<\/b><\/p>\n
Meanwhile, back in prison, Lenora kept rounding up good recommendations from the prison guards, and had me coming to visit monthly for updates and new information (a 90 minute round trip). I told her not to be optimistic \u2013 few pardons are granted. She was on the next Pardons Hearings list when the Legislature passed The Sentencing Guidelines Law which included a provision that all currently sentenced inmates could request re-sentencing under the New Guidelines! I quickly looked up the recommended sentence for a first time kidnapper \u2013 and called Lenora – only 30 months! She had a good chance of getting out as soon as I could put the paperwork together. Which is what happened. She was excited as all get-out as her release date approached \u2013 calling me every day to make sure nothing had gone wrong. On the day before her release she called and asked if I would come pick her up. That thought had never occurred to me. I assumed she had friends on the outside. \u201cOf course not,\u201d I said, \u201cI\u2019ve got law work I have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell at least come join me for a drink after you\u2019re done working,\u201d she said. \u201cOkay,\u201d I said, and we made plans to meet at the Corral Bar on Lake Street not far from my office. When I got there she was the only one in a booth passed-out. Turns out they really do hand you a $100 bill as walking money and wish you good luck. That\u2019s it. No plans for a job, a place to live, or any kind of a reunification with the community. It had never occurred to me that I needed to ask Lenora what her plans were once I got her out. My job was to get her out \u2013 and that would be the end of my knowing Lenora. Maybe I should have known better remembering she had no real family left. I perked her up, found out she had spent the entire $100 on booze for bar patrons who had abandoned her after the money was gone, and loaded her into my car. Every so often I pulled over so she could barf again. She was finally sober enough for me to ask where she was going to stay that night. \u201cI have nowhere to stay \u2013 can I stay at your place?\u201d she asked. Again, this was totally unexpected, I never thought this would be part of my being her lawyer. Well, what was I going to do? \u201cOkay,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
When we got to my place I made some soup and fixed the couch for me to sleep on. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be kidding,\u201d she said, \u201cI did hard time! Get in bed with me!\u201d Well, what\u2019s a guy going to do? The next morning I called one of the prison guards who had written such a glowing recommendation for her pardon, and, fortunately, that guard quickly saw the whole picture, had quite a heart and a spare bedroom for Lenora until she found her own place.<\/p>\n
Lenora kept calling me every so often and I\u2019m very happy to report she soon met a really nice guy and started a new family \u2013 I even got invited to her son\u2019s Sixth Grade Graduation. All part of being a good lawyer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meanwhile, back in prison, Lenora kept rounding up good recommendations from the prison guards, and had me coming to visit monthly for updates and new information (a 90 minute round trip). I told her not to be optimistic \u2013 few … Continue reading