WenOnDesDay in BookThree: Flight Log 2016

I decided not to go to Magistrate Court this morning because there was nothing on the schedule. The rest I shall share in BULLET FORM!

- A Citizen In The Know ran into a Board of Supervisors member the other day, had a conversation and then sent us something to let us know what she found out. I don’t like that practice (essentially, gossip politics) but I’ll take any news I can get right now. Apparently the entire board really is being held up by just one person (proof that the way this local government works is bullshit) but they are “confident” they can make him “see reason” and stop demanding his friend be hired when there are much more qualified candidates. That is good to know. However, considering that ONE tantrum-throwing Board Member can delay the hiring process for 3 months (and counting) does not make me feel confident that things will go well.

- Our Magistrate (who I should know by now isn’t going to be a shinning example of competence) called me this morning to ask if DOT Officers can give speeding tickets. A defendant was telling her that DOT Officers aren’t allowed to give speeding tickets; so she set the matter for hearing. Because she doesn’t know the law. And will believe whatever anyone tells her. Because… in IOWA at least… while it is being reviewed at present… the law still allows for DOT Officers to pull over and cite citizens for reasons including but not limited to seat belt violations, vehicle defects and safety hazards, and speeding. But the judge doesn’t know what the law is. I want to say that again. The judge doesn’t know what the law is. That very thought frustrates, enrages, and horrifies me. It is absolutely one of those issues where… I don’t mind losing a case, I don’t mind being required to tell an officer he didn’t do something right… but a judge that doesn’t know the law should be seen as a terrible corruption of the judicial process!

- Another issue of “Magistrate Madness” popped up in the Civil Sector of my responsibilities. The State gets involved in mental health commitment cases for two reasons. The first is that the patient is a danger to themselves. The second is that the patient is a danger to others. So… before it goes to court… before a decision can be made on how to proceed.... we need the patient to be seen by a mental health specialist. This is facilitated by a court order requiring that the patient attend an assessment so that the professionals who assess the individual can report to the court on whether the person is a danger or not. UNTIL THIS ASSESSMENT IS FILED, WE DO NOT KNOW if the individual is a legitimate threat to himself or others. That is the background. We have three… three… individuals who have cancelled or not attended their assessments. We have two… two… that had assessments and then have refused to attend any further treatment or abide by any further court orders. So… theoretically… we have 5 individuals running around the county that could be a danger to themselves or others… with court orders to try and intervene… and the Magistrate calls me today asking, “So these people aren’t doing what they should. Do you think I should just go ahead and dismiss all of these cases?” DISMISS? Are you fucking kidding me?! We have five people ignoring court orders that could kill themselves or kill others. For. Fuck. Sake. Learn your job. I get it. That sounds hypocritical coming from me as I am someone desperately struggling to learn my job. But here’s the difference… with less than 3 months of professional legal experience, I applied to an entry level job with the expectation that I would learn how to do the job. She had 30 years of professional legal experience, applied to an advanced legal job where the expectation is that you will be the judge. Requiring ME to teach her how to do her job is ridiculous and stupid. And honestly another world class reason to try to get the hell out of here.

- The world has descended into madness, but apparently the epicenter may be somewhere near Florida. Just google Florida I-75 news. Apparently, someone driving “thought to be speeds up to 120 miles per hour” was pulled over by a police officer. The driver of the vehicle got out of his car and “tackled the officer, then began to viciously pummel the Deputy.” A passerby saw the violence and, being a registered conceal carry permit holding gun owner, got out of his vehicle, drew his weapon and “ordered the assailant to get off of the downed deputy.” When the attack continued, the deputy started shouting “Shoot him” with a genuine fear. The bystander shot the assailant 3 times, killing him. Dozens of witnesses have come forward to verify all of those facts. The speed and reckless driving. The unprovoked attack. The attempts at non-lethal resolution. And ultimately the shooting itself. But of course… it isn’t cut and dry. The officer that was attacked was a 12 year veteran of the force and white. The shooter is alleged to be a white male. The assailant/victim is alleged to be a black male. THUS… “this is a case of whites killing a black man!” Except for all of the witnesses saying “The deputy pulled over the car, the driver erupted out of his Honda and tackled the officer.” And… sadly… strangely… IF the Officer had pulled his gun and shot the man as the man was charging him…Ferguson, MO comes to mind.

- Last night, my wife did something awesome. One of the things I’ve been missing is any semblance of life. So when I got out of work yesterday, she packed me into the car and said we were going North. We drove for 45 minutes before she stopped and announced that we had arrived. We were in a town of over 3,000 people (still not much compared to growing up around 500,000 but a needed reprieve from being in a town of around 1500) and then we went to the busiest Chinese Restaurant in the town. So I got to see humans… and I got to eat Chinese food. Neither of which can be done in Up North County. HOWEVER… a bit of a backfire on the issue. Because all morning I’ve been thinking, “GOD I want to move back home!” Because… honestly… visiting life makes me hungry for it. And I just… 8 people per square mile population concentration drives me absolutely insane. I grew up in a population concentration of 763 people per square mile. I went to college in the “small town” college which had a population concentration of 231 people per square mile. I went to Law School in a population concentration of 1,585 people per square mile. I now live with 8 people per square mile. 8! My most recent home was 198 TIMES larger. Where I consider my honest to goodness home when I say “I want to go home” is 95 TIMES larger. I’m not kidding. Seriously. The constant isolation, emptiness… yeah, it has been great for my marriage due to relying on each other for survival… but it is killing our sanity! And I’m not sure which is better to deal with it. Last week, Wife and I spent a day in Ames. This week, I’m spending a day in Omaha. Next week, we’re spending a day in West Des Moines. And I wonder/worry… will that be the temporary relief that helps us survive… or will it act as a taunting tease that drives us further toward aggression? Suffice it to say… I’ve been praying, begging, pleading that my Cyclone City or Poko County applications turn into something. We need this. We need a break. I don’t want to seem entitled but… it just seems like Wife and I are due for one… right?

NoJoMo16

What is your earliest memory of “what you want to be when you grow up”?

I think I’ve told this story before but it fits the prompt, so you’ll hear it again. As a child, I loved performing and I loved reading. There were only two things that would exhilarate me: reading and performing. So, when I was very little, I was asked to come up with what I wanted to be when I grew up. People were saying “Fireman” or “Ninja” or “Fight bad guys, so a superhero or a police man!” Then it became my turn. I thought about what jobs read and what jobs can command audiences. And I said, “I want to be an actor. Or maybe a lawyer.” I tried to be (in some form) a successful actor for 15 years. Then I gave that up… tried for 4 years to get into (and earn money for) law school. 3 years of law school. 2 years looking for a job. And now I’ve been here… hating life… for approximately 227 days. So, 15 years trying to be an actor. Almost 10 years trying to be an attorney.