... the end!

let's see if I can't get this wrapped up now.  you guys see what I mean though, about it being an awfully long story/nightmare/WTH moment!

after we left the second meeting with the lawyer, we did feel better.  the lawyer said he wanted to let a couple months go by, get through the holidays and things calm down before he went to talk to the DA.  that he felt that these women were a loose cannon and a big joke.  it was obvious they were lying, and would be no problem to get the charges dropped.

it's April now, and the lawyer is wanting Matt to come in.  I didn't go, but David did, and we still do not know what happened.  this lawyer, while he was always pretty arrogant and full of himself, seemed to be even more so now.  he told Matt that he wanted his transcript from high school and college and that Matt might want to enroll in anger management, that it would look good for him.  when he was asked why, he'd just change the subject to how he knew what he was doing, he knew how to defend people, yada yada yada.  now it's June and each month the lawyer is getting the case postponed, which wasn't a big deal, but now he is angry that Matt has not completed anger management.  he tells Matt that we can not proceed until he had completed 6 weeks of it and that Matt needs to write a letter to the judge about what he has learned and how sorry he is?????? 

to keep from repeating myself over and over by saying we don't what happened, we simply do not know.  why this lawyer did an about face, who knows.  he never could/would give us an answer.  when David and I tried to talk to him, he pretty much ignored us, except for when he told me I needed to let Matt grow up and be a man.  that he was a good kid, I'd done my job and he didn't need me trying to run things.  

I know you are probably thinking, why didn't you just get another lawyer?  because we thought that too! we wrestled with it and agonized over it, but we had already paid this man a lot of money. if we got another lawyer, we'd have to pay them the same money we'd already paid, if not more! 

then the lawyer started getting shady.  by now David had stopped going with Matt, each time there was some reason the case was postponed, and once we stopped going the lawyer started telling Matt he needed to bring more money.  now remember, we'd already paid this man, agreed upon his price, and signed documents.  one time he told Matt he needed to bring $1000.00 more.  the next time it was $750.00.

then $1500.00.  we'd call the office to see what we owed for but the secretary would tell us nothing, we were paid in full.  and of course, the lawyer wanted cash.  with the exception of our first payment being in cash, the remainder had been paid by check, so, why must it be cash.   Matt would ask him what the money was for and he'd say we have to pay the DA. there are court costs,  just fees involved that need to be taken care of so I'll need you to bring me this money.

in Jan there was another court date, but it was postponed as well.  the lawyer tells Matt "if you want this to be over next month, you need to bring the cash with you to my office"  so now we have a date for Feb 28th, and we all know this guy is trying to take advantage of Matt. the lawyer has also told Matt at this point that he will plead guilty.  David and I go to the Feb appt.  and when it wasn't confusing, it was ugly!

  the guy started out rambling and then starts telling us something about he is going to ask us questions about what kind of kid Matt was growing up, to give a background story.  I found that really odd, since first of all he is saying Matt is going to plead guilty and secondly he had no clue we were coming, so why are we going to be on the stand to testify? he'd never asked us to or mentioned it before.  then, he says to Matt did you bring all the money?  the $1500.00?  Matt said no I did not, I only brought $250.00.  our plan was that whatever needed to be paid at the courthouse would be paid, we were not giving this guy anymore money.  but that isn't what he wanted.

from the day the lawyer started telling Matt he needed to bring money, he never could tell him what it was for. and the man was shady! I'm sure this has worked for him before, and he was plenty mad it wasn't working for him on this day!

so the lawyer starts yelling saying WHY?  Matt says what is the money for.  the lawyer says WHY?  that is all he will say, WHY WHY WHY, like a 2 yr old! he never does tell us what the money is for.  David tries to ask what the money is for, he tells David "I am speaking to my client". ummm, dude, who paid you?  then.... he seriously throws us out of his office!  Tells us all to get the hell out of his office.  I must say that I was extremely proud of Matthew.  he held his own and did not let this man push him around.  he stayed calm, was not out of control. he did not yell, but he did tell the lawyer that he didn't need to be screaming at him.  he acted like a responsible mature man.

we all agreed to not give the lawyer this money he was now asking for, and I knew we were taking a chance, but I sure was shocked when he reacted the way he did.  all I could think was buddy, you need that high dollar anger management class.  as we got outside, I wasn't crying or screeching, but I was shaking and could not stop.  I said he is going to throw Matt under the bus, you just know he is.  For the next 45 minutes I could not stop shaking.  I felt bad for Matt, I felt bad for Kristin, and now I was getting mad!  David tells Matt, do not agree to anything or sign anything until we know for sure what is going on.  then the lawyer comes in, calls us into a room and starts out with this you never want to tick of your lawyer.  he's on your side, and I'm thinking to myself, then act like it!  it was almost comical, because at this point he had kinda changed his tune a little and was telling us that we'd need a lawyer to get this off Matt's record and he'd be happy to do it.  I think at that moment I snorted a little, and he said well you probably wouldn't want to hire me and to be honest, I don't know that I'd take you. whatever dude! he knew at that moment though, he went on to say how we were probably going to go trash his name and never use him again, so he knew he had messed up.  he tells Matt, I don't care if you have the money or not, it wasn't for me, it was for your court costs, but you can pay them out. so why the big fit?  and after it was all over, we didn't ask him, we just simply didn't say anything, because I said we are taking the high road on this one.  it doesn't matter, we'll never see him again, we'll never use him again.  he knows he tried to take advantage of Matt and he knows we know, nothing else really matters.

the lawyer says this is what we've agreed to, 6 months deferred adjudication. no probation officer to report to or probation fees to pay, just stay out of trouble and at the end of 6 months we will have it expunged from your record, it will be like it never happened.  that is what you will need a lawyer for, it will cost about $250.00, but you probably will not call me.  REALLY DUDE?

oh and the charge, unlawful carry of a weapon, a misdemeanor

David and Matt went into the judges room, it took him 2 minutes to sign it, he told Matt he seemed like a responsible young man and this was a little messed up.  then down to the DA's office, and he said the same thing, which if that's what you guys think, we are we here?  at any rate, all court costs were paid, it was about $500.00, which is a far cry from the $1500.00 the lawyer was trying to say it'd be.

I guess everyone needed to have their cut of the money.  I don't know, none of it makes sense to me.  but it's almost over.

Matt just has to not get in trouble, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but as David said after we left the courthouse,

staying out of trouble and NOT getting into trouble are two different things!

he is about to have a baby to help take care of, any day now, so I'm thinking with college, work, and a baby, he'll be too busy to go anywhere!

I know this is just crazy, and it shouldn't have happened, but it could have been much worse. those women could have had a gun and shot him. there are so many ways it could have been worse, and while it's been like a crazy lifetime movie nightmare, it's close to being just a distant memory. 

the lesson learned here..... don't try to fight crazy!  seriously though, the lesson, sometimes it is better to just walk away.

now that you've read it all, how many of you that know me can believe I managed to stay quiet during all this lawyer stuff and not get all redneck!  I'm still not believing it!

here's a couple more layouts, Matt moving us into the new house and Jessica's Valentine Dance her Sr. year.

that's all folks....the end! :)