This is why I love this forum so much, because you are all people who use reasoning and ask questions for a living. When you're a rational, stable, logical human being suddenly faced with a situation that is irrational, unstable and illogical, it's easy for me in retrospect to say, "What the heck was I thinking?" But I was applying 57 years of professional coping skills against two paranoid, demented, vengeful old people with guns -- which means I had no frame of reference from which to draw.
Yes, you now know the why and the how. The "what" of jail time is extremely difficult to write, not because I don't remember it but completely the opposite. As a trained reporter, you're constantly aware of everything and your brain is always recording. My biggest issue three years on now is that I cannot forget what happened, particularly from a psychological standpoint rather than physical one -- it really does resemble a mild form of PTSD, according to the therapist I saw afterward -- and I've become way more paranoid and anxious since.
I drive by the detention center on the way to the supermarket and know exactly what's going on inside there. Every time I hear a car on the gravel driveway, it could very well be law enforcement putting me back in jail again. Every time I'm in a store, I'm constantly on the lookout for elderly people who may resemble them -- you'll find this odd, but I never got an actual look at the man's face -- because they could claim I'm violating the restraining order. And even though I'm on unsupervised (edit: probation), my record will show during any routine traffic stop and could raise serious red flags.
The therapist basically put it this way: "You're no longer a privileged white guy. Welcome to the rest of society."
Let me answer each one of you ...
Regan: I had so many opportunities to realize what was happening and never did the smart thing. I'm trying to make sure those three minutes don't define the rest of my life.
qtlaw: I was prepared to go all Perry Mason but my attorney wisely said, "A conviction will ruin you. You don't want to take that chance." Technically, I never pled guilty, so this will be erased from my record, with the exception of the felony arrest (which will only show to law enforcement).
Swingline: Yeah, you can basically blow away anyone who steps on your property in Georgia and use "I was defending myself" as a legal defense.
cyclingwriter2: I have completely stopped making any motions or hand gestures in the car while I'm driving, or reacting to anyone in a public place. If someone yells at me, I turn the other way. Fool me once, ...
Evil: Yeah, the ramp-up from neighborhood disagreement to misdemeanor to multiple felonies was surreal. In fact, the whole damn thing has been surreal since May 31, 2014. Even the deputies who arrested me mentioned how nice my motorhome is, and I STILL never got an answer as to why it bothers them so much!
cjericho: Aha! Good for you. Yeah, my attorney wanted to know that answer as well. DA said it was "for medical expenses incurred." My attorney asked for a complete accounting and billing statements, to which the DA had no answer. And boy, did that set off the old lady at the hearing -- because they were banking on getting a payday in addition to ruining my life. The judge finally had to tell her she had no further rights once we had agreed to a sentence.
Honestly, I was more concerned about a civil suit than a criminal one. I assumed they'd want money to make things go away, but the statute of limitations is 36 months, whereas the assault on an elderly person is 15 years. So once May 31, 2016 came and went, their ability to sue me evaporated.
And yes, my attorney cost quite a bit. But saving me $30,000, and basically getting a hard slap on the wrist in terms of felony sentencing, made it worth it.
Baron: Society has changed so much. My parents would think nothing of punishing my friends for bad behavior, or my friend's parents would do the same to me if I acted up at their houses. Gwen just retired from elementary school teaching, and teachers are frightened to even hug children for fear of getting reprimanded, sued or even arrested.
And yeah, we asked my attorney whether Gwen or I could file counter-charges, but his opinion was that I had initiated the second confrontation, particularly with the trespass, which negated any legal action we could take. Had I shrugged it off initially and called the sheriff myself, at least we would have had some standing had the old lady pursued it further.
After I got out, I made a special pad for the motorhome that is parallel to the street as close as the covenants will allow, so they have to look right at it every time they exit or enter the neighborhood, particularly in the winter when the leaves are gone. And from what I know, they're still alive. That's the first thing I check every Thursday when the local paper comes out -- I flip to the obits.
I promise to suck it up and write the actual jail piece.
