DALLAS COUNTY JURY DUTY: read from the beginning…
We were half-way into day two of jury duty with still no testimony.
Half-way into day two, I knew way more about my fellow jurors than the Defendant, Jon Paul Goff.
“The Judge is ready for you,” the bailiff announced just as I finished my insanity-saving Zentangle.
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| Jury Duty Zentangle… |
A mind-numbing discussion ensued about jury member purses.
“Can we take our purses?”
“Should we leave our purses?”
“Are you leaving yours?”
“That’s a cute purse.”
“Will the room be locked?”
“What if I need my purse?”
I wanted to whack Lucy with my purse. Overly Eager evidently thought we had been sequestered. She brought enough stuff to live in the deliberation room a week.
“You won’t be in there long,” the bailiff answered. My ears perked. Why? Because the case had settled or because we would be breaking for lunch in ten minutes?
I carried my purse.
All rise.
The Defendant’s chair was noticeably empty.
The attorneys on both sides looked drained.
The Judge announced the Defendant had pled guilty.
I was not surprised. The Defendant had observed enough of the crazy twelve to forego a jury trial and take his chances with the Judge. The Judge sentenced him to eighteen years in the state penitentiary. Eighteen years was sobering.
Back in the deliberation room jurors gathered purses and uneaten lunches. Lucy consoled Overly Eager who collapsed in her chair near tears at being gypped of her week-long trial.
“What you didn’t know,” the bailiff said,” is that the Defendant skipped out on his bail and was on the run for two years. That’s why it took so long to get him to trial.”
Lucy gasped with hand over pie hole.
I was free.
The defendant was not.
I drove home thinking about how someone chooses such a destructive life path? I drove home thankful for my family and upbringing and sense. I drove straight home and googled Jon Paul Goff.
Up popped his BLOG… The Dopeman’s Bible.
The man was a blogger. He blogged while he was a fugitive.
For all of cyberspace to see, he ranted about his crime and gang member friends. He rejoiced about rehab and recovery. He regretted the loss of family relationships, including his young daughter.
I hope he finds peace.
talya
p.s. The link to his blog is: The Dopeman’s Bible. (contains language…)
The first question that popped into my head was, “Did they (the judge and the lawyers) know about the blog?”
Gary I wondered the same thing. I was shocked his attorney didn’t force him to remove it.
Wouldn’t have mattered. Anything you put on the Internet is pretty much forever. 🙂
Yeah but the regular ole juror wouldn’t be able to find it…
I’m glad you got out of what you didn’t want to do. I need to go check out his blog.
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
P.S. I chose not to leave a comment or let him know I stopped by. 😉
Joyce, I think it would have been an interesting case had it gone to trial, but I’m glad I didn’t have to access punishment of 18 years or whatever we would have come up with…
Glad to see your jury service didn’t require sequestration (rhymes with castration, on purpose, i think). Allow me to apply my feeble paraphrasing skills to the dopeman blog “poor me, poor me”! I’m very glad to read the adventures of Talya, makes my life look positively humdrum!
Really enjoyed your Jury series and loved your Zentangle.
Thank you Suzy Que!
Awesome conclusion to an awesome story, Talya! And if this guy, the Blustering Blogger, would have been found guilty of the charge of stupidity, I reckon he’d have had to serve at least two life sentences.
love the Zentangle. Decided not to look at his blog.
Talya, hello. You are a beautiful writer by the way. I have to say that from what you knew you were right on in some aspects. There are two sides to every story though. After facing a lot about myself in life to this point my perspective has changed a lot. I’m like geez what was I thinking. I have found peace and solace in being free now. Do you still write all the time? Would you be interested in collaborating on the real story? Funny thing my uncle looked at your house when it was on the market during that time of course having a nephew in that kind of trouble isn’t anything anyone would like to mention. Anyways it was interesting to read your comments feel free to contact me im a good guy now. Truly. Jonpaul
Jon Paul was my brother. He died last night.
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry to hear this. We communicated a bit over the past year or so via Linkedin and email. He sounded like he was in a much better place and happier overall.