One hundred hours of community service, $256, and a felony assault on a female is what it cost me to break the strong hold Lady held on me. My court appointed lawyer felt like it was a charge that would be simpler for me to accept rather than continue the heartache and drama associated with it all.
The female judge could have cared less what my side of the story was unless I had a witness. Ironically, I had a witness on my two previous visits to the courthouse to stand this so called trial. Babygirl had seen all of the events that transpired and could have allowed me to walk away without any repercussions. Once again, I allowed my ignorance to play me for a fool and figured Lady would once again choose not to show up and allow the case to be dismissed. I couldn’t have been more mistaken.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” the judge told me after hearing the fabricated tale of how I pushed Lady down a flight of stairs and threatened her repeatedly at knifepoint. I could only stare at my lawyer and wonder how long he would allow this onslaught to continue. It’s a wonder why so many of today’s youth get caught up in the judicial system.
Women have a tremendously unfair advantage when it comes to issues of assault. You see, in North Carolina, or most states for that matter, regardless of what truly may have happened, a women need only to say something happened then the burden of proof falls on the man to prove his innocence. Not a task easily accomplished unless you have a witness, and at this moment in time, with all the hurt, disappointment and anger I felt, I was alone. I was the angry black man who had attacked the “weaker” sex, at least in the court's eyes.
The true story is ironic in and of itself. I admit I have always had a bit of a temper since childhood. But I have always believed and stood by the fact I would never and have never laid a hand on a woman. I believe it to be an act of cowards and those harboring low self-esteem. But I admit that I was angry....
(To be continued)
No comments:
Post a Comment