Sad, Sad, Sad Day
Plus ~~ The Court Day Update
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
This morning, Tommy, my fiance, left for Phoenix. Now, I know, the other day, I complained about him ( I was just frustrated...which I regret feeling that way now), but when it boils down to it, I love him dearly. I may not be seeing him for 2 weeks. I feel bad because he went down there with no place to actually live. By God's grace, he has found a building that is enclosed so no one can see him. He'll be sleeping on drywall, but at least that's better than the hard, gravely ground. I'm so thankful that God provided that place for him.
He went down there to have a trial period at a job. He's got to start at 6:30 am. He has no way of commuting down there, so he decided to give up his comfort of living so that he can get this job. This gives me a deeper respect of him (of course if he doesn't find anything wrong with it and quits after he's gotten the job). He's been down there since around 12:30 pm this afternoon, and it's almost 8, so eight hours of doing nothing but dealing with the blistering heat of that area of AZ. He's been keeping in touch with me all day. Just out of sheer boredom. But, I do miss him.
At least he doesn't have to deal with the crap of what's been going on around here anymore. It's gotten way out of hand. The church that we thought was so wonderful when we moved here, has about turned on us. Even after Tommy volunteered his time to do about $2,000 worth of work. You see, the walls in the Sunday school area for the children had just simple, ugly, folding walls. Each of the three rooms had a 2 x 4 in the doorway. Apparently, a lot of people tripped over that piece of wood. So, Tommy offered, because he knew how to do the work, to build permanent walls for them. It took about a month for Tommy , with me helping as best as I could, and the help of a 13, and 15 year old boys (but they thought it was fun-time most days). Tommy started from scratch with metal studs, drywall, mudding, doing the trim around each door, and painting. All the labor was free for the church. They only ended up paying for the price of the materials. Ok, now, that's a lot of work to be done, but he did it. After it was done, the people of the church got a little snipity with us. They acted like we were nothing.
Trouble started brewing, people were complaining that he was lazy (what didn't the building of the walls prove that he wasn't lazy?). They were complaining that he wasn't looking for a job, and that he was just lazy. C'mon, it's really hard to find a job in a dinky little town, when all the jobs are an hour's drive away, and you don't have a car, don'tchya think? The landlord was getting on Tommy's butt about crap too. Now, there was an agreement that Tommy would do work around this so-called apartment (if the health department looked at this place they would condemn it....I mean, I've cleaned it best that I can, but it's still a dump). So, Tommy would go out 30-45 min. do some work that Dave, the landlord, would tell him to do, and come back in and cool off. Tommy has a hard time in the heat. So, while he cooled off, he'd be on the computer playing his game, or maybe watching tv. He'd gotten really sweaty....I mean sweat would be pouring off him. So, he'd take like a half hour to an hour to cool down, depending on how he felt. Then he'd go back out, for 30-45 and do more work. But, it wasn't enough for the landlord. He started being persnipity about Tommy being on the computer. Umm, so what if he was on it in between working out there? Did it matter what he did when he took a break? Apparently so. Then Dave really got picky and accused Tommy of not listening. Then, get this ok, Dave started complaining about Tommy's heart condition. Geez, um, he's had 3 heart attacks. Tommy actually had to prove to Dave, through written comfirmation by the dr of his heart. Well, that shut him up. Then he started on the working thing. You know, Dave actually said to Tommy, "No one will hire you." Yes, he actually said that. What a thing to say. So, when Tommy got the job, Dave didn't say, that it was a good thing or not....no, he argued that it was 'just an interview'. Good grief, c'mon. What more is he going to complain about. He tried the threat that he was kicking us out...but Tommy told him, ok, take us to court, by the time he gets the court date, he'd have the money. Dave shut up. Why get Tommy all flustered over dumb stuff?
So, yeah, tonight, my poor man is sleeping iin some half built building on drywall, his blanket for a pillow. ;-( I'm sad. But, he's called me a lot today, and said that he's ok with it. I'll worry about him all night.....I love him so.
~Court Day Update~
First of all, Kurt had pleaded NOT GUILTY at the first hearing. But I can't believe what happened! Kurt got off scott-free. He got not even probation...nothing! Kurt represented himself. Tommy and I thought, right there that he was going to put himself into a hole. Well, he did, but he got off on a TECHNICALITY. Ugh!! All we needed was a photo of the bruise he left on Tommy's cheek. I could tell that it wasn't going right, right the beginning. We were told, right off, that the cop that was the key witness for our side, had had to go to Phoenix because his brother had been in a serious accident. Ok....but 2 PM rolled around and John, who was the one that picked us up that night, and who's truck Kurt had hit Tommy's face on, hadn't shown up. The victim advocate, called John, who thankfully had the day off, eventually came.
We talked to the Prosecuting Attorney personally (she's a really nice person). She didn't like Kurt for a minute. I guess at the hearing in July, he'd threatened her, and then immediately called her "Sweetie". So, she didn't have much like for the man. I guess the Judge himself wasn't too impressed by him. Anyway, he showed up....cocky as anything. He couldn't pass us without saying something to us. As he went into the courtroom he said to Tommy, 'How was the hospital?' Tommy had gone to the hospital the day before, and they'd kept him.....but he told them the circumstance, and they let him out for the trial. Unfortunately, Ruth, an elderly lady who lives with Kurt was in the same taxi as Tommy was.
~The Trial~
Tommy was the first called as he was the victim of the case. Being a witness, Kay (Kurt's wife) and I had to leave the courtroom during Tommy's time on the stand. Later Tommy told me that Kurt was being a jerk, and the Judge had to put him in his place more than once. He asked Tommy some ridiculous, irrevelent questions. One was: "Mr. LaPlante, how did you get up here?" Tommy answered, "U-haul." Kurt repeated the question again. Tommy got a little perturbed, but held himself and repeated, "U-haul." Then, Kurt asked, "Isn't it true, Mr. LaPlante, that you don't have a driver's license?" Tommy affirmed that he doesn't. (What the heck possessed Kurt to ask such a stupid question?) Kurt then said, "Then, Mr. LaPlante, how did you get up here?" Tommy replied, "You drove." End of subject lol. I mean, c'mon, what's that got to do with the night in question? Sheesh. I guess the Judge just kind of rolled his eyes.
Next was my turn on the stand. I told my side of the story, and then it was Kurt's turn to ask questions. Brother, talk about looking like a joke. I had said that he'd run out of the house and hit Tommy against the truck. Kurt asked, "Ms. Lester, isn't it true that I have a rail on my porch?" "Yes." "Then, how could I run out of my house?" The man is 7'4", to me it looked like he ran because he's got such long legs. I mean, his pace is twice as fast as anyone else's. "I said, well it looked like you ran to me." Geez. Now, on that night, there was lots of profanity used by both Kurt and Kay. Kurt tried to pin profanity used by me on me. To that, I replied quite firmly, "No, I did NOT."
But, because of that teeny, tiny technicality.....that man got off. The Judge told him that he was lucky, because by all standards, he was guilty as sin. He should have been dealt whatever punishment was coming. But, because the Prosecuting Attorney didn't have all the vital information, he was free...not even a day of probation!!! The smirk on his face as he left the courtroom was disgusting. He acted like he was all that because he got off. Kay even made sly sound, like "Ha ha, see we got off." Well, their day is a-coming. The Prosecuting Attorney and the Judge don't like him already. The cops are aware of what he's capable of, so they're watching him. When he does something wrong again, the Judge is going to max him out with a sentence. He got off once, but it won't happen a 2nd time, count on that.
It's pretty pathetic when you aren't even liked by all the taxi drivers that drive for the free medical system ACCHS up here. One taxi driver told Tommy that when they get a call to Kurt's address, they hate going if HE'S going. That tells you something, doesn't it? He isn't like very much by anyone. So, he's going to fall hard the next time he does something wrong....and boy it'll be a doozy. Tommy and I won't know about it, because we won't be around here....but it's a-coming.
"
He went down there to have a trial period at a job. He's got to start at 6:30 am. He has no way of commuting down there, so he decided to give up his comfort of living so that he can get this job. This gives me a deeper respect of him (of course if he doesn't find anything wrong with it and quits after he's gotten the job). He's been down there since around 12:30 pm this afternoon, and it's almost 8, so eight hours of doing nothing but dealing with the blistering heat of that area of AZ. He's been keeping in touch with me all day. Just out of sheer boredom. But, I do miss him.
At least he doesn't have to deal with the crap of what's been going on around here anymore. It's gotten way out of hand. The church that we thought was so wonderful when we moved here, has about turned on us. Even after Tommy volunteered his time to do about $2,000 worth of work. You see, the walls in the Sunday school area for the children had just simple, ugly, folding walls. Each of the three rooms had a 2 x 4 in the doorway. Apparently, a lot of people tripped over that piece of wood. So, Tommy offered, because he knew how to do the work, to build permanent walls for them. It took about a month for Tommy , with me helping as best as I could, and the help of a 13, and 15 year old boys (but they thought it was fun-time most days). Tommy started from scratch with metal studs, drywall, mudding, doing the trim around each door, and painting. All the labor was free for the church. They only ended up paying for the price of the materials. Ok, now, that's a lot of work to be done, but he did it. After it was done, the people of the church got a little snipity with us. They acted like we were nothing.
Trouble started brewing, people were complaining that he was lazy (what didn't the building of the walls prove that he wasn't lazy?). They were complaining that he wasn't looking for a job, and that he was just lazy. C'mon, it's really hard to find a job in a dinky little town, when all the jobs are an hour's drive away, and you don't have a car, don'tchya think? The landlord was getting on Tommy's butt about crap too. Now, there was an agreement that Tommy would do work around this so-called apartment (if the health department looked at this place they would condemn it....I mean, I've cleaned it best that I can, but it's still a dump). So, Tommy would go out 30-45 min. do some work that Dave, the landlord, would tell him to do, and come back in and cool off. Tommy has a hard time in the heat. So, while he cooled off, he'd be on the computer playing his game, or maybe watching tv. He'd gotten really sweaty....I mean sweat would be pouring off him. So, he'd take like a half hour to an hour to cool down, depending on how he felt. Then he'd go back out, for 30-45 and do more work. But, it wasn't enough for the landlord. He started being persnipity about Tommy being on the computer. Umm, so what if he was on it in between working out there? Did it matter what he did when he took a break? Apparently so. Then Dave really got picky and accused Tommy of not listening. Then, get this ok, Dave started complaining about Tommy's heart condition. Geez, um, he's had 3 heart attacks. Tommy actually had to prove to Dave, through written comfirmation by the dr of his heart. Well, that shut him up. Then he started on the working thing. You know, Dave actually said to Tommy, "No one will hire you." Yes, he actually said that. What a thing to say. So, when Tommy got the job, Dave didn't say, that it was a good thing or not....no, he argued that it was 'just an interview'. Good grief, c'mon. What more is he going to complain about. He tried the threat that he was kicking us out...but Tommy told him, ok, take us to court, by the time he gets the court date, he'd have the money. Dave shut up. Why get Tommy all flustered over dumb stuff?
So, yeah, tonight, my poor man is sleeping iin some half built building on drywall, his blanket for a pillow. ;-( I'm sad. But, he's called me a lot today, and said that he's ok with it. I'll worry about him all night.....I love him so.
~Court Day Update~
First of all, Kurt had pleaded NOT GUILTY at the first hearing. But I can't believe what happened! Kurt got off scott-free. He got not even probation...nothing! Kurt represented himself. Tommy and I thought, right there that he was going to put himself into a hole. Well, he did, but he got off on a TECHNICALITY. Ugh!! All we needed was a photo of the bruise he left on Tommy's cheek. I could tell that it wasn't going right, right the beginning. We were told, right off, that the cop that was the key witness for our side, had had to go to Phoenix because his brother had been in a serious accident. Ok....but 2 PM rolled around and John, who was the one that picked us up that night, and who's truck Kurt had hit Tommy's face on, hadn't shown up. The victim advocate, called John, who thankfully had the day off, eventually came.
We talked to the Prosecuting Attorney personally (she's a really nice person). She didn't like Kurt for a minute. I guess at the hearing in July, he'd threatened her, and then immediately called her "Sweetie". So, she didn't have much like for the man. I guess the Judge himself wasn't too impressed by him. Anyway, he showed up....cocky as anything. He couldn't pass us without saying something to us. As he went into the courtroom he said to Tommy, 'How was the hospital?' Tommy had gone to the hospital the day before, and they'd kept him.....but he told them the circumstance, and they let him out for the trial. Unfortunately, Ruth, an elderly lady who lives with Kurt was in the same taxi as Tommy was.
~The Trial~
Tommy was the first called as he was the victim of the case. Being a witness, Kay (Kurt's wife) and I had to leave the courtroom during Tommy's time on the stand. Later Tommy told me that Kurt was being a jerk, and the Judge had to put him in his place more than once. He asked Tommy some ridiculous, irrevelent questions. One was: "Mr. LaPlante, how did you get up here?" Tommy answered, "U-haul." Kurt repeated the question again. Tommy got a little perturbed, but held himself and repeated, "U-haul." Then, Kurt asked, "Isn't it true, Mr. LaPlante, that you don't have a driver's license?" Tommy affirmed that he doesn't. (What the heck possessed Kurt to ask such a stupid question?) Kurt then said, "Then, Mr. LaPlante, how did you get up here?" Tommy replied, "You drove." End of subject lol. I mean, c'mon, what's that got to do with the night in question? Sheesh. I guess the Judge just kind of rolled his eyes.
Next was my turn on the stand. I told my side of the story, and then it was Kurt's turn to ask questions. Brother, talk about looking like a joke. I had said that he'd run out of the house and hit Tommy against the truck. Kurt asked, "Ms. Lester, isn't it true that I have a rail on my porch?" "Yes." "Then, how could I run out of my house?" The man is 7'4", to me it looked like he ran because he's got such long legs. I mean, his pace is twice as fast as anyone else's. "I said, well it looked like you ran to me." Geez. Now, on that night, there was lots of profanity used by both Kurt and Kay. Kurt tried to pin profanity used by me on me. To that, I replied quite firmly, "No, I did NOT."
But, because of that teeny, tiny technicality.....that man got off. The Judge told him that he was lucky, because by all standards, he was guilty as sin. He should have been dealt whatever punishment was coming. But, because the Prosecuting Attorney didn't have all the vital information, he was free...not even a day of probation!!! The smirk on his face as he left the courtroom was disgusting. He acted like he was all that because he got off. Kay even made sly sound, like "Ha ha, see we got off." Well, their day is a-coming. The Prosecuting Attorney and the Judge don't like him already. The cops are aware of what he's capable of, so they're watching him. When he does something wrong again, the Judge is going to max him out with a sentence. He got off once, but it won't happen a 2nd time, count on that.
It's pretty pathetic when you aren't even liked by all the taxi drivers that drive for the free medical system ACCHS up here. One taxi driver told Tommy that when they get a call to Kurt's address, they hate going if HE'S going. That tells you something, doesn't it? He isn't like very much by anyone. So, he's going to fall hard the next time he does something wrong....and boy it'll be a doozy. Tommy and I won't know about it, because we won't be around here....but it's a-coming.
"