Chris was charged with three crimes, two of which contradict one another, dui and leaving the scene. Now the court wants him to take expensive classes for a crime they can't prove AND 2 years of unsupervised probation. This after being depressed from watching his grandmother, who was like a mother to him, slowly suffocate to death from COPD. He lived with her and his grandfather helping to take care of her by giving her medications, etc. Enrolled in college he goes to his classes and gets into an accident.
No longer with a working car and helping to take car of his grandma in home hospice, Chris misses court and doesn't have enough money to pay these off or get a lawyer with a meager paying online job. These charges turn to warrants due to a number of factors: no working car, not enough money because of low paying online job, while having responsibility of giving meds to (grand)mother at home hospice, school, etc.
Court is missed from the former factors and being told the court date verbally via a webcam video conference with the judge, while 10+ other loud inmates are waiting inline to do the very same thing after a long sleepless night in jail.
Chris always said (in one way or another) once she's gone (grandmother) then I'll honor her memory by quitting drinking. And he did just that on July 27th, 2012. Determined to fulfill his words he seeked treatment and hasn't drank since then, nearly 4 years. Knowing he didn't have enough money he decided to try and get legal aid to help with these warrants. Legal aid said they couldn't help as long as they were in warrant status. Meaning Chris either had to get arrested (again) or get a lawyer. Getting arrested was out of the question for many reasons, the main one it would go against his success in treatment and prevent him from getting the meds he was prescribed making him detox, in jail.
After many months researching, trying to get a 2nd job, calling friends contacts and taking care of his grandfather who was wheelchair bound after breaking his hip, he found a lawyer who would work with his financial situation, so he thought. The problem with this was the lawyer didn't care about the details of his case and needed a lump sum of money up front right away, so Chris had to borrow this lump sum because after many months of searching he was afraid this might be his only chance (or got to jail and detox from doctor prescribed medication).
Chris made the monthly payments he agreed upon on time or early each month to his attorney. Then he got a letter in the mail notifying him of his court date. Chris had to pay a friend (who missed some work) to take him to court. When he got there his attorney was nowhere to be found, waiting 10 minutes after court had started Chris excused himself to call his lawyer who said he continued the case. Chris asked why he didn't notify him of this. The attorney made it seem like it was Chris's job to call randomly just to see if his case had changed. Chris just went along with this finding out later from a friend (who works in a law office) that this was the lawyers job (not Chris's), this is one of things he is paid for. The lawyer didnt make any effort to learn anything more about Chris's case, even after this.
Chris makes another payment and is told by his lawyer not to go to court because he continued it (again). The very next morning his lawyer calls (the only time he ever calls mind you) to tell Chris that he has a warrant out for his arrest because the case wasn't continued after all. Therefore Chris had to go into court ASAP. Chris gets proof that he's been in alcohol/drug treatment for 3+ years and goes to court.
His lawyer was very late and had him worried. Chris had to call the attorney's office and annoy the secretary several times until finally another attorney in place of Chris's attorney shows up. The judge calls them to the bench. He tries to show the judge the signed proof of his treatment and counseling hours (which is 5 times the amount the court eventually orders) and his lawyer tells him to put it away before the judge even knows what it is. The judge makes his ruling.
The attorney tells Chris he got an amazing deal; getting the DUI and leaving the scene thrown out due to the exact reason Chris thought (they contradicted one another, so no proof of DUI). He told him the cost of everything: probation/court fines $289, dui classes $35, pay the rest you owe me (lawyer), and 2 years unsupervised probation, plus the court will put you on a payment plan.
To Chris this didn't sound like an "amazing deal" just the way it should of went down (or a little worse) because they had no proof of him drinking and driving to begin with, and still making him attend drinking classes for a DUI that was thrown out while he already has been attending substance abuse treatment for the last 3 years on his own, seemed like they replaced one contradiction with another. "Leaving the scene of an accident" to get medical help didn't seem like much of a crime. Anyway, Chris was happy cause it could always be worse and went with it.
Seeing that he had to attend/finish these substance abuse classes by a certain date to satisfy probation Chris called SATOP. The lawyer neglected to mention (seemingly on purpose to make the ruling he got sound better) that only one of these classes was $35, not both. The other one is $375 just to get accessed, then another $500-$1500 more depening on what class the accessment decides to put him in. PLUS the computer-made payment plan (Computer-made because the installment schedule doesn't fit the client's financial situation, it's made by the computer mathmatically, making the highest per month payment possible for the total fine) only covers the court fines/probation not the classes which, of course, are the most expensive out of all of it.
This all has to be paid and taken care of in less than 90 days. After helping to take care of his dying grandmother who passed and his mourning grandfather with a broken hip, Chris wants to move back out on his own but can't do this with these fines hanging over his head because it prevents him from getting places he can afford. His grandfather nearing his mid eighties isn't going to be around forever. Being homeless and dependant on prescription medication doesn't seem like a way to keep Chris continuing on his path of bettering himself, which he worked so hard to achieve by staying off of booze and illegal drugs, even in situations such as these.
Chris doesn't like having to do this (ask for donations) and has tried for a long time doing what he could to not have to go this route but sometimes you just have to ask for help. When your job doesn't pay enough and getting a 2nd job is damn near impossible when your prior work history is filled with companies that no longer exist due to the internet strongholding the public demand of that sector along with all the things mentioned earlier and countless other variables.
So you see why we're asking for help. Chris is trying to be a better person, conquer his addiction and get ahead but once he starts doing so he gets hit over the head with all this and still he has not reached for the bottle. Anything you can donate would be great help, funded justice says getting donations in the first 72 hours is crucial as it sets the tone for the rest of the campaign.
If you absolutely can't donate you can still help by sharing this with your friends. Maybe they can donate which should make them feel good about themself, which in turn should make you feel good about yourself, for helping a friend in need. Unlike when you give to a charity and you feel like you just gave a corporation money and dont directly see the indivdual you've helped or even no for sure who you're actually helping, know without a doubt that you're helping Chris, someone you actually know or know of. He needs your help and it will affect his life directly.
Court is missed from the former factors and being told the court date verbally via a webcam video conference with the judge, while 10+ other loud inmates are waiting inline to do the very same thing after a long sleepless night in jail.
Chris always said (in one way or another) once she's gone (grandmother) then I'll honor her memory by quitting drinking. And he did just that on July 27th, 2012. Determined to fulfill his words he seeked treatment and hasn't drank since then, nearly 4 years. Knowing he didn't have enough money he decided to try and get legal aid to help with these warrants. Legal aid said they couldn't help as long as they were in warrant status. Meaning Chris either had to get arrested (again) or get a lawyer. Getting arrested was out of the question for many reasons, the main one it would go against his success in treatment and prevent him from getting the meds he was prescribed making him detox, in jail.
After many months researching, trying to get a 2nd job, calling friends contacts and taking care of his grandfather who was wheelchair bound after breaking his hip, he found a lawyer who would work with his financial situation, so he thought. The problem with this was the lawyer didn't care about the details of his case and needed a lump sum of money up front right away, so Chris had to borrow this lump sum because after many months of searching he was afraid this might be his only chance (or got to jail and detox from doctor prescribed medication).
Chris made the monthly payments he agreed upon on time or early each month to his attorney. Then he got a letter in the mail notifying him of his court date. Chris had to pay a friend (who missed some work) to take him to court. When he got there his attorney was nowhere to be found, waiting 10 minutes after court had started Chris excused himself to call his lawyer who said he continued the case. Chris asked why he didn't notify him of this. The attorney made it seem like it was Chris's job to call randomly just to see if his case had changed. Chris just went along with this finding out later from a friend (who works in a law office) that this was the lawyers job (not Chris's), this is one of things he is paid for. The lawyer didnt make any effort to learn anything more about Chris's case, even after this.
Chris makes another payment and is told by his lawyer not to go to court because he continued it (again). The very next morning his lawyer calls (the only time he ever calls mind you) to tell Chris that he has a warrant out for his arrest because the case wasn't continued after all. Therefore Chris had to go into court ASAP. Chris gets proof that he's been in alcohol/drug treatment for 3+ years and goes to court.
His lawyer was very late and had him worried. Chris had to call the attorney's office and annoy the secretary several times until finally another attorney in place of Chris's attorney shows up. The judge calls them to the bench. He tries to show the judge the signed proof of his treatment and counseling hours (which is 5 times the amount the court eventually orders) and his lawyer tells him to put it away before the judge even knows what it is. The judge makes his ruling.
The attorney tells Chris he got an amazing deal; getting the DUI and leaving the scene thrown out due to the exact reason Chris thought (they contradicted one another, so no proof of DUI). He told him the cost of everything: probation/court fines $289, dui classes $35, pay the rest you owe me (lawyer), and 2 years unsupervised probation, plus the court will put you on a payment plan.
To Chris this didn't sound like an "amazing deal" just the way it should of went down (or a little worse) because they had no proof of him drinking and driving to begin with, and still making him attend drinking classes for a DUI that was thrown out while he already has been attending substance abuse treatment for the last 3 years on his own, seemed like they replaced one contradiction with another. "Leaving the scene of an accident" to get medical help didn't seem like much of a crime. Anyway, Chris was happy cause it could always be worse and went with it.
Seeing that he had to attend/finish these substance abuse classes by a certain date to satisfy probation Chris called SATOP. The lawyer neglected to mention (seemingly on purpose to make the ruling he got sound better) that only one of these classes was $35, not both. The other one is $375 just to get accessed, then another $500-$1500 more depening on what class the accessment decides to put him in. PLUS the computer-made payment plan (Computer-made because the installment schedule doesn't fit the client's financial situation, it's made by the computer mathmatically, making the highest per month payment possible for the total fine) only covers the court fines/probation not the classes which, of course, are the most expensive out of all of it.
This all has to be paid and taken care of in less than 90 days. After helping to take care of his dying grandmother who passed and his mourning grandfather with a broken hip, Chris wants to move back out on his own but can't do this with these fines hanging over his head because it prevents him from getting places he can afford. His grandfather nearing his mid eighties isn't going to be around forever. Being homeless and dependant on prescription medication doesn't seem like a way to keep Chris continuing on his path of bettering himself, which he worked so hard to achieve by staying off of booze and illegal drugs, even in situations such as these.
Chris doesn't like having to do this (ask for donations) and has tried for a long time doing what he could to not have to go this route but sometimes you just have to ask for help. When your job doesn't pay enough and getting a 2nd job is damn near impossible when your prior work history is filled with companies that no longer exist due to the internet strongholding the public demand of that sector along with all the things mentioned earlier and countless other variables.
So you see why we're asking for help. Chris is trying to be a better person, conquer his addiction and get ahead but once he starts doing so he gets hit over the head with all this and still he has not reached for the bottle. Anything you can donate would be great help, funded justice says getting donations in the first 72 hours is crucial as it sets the tone for the rest of the campaign.
If you absolutely can't donate you can still help by sharing this with your friends. Maybe they can donate which should make them feel good about themself, which in turn should make you feel good about yourself, for helping a friend in need. Unlike when you give to a charity and you feel like you just gave a corporation money and dont directly see the indivdual you've helped or even no for sure who you're actually helping, know without a doubt that you're helping Chris, someone you actually know or know of. He needs your help and it will affect his life directly.
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