“You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are, until someone stands behind you and says, “It’s ok, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.” So I fell down.” -The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Exploring Mykonos: The Starting Point to Island Adventures
Jason and I taking an obligatory photo "for the 'gram" in Old Mykonos Town Early morning in Athens. This was our first Sea Jet. We arrived about two hours early and the line was already queued up. The great thing about getting around the Greek Isles is that you can totally choose your own adventure…
25-Year Anniversary Adventure in Greece: Athens
The flag of Greece waving proudly atop the Acropolis In September 2024 Jason and I decided to celebrate 25 years of marriage with an epic trip to Greece. We had friends celebrating their 15th and 20th years of marriage in the same year and so we made it a group effort. This trip was about…
#27 The Criminal Trial Involving Family Law
I spent a summer during law school working as an intern for our Courthouse where we provided assistance to litigants representing themselves in family law matters. Basically, I would go to court and assist with filling out paperwork. What struck me the most was the inability of people, who were once happily in love, to…
A Character Holding a Blue Item
My brother's high school science teacher stood at the pulpit of our church on Sunday and said to the congregation, "repent and return the thing that has been stolen." My brother sunk lower in the pew and I gave him a sideways glance, while snickering silently to myself. He and I were the only two…
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#22 Hindsight is 20/20: A Jury Trial that Changed My Perspective
Ultimately, this was one the jury got right with a misdemeanor and it helped me change my perspective on marijuana cultivation moving forward. It is also a good example of how prosecution evolves over time with the law as it changes. Prosecutors are given a lot of discretion in filing, charging, settling, and trying cases on behalf of the People and as there are changes in the law, and continuing research into areas affecting crime we, adapt so that our discretion aligns with what society believes is a just outcome. The jury saw it here and I see it now.
#21 A trial Interrupted
The defendant in jury trial #21 was charged with vandalizing a correctional facility. He had ripped a large ADA guardrail off the wall of the jail and was yelling that he was going to "tear this mother fucker apart" if he didn't get moved from a solitary room back into the main line. He had…
#20 A Jury Trial That Changed Everything
The trial that forever changed my perspective of jury trials. From day one, I was told that my job as a prosecutor was not win, it was to seek justice. To do the right thing. To handle those things within my control, holding myself to the highest standard. In this trial I followed those rules, and the dragon won.
#19 A Jury Trial for a Victim Who Didn’t Want to Be
Prosecutors act on behalf of the People, but we also are charged with protecting victim's Constitutional rights. We work to protect public safety, which includes the safety of victim's of crime. We are trained to keep the victim in mind at every stage of the prosecution but that doesn't necessarily mean that we will discontinue…
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