Facing Addiction - A Pilot Program

There are millions of people affected by a substance use disorder everyday. Thousands die from opioid use. Lives are turned upside down and inside out. Parents lose their children extinguishing their flame for hope. Children lose their parents sending them into the same vicious cycle of drug abuse and criminal recidivism. There are those that want out of that cycle and seek help but are met with a series of postponements that have all too often led to their demise.

What are we suppose to do as a community? The option are limited and reactionary. There are various 12 - Step programs, there are treatment centers, treatment courts, detox centers and all of these have been around for a significant amount of time. However, they are first and foremost reactions to a significant growing problem. If the problem is growing there has to be another solution. Enter the Facing Addiction Pilot Program

 We don't know the answer either, but we're going to find out. As a self-proclaimed American Criminal

who has myself struggled with this very issue losing my son in the process, I know first hand what a toll it takes on individuals as well as families. This pilot program is set out to uncover the root causes of this substance use disorder and nip it in the bud. At the forefront of this concept is the reality that so many people believe there is no hope for a drug addict. That they are lost souls that will never do any good for society or their community and therefore should be locked away until they die. There is a video going around that expresses the idea that having a substance use disorder is a choice of the weak. This comes from ignorance and a faulty perception of recovery. We want to flip the script and change the perception of what a person in long term recovery can become.

As of right now we are in phase 1 of a multi-phase progressive program. This is the phase where we build networks,

garner support from the community and spread the word. We don't know what the end result will be, but when you get law enforcement, criminals, and the community all behind the same issue to tackle a problem...You can bet something great will happen.

To give you an idea of how significant of a factor this can be, a law was passed and is currently waiting to be signed that allows for law enforcement to be called if someone overdoses without fear. In essence the law allows for a bystander to call 911 to get help for an overdose. When the police arrive NOTHING they see, find, or confiscate will be able to be used to prosecute anyone. This came after several people have had their children die from an overdose because the bystanders were afraid to call for help out of fear of prosecution. This law shows that legislators are on the right track.

This law was advocated by the National Facing Addiction Organization, the same organization that has launched this pilot program.

If you're interested in how you can help and be a part of something bigger than yourself, check out the FB page, It has become the official/unofficial hub of information for the Springfield, Missouri pilot community project. Whether you have life experience dealing with drugs or alcohol, know someone who struggles with it, or work in an industry/field that deals with people who have a substance use disorder and you suffer from a significant case of compassion wishing you could help but don't know how or where to turn, we can use your voice. We have those currently in long term recovery, lawyers, law enforcement and counselors working together to find a solution to this national epidemic. Help us, help the community.

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.

—Mark Twain 

Broken Legal System and a Ray of Sunshine

Our legal system is broken. There is no doubt about that by anyone. The reality that over 90% of the convictions are a result of plea deals is not the result of "good police work" or the prosecutor "doing a great job". It's the reality that there is a pervasive culture and general understanding that it doesn't matter whether you've committed the crime or not, the system is set up to find you guilty, and pleas make it that much easier because when the average person is faced with 2 of 3 choices, they will usually choose the lesser of the two, and completely disregard the third because it isn't flaunted in front of them like the other two.

As an example, an individual facing an assault charge is faced with three options, but their lawyer explains two of them. [1] - "the prosecutor is offering to reduce the charge from a class B felony which carries 5-15 years in prison to a Class C felony which carries 1-7 years in prison, or [2] we can take it to trial and if you lose you can get the max of 15 years for the class B felony". The option not usually provided so clearly is that you can also take it to trial win the case and not receive any years in prison. This fear mongering is what causes innocent people who don't understand the law to plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit. Despite the reality of our legal system, which doesn't seem to be getting any better...there is a ray of sunshine in the darkness of such a destructive system that rips families apart and creates career criminals who lose all hope and are the most disenfranchised group of people on the planet. That ray of sunshine is called Drug Court.

Drug Court is an alternative to traditional incarceration for crimes that involve drugs in some way. Drugs are a significant cause of criminal activity. Drug Courts across the county have become an excellent alternative to support individuals with drug addictions. To learn a little more about drug court you can read my post here. I'm an advocate for Drug Court, especially considering the culture of plea deals and fear that run rampant in our justice system. The reason is simple, if you have a drug problem, you have a drug problem, whether you committed the crime or not does not change your reality. Through the Drug Court program the system provides an opportunity to stop the destruction of the family unit as well as the creation of criminals.

I have been involved with the justice system for almost 20 years, since I was a teenager. [If you're curious about a bit of my criminal history you can read about it here.] I've witnessed first hand how the system has dismantled families, turned good people into vicious animals who went from loving, caring individuals to heartless beast on a suicide mission. I've been fortunate enough to remain sane and hopeful, although I have lost myself a time or two. In fact, I can thank the Drug Court program for keeping me around a bit longer. It wasn't all that long ago that I had been in the midst of the drug culture, I was drawing up various amounts of meth into a syringe, finding a vein, and releasing the rush of wonder into my system as a way to escape a reality that I had created for myself. The Drug Court team that I was surrounded with could only have helped me with a mind-set of compassion and hope. I provided them with a few separate opportunities to continue the inevitable cycle of drug addiction that lands folks like me in prison, and leaves behind a family that grieves as though you are dead, drains them emotionally, and destroys your mind into a perception that you will never be anything but a criminal.

Drug Court has shown me within the time that I've been involved that they want to end the cycle of recidivism and interrupt the drug culture while bringing families together. They have their ways of doing things and what they want is in line with what the participants want. The conflicts arise when the participants want to get what they want in ways that have consistently failed them, instead of working with Court.

Most people step into the program with an adversarial mind-set, Me versus Them. This tends to cause them to lie out of fear that this program is a trick. Overcoming this obstacle can be ridiculously difficult. Consider this, you just plead out to distribution of controlled substance, Class B felony which carries 5-15 years in prison but you were allowed to participate in the Drug Court program which is a approximately 18 months. If you graduate you avoid prison and in some cases have the felony charge removed from your record. However, if you do NOT complete the program and get into trouble, you go to prison for the amount of time you agreed to between 5-15 years. NOW, imagine you just ran into an old friend you haven't seen in a while and before you know it, before you've even had a chance to be taught new tools to cope, before you've had a chance to see what the program has to offer, you've already fucked up and hit the blunt. You go home and the realization has set in that when you go to do a UA (piss test), you're going to be dirty. Your mind reminds you that this is a reason for you to fail the program and now you're convinced that you're going to go to prison if you're caught because that me versus them mind-set has you convinced that all they want to do is lock you up. When the time comes for you to stand in front of the judge and they ask you, "How are things going? Are you clean?" Everything in your mind, body, and soul screams at you, "LIE!!! Save your freedom!!" and your heart beats a little faster, palms begin to sweat and a drop of perspiration rolls down your side from your underarm that feels like everyone can see. Then you open your mouth, and 9 times out of 10 a lie will form and be released into the ears of the waiting judge. This is Phase 1.

Little do you know that most of the people in that court room know you're lying. The judge, the

prosecutor, your P.O., your counselor, the participants behind you. To add to the mind-fog, after a few minutes of chit-chat and a few chances to tell the truth you're let go. In your head you know they know. So why did they let you go? Confusion runs rampant and you're unsure of what the hell just happened. This repeats itself, time and time again. Then a fork in your thinking begins to emerge, provided you have been doing the bare minimum of going to treatment, seeing your counselor and P.O., and showing up to court. Perhaps they don't want me to go to prison. Perhaps, I can do this program. Perhaps, I can say no to drugs. Perhaps, I can be honest. You've witnessed other participants stand in front of the judge and elaborate on how they went out and got high and the judge let them go with an appreciation of their honesty. You are beginning to understand that there is a way out of the horrible cycle of drug addiction. That first step is being honest. This shows your team that you have overcome that adversarial mind-set. As long as you perceive them as enemies, they can't help you. Why would you accept help from an enemy? Overcoming this hurdle is the biggest step you will take on this journey. The sooner the better, and everything else will fall into place if you can just reach this point. This point is where you begin to trust that what they have in store for you will lead you to where you want to be.

This trust had come in handy for myself recently. I now have a daughter and was put in a situation where a decision was presented that could have allowed for a terrible turn of events that destroyed my family and everything that had been built. Vaccinating my daughter. My wife and I made the court aware that we were researching whether or not to vaccinate our daughter, should we decide not vaccinate then my wife's housing situation would be in jeopardy, which had already been expressed as a potential threat. The court couldn't allow us to live together due to a special condition of our probation (co-defendants). We maintained what we were doing, completed our research, and decided not to vaccinate. The results of my wife's housing was as expected and coming to an end. The world sat squarely on the shoulder's of the judge. We brought everything to the judge. Should the judge maintain the special conditions, my wife becomes homeless, Children's Division steps in and we have a new adversary to contend with, all the trust that has been built crumbles, and the amount of  issues we have become virtually insurmountable. It didn't take long before the judge assessed the situation and determined that it would be in everyone's best interest to allow her to move in with me. All of us knew the conditions with which we were entering were not ideal, must improve, and has issues but, the alternative would more than likely be step in the opposite direction and send one back into adversarial mode. Destroying the family unit, having our daughter taken away, which is a prime event that could cause an addict to lose hope and shoot them back into the ever waiting arms of  active addiction.

This decision is an example of the reality that the program is not designed to destroy you, but to support you and help guide you through this journey of new found sobriety. Things are different on this side of the mind. You're not the only one who has good intentions. There are folks out there who want to see you do well. You don't have to remain a victim of the system. There are other alternative justice courts available. Homeless Court, Mental Health Court, DUI Court and even if you're not necessarily guilty for the crime you're in court for, a plea for help might not be that bad of an option.

Bitcoin passes Gold

Bitcoin (BTC) surpasses gold in value. The price of a single Bitcoin is currently $1,290.14 while an ounce of Gold is $1,234.50 as of this writing.
I'm a 32 year old male, the quintessential millennial, I have a PayPal account, I compare prices online before I go shopping, I use Walmart Pay and connect my bank account to everything. I follow stocks and commodities but lack the funds to ever "invest". I see my PS4 as a savings account because it holds it's value pretty damn well (I can always sell it or trade it for something if times get tough). Then I found Bitcoin.
I found Bitcoin in the summer of 2016. I bought my first bit of Bitcoin with a Walmart GiftCard on a site called localbitcoin.com. I wanted to play it safe and check out this cryptocurrency. I continued to watch bitcoin and started reading new articles everyday enriching and refining the information I had on this digital currency. I now use Coinbase to buy my Bitcoin and have started to expand into Etherium (ETH).
I find Bitcoin to a tremendous piece of futuristic technology. When I get paid I fill my bank account and pay off my credit card and whatever money I have left I buy Bitcoin from Coinbase. There is a small fee, which I don't mind, because Bitcoin just keeps reaching new highs and it makes up for the fees I'm charged. As I read the daily news on Bitcoin the analyst have given a range for bitcoin to reach between $2,000 - $20,000, but there is one thing that is consistent and everyone seems to agree on, IT'S GOING TO GO UP!!!

I see Bitcoin as a usable investment. Through Coinbase I found a Shift Card which fills out my own personal financial ecosystem. The Shift Card is connected to my Coinbase account and allows me to spend my Bitcoin anywhere Visa is accepted. Lately, with the constant upward momentum of bitcoin if I buy a bag of gummy worms with my shift card, 24 hours later I still have the same amount of money as though I never bought the gummy worms. I love it, it's like free gummy worms. I also have a wallet with BTC that I simply don't touch and just watch it.
With the price of BTC fluctuating and limited funds I see buying BTC a usable investment. A place to put my money that is better than any savings or checking account. When I ask the people around me what they think of Bitcoin I usually get a blank stare followed by the question, "What's Bitcoin?" Which to me is only an indicator of how much market is still available and how much higher the price will go.
I've always wanted to invest in Gold, silver, Apple Inc, and Walmart but I definitely don't have the money to be putting it in places I can't touch it. Bitcoin is perfect. If I bought some gold I could say "Yay, I have some gold" end of story. with BTC I can say "yay, I bought some bitcoins and then went and bought some Gummy Worms,  regained what I spent on the Gummy Worms, and bought some more, Plus I have money growing in an account for my daughter, and I seem to be ahead of the curve cause nobody around me seems hip to this futuristic currency"
So, What's it mean that BTC has surpassed the price of Gold? I really don't know except to say that it is more valuable, easily obtainable, and going up. Say tuned for more on the cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin.

Check out My News article here.

Drug Court

Alternative Justice is on the rise.

What is Drug Court?

Drug Court is an alternative justice option that has swept the country. It’s designed, with the assistance of the community and various treatment providers to provide an option for criminal offenders to get treatment for their drug addiction, which seems to be the root cause of a significant portion of criminal activity.

I was accepted into the drug court program in February of 2016 as a part of a plea deal for two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance (i.e. Selling meth to an undercover cop). I have now been a part of the program for a year. My experience has varied widely from the beginning. Unsure of what to expect, I figured I would try to get what I can out of the program. I was honest from the beginning about everything, my drug use, my mistrust for the system and doubts about the program. Commissioner Davis seemed to accept, understand, and appreciate everything I was expressing. I was placed into an outpatient drug treatment program called Heartland Behavioral Health. I was given a counselor and placed in Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) and what I can only assume was a process group.

I had expressed my desire to be with my son’s mother with whom the circuit court placed a special condition that we not associate with each other.  The judge said they would look into it and never did. Throughout the year I watched the judge deal with all kinds of people. The good, the bad, the ugly. I had heard before I joined the program that Judge Davis was a horrible person who only cared about money. I can assure you that is not the case.

The Judge

Judge Peggy D. Davis is the Drug Court Commissioner for Greene County. She assumed this position in August 2000. She has served as a Public Defender for the State of Missouri, an Assistant Prosecutor for Greene County and as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Springfield. She also practiced general civil law with Woolsey Fisher Whitaker and McDonald in Springfield, MO. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1985. In 1988, she received her Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

I’ve been on the verge of throwing my life away and knowing that nothing is going to save me and I’m broken, unfixable, and without hope, standing in front of the judge, having not slept in two days knowing she’s going to send me to jail to continue my life as a criminal, to lock eyes with her and feeling a wave of compassion radiate from her soul and wash over me. I walked out of court that and felt the exact same way I did after I believed I had been saved by Christ himself. The grass was greener, sun looked brighter, and I was thankful to be alive and a part of that program. I knew she truly wanted to help and believed in the program.

The Court

Each participant in the program has a team of people to utilize for their treatment. Granted, each person has the threat of prison hanging over their head. However, the team consisting of the Judge, a treatment counselor, a prosecutor, and a probation or parole officer.

Every other week the participants in the program go in front of the judge, flanked by their probation officer (PO), their counselor, with the prosecutor usually sitting at the table, and the court pews are filled to the maximum occupancy with people waiting in the hall due to lack of seating. We, the participants, have an opportunity to discuss briefly how things have either progressed or digressed since our last meeting with the judge.

The PO will discuss item they are concerned about such as, housing, employment, contact, arrests, and urinary analysis (UAs).

The counselor will discuss our treatment attendance and how they see us growing in ourselves and the program. The content of our counseling session remains private, unless it’s brought up by the participant. The counselor will also talk about the participation and dedication of the participant in treatment.  Believe it or not, there are people in the program who try to manipulate the system and not fully participate in the treatment process.

The Prosecutor doesn’t really do a whole lot through the process until one begins to run out of chances and the legal process becomes a factor once again. Although, there is a staffing session held before court convenes and the prosecutor expresses their opinion which is the same as everyone else, What can we do to help this individual?

Benefits

The benefits of participating in the drug court program are vast and varied. There have been times that I was around old friends who are still deep in their active addiction and need the help that I’m being provided and all I can think about is how lucky I am to have the opportunity to participate in the program. For a person to receive treatment, counseling, would be thousands and thousands of dollars.

To have a group of compassionate people to hold you accountable and assist you in being a better person, is priceless. I have also been given monthly bus passes, which is truly helpful, and one of the most fundamental pieces of assistance that has laid a foundation for everything else I have now accomplished.

The Latest

I had requested of the court to set a case review hearing. A case review is where the team discusses the overall progress of an individual participant. I requested the hearing for myself to push me to maintain a positive trek and do better than I was. I had requested the review back in November and the Review was set for January 12^th, 2017.

 From the time I requested the review hearing until January 10^th, I missed no UAs, made it to all my counseling appointments, became employed, published a book, started the Living Criminal – American Criminal Brand, started this blog, created my website livingcriminal.com, and started on my news column tdrucker.newsvine.com.

One of my blog post titled, “How to Steal from Wal-Mart”, which remains one of my most read posts, was met with concern by the courts. They considered termination from the program because of the content. The judge felt she had a duty to keep the community safe from such criminal activity. After we discussed it she seemed to understand the work I was doing and simply reset the review hearing to the 31^st of January.

On the 31^st of January we discussed my progress and that I was doing well. I was being given a probation violation for association. This violation is a result of my allowing my pregnant fiancée to live with me, despite the no contact order. I had been requesting for an entire year for the court to consider that very matter. I understand at various points last year it would not have been in our best interests. The judge wanted to see Christina and I at the same time to discuss everything and another court date was set, February 9^th, 2017. Until that time Christina was forced to move out and we were to have no contact.

Final Thought

The drug court system is a prime alternative to simply locking people up. I personally couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. The drug court program has its limits and short comings, such as being run by the ever so fallible human beings, and financed through grants and payments of the participants. The number of services utilized are drastically less than the number that are needed. The people who participate in the program must have one thing…A desire for a different life than the one they had while in the streets feeding their active addiction.

I am seriously thankful for the drug court program. I have moved my life forward leaps bounds because of this program. Not to mention the remained drug free and have no desire to use.

I believed at one point in time that it was all about money for the state. It is not. Soon I’ll be doing a blog post about the money flow of the drug court program to dispel the idea that it’s all about the money.

Respectfully,

American Criminal

Arrested! Getting Started in the System

Arrested!

Getting Started in the System

A fundamental guide to the basics of the legal system

Let’s start with getting arrested. {Today you have had a physical altercation which resulted in you breaking someone's nose.}  Everything you say, can and will be used against you. The police mean it when they say those words. The police will also tell you that it’s best to confess to everything because prosecutors and judges like that kind of thing. It’s true, prosecutors LOVE that kind of thing. It makes their job significantly easier. However, your lawyer would much prefer you not say anything. You have the right to remain silent. This is something you should take seriously. The police make this as difficult as possible. They want you to say as much as possible (unless you’re drunk, then they want you to shut the hell up.)   ------  The police have a duty to investigate criminal activity and part of that investigation includes asking you questions. They’re goal is to discover what happen. They want to find a culprit. Part of the problem is they go into every situation with their prejudices, preconceived ideas, and training that tell them everyone is a threat to their life.

They take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Ironically, they do everything they can to subvert that same Constitution. They also have this idea that if they arrest everybody the court can sort them out. This a major reason for the overcrowding in the jails. The prosecutor is put in charge of taking criminals off the street. They begin every case with the belief that every person is guilty and their job is to prove it. Did you know, that once you’ve been arrested you are consider guilty by everyone that is part of the system (except for a few truly impartial judges) and from that moment on you will begin to fight for your life. The idea that you’re innocent until proven guilty is dead.

Moving on, after you’re arrested a few different things are going to happen. You are going to be taken to the jail and booked in. This is where they take your fingerprints, retinal scan, ask you for as much identifying information as they can, including but not limited to, name, age, race, religion, tattoos, piercings, gang affiliation, etc. etc. They gather this information for their database and will follow you everywhere you go for the rest of your life, even if the charges that are brought against you are dismissed or you’re found not guilty. The booking process itself doesn’t really take that long and there’s really no way around it. (NOTE: Not answering the questions the jailers ask will only cause you to be held longer and piss the jailers off. It’s best to just go through the process and get out or get to whatever cell they are going to put you in.)  

Whether you’re released or taken into the jail, the State is going to begin their case. The police officers are going to write and file their report with the prosecutor’s office, this is called “filing” charges. The prosecutor will decide what charges to press, which is referred to as “pressing” charges. The prosecutor will always go for the highest level of charge possible. The reason for this is to have leverage when in negotiations for a plea bargain.

In our example of your altercation and subsequent breaking of the other guys nose, it’s obvious that it was just a fight but the prosecutor has a range of statutes to choose from to press against you which have a different range of punishment. There is a good chance that he will charge you with 2^nd Degree Assault, in Missouri this is a Class C Felony, which carries 1 – 7 years in prison.

After some time goes by, be it in jail or on the streets, the time will come where the prosecutor will offer to drop the charge to a Misdemeanor 3^rd Degree Assault, which only carries up to 6 Months in the county jail. Most people will snatch that offer, especially if they’ve been sitting in jail for the last 9 months waiting on court date after court date. Most people just want to be done with everything as soon as possible so they can put it behind them. Whether they are guilty or not isn’t relevant anymore. This is how the justice system works. 97% of federal convictions and 94% of state convictions are the results of guilty pleas.

Arraignment - Your next interaction with the legal system will be an Arraignment. This is a formal reading of the charge by the judge. This will be the first time you set foot in the courtroom. You probably don’t have a lawyer. This is where the judge will set bail or Release you on your Own Recognizances (ROR), read to you your charges, ask how you plea, and authorize the use of public defender (maybe). 

Preliminary – The next time you step inside of the courtroom will be for a preliminary hearing. Often this is waived. This should rarely ever be waived. Your lawyer will meet with you before the hearing to entice you to waive the preliminary. He or she will come with an offer from the prosecutor that will usually include reduced charges and a maximum sentence offer. __________________________________________________________________________________

             How it goes - In your fight from earlier where you were charged with 2^nd Degree Assault, your lawyer will come and tell you what the prosecutor is offering you which will be something along the lines of dropping the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, if you waive the preliminary. Which makes your possible outcome go from a minimum of 1.-7 years in prison to a maximum of 1 year in county jail.

__________________________________________________________________________________

               

            Here’s the issue – The preliminary is a right a designed to show the court that there is truly a case worth prosecuting. The prosecutor must show evidence that the felony being charged has some merit and you’re the one that committed the felony. The threshold is ridiculously low but this is also the first chance you have of having your case thrown out. If the alleged victim doesn’t show up the case is almost guaranteed to be thrown out. There are a few exceptions. An assault case isn’t one of them. If the victim doesn’t show, they will either dismiss the case or the prosecution will ask for a continuance for a chance to locate the victim. The motion will be granted and another court date will be set for the same thing. They can ask for a continuance up to three times before the court is obliged to throw the case out. This is only possible if you don’t waive your preliminary. However, if the victim does show up they will likely be asked to testify against you in open court. Constitution grants you the right to face your accuser. If your accuser appears in court you will be “bound over”. This simply means you will move up the judicial ladder and the case moves forward. Another arraignment will be set in a higher court and you will get a new judge.

Arraignment – This is your second arraignment and once again you will be read your charges formally in open court and meet your new judge. This is the judge you will have throughout the rest of the case. Again, you will be asked how you plead, it will be noted and documented by the court. Another court date will be set.

Some options – Most people are unaware they have options about this time. There are motions you can file to speed up the amount of time in between court dates. When sitting in jail, a motion for a fast and speedy trial, is often overlooked. A simple case like this is a good one to file such a motion. This is something you can ask your lawyer to file or file yourself. This motion is designed to get you to your trial date within six to nine months. I personally know individuals who have sat in the county jail fighting similar cases for over a year only to have the case dismissed. A motion for a fast and speedy trial could have saved them time and the tax payers money. Although, the downside is you could piss the prosecutor off because it puts them under the gun and gives them a deadline.

Your lawyer should already have whatever evidence is going to be presented. You should make sure you have a copy as well. This is called your “discovery”. You have a right to it. You can help your lawyer once you have a copy of your discovery by combing through it and finding discrepancies in the witness statements, victim statements, officer reports, all the evidence. The prosecution is going to weave together a story using the evidence they have available that concludes with you being the type of person who would and did violate a specific statute of the law.

Good Idea -----> Keep record of all communication between you and your lawyer. Document everything. When they come visit you write down what you discuss. Have ready your questions, concerns, and whatever you want to talk about or need them to do for you.

Pretrial Conference – There are practically an unlimited amount of possible Pretrial Conferences (PTC). These are held at regular intervals for various reasons such as motions to be heard and attempts to get you to plea bargain and be done with the case. If you or your lawyer filed the motion for a fast and speedy trial you will probably have three PTC to discuss the details of our case. These are also opportunities for you, if you’re in jail to ask for bond reduction, ROR, specific evidence that may not be included in your initial discovery, provide counter plea bargain offers. Pay attention to what is going on and document as much as you can. If there is something that is being said that you don’t understand, make your lawyer explain it to you, especially before you sign or agree to anything. This is your life, and your record that will follow you the rest of your life.

Trial – TBD

Now that you have made it this far into the legal system and have read this post, you know more than 75% of the people I have encountered in the county jail. Believe it or not just this little bit of information could have and has changed the lives of many people. Knowing what you're dealing with can only help you. Knowledge truly is power. If more people understood the judicial system that rules every single person's life in one way or another we wouldn't have the over crowding issues in the jail and prosecutors would be more reluctant to press every charge placed on their desk. We the people have the power to change the system by educating ourselves. This is to keep the scales of justice in balance. When knowledge meets ignorance, knowledge will win. When knowledge meets knowledge a balance is created that a civil society must have to remain civil, otherwise tyranny and oppression shall rue the day.

More Than Just a Criminal - Justice Reformed

  The world will see you as you wish to seen. Taking the reigns and tailoring what people see is no doubt the best way to discover who you are as a person. This is what I am attempting to do with this brand, this persona of The American Criminal. I do not want to avoid, hide, or minimize what I've done or the person that I have become. I like who I am today. I wake up in the mornings ready to

create something new and shed a little more light on who I am. It's still early for this blog and the direction I'm headed is still clearly in development. I have already had a negative backlash from the one of my post. I seem to have caused people to see me as a threat to the public. I've been working a significant amount of time on this blog, my website, my brand, my life. I haven't had a chance to fully develop what I have to offer.

In the song,  "This Corner" by Denaun, I think he says it best when he says,

"It's my gameplan now
To get in this ring and show that I'm a changed man and how
I won't blow another chance to make you proud
Even though you got the right to hate me now
I know you lost your hope in me
But hopefully I can restore it back where it's supposed to be
I just want my daughter back, this fight means much more than that
I'm tryna think before I react, I ain't get the message at first
I tried to ignore the facts
But I'm much older, she's my soldier, I told you
I'd go to war for that
I said your boy is the truth and it's no lie in him
All he needs is his family with him
Y'all want him 'til it's no room given
I'ma hit him 'til the ref come and get him"

To give you guys a slightly better idea of where we're headed with this brand and idea of American Criminal. I'm currently working on plans to launch the American Criminal T-Shirts. I intend to speed up the development and production of the clothing line. We'll start with T-Shirts, I've already spoken with the owner of a few clothing outlets including Eye Candy in the Battlefield Mall as a starting place to distribute the products. We're also looking for designs for the American Criminal Brand. If you have an idea that you think we cold use get ahold of us on our website LivingCriminal.com

While I have reached a level of being able to accept the fact that I will never be able to pass a background check, and the world will always see me as a criminal, I know that I am so much more than that and through this medium of Blogs, news columns, website, clothing line, writing (E-Book Coming Soon), I can show the world that I may always be a criminal to you, BUT I'll always be more than just a criminal.

I am Justice Reformed

Are you a Criminal?

  

Are You a Criminal

     Very simply, according to Google a Criminal is a person who commits a crime. Seems pretty clear cut, but is it? What if someone commits a crime that is later deemed not a crime? What if someone is found guilty to have committed a crime, but then it is discovered they were innocent? What about the "Founding Fathers" of this nation, do we consider them criminals for the act of committing high treason? These are questions I pose for the sake of understanding that being a criminal is more of a mindset that can't rightfully be placed as a label on just anyone who has committed a crime.

Do Yo Consider Yourself A Criminal

     The first thing you should take into account is whether you think of yourself as a criminal. Believe it or not, most criminals consider themselves criminals. One thing people forget is intention. Stephen Covey once said, "we judge ourselves by our intentions, and others by their actions". When criminals consider what they are and what they do, they usually focus on their motives for acting against the law as reason enough to do so. For some who decide, that it is better to destroy your family by selling them drugs than for mine to go hungry, is a noble intention wrapped in the guise of feeding their family. The law is not calculatedly when one chooses to make such a drastic decision to commit crime, like selling drugs. Rarely are the ramifications and affects that such a profession (I use the term loosely) may cause others deemed worthy of consideration and thereby leaving the individual with the stand alone belief that either they or their family eating is all that matters.

Everyday Criminal (Misdemeanors)

   Misdemeanor - a nonindictable offense, regarded in the US (and formerly in the UK) as less serious than a felony. A lot of folks don't consider these kind of crimes as those relating to "criminals".  There are those that commit misdemeanors every day but are never considered to be criminals, like my mother. According to the law in the state where she resides, buying and possessing marijuana is a crime. Yet, rarely is she without her weed, so she is in a constant state of criminal activity. Let’s remember that a criminal, according to google, is a person who commits a crime.

Above the Law

     Are you a politician or activists? A significant amount of the people that I speak with consider most politicians to be criminals but not activists, and vise versa. I think a common theme that works along the lines of all criminals is a perception that the individuals seem to believe they are above the law, the law doesn't apply to them, or the law is wrong. Politicians are commonly seen as criminals by their acts that appear to disregard the law. Activists are seen as criminals when they break the law in order to bring awareness and change to a particular legal issue. Now whether you think you’re above the law, the law is wrong, or it simply doesn't apply to you, is a question only you can answer.

Critical Thinking

     Do you have the ability to think critically? People with the ability to think critically can see that the world we live in is run by criminals. The only way to be free is to see beyond the reality of a ruling class of policy makers and live a life that makes you happy. Thinking critically allows one to question the validity of he law and make a personal determination as to whether the law is right or wrong, and act in a way they see as right regardless of said law.

The Legal System

     Do you need the legal system to exist to keep you from doing bad thing? The craziest thing about the legal system is it can allow the most reprehensible acts to go unpunished. The law is something that a lot of people would see as a pillar of a modern civilized society. However, a man can snatch a 7 year old girl off the street, violate every orifice of her tiny little body, chop her up, cook and eat most of her body, have a fair trial where the prosecution failed to provide some of the evidence to the defense, have a mistrial or worse, the man could beat the case altogether, and thereby legally he is

still not considered a criminal, justice (whatever your definition) hasn’t been served, and the law has made what the man did ok. That is likely to happen because criminals don’t tend to take too kindly to hurting children. We go round and round and the baseline for what is a criminal is quite simple… A criminal is a person who defines right and wrong for themselves. They don't allow the world to dictate what is right or wrong. The will go to any leangths to protect their family and be happy.

Well...?

     Those are some o the basic elements of the criminal mindset and the ignorance of the legal system. Examine the world around you and ask yourself the questions posed here. Remember that not everyone who has committed a crime is a criminal, and not every criminal commits crime for the sake of personal gain or to terrorize the public. There's a story behind every criminal. There's pain, loss, struggle, and a desire for better a world. Criminals are created by the law. A question for you to ponder, if there were no law, would we still have criminals?

T.D. Rucker

American Criminal

Stealing from Walmart, The Receipt Game

Theft, Stealing, Larceny

From

     These are some of the best practices to stealing. But let me say I find a moral high ground when it comes to stealing from business as opposed to stealing from individual people. I personally don’t steal from friends, family, coworkers, or citizens in general. Am I aware that stealing from businesses causes prices to rise and thereby affecting citizens adversely? Yes. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, companies tend to make ridiculous profits and could easily absorb those losses but choose not to and therefore pass the loss to customers while maintaining there comfortable profit margins. While those of you on your high horse who say things like, “you’re making I harder on the rest of us who work for a living” should take into account we’re not the ones making the choice to make it harder on you, there are specific people in charge of making that decision, and I’m not one of them. I have gone out with the intention to acquire as much a I could in order to turn around and sell it at a discount, simply because I needed to pay the utility bill because every interview goes terrific until they ask about felonies or do a background check. Just because I’m not hired doesn’t mean the utility bill isn’t due, and they don’t care whether you’re employed or not.

Now that I have soap-boxed on that let’s get to it.

Simple Returns

The quickest way to get a little bit of cash in your pocket, like say…for cigarettes or gas money is simply to return items to Walmart….with a receipt. Having the receipt is vital to a smooth experience, due to the variety of return policies at every individual Walmart. When returning something with a receipt there’s no muss, no fuss. Here’s the steps to make it happen:

1.       Get a receipt.  

This is an example of a receipt where the items were purchased with cash.

Yes, it’s as easy as it sounds. Get a receipt, any receipt from Walmart, whether it’s one that you have from a previous purchase, your mama’s receipt, or just a receipt you found on the ground.

a.       Make sure the items on the receipt were paid with either a debit card or cash.

b.       DO NOT USE a receipt that the items were paid with a credit card, (I wasn’t paying attention and did this once, someone now has money back on their credit card. Merry Christmas. #pay attention)

2.       Read the UPC codes (UPC – Universal Product Code).

Next to each item on the receipt is a 12 digit number – the UPC code. Mostly just pay attention to the last four digits. This is the number you have to match to the item you intend to acquire.

a.       Different items have different UPC codes. Identical items have the same UPC codes.

(Blue medium shorts by AND1 has the same UPC code as all other blue medium shorts by AND1 but different than say, large blue shorts by AND1.)

b.       This is universal throughout every Walmart. But not every Walmart has the same items.

3.       Make a list.

This is a huge time saver. You’re probably not going to get everything on every receipt. So you’re going to want to make a list of the items you’re going to get. On the list write:

A Small list with the required columns.

a.       The name of the product.

b.       The price of the product. (helps in locating the item later)

c.       The last four digits of the UPC code

4.       Get dressed.

I know it seems dumb, but this could be the difference between being watched and not being watched.

a.       Wear clothes that look and are clean, preferably new.

b.       Long sleeves are ideal. (often items are small enough to pick up and slip inside your sleeve with one hand.)

c.       Cut your hair, trim your beard and moustache, look clean cut.

d.       Pants that are comfortable or relaxed fit. Stay away from baggy clothes.

e.       If you have a bag that’s not too big, like for laptops – Bring it.  Ladies bring the big purse.

f.        A belt is a must, whether you need it or not.

g.       Try not to be black or Mexican (sometimes this is unavoidable, sorry).

h.       If you have a friend who is a minority, have them dress the opposite of what’s suggested above, they will become the decoy.

5.       Let’s go to Walmart.

The best way to get there is by car, but if your items are few or you just don’t have a car, take the bus or walk. Whatever the case is, you have to get to Walmart or you won’t be able to do any of the stuff we’re about to discuss. (Best practice is to get a driver)

a.       It’s best to go in teams. Male/Female teams are best. (We’ll Discuss teams another time in more detail)

b.       Be confident, listen to music that makes you feel the world is yours and owes you something.

6.       Inside Walmart.

Pretty simple instructions. Go inside. Here’s a few things to pay close attention to.

a.       Notice the greeter, or lack thereof. Say hi, be friendly, smile… Most greeters are the little old ladies  or old men or disabled folks who don’t do much but… Greet you. If that’s the case…remember that, it’s gonna come up again later.

b.       Act like you know what you came for, because you do. You even have a list, unless you got high and left it on the fucking counter.

c.       Don’t rush, but don’t lollygag either. According to ChaCha the average time spent in a Walmart is 1 hour.

d.    When you get into a section locate the item's brands. Walmart tries to stay organized, use this to your advantage.

e.    Next, search for the price of the item in question.

f.     Then, look closer at the UPC and find your match. (sometimes it's not there).

g.     Don't be afraid to ask for help.

1.      Stealing

This is where the good stuff starts. You have to decide how you’re going to steal based on what you’re going to steal. There are a few ways to do this.

A.    If the item is small and you can slip it up your sleeve, do that.

B.     If the item is large or you have a significant list and plan to fill your cart up, do that…throw it in the cart.

C.     If you’ve brought your bag, hopefully you placed it in the part where the baby sits. Small items can be placed near it.

a.       If you place items slated to go in the bag, place them near the bag and wait to put them in there until you’re in a safe and secure aisle.

D.    Continue moving throughout the store repeating the process until your cart is about half full.

2.      Time to Go.

It’s now time to leave. Make a pass by the front door and check out the greeter. Is it the same old lady or has the greeter been replaced with someone more…competent looking? This is a yellow flag. Be careful because you may have been made. But it ain’t over yet.

If the greeter is the same, walk up to them and ask them to watch your cart, and head to the car. Now you can either go to another Walmart and return the items yourself or have your partner return the items to the same Walmart…right then. You stay in the car.

If you intend to take the whole cart, because some of you’re items are large, then try to find a checkout lane that doesn’t have a chain across it or a cashier. Walk through it confidently. Head to the bathroom. Go in, take a piss, wash your hands, head back to the cart. Again, notice the greeter. Same old lady? Walk past her, best to be preoccupied, texting on your phone or in a discussion with the person your with. Walk out. Head to the car. If you make it off the sidewalk right in front of the store you have gotten away and they didn’t even realize it.

The items that you have receipts for can be immediately returned by someone else, or you can do it yourself at a different Walmart. Congratulations, if your load is worth less than $750 you have just committed a Misdemeanor  and gotten away with it.

Now I know, this petty crime can be invigorating and help make ends meet. I'm also well aware of the fact that this is a far cry from the "gangster" ideal I had grown up with in my head. But, I'm sure nobody would argue with the fact that this is Living Criminal.

Yeah, That's me!

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This is a personal Blog!

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