Sod Off, Today! in Book Seven: Reconstruction 2020

I woke up today to loud thunder booming around the house.
Not surprisingly, after a few of those… Nala decided she no longer wanted to sleep on the couch and came back to sleep on the bed. Her little body pressed into my calf the whole time.

Of course, the snow, rain, heavy winds, temps freezing to 50 F… is doing SHIT to my body. Did not want to get out of bed. Hurt to get dressed. But came in to work anyway so I could be at the courthouse for ten minutes. Otherwise, everything could have been done from home today as my trials were cancelled and all of my hearings are by phone. I find it interesting (and irritating) that especially since Iowa is doing so poorly our Court System is doing everything it can to promote “WFH” but… our officers don’t believe in wearing a mask (JUST YESTERDAY, I had an officer tell me “With a 97% survival rate, I’m not changing my life in anyway to avoid this thing.”) and our Government Offices don’t believe in a WFH “attitude”. Dumb. Though… I do know that there is little they could do if I just told them “Fuck off, I’m working from home!” Because with my new setup, there is now literally NOTHING I can’t do from home besides answer direct phone calls or go to court. And phone calls go to my voice mail, which I can check from home and return using a Business Line. So… not being able to handle every jackass phone call that comes into the office is even MORE incentive to work from home.

Got a picture of Victoria’s mom yesterday. Victoria was at odds, trying to figure out what she could do since she was THERE but without being able to see her mom… and her mom mentioned something about really needing hugs… so Victoria bought the biggest stuffed animal she could find at Target and gave it to her mom via Medically Approved Channels. And the nurse took a picture of her mom hugging it and sent it to her. It was very sweet.
This morning, you could tell that Victoria doesn’t really know what to do with herself. I mean, she literally said those words, but also the first thing she shared to the group chat was a video from a few years back of her teaching her son to read. It was very sweet. Also… fun to see her with hair again, lol. The short cropped red works for her; but the massive mane of auburn and orange was very cool to see. Victoria was crocheting this morning feeling like she was just waiting. From the picture… it LOOKS like her mom is on the mend?? But we’ll see what the vitals say today. Fingers crossed and prayers said. Seriously, I hope the family embraces what is going on here. Yes, Victoria and her mom don’t get along all the time. Yes, Victoria and her sister don’t talk to each other anymore. BUT when it mattered, Victoria got her ass down there and made sure to be around. Even if you don’t respect some of her life choices, the fact that she would do that shows she prioritizes family and cares. I really hope this helps all of them heal.
Though I will say… this position is SUPER interesting and refreshing for me. Like… she didn’t know what to do with herself today… I didn’t instantly embrace that as a problem I needed to solve. I could approach it as “A friend is experiencing a feeling I can empathize with.” Remus had some excellent ideas to help her… stuff I’m sure I would have considered had I spent brain power on it but… as cruel as it might sound… it was a relief that I could sit and acknowledge a friend’s feelings while not taking on their stress and working myself up over it. I’m somewhat torn over that because… yay not adding stress unnecessarily… but… does that make me a bad friend?

Oh.... my inner SNOB is coming out in spades right now and I’m channeling it into Prosebox because otherwise it may pour out in person.
Recurring Defendant. Child Endangerment due to letting her violent, convicted felon boyfriend chain-smoke pot in the same room as her infant. Well, she got her busted ass rednecked self in trouble again. GIRL 1 hit her and left. So Defendant chased after her. Defendant hit her back and attempted to initiate a fight. GIRL 1 went to her car while Defendant attempted to continue to antagonize a situation. SO… that’s why she is the Defendant. Today was a Pretrial Conference. She had not requested an attorney nor hired one. She’s holding a screaming baby while on the phone with the court. We have to repeat everything five to six times in order for her to hear it or respond. (This whole time I keep thinking… woman you signed the court required paper that you were not requesting an attorney, you’re an idiot, you clearly need one and would qualify for a free one!!) She decides she is going to plead guilty. So we go through the rigmarole for that. But it falls apart because she states she was acting in self-defense. AND REMEMBER, EVERYTHING IS BEING REPEATED FIVE TO SIX TIMES. This hearing is already the longest thing I’ve done today by a dozen minutes. So, we agree that she is claiming to have a defense and needs to re-fill out the Court Required Paperwork to apply for Court Appointed Attorney. WE HAVE TO TELL HER SEVENTEEN TIMES that she needs to contact the clerk of court for that paperwork. Now… here’s the thing. I understand how it can be shitty to not have proper child care. I understand how it can be very strange to have court via the phone. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND holding your screaming child while on the phone with the court. It isn’t a social call. Put the child down and pay attention, the whole thing takes 5 minutes. Carrying the child (who didn’t stop screaming the whole call) extended the hearing to 45 minutes. I know I’m a cold hearted bastard sometimes but if I had been the judge… I would have told her that I was continuing the hearing as the circumstances were proving unproductive!

Sorry, had to channel that somewhere.

Last night, Essen was sharing photos and video to the group chat. LOVE that I’m on that chat. It is Essen, Remus, Victoria, and me. And technically… if this is just updating on Victoria’s mom and/or the kids… there isn’t really any reason for me to be involved. But I’m super thankful I am. And it was so adorable seeing the kids play in the leaves. There was a spectacular photo of all five kids in the leaf pile that is very much “Computer Background Worthy.” And I think about her situation and honestly do wish I weren’t so busy this week. I mean, bless her for helping Victoria and Remus (she has their Daughter from School Start to after dinner and picks up their son and has him from school to when the In Laws come to pick up both kids). Considering what she’s going through right now adding on that she’s working (digital English teacher for private students in China) and trying to get two of her three kids through Virtual Schooling… she’s got to be at her wit’s end!! But I just don’t have the opportunity this week to take an evening to go over and help. :( THAT I do feel bad about.

Worked through lunch unnecessarily. I do that probably too often. Nothing I’m doing can’t be put off for an hour but… I don’t like the concept of interrupting for a “break”. I’d rather work 6 hours straight than do a 4 and 4. And for those that are doing the math thinking “One of those equals 8 hours of work, though”… be honest. How often do you work your absolute hardest only to stop immediately at noon then at 1:00, you return to your desk with the same fervor and attitude that you had before noon? So yeah… I’m suggesting that allowing a person to get in a rhythm and keep working is 6 hours of work and interrupting that work for an hour break at noon is also 6 hours of work.

HA! People suck. I have a friend that is trying to explain to people why he’s against Coney being ushered into the Supreme Court. Thing is… MY friend is a lawyer who went to Law School with me and took classes on Government, the law, courts, court procedures, and ethics. He’s arguing against people who… well… one lists his occupation as “Full Time Gators Fan” and the other “Structural Engineer.” Now, no shade against those professions but they don’t exactly prepare you to understand the nuanced intricacies of Government and the Law. Especially as compared to Attorneys. I’m offering some support and backing it up with literal evidence (precedent cases, etc). But ultimately? All of this is silly. Because here’s the thing:
They are arguing that the GOP didn’t have to take a vote on Garland because they were in charge. They’re in charge still and get to take a vote on Barrett. That’s just how shit works.

Which… no. No. The Constitution calls for the Senate to hold confirmation hearings to advise the president on the suitability of the nominee. The GOP did not hold hearings or vote. And here’s the humor and what I was saying back in 2016… if the GOP is “in control” then they can vote NOT to confirm. They didn’t have the votes because (1) they weren’t “in control” in the way they were and are claiming; and (2) they knew that Garland was a suitable nominee.

So ultimately, the PRIME issue is that the GOP corrupted and abused their power by not holding hearings on Garland. The only way that they can “balance the scales” is by refusing to hold hearings on Barrett. They, of course, have not done that. And here’s the thing… I think the GOP should be required to own up to their bullshit. I think that they should be required to admit “Legally, there was no valid reason to not hold hearings on Merrick Garland. Legally, there are no valid reasons to not hold hearings on Amy Coney Barrett. However, as no hearing was held on Garland, no hearing shall be held on Barrett. However, I encourage my fellow Americans in the legislative bodies to return to a fair, lawful, and ethical approach to these nominations in the future. The Department of Justice is not a political body, nor should it be turned into a political body. Justice should be fair, ethical, and free of politics.”

AND NOW FOR A PHONE HEARING.... that was frustrating as all hell.
Before I even go into the details… one of the witnesses for the “defense” (parents) COULD NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. Lawyer speaks, translator translates, THEN answer the question. We had to tell her SEVEN TIMES! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!? Adults… seriously… listen to instructions and comply. FUCK!

So that hearing took 2 hours. Two hours on the phone is about 110 minutes too many for me!! All because Drug Momma and her Brother are angry and confused that
(1) We don’t want the children at home with them if they are both going to smoke meth
(2) We don’t want the children at home with them when Brother threatens DHS staff with a bat and death threats
(3) We don’t believe the illegal immigrant who refuses to take a drug test is a reliable caretaker for the children.
That’s the issue. TWO HOURS because of that. I just… I can’t… one thing y’all probably get sick of reading but it is certainly a part of my every day thoughts:
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!?

The literal SECOND I got off the phone?? I get a phone call from a Deputy. He’s asking about a Town case. That seems… odd. Well, the Controlling Asshole of a Defendant was “right pissed off” that his wife got charged and wanted his buddy to tell him what the fuck was going on over there!! GRARGH. So I tried to explain it to him… my own emotions probably getting the better of me after the immediately prior 2 hour hearing… telling him that this is a case with three lawyers. Dude should TALK TO THE ATTORNEY. Because the attorney already knows how to make this go away. Step One: Provide the Proof Legally Required and Court Ordered that No Crime Happened. Step Two: WE’RE DONE! That’s how it works. Sitting there throwing a tantrum as a 53 year old man because YOU aren’t in control of the situation makes me wish I could charge you for your asinine selfish childlike bullshit. He should just be happy that we can’t write laws requiring adults to not act like fucking spoiled children all the time.

GAH! End of that phone call? Hey, NEW PHONE CALL! Victim of a Domestic. Which… I mean, there’s a good thing of this. She wants to fight. And that’s great. But that also means that there are a lot of ways I can disappoint her. And this case is even worse because Defense is likely to force his 10 year old son to testify. The 10 year old son that Dad beats up and shouts down and abuses. Because the 10 year old son is terrified of his father and has lied on the record before to protect his dad because dad terrifies him. I just… ::sigh:: I wish the law were better equipped to deal with monsters. Because here’s the truth, and I’ve likely discussed this before:
The law is currently set up to attempt to protect the rights of average citizens against government overreach. The way the law does this is by using every means it can to make sure no Criminal Defendant has been in any way unfairly dealt with, cruelly managed, or civilly violated. Translation? The law states that for YOUR protection we have to make sure Criminal Defendants are protected from the government. Which sounds nice and high and lofty but… here’s the issue.....
Legitimately innocent people are found guilty all the time.
Legitimately guilty people are found not guilty all the time.
So we have a system whereby we do NOT “for the protection f the average citizen, protect the Criminal Defendant zealously from the government.” What we’ve done is created a system whereby “Money, skin color, region, and availability of resources determine whether there is truly any justice at all.”
Because in truth? I have three adult eye witnesses who say “I saw this many strike this woman”. Now, they don’t all agree. One says “it looked like a closed fist”, one says “I think it was a push, I saw her get knocked back”, and the victim says “he struck me with a heavy camping chair”. BUT these witnesses don’t know each other and have no reason to lie or collaborate on a story. So… eye witnesses say “Dude touched her in a violent way!” But this guy is a real charmer, as you can tell already, so wants to make sure he never takes responsibility for hitting her because “it’s not like it’s wrong” and is willing to coerce his son into lying for him. And I have very little recourse to change any of that. And worse? We’re running out of court dates aggressively. I want to put this guy in jail for as long as I can but if he pulls his head out of his ass long enough to accept a plea offer, I’d make it happen in the blink of an eye!

I am tired. And Essen’s car won’t start. Luckily Remus’ mom is picking up the kiddo from school. But I may swing by her place tonight to see if she’s gotten it working. Not like I could help but I could at least give her a jump. I’ve got a DnD game tonight online plus even more chores.

And oh, joy. Remember that mysoginistic DOUCHE from my In Person DnD games back when we’d still travel to Des Moines to play? He just popped back up on my Facebook saying “No wonder Dems pushed early voting. Their candidate really looks like shit after this.” But of course… makes no reference, links no article, makes no substantial statement as to what he may be referencing. A quick scan of all of my news sources that actually REQUIRE journalism turned up nothing new or revealing. So… what Breitbart, InfoWars fresh new bullshit is this?

Now this is the kind of Meme I would send to the group chat to get a laugh during a regular day of drudgery. But considering the circumstances, I’ll just post it here. Maybe send when things aren’t so… potentially critical.

Growl. I mean, I get it. It’s fun to pick on Tom Cruise. But… I’m Tom Cruise’s height. Cameron Diaz is only 2 inches taller than me. The picture is obviously manipulated. Even in heels she wouldn’t be this towering. Though it does remind me of “A Fresh Look at Shrkek”… it said, “The princess was willing to marry a literal ogre rather than marry a short guy.”