Re: Thrown in Jail: Follow up

["amc74hornet" <amc74hornet@xxxx>]

--- In BaadAssGremlins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxx> wrote:
> Follow up:
> My court date was set for March 23rd, Tuesday, 8:00am in Harris County Court
> #1. This was according to the ABC Bail Bond sheet. Monday night, March 22nd
> I decided to take my dog for a long walk to try to settle down somwewhat so
> I could go to bed early, as it is a 15 mile jaunt down Interstate 10 to get
> to downtown Houston, which is forever mired in construction. In other words,
> a 15 mile drive could take you 45 minutes and then you have to battle for
> parking downtown, parking is plentiful, just some more expensive than
> others, like those prostitues I saw. And I didn't
> know where the new country courthouse was anyhows. And I had heard you can't
> be late or a warrant is issued. So I would have to be hitting the sack by
> 11:00pm for a wakeup at 5:30am and be on the road by 6:15am I guess, giving
> myself some time to not only drive the highway to hell, but also find a
> parking space, and go by the bail bondsman to check in, which was advised.
> You know, for only being a three lane both ways Interstate, I-10 has more
> than a quarter million cars on it DAILY. Think about it. And get ready
> ya'll, as it is fixing to go under massive consteurrion by TxDot thru 2009,
> and supposed to end up being 18 lanes with a tollway in the middle, don't
> know whos wiseass idea that way, I think a rail would be better, but then it
> would need a inspection sticker.
> 
> Huggy Bear stood at the front door of the decrepit building at the corner of
> San Jacinto. Ironic. San Jacinto, THE symbol of Texas Freedom from Mexico.
> Not the damned Alamo, San Jacinto. read your history books on where Texas
> won it's freedom from Santa Anna's divisions. we love the Alamo, but the
> real fight was just east of Houston for Texican Independence. So we have
> Bail Bonds on San Jacinto. Inside the place looks like Gilley's from the
> 70s, cracked walls, trash, paint flaking off ceiling, water stains, at least
> it didn't smell like urine. I had dropped a quarter in the electronic
> parking meter, even though they are not supposed to start working until
> 8:00am, and it was not even 7:00am, the drive from west Houston featured no
> traffic, rather unusual. Maybe they were all in jail.
> 
> I was told by the bondsman (a lady) that the courthouse was two blocks down,
> and she gestured at it, a big imposing building shaped like a huge white
> penis. I felt humor and laughed, and asked where I could park, as my 72
> Ambassador silently waited near the meter, which had about 3 minutes left.
> She said the farther from the courthouse the better and cheaper, go about
> three blocks towards the Astros ballpark. So I drove around and sure enough,
> all day parking for only $2.75, and I had the first spot there. It was five
> blocks from the courthouse, but who cares. The downtown traffic was starting
> to really pick up too, and parking lots were filling up fast. Across from
> the courthouse is a new juvenile justice center and across from that is the
> new Harris County Jail going up at a rapid pace, looks to be 15-20 stories.
> Crime is a big business in Houston I guess, all that money made off
> inspection stickers. I would guess when it is opened it will be a week
> before the gang gnats move in, and urine will once again rule the air, while
> the new paint will be spashed with pieces of bolonga sandwich and peanut
> butter cookies and other vile things prisoners spit up, so it will look just
> like the old place, smell like it too. That new county jail looks huge, and
> dwarfs the old building I had been in last week, which is right across the
> street.
> 
> Only employees were being allowed into the new courthouse, and there was a
> big line of peasants like me waiting to get in, and would have to go thru a
> series of metal detectors. But it was a endless row of sherriffs, deputies,
> Houston police, constables and others wearing badges going in before
> everyone else, not a good sign to me at least. Across the street a number of
> fellows stood on a corner looking for work, hopefully for the day I guess.
> Yes, they are in this country illegally. You can call them immigrants all
> you want but immigrants come from all over the globe too. And while you
> can't fault anyone wanting to make a better life for themselves and their
> families, I thought this is extremely ironic that here is a large number of
> law enforcement, literally the hornet's nest of them, and well, a number of
> people who have broken the laws of this country by entering, standing in a
> group right across from them. Maybe I should have walked over and given all
> those fellows wanting work a inspection sticker and told them those cops
> over there have some 'work' for them. Nah. I can't tell you how many times
> *I* have hired illegals to do work for me, moving stuff in my warehouse,
> painting, sheetrock, levelling lawn, even concrete, and I pay whoever it is
> $10 a hour, which $100 for a day is what they would make in their home
> country for a month.
> 
> Ru-Paul sashayed past me selling Houston Chronicle's, good to see him/her/it
> is still around and doing fine, nice hair too. The courthouse was finally
> opened and common people were being herded in like cows. I stood in line and
> clutched my crucifix and big wad of keys, knowing I would have to put both
> in the bowl to get thru. Up on the 8th floor you could tell this building
> was rather new as not only did the elevators work, unlike the Soviet era
> other buildings I had been in, where you might not get to the floor, or like
> the poor doctor who was cut in half in the Med Center recently, every
> elevator is a adventure. There was not even a gang scribbling or spit on the
> ceiling on these. Yet. The view fromt he 8th floor was nice, you could see
> well, the new jail going up, the juve detention center, the Enron field or
> whatever they call the ballpark now, new new Hilton about 1/2 mile away is
> nice, the 85 or so Texas Commerce tower is close, as are a number of other
> gleaming skyscrapers. Down on the street I started counting the cars in the
> parking lot across the street, it is $15 per car there and there was now 230
> cars in the lot, quite a racket, easy money too. I wondered how many of
> those cars at $15 a pop had a valid inspection sticker.
> 
> There was a hispanic fellow I had talked to not only at city, but at county,
> and I told him thanks for the attorney number he had given me, but it was no
> help as the number had a collect call BLOCK on it, like all others I tried.
> I told him I STILL remembered the number too. And I mentioned to him that
> suddenly I was really popular as lawyer letters were piling up in my
> mailbox, and had received over 20 of them so far. Everyone had written me
> except the fellow Jim Adler who calls himself "the Texas Hammer: the tough
> smart attorney!" Maybe all these other ones were mere earthlings, "the dumb
> weak attorney!" But I found humor in telling this fellow that. While we were
> talking, a white fellow that was wearing a bermuda shirt and shorts was
> sitting next to me with two I believe Chinese friends. I told him that
> chances are, the judge would kick him out of the courtroom with shorts, as
> they do that. He asked what I was there for and amazingly enough, his asian
> friends were there for the same thing. As was my hispanic friend. So you had
> four of us there with bad inspection stickers. Maybe there is a serious
> problem with these things on the street.
> 
> I was advised ( by the hispanic guy with glasses I had befriended in city
> and county) to tell the judge I don't have a attorney. Ask for a court
> appointed one. Ask for a continuance, of which they would reschedule it for
> a later date, and after I signed a affadavit, the appointed attorney would
> then try to reduce my charge from a different class, and fine. I told them
> that I sort of already had my mind made up I was going to plead 'non
> contest' as "possession is 90% of the law" and it would be impossible to
> find the gypsies, much less have them sign anything unless it was a check,
> stating they screwed me out of my original sticker. And I sure don't keep
> records like that, whether for the decal, or paying the gypsies cash. The
> hispanic guy had two tickets and said that was his strategy, to get a court
> appointed lawyer then simply ask for a re-set over and over until they
> dropped it, which usually happens. I told him I don't want to keep coming
> back down to this hell hole and would talk to the DA myself, or the judge.
> The Jimmy Buffet fellow next to me said to the asians that is what he was
> going to do with them; the hispanic guy's defense. I thought this was
> strange, that people are planning their defense outside in the hallway
> talking to strangers they will never see again.
> 
> The floor was quiet with only a few conversations going on with some of the
> people, probably over 80 people waiting for their respective courts to open
> up. The doors are supposed to unlock at 8:00am, but none of them opened
> until 8:25am, and you know when the doors open, you can HEAR them and then
> it looks like opening day at a Wal Mart that has $25 tv's on sale. I sat in
> one of the front rows. Courtrooms are sometimes intimidating, depending on
> what you are in them for. This one was pleasant. Didn't smell like urine,
> but the new carpet already had some stains, probably disgusted people like
> me spitting. Not because I don't cherish our justice system, which I think
> is one of the best in the world. But because depending on the reason you are
> there, you may not feel like it is the best and today I felt like I was at a
> Iraqi Tribunal.
> 
> No attorney. Alone. You look around and it is strange to see how people come
> to a court of law. Used to be you had a suit or would have to dress up, now
> it looks like you are going to a Portland Trailblazers NBA game. Maybe that
> is what is wrong with society, no respect. But I now also fail to respect a
> system which I see has failed me. If there is ever a next time, I'll wear a
> NBA tshirt also, maybe ear rings in both ears. I guess it obviously don't
> matter anymore. I'm here, this is Judgement Day. I was fingerprinted about 7
> times, and photographed once. I was incarcerated in a American city jail for
> 24+ hours, and then led in a chain gang handcuffed to 11 other inmates to a
> county jail where I was for another 6+ hours. For a simple motor vehicle
> infraction. I have no record,a nd last time I was in jail was in 1983, when
> a country western club I was was working at was raided by TABC and all the
> employees were hauled down to city. And here I found myself sitting in a
> courtroom in Harris County, Houston, Texas, so something, to me at least,
> trivial.
> 
> Several lawyers came and went, and some called to their clients, who then
> went with them to the back, or outside the courtroom to discuss. One lawyer
> looked like Columbo, disheveled, and his client was obviously agitated to be
> there, sitting about 10 feet from me. Looking at his 2nd DWI, his lawyer
> told him that the DA is offering 60 days and $4000 fine. His insurance would
> go up to about $100 a month or more. I tried not to listen, but hell, it was
> right next to me. The guy said he wanted no jail and would pay any fine, and
> ask for probation. Maybe this is what the courtrooms are designed for.
> People who break the law. Over and over. A young kid who looked to me like a
> gang member approached the Sherriff who told him to get out of the fenced
> iron gate area. There were people working in there, and one of them was a
> young boy about 25 or so, looked like Clark Kent without glasses. I was
> stunned when this fellow called my name and asked me to come over and
> introduced himself as the DA. I looked at him and said 'huh!' And he said
> 'sir?' I told him that 'you look mightly young for a DA, but good for you if
> you are in this field and I hope you go far; my oldest son is 24 and trying
> for his Masters in Marine Biology at A&M" He said, 'that is real nice, good
> to hear, thank you' and then said if I had a lawyer. No. Asked did I want
> one. I asked what are my options. He said: guilty as charged; nolo
> contendere/no contest; not guilty. I asked if I am considering 'no contest'
> what am I looking at? He said probably a 15 day sentence and $2000 fine. I
> said, maybe I need to get a court appointed attorney. He said, this is not
> that serious. You have probably the weakest case in here, of which I was
> happy to hear, but I WAS STILL IN THERE. He said, ok, look, how about a $200
> fine and court costs for a no contest plea as I'll give you two days credit
> for time served in jail already, and you won't ever have to come back again.
> I said I'll take it, not realizing that this will be on my record, but what
> the hell. So I filled out some papers and sat back down. I had to ask for
> another pen as the one he gave me didn't write. Figures.
> 
> I was one of the first ones before the judge, who looked like he was playing
> Doom on his computer. The courtroom is all computerized now, I wonder what
> would happen if power fails, do they get data corruption, or crash or
> reschedule, or what.
> The judge was a quiet man and asked me what I wanted to plead. I told him
> 'no contest your honor' and he said, "very well, step over there and get
> fingerprinted, and they will sign you up. Good luck sir." I said 'thank you
> your honor' and walked to another desk to stick my right thumb in ink once
> again. I had only sat down for about five minutes and they called me again
> and I was instructed to take this yellow sheet to the third floor, pay the
> fine, and that is all. So I went down to the third floor, and there was a
> crosseyed sherriff standing there and I asked him where room 1030 was to pay
> fines, and he pointed over there. I was one of the first in line and the
> line behind me got large, quick. They take credit cards too and in yet
> another ironic twist, if you can't pay the whole fine in the same day,t hey
> pop you with yet another $25 fee!
> 
> It was now about 10:30am, and I had been in 'the system' again for about 2
> hours.
> I paid the fine, got my receipt and left. Walking outside all the hispanic
> illegals across the street had found a job for a day, good for them. The
> temp was about 73 degrees and a nice east wind blowing in from the Gulf, and
> there was a really large line of potential jurors standing along one side of
> the big penis shaped courthouse, waiting to get in and register their civil
> duty. I walked two blocks down to the old bail office and rechecked in,
> letting them know I was done, they scratched off my name unceremoniously and
> told me I was good to go. I go now. I go far now.
> 
> I headed back to the Ambassador which was 3 blocks away, and the parking lot
> there, had filled up, so did the one across the street and the one next to
> that. What a racket. I bet they can pay their taxes on that little parcel of
> land in one month. I looked at every inspection sticker on every vehicle I
> passed in the parking lot. I still don't know what the hell is the
> difference and they all look the same to me as I walked past dozens of cars.
> I drove over to Franklin and turned right, and saw a phone near the Minute
> Maid Park ballpark, finally figured out what it is called now, but there was
> a phone on a stick with construction barrels near it and I had to call my
> wife to let her know I was fine.
> 
> But before I went home I would however have
> to go to East End, the barrio about a mile away, as if you come to Houston,
> and I don't see why you would want to after reading this story, but over on
> Navigation across fromt he original Ninfa's is a tiny little taco place
> shoved in a house called Villa Arcos which means house of arrows. If you
> don't know it is there you might pass it. It was time to get a carne guisada
> and a eggs/bacon/cheese taco and a big Borden's OJ. They have some of the
> best tacos in Houston, about $1.25 each, and not shy about filling them up,
> and the bacon is thick cut, the carne is hot and spiced perfectly in the
> gravy. This would make me forget the shit bononga sandwich in jail, or the
> eggs with larvae and uncooked grits. And the green hot sause they give you
> sticks with you, not overpowering, but just enhances all the food, check
> them out.
> 
> I sat there Tuesday, March 23rd, 2004 eating my tacos, thinking about the
> whole experience of the past week. It was mind numbing and almost surreal.
> And it really did happen in my adopted hometown. And I had zero recourse or
> way of showing anyone how this whole situation transpired to begin with.
> There are obviously some laws in the books that need to be changed is now my
> opinion.
> 
> While Eddie Griffin of the Houston Rockets shot at, and beat the shit out of
> his girlfriend months ago, was arrested, and charged with a variety of
> charges, he has the best attorneys in Houston money can buy, the 'dream
> team' if you will. Needless to say the charges have been whittled down to
> guess what: a misdemeanor, same thing I was charged with. Yes, he will have
> a fine and probation, but same charge as a bad inspection sticker as opposed
> to trying to kill someone and beating them senseless; but because of having
> a attorney, and the money to pay for such priviledge, he is getting off with
> a slap on of the wrist. I don't want to compare my getting hauled to jail
> for 33 hours to his shooting at his old lady and beating the shit out of
> her, but when (and if) you see the comparison, you see how I guess justice
> can indeed be bought by those who can indeed afford it. I always thought
> that was just a myth.
> 
> More to come.
> Eddie Stakes


I can understand your frustration with the system but be glad your ordeal is over and try to put it behind you. 
"Doc"