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: A Public Defender's Life in Alaska

So, let me tell you why I am a public defender. When I first went to law school I wanted to be a cop. Maybe Crown Counsel. Oh, my views were far different back then. That all changed on July 26, 1996. It was on that day that a search warrant was served at my home. It is a deeply personal story that involves betrayal and false allegations. I won't give all the details but my younger brother, for reasons that never became clear to me, made up some allegations. The police arrived in force in my yard. I was cuffed and my property was searched. What struck me at the time was that even as the police began to realize it was all bullshit, they didn't back off. They began to threaten me. Try to intimidate me. Luckily, I had just completed my first year of law school, and it was less than effective. I was hauled down to the police station and thrown into a cell with a bloody mattress. I was booked and released. For months the police threatened to charge with me an indictable offense, knowing it would hurt my bar application. Nothing ever happened. My goods were returned and I filed a law suit. Eventually, I settled it on the promise to remove the arrest from my 'record'. It is funny how my world view changed in an instant. The less the police had, the worse they treated me. I vowed on that day to fight the police for the rest of my life. And so I have. Even though it means that I make less money than I deserve. Even though I have to deal with criminals. I willl never forget how the police treated me that day. If they could treat me that badly, how do they treat 'true' criminals? You see, here is the problem with the police. Most of them start with great intentions. Many are even good people at first. But after enough time they begin to divide the world into TWO groups: cops and their families and SCUM. That is it. Two groups. I know the police have their role. I have been friends with a few cops over the years. Not all are bad. I have even relied on them once or twice. But, as a group, the police are the enemies of the People. And I shall fight them until I can't. May the memory of July 26, 1996 burn forever in my heart. P.S. we got our first real snowfall yesterday..it finally looks like winter in this part of Alaska.

Full post as published by A Public Defender's Life in Alaska on November 28, 2009 (boomark / email).