Back in 2015, my parents started suing me for custody over and over again until they won, and I started drinking again full-time like it was my job, because my life was crumbling before my eyes and I felt helpless to stop it. I was also trying to navigate my new criminal charges with no money and no good advice from the Public Defender, who was set to retire and flat-out refused to take my case to trial. I refused the first two “deals” by the DA at the Criminal Conferences, and then at the third one, he started screaming at me that he was “GOING TO WIN!!” with his face all red and veins bulging, if I tried to take it to trial.
Both the Public Defender and his secretary then began pleading with me to take the final deal, which included years of probation, house arrest, and a weekend in the McKean County Jail.
I felt backed into a corner.
The lawyer emphatically and flatly refused to defend me. I was finally coerced into taking the plea deal (and then was forced to sign paperwork and tell a judge that I wasn’t coerced).
This was my introduction to the criminal “justice” system.
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