“I hereby sentence you to the
Indiana Department of Corrections for a period of four (4) years” are words
that I have heard numerous times in my almost twenty years of practicing law in
Marion, Indiana. I have represented
thousands of people and I never was comfortable or liked seeing anyone must
hear those words of imprisonment. I hated
when my clients had to be incarcerated.
In fact, that was why I became a criminal defense attorney after
starting my legal training with the Grant County Prosecutors Office as an
intern. When I was an intern, I tried a
jury trial and the defendant was found guilty and sentence to prison. Afterward, I was distraught for having played
a huge role in sending someone to prison and I vowed to never do that
again. Thus, I became a public defender
and a criminal defense attorney whose passion became advocating for the
accused. I tried too many bench and jury
trials to count. I filed numerous appellate
briefs and even argued cases in the Indiana Court of Appeals and once I had the
honor of arguing a case in the Indiana Supreme Court - - forever changing the Attorney
Work-Product law in the State of Indiana.
I loved my career. I loved my clients. I loved being a part of the system against
incarceration. I loved helping people. I loved getting people out of jail
early. I love being in the
Courtroom. I loved trials of all kinds. I hated sentencing hearings because that
usually meant that my client would hear these awful words . . . “I hereby
sentence you to the Indiana Department Corrections” - - that was always the
worst part of the career that I loved and eventually lost.
Come to find out it’s just as bad -
- OKAY, WORSE when it’s me who hears those same exact words before being led
off in handcuffs and shackles down the same hallways I walked as an attorney. On December 18, 2015 that is exactly what
happened. I was sentenced to the Indiana
Department of Corrections for a period of four (4) years.
I was broken.
I was addicted.
I was alone.
I was a felon.
I was a mess. . . okay, a HOT MESS
. . . a TRAINWRECK
I didn’t care if I lived or
died. It was that bad. Funny, I vowed to never put someone in prison
after that trial I did as an intern and I was successful at that my entire career
until my addiction got the best of me and I ended up putting myself in
prison. To be rigorously honest - -
meth, crack, heroin, pills, alcohol, cocaine, and a life not worth living
already had me incarcerated emotionally and spiritually so the physical
incarceration was simply a change in zip codes.
I imprisoned myself. I was a prisoner of brokenness (still am),
shame, and guilt. Judge Young just
followed through with what I already started and sent me away . . . come to
find out – to heal.
You already know what happened in
prison and the transformation that took place.
I mean I don’t like to brag but I AM A MIRACLE - - PERIOD.
God transformed me, changed me,
saved me, and freed me. I prayed daily
for things like forgiveness, freedom, surrender, thy will be done, love,
empathy, compassion, and on and on. I
promised God to always tell others what He had done for me and what He continues
to do every single day.
TODAY… I am two years free from prison. I went back there yesterday, and you can see
my pictures of that on my Facebook page. 😊
Since my release this is what God has
done in my life:
·
I am sober today and have been for over 40
months
·
I am reunited with ALL my family and remarried
·
I have mended friendships and made friends out
of enemies
·
I have learned to trust GOD, to listen for HIS
whispers, and to walk by faith
·
I listen more and talk less
·
I joined College Wesleyan Church
·
I mentor men in the Churches Embracing Offenders
Program
·
I sponsor men in their own walk of recovery
·
I am a certified recovery coach
·
I visit jails and share my message even though I
am a person who is STILL on probation and has a felony conviction – that is a
miracle in itself.
·
I help people find their own recovery story and
teach them how to tell it
·
I work at Milestone Addiction Services and work
closely with the Grant County Drug Court and Grant County Re-Entry Court
·
I have shared what God has done for me all over
social media, radio stations, Television shows, podcasts, at businesses,
corporations, churches, schools, universities, sidewalks, bathrooms, gas stations,
in Wal-Mart, and a little place called the Honeywell Center, the Hope House,
and just about everywhere you can imagine
·
I have amazing friends today
·
I love people well
·
I love loving people until they are well and
beyond
·
There is not one thing that I have done that is
NOT prefaced with the simple phase. . . BUT, GOD. I am #stupidgrateful to be able to say this.
What is next you say? I am in the process of starting sober living
/ transitional / recovery homes here in Grant County. It is in the planning stage, but I am faithful
that God has a plan that is bigger than I could ever imagine. He’s already saved me from the biggest enemy
I have faced – Me . . .
Today, I just take my own advice
and pray for him to show me the way. . . Because if you are struggling, it’s
okay…help is only a prayer away.
If you need to hear about what GOD can do in your life click HERE
To hear more about my story you can watch this short VIDEO created by Indiana Wesleyan University and Marion General Hospital.
