Should Unqualified Sergeant Johnny Patino be Promoted as Chief of Police? Special Council Meeting to Decide.

Council Member Ricardo Pacheco, Sergeant Johnny Patino,
and Mayor Manuel Lozano (top row - from left to right).

Baldwin Park City Council appointed an unqualified Sergeant - Johnny Patino to be the temporary police chief after the former and Police Chief Michael Taylor was fired for the second time. Today, the Baldwin Park City Council will decide by special meeting whether he should permanently be appointed to the position. Even the temporary appointment is controversial, because the police rank and file consider Patino to be incompetent, as he can't even pass the standardized lieutenant test.

Furthermore, officers point to Patino's lack of experience to become chief. This is because chiefs are usually promoted from captains, who respectively are promoted from lieutenants.

Generally, minimum requirements for the chief job requires at least three years of experience in administration. Patino has almost none.

Hence, the City Council leapfrogged Patino two positions to make him chief. This is not a surprise, given Baldwin Park's scandalous and tumultuous history with its chief of police hirings and firings.

These corrupt practices can be traced to at least 1999. In 1999, Chief Lili Hadsell was promoted from lieutenant to chief. She never held the role of captain. Around October 15, 2013 - concerned residents questioned Hadsell's leadership when her 19-year old daughter was caught with a 23-year old man with illegally possessing narcotics outside of a Motel 6 in the City of Chino.

Shortly after this incident, a new elected city council fired Hadsell around December of 2013. She held her position for approximately 14 years.

Hadsell sued the City of Baldwin Park and on March 26, 2019 - the court and jury awarded her a $7 million judgment against the City for sexual harassment and gender discrimination. After attorney's fees, the City is now on the hook for $9 million. This is the largest judgment attached against the City in its history. Hadsell's case is currently pending appeal.

Then, there was Michael Taylor, who was fired twice. The first time, Taylor was fired for being a racist.

After his second hiring, the LA Times reported on his controversial contract, which stated that Taylor could only be fired for being convicted of felony, such as murder, rape, or robbery. Taylor increased his pay in his contract to make himself an extra million in retirement.

Taylor was also caught accepting drug money to run for public office. Some even question whether Taylor was a pederast.

Employee witnesses allege that Taylor showed up to work drunk and worked less than 30 hours a week, for which he was paid over $234,000 a year.

Also in between Taylor's tenure, there was the hiring of Inglewood's Lieutenant David Salcedo. Notice again how the City choose a lieutenant over a captain.

Salcedo appeared to be a problem employee in the City of Inglewood. Although he was a Captain, he was demoted to Lieutenant in December of 2017.

Baldwin Park's rank and file allege that he appeared to have anger mental health issues and would repetitively snap a rubber band against his wrist to keep in control. Thankfully, Salcedo was hired for only 49 days, before he was fired around September 20, 2017.

The LA Times reports that Salcedo alleges that Council Member Ricardo Pacheco ordered him to retaliate against citizens who were criticizing Pacheco with signs and banners characterizing him as a jackass. Salcedo, like Hadsell, filed a lawsuit against the City of Baldwin Park and Ricardo Pacheco for $10 million. The lawsuit is pending.

Patino's temporarily hiring has impacted Baldwin Park's Police Department. Since Patino has been chief, a number of Baldwin Park officers have left the force to other cities. Rank and file allege that Mayor Lozano prefers hiring hispanic brass over anglo managers - who can pass their exams.

Currently, California state controller's office is auditing the City. It's routine for audits to look at hiring and performance evaluation practices of public agencies.

Perhaps, its findings will confirm a quote by Daniel Alarcón: “Nepotism is the lowest and least imaginative form of corruption.”

Taxpayer Money Pays for Mayor Lozano, Council Member Pacheco, and Parks and Recreation Manuel Carrillo to get Drunk

Mayor Manuel Lozano (far left).

On October 12, 2019 - at Baldwin Park's Annual Senior Prom, Mayor Manuel Lozano, Council Member Pacheco, and Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Carrillo, got drunk at the open bar, which was paid by the taxpayer. According to sources, the Marriott serviced the open bar.

Manuel Carrillo with Ricardo Pacheco, both drunk.

These kind of illegal expenditures, approved by Lozano and Pacheco, have drawn the scrutiny from California's State Controller's office, who is now auditing Baldwin Park's books, which the Finance Director Rose Tam has cooked. Already, the State Controller's Office has criticized Council Member Ricardo Pacheco for using a government credit card for strip club expenses at his other job at the West Valley Water under-qualified for the job of assistant general manager - which he was paid approximately $200,000 a year for.

The Parks and Recreation Director, Manuel Carrillo, was also seen drunk on the job, while he was working. Reports are coming in that the audit is scrutinizing the separate accounts he is running.

Already, Carrillo has been caught accepting questionable money; filtering it through his nonprofit corporation, the Baldwin Park Community Center Corporation (BPCCC); and laundering that money into Walmart gift cards. Although the BPCCC was shutdown for its illegal operation, Carrillo started a new nonprofit called the Baldwin Park Charitable Relief Fund.

Manuel Lozano happy and drunk
on taxpayer money.

Carrillo has been a controversial figure, as he's received outrageous raises, while offering other employees a raise of 40 cents an hour after working for 20 years. After researching other directors' salaries, it appears that Carrillo is the highest paid municipal Parks and Recreation
Director in California.

Citizens are eager to see the findings regarding the audit against the City of Baldwin Park.

City of Baldwin Park Audited After Seven Years of Corruption Reporting

by Banksy
Modified by me

California's State Controller's Office is auditing California's books, after seven years of reporting, which started in July of 2013 with Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Carrillo Jr. According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune - the Controller's Office was auditing the City for the following reasons:

• Increasing operating deficits 
• Deficit fund balances reported in the city’s financial statements 
• Expenditures in excess of what is budgeted in the city’s general fund and other funds 
• Lack of physical inventory of capital assets performed 

“In light of the conditions above, we will conduct an investigation to validate the information that is required to be filed with our office,” wrote Efren Loste, bureau chief for the Local Government Audits Bureau. He said the investigation would include a review and evaluation of the city’s internal control system, focusing on the 2016-17 and 2017-18 fiscal years.

In August of 2018, Legal Lens exposed how the Finance Director, Rose Tam, was cooking the books.

The Tribune asks the question whether this is related to West Valley Water Board's audit, which is a separate agency in Riverside County. Linkage exists because three of the City of Baldwin Park's brass also works or has worked at West Valley Water. These players are fired Baldwin Park's Police Chief and current water board Member - Michael Taylor; Baldwin Park's City Attorney and West Valley Water's General Counsel, Robert Tafoya; and Baldwin Park Council Member Ricardo Pacheco - who allegedly has been fired from his position as assistant general manager at West Valley Water.

Another way of asking the Tribune's question is asking whether Tafoya, Taylor, and Pacheco learned how to skim taxpayer money from Baldwin Park and then play the same tricks at another agency, in this case, West Valley Water. I would think so. Zebras never change their stripes.

More reporting to come later.

In the meantime, here's the Tribune article - State controller auditing Baldwin Park for budget deficits, excessive spending.

Manuel Carrillo Jr.,
Parks and Recreation Director, also
money launderer of nonprofit corporation
Baldwin Park Community Center Corporation

Ricardo Pacheco,
Baldwin Park City Council Member and
former assistant general manager of West Valley Water Board

Robert Nacionales-Tafoya, 
counsel for City of Baldwin Park and West Valley Water Board

Michael Taylor,
Twice fired Baldwin Park Police Chief,
and West Valley Water Board Member.

LIFE AFTER DEPORTATION: A family with roots in the Seattle region starts over in Mexico

ZACATECAS, MEXICO — In a dirt-covered SUV with a cow’s skull on the hood and a wooden rack bearing the Valdez family name, Rafael, Joy, Maya and Catalina drive into the hills above a little town in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas. It’s the kind of town known locally as a ranch. Cattle and men on horseback roam the streets. The Valdezes come here on weekends to find respite from the capital city, also called Zacatecas, and the larger questions of their lives.    Read more on the Seattle Times: Here.

The Unlocked Sexual Predation History of Baldwin Park School Police Chief - Jill Marie Poe

Jill Marie Poe - Baldwin Park School Police Chief

Baldwin Park School Police Chief, Jill Marie Poe, has a secret sexual predation history that she doesn't want anyone to know about. Why does Poe have access to elementary students as young as five years of age? Five school district members, and former Mark Skarvany willfully ignored her sexual predation history.

On November 1, 1997, former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer Jill Poe saw that Lisa H.'s uniform pants weren't up all the way; so, she gleaned part of Lisa's underwear. Aroused; Poe then grabbed Lisa by her right forearm and forcefully turned Lisa toward herself and said, "You know when you wear those underwear, you know what you do to me. Don't be wearing those underwear around me. They look good." Officer Poe then made a "Hmmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm", remark.

Then just a few days later, which isn't clear in the record why, while Lisa was in the locker room changing, Poe came charging through the door. She pointed a finger at Lisa and said, "You better get your f***ing partner in check. He has f***ing problem with working. He better get his f***ing attitude in check." Lisa told Poe that if Poe had a problem with Lisa's partner, that Poe should bring it up with him. A witness by the name of Officer Rogers confirmed the event.

Then on November 12, 1997, at the West LA Station, Lisa had some saliva glistening on her lips. Poe came up to her and stated, "You know what I could do with that?" Poe's eyes looked her up and down. She told Lisa how she could please another woman. Poe told Lisa: "Let me know when you're ready to be with me."

When Lisa declined Poe, at around 3:00-3:30PM, Poe kicked Lisa on the left side of her buttock, causing Lisa injury. She kicked her in front of several witnesses.

According to Officer Sibayan, Poe kicked Lisa's buttock about five to six times. He thought there may have been more kicks, because he "did not see the initial kick." Sibayan told Poe to knock it off. At that point, Poe walked away.

Sibayan asked Lisa if she was ok. Lisa stayed silent. After Sibayan asked again, Lisa slowly stood up and said, "I've had it. I'm going to do something about it today."

Lisa checked into the medical center and alleges in her report that Poe's "mental state is highly questionable[. She] committed this act of violence in full uniform in front of witnesses on duty." Lisa wrote that she could not "control [the] situation herself any longer."

According to Lisa she attempted to resolve the conflicts she had with Poe one-to-one. After the kicking-incident, Lisa filed a restraining order petition for her family and herself against Poe in Pasadena Court on or around November 16, 1997 in case number GS004446 to "not threaten, strike, or make physical contact with plaintiff / not keep plaintiff under surveillance / not follow plaintiff / not telephone plaintiff / [and] not block plaintiff's movement[.]"

In her plead to the court, Lisa alleged that "Poe has sexual[ly] harassed plaintiff [Lisa] for approximately (6) months. On November 12, 1997, Defendant Poe kicked [Lisa] on the left side of her buttock (causing injury). . . . [Lisa] is afraid of her safety, and fears Defendant Poe's violent behavior." Lisa adds that "Deft has been disciplined in the past for the same type of behavior / history."

Around December 18, 1997, Poe's then-boss, Sergeant David R. Rossi declared that "Officer Poe has been relieved of duty during the Internal Affairs Investigation of this matter."

On December 19, 1997, with both sides presenting their evidence, Commissioner Martin H. Wegmati found Lisa to be credible and issued a restraining order against Poe that expired on February 20, 1998. On February 19, 1998, Lisa demanded $15,985.00 in attorney's fees and cost from Poe.

It appears a trial for a preliminary restraining order was held between February 20 to February 27, 1998. Lisa's petition was then denied.

On January 7, 1999, probably because Poe spent money on an attorney to defend her restraining order, Poe faked her car being stolen and filed a false police report with the LAPD to defraud her car insurance company. Between March and May 3, 1999, Poe was caught for her scheme and reported to internal affairs.

Nonetheless, adjudication of Poe's sexual harassment and workplace violence didn't end there. Between May 3, 1999 and April 2, 2000, an LAPD Board of Rights convened to adjudicate 17 counts of Poe's misconduct by three officers, including Lisa.

Around April 2, 2000, the Board found Poe guilty of five counts. It found that Poe did (1) make sexual remarks to Lisa, (2) created a "hostile work environment" for Lisa, and (3) Poe kick Lisa in the buttocks. Additionally, (4) Poe also made sexual remarks to an officer Fuller around October 22, 1997. (5) Finally, Poe was leaving work assignments and leaving colleague vulnerable to do personal business on October 12, 1997.

After the adjudication, the Board recommended the Police Chief fire Poe. So; Chief Bernard Parks did just that and fire her.

Then on July 7, 2000 - Poe pled guilty to a felony count of insurance fraud and a misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.

On July 21, 2000 - Poe sued the LAPD to get her job back. Only this time, she didn't have an attorney and represented herself in case number BS064440. Poe was missing her court hearing though, and at one point, the court asked Poe to show cause as to why she shouldn't be sanctioned.

On January 30, 2002 - at the final hearing - which Poe again failed to appear at - the court agreed with the LAPD. Poe lost. She wasn't getting her job back.

Interview with former officers say that Poe's sexual harassment, violence, and bullying started as far back as 1991. Poe was 27 then. As a patrol officer, Poe would allegedly push other women officers against the walls of the locker room when they didn't return her sexual advances.

So far, four women officers, and counting, have filed internal complaints against Poe. Two have been affirmed by the LAPD Board and the court to have been victims of battery and sexual harassment.

Recently, the Legal Lens put in a records request to the LAPD for evidence of Poe's dishonesty or sexual harassment.

On September 3, 2019, the LAPD responded by saying that: "The Department has conducted a search and has disclosable records responsive to your request in regards to sustained dishonesty[.]" Furthermore, "The Department continues to search for records[.]"

Poe's employment history from 2001 to 2011 have been spotty. One source alleges she worked as a private detective for another disgraced officer. Poe's resume needs to be ordered.

Somewhere between 2011 and 2014 - the Baldwin Park Unified School District hired Poe as a safety supervisor and school police chief and given access to children between age five to eighteen. Sources believe this was so she could evade a background check.

Around September 8, 2014 - Poe was promoted in a 5-0-vote as school police chief. Blanca Rubio, who is now state assemblywoman, cast one of the votes.

Jill Poe teaching a class to elementary
students on defending yourself
against cyber bullying.

Having the experience as the perpetrator, Poe now teaches defense social media courses on cyber bullying for school districts. She was one of the speakers for the Safe Schools Conference.

Poe's also been criticized for poor decision making. Around August 19, 2014 - (which is about the same time Poe became Chief) - she ordered semi-automatic weapons for the school. Although Poe alleges that these weapons were returned, especially given her history of dishonesty, proof is still being sought as to where these weapons are.

Furthermore, Poe's been sued as police chief at least twice, civilly and recently. On August 19, 2016, Serene Cottini-Guillot, a former Baldwin Park school police officer, sued Poe.

According to the complaint, Serene alleged that Poe admitted to authorizing Matthew Miedema, around 27 year-old son of the school police sergeant, Carl Miedema, to spy on her and her high school son. Allegedly, Matthew was a drug addict that had mental health issues, and this caused Serene and her son to be afraid for their safety.

The school district settled the case with Serene around January 8, 2018 under a gag order. Because the settlement was done with a public agency, the constitutional legality of its enforcement is questioned by experts.

On September 10, 2019 - the Legal Lens' expose on Poe's sexual predation and felonious history prompted parents to pack the school board meeting. There, community activist Greg S. Tuttle spoke. He said: "My father used to be in sex crimes with Orange County Sheriffs for over 20 years. We don't need to get into details with Poe's sexual history, because children are here. But, I know a sexual predator when I see one. And she has a long history of it. And if you don't get rid of her, we'll have to sue to have her removed."

A woman defending Poe, who some suspect to be Poe's wife, came to her defense and responded. This woman, reading from a pre-written letter, reminded the school board members that Poe had done special favors for all of them. And all of them need to remember those special favors.

On September 15, 2019 - the San Gabriel Valley Tribune published Poe's criminal history on Sunday's front page. Several victims and critics were outraged at the article, because it omitted any discussion of Poe's sexual harassment history or her current involvement with children, some who are as young as five years of age. One critic believed that the article misdirected attention from Poe's current moral character issues and instead pointed to the fact that Poe's convictions were 20 years old, which made it appear that Poe has somehow reformed when she has not.

Currently, the school police chief has been suspended from the school district - pending an investigation. Research has shown that Poe spent considerable amounts of time and money to expunge and destroy her records. Somehow that didn't stop it from surfacing here.

Perhaps Galatians is on point: "Do not be deceived: . . . A [wo]man reaps what [s]he sows." (6:7. NIV.)

Ex-felon, Fraudster, & Sexual Predator: The Secret Life of Baldwin Park's School Police Chief - Jill Marie Poe

Jill Marie Poe - Baldwin Park School Police Chief

Baldwin Park's Unified School Police Chief, Jill Marie Poe had a secret life, which she doesn't want you to know about. Besides being fired from the Los Angeles Police Department for being a sexual predator - she's also an ex-felon, who pled guilty to auto insurance fraud and filing a false police report. Now, she's around children from age 5 to 18. One has to wonder how this happened.

According to her felony complaint, case number YA043015, on January 7, 1999, Poe, a working Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, was hurting for money. So she had the brilliant idea of defrauding State Farm Insurance of $10,731.30 by faking the theft of her Toyota Four Runner - which had the license plate "POZWAY". She broke glass by her driveway and filed a false police report to the Torrance Division of the LAPD alleging that someone stole her car. After some time, the insurance paid off over $3,000 on bank liens on the car, and Poe received $7,648.51 in cash and went on a trip to the lake with another woman officer named Anderson.

Cover page of Jill Poe's Felony Complaint.

At the lake, Anderson asked Poe what happened to her car. Poe replied that her brother was "fixing it up."

About three months later, Poe took her friend "Marsha", a civilian, to her brother's house, where they were watching the Oscar De La Hoya match. There, Marsha saw Poe's car parked in the backyard of her brother's house. She clearly remembered it, because it had the license plate "POZWAY".

About three months after the De La Hoya fight, Anderson and another officer were talking about if Poe ever got her car back. Anderson was confused, because Poe told her it was being fixed. But now, the other officer told Anderson Poe reported the car stolen.

Hence, Anderson confronted Poe about the car. Poe admitted, "I did something stupid. I reported it stolen, because I needed the money."

Anderson reported Poe to LAPD Internal Affairs.

After Poe discovered she was being investigated internally, she went back to Marsha and told her not to talk to the investigators, because she might lose her job.

A month later, LAPD detectives served a search warrant on Poe's brother at his house. In the backyard, the detectives found the Toyota Four Runner.

Poe was then arrested and charged for a felony count of auto insurance fraud and a misdemeanor of filing a false police report.

Poe represented herself at court, according to retrieved expunged court records. Between July 7 and July 28, 2000 - Poe pled guilty to a count of one felony of auto insurance fraud and one count of a misdemeanor for filing a false police report.

Jill Poe's 17 counts of personnel misconduct committed
at the LAPD. Affirmed by LA Sup. Ct.

Also, during this time, Poe was also fired from the LAPD. Besides her felony charge, former LAPD Chief Bernard Parks filed 17 counts of personnel misconduct, which mainly centered on Poe's stalking and sexual harassing of another woman police officer. For instance, when she saw the other female officer in the locker room, Poe would grab her and state "You know when you wear those underwear, you know what you do to me. Don't be wearing those underwear around me. They look good." Officer Poe then made a "Hmmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm", remark. (See proof.) The Los Angeles Superior Court affirmed Parks' firing of her in Case No. BS064440. The victim obtained a restraining order against Poe at the victim's residence.

On July 7, 2000, after pleading guilty to auto insurance fraud, Poe was ordered to pay back $12,346.23 to State Farm Insurance. The court sentenced Poe to three years of formal probation.

Then on July 15, 2003 - being represented this time - Poe expunged her record under Penal Code Section 1203.4.

Poe's guilty plead entered in open court.

What's off about the entire court proceeding was that the court reduced the auto insurance fraud to a misdemeanor count of grand theft auto. Curious, how that deal was worked out and whether the court even has the power to do that under law.

After her firing, Poe worked for a private company called Master PI Detectives for awhile, allegedly owned and managed by another former LAPD officer.

Around September 8, 2014, all BPUSD board members voted for Jill Poe five-to-zero to become police chief. One of the votes was cast by Blanca Rubio, now California State Assemblywoman. At the time of the vote, however, she was a BPUSD school board member, who approved of Poe's hiring.

Witnesses say that Rubio is a strong supporter of Poe. (In fact, Rubio called Poe to take the police report, when Roger Hernandez started punching and belting her sister, Susan.)

Previous to her hiring, Mark Skarvany was both superintendent and school police chief. (Recently, Skarvany was investigated for bond fraud by the Security and Exchange Commission in Montebello. Also, while serving as Superintendent, Skarvany laundered $1.5 million of education funds according to an audit.)

There are disputed accounts of how Poe passed her background check. One anonymous source says she did her own background check, because she was a former private detective. (Incidentally, a different source says that Poe also signed off on Skarvany having a concealed weapon.) And even another source says because they started her as safety supervisor, she didn't have take a background check. Although Poe alleges she worked for the BPUSD as captain for three years, California Transparency contradicts her. According to it, Poe started in 2013, and after about a year became police chief.

In totality, however, the evidence strongly suggests the school district never ran a background check. This is because around September 8, 2014, after Poe was appointed Chief, a former LAPD officer who worked with Poe as a rookie, called Skarvany, and explained to him, (through his secretary, because the superintendent didn't want to personally hear the facts) that Poe was a convicted felon with a serial history of sexual harassment and abuse. Still, Skarvany refused to investigate Poe's past, suspend, or fire her.

Unsurprisingly, Poe's been a source of controversy for poor decision making. For instance, Poe's ordered semi-automatic weapons for the school. Although Poe alleges that these weapons were returned, proof is still being sought as to where these weapons are.

Type of weapon Poe ordered for the district.
Getty image.

To be sure, Poe can allege that her misconduct happened years ago. Therefore the argument would go, her criminal history and her firing because of sexual harassment is no longer relevant to her professionalism now.

But this is still a current issue. Cal. Gov. Code Section 1029 prohibits anyone who has a felony from being a peace officer, even if the record has been expunged. Also, Cal. Gov. Code Section 1031(d) requires good moral character and a thorough background check.

Again; the question is: How is a proven ex-felon and sexual predator like this is allowed to become a police officer, let alone promoted to Chief, and allowed to work with children, who are as young as 5 years old?

Poe's past haunts her even now. She appears to be a creature of habitual sexual predation. According to court records, a civil lawsuit was filed and settled by a former school officer in 2017 because of Poe's sexual harassment against another former woman officer at the BPUSD.

Poe is still working at the school district and still has access to children. In fact, EdData states that as of the 2017-2018 school year, there were 16,695 students enrolled. At the end of 2017, she was making $157,229.14.

In examining this case, Jesus's teaching becomes clearer: "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs." (Matthew 7:15-16).

Jill M. Poe far right with her school police officers.

The Fight for Second Chances

"Between the Rounds" by Thomas Eakins.

My boxing coach told Santiago, "Paul's lying. Go ask him again." At the time, I had finished jumping rope and wanted to improve on my agility: bobbing and weaving and slipping mainly.

During my break, Santiago asked me, "Are you a lawyer?"

Instead of saying, no, like last time, I said, "Why?" (Even though I told myself I was never returning back to the court battles.)

"I have a problem with my record. Because of it, I can't get a new job." 

"What's the problem?"

"I was street racing five years ago, and they charged me with a felony. I was 21. I applied for this job, but I couldn't get it because of my record."

There I was, sweaty, and in shorts, and my hands wrapped up, analyzing the case in the gym. (I should've been in a suit and tie in a swanky office.)

But what Santiago didn't know was that two months ago, I had the same kind of case up in Seattle, Washington and had learned how to do this kind of work.

"Is it a wobbler?"

"What's that?" 

I realized then I shouldn't have used the legalise. "It's when the crime charged could be either a felony or a misdemeanor." I had a feeling this was going to be a good case.

"I don't know."

"Give me your case number when you have the chance."

Santiago texted it to me. I did the research. It was a wobbler. 

I asked him to go to the courthouse and get a copy of the minute order for me.

After he did, later in the week, I went to the law library and analyzed the case. I wanted it. I knew it was a good case. I agreed to take it.

Because this case was different than my Seattle case, I had to draft a brief from scratch. I enjoyed customizing my own motion, even though it took 15 hours to write.

I filed it in court. They set the matter for calendar in two weeks. I think it took us by surprise how fast everything was happening.

* * *

Yesterday, after waiting two hours, the judge called us.

I saw a sign posted on the benches. It read, "Turn off all cell phones." I told Santiago, "How come in the movies, they never show these signs?"

He chuckled.

Then I told him, "Also, in the movies, the lawyers mainly win by what they say in open court. But in real life, generally, you win by what you wrote. So, it's really important that the judge's read my brief."

I knew immediately he read my brief. The prosecutors didn't oppose what we were asking for. The judge granted us everything we wanted. He reduced the charge to a misdemeanor. He expunged my client's record.

I tripped up on my words a little bit in open court, even though there wasn't much to say. I was fatigued. I didn't have the best sleep the night before. It was probably because I haven't been physically present in court for almost a year. Not that you forget how to do it, but I was just exhausted.

I was thinking to myself, this isn't an impact litigation case, which means you're doing a big case to change the law or society. Like Brown v. the Board of Education. 

No. But it'll change his life, and as the Talmud says, "He who saves the life of one man saves the entire world." 

I believe in giving people second chances (except when I'm too mad to think about it). And now my client will have that. Every time my brother or I passed through a significant milestone in life, my father would buy us new clothes. He said that giving new clothes to someone was like giving them a new life.

The client's family told me later that they were in this courtroom before for another family member. So, they were already familiar with the judge and the bailiff. 

But this time they were happy and relieved to see the court grant relief to my client. I wondered if it mattered for them to see that the justice system worked for them this time.

We all went out and celebrated and had lunch outside on a hot summer day. I ordered a chicken sandwich with rice.

But after I came home, I felt exhausted and miserable. I didn't realize how tiring it was to go back into law and motion. It probably took a toll on me to realize that my reputation at the boxing club was also at stake, but I didn't become aware of how draining all this was, until I fell asleep for 12 hours.

Two cases won. Two cases closed this week. Two more pending.

What my client didn't know, was that this was the first case I filed under my nonprofit corporation - Plousiouv En Pistei - which is Greek for Wealthy in Faith. It's not only a second chance for my client, but it's also been the baptism by fire my organization's been waiting for.