyrios
This has absolutely nothing to do with public defense or politics, but the Boston Globe has a fascinating story about a glimpse into a Massachusetts Netflix warehouse. Apparently the employees have to sign confidentiality contracts stating they will not even reveal its location. And they actually do notice when people write little comments on the envelopes. It’s a very interesting read. And I do admit that I heart the Netflix.
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08.16.07
Posted in journalism, miscellaneous at 10:43 pm by misstyrios
I have a significant commute to and from work. Without traffic, it is about an hour drive in each direction (I know, I am dealing with my own guilt over my carbon emissions rate). I often say that I do not mind the actual time in the car, as it gives me time to drink my Dunkin Donuts coffee, listen to the radio, and get my thoughts together. More specifically, though, I love the significant amount of time I get to listen to NPR. Seriously. I am ridiculously well-informed because of my commute. And today was a particularly fantastic NPR day, as On Point spent one hour talking about the American prison system and the next hour talking about Elvis Presley. If you read this blog, you know I am semi-obsessed with prison issues. And if you know me at all, you know that I am fully obsessed with Elvis Presley.
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I fully intended to provide a long discussion about the show’s contents. But I got derailed stressing out about moving and a potential trial on Monday. Dammit.
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I feel like a failure of a blogger lately.
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07.22.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 6:42 pm by misstyrios
Hey look, I’m alive. Sort of. My first trial is tomorrow. I feel like my heart may explode at any second. This is a difficult case and could go either way. I am just praying that I can keep it together, remember my law, and hear the words “not guilty.”
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06.21.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 9:22 pm by misstyrios
OK, I have a perfectly legitimate reason for not posting lately. Work is still busy, of course, but more importantly, the “e” key on my laptop has ceased working. So every time I type an “e” I am actually hitting ctrl-v after copying from another page. This is frustrating for me, because I type very fast and this throws off my rhythm. My typing can no longer keep up with my thoughts. And, needless to say, I cannot afford a new laptop on my public defender salary (this one has been decent to me but needs to be replaced for many reasons). Alas, I cannot even afford to get it fixed or even to buy an external keyboard because of an exciting development in my personal life that requires a lot of pennies going towards a first month/last month/deposit payment. So here is my promise - even if it takes me forever to type/edit entries, I am going to post at least one story a day for at least the next week.
Stay tuned.
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06.07.07
Posted in miscellaneous at 9:18 pm by misstyrios
I’m back. I promise. And I bring you this fun little story about a woman who made faces at a dog…and almost went to jail for it.
In July, Jayna Hutchinson was possibly drunk and happened to be at a convenience store in Chelsea, Vermont where a fight had broken out. When police responded to the scene, Ms. Hutchinson told police one of the men involved in the fight had assaulted her a day earlier and she wanted to report it. When the cop declined to speak to her because of her possibly intoxicated state at the moment, Ms. Hutchinson got a little annoyed. And demonstrated that annoyance by…staring through the police cruiser window at the dog sitting inside. The police characterized this staring as “taunting/harassing” and charged her with cruelty to a police animal. Seriously.
Now, make now mistake about it. I love dogs. Adore them even. I in no way support cruelty to police animals or animals of any other type. But to charge a tipsy woman with cruelty for HARASSINGLY STARING AT A DOG BEHIND A CAR WINDOW just makes me giggle.
Thankfully, just before trial, prosecutors dropped the charges because the dog couldn’t testify. Way to go, prosecutors, way to go.
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05.20.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 9:33 pm by misstyrios
I have a really fantastic post to write but I have barely come up for breath this past week. Work, work, work, work, family, family, work, work. With one break for a Red Sox game with the boyfriend. I will return shortly.
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05.13.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 7:41 pm by misstyrios
This is a little off-topic from my usual posts, but I had a wicked anxiety dream last night that I just cannot shake. As I have mentioned before, I have not actually had a trial, though I have a few cases that are likely headed that way fairly soon. I also have two motions scheduled for the last week of this month.
Apparently, this impending performance is wreaking havoc on my brain, as I dreamed last night that I was changing into my pajamas one evening when I got a frantic call from the courthouse that my trial was about to start. I had no idea that I had a trial scheduled and had never even met my client before. I didn’t even know what the charges were. I had to get into a suit, drive like crazy, and as soon as I walked into the courtroom, the judge told me to begin my opening statement. The jury was there, waiting for me. And I said…something that made no sense at all. The judge recessed and, for some reason, I went home and didn’t make it back to court on time. When I got back, someone told me my client had been found not guilty. I still had no idea who my client was or what she was charged with. But she was acquitted. So I guess that’s good. But dear god, this feeling of anxiety has been haunting me all day. I know it’s a typical anxiety dream, along the lines of showing up for school and realizing you have to take a final when you didn’t even know you were enrolled in the class. But it’s still terrifying.
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05.06.07
Posted in personal, miscellaneous at 9:00 pm by misstyrios
Be sure to check out PD Stuff’s Monday Musings this week…because it is an interview with me!
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