I don't know how it came up last night in Institute, but I remembered some advice given to me by my attorney several years ago. For those of you who don't know, I was arrested in 2005 for a crime I did not commit, and I spent six months that year with an attorney in an effort to clear my name. This experience would change my life in many, many ways, most of which have turned out to be good despite the fact that they came disguised as trials.
When the letter finally came in December of that year from the District Attorney who asked the court to dismiss the charges against me, it was my best Christmas present. Although we had plenty of reason to take the case to trial, it was in everyone's best interest to find a speedy, easy, solution that we could just put behind us. My attorney told me that we had plenty of grounds to sue, and although he needed the money, he advised against it. He said that I would be better off if I just let it go.
So, at 26, I passed up a chance to be a millionaire. There are many reasons for this, a few of which I detail here:
-the crime was perpetrated by people who would not be asked to bear the burden themselves. Any settlement money would come from innocent residents of the town.
-any restitution would invite the disdain of police in the area from then until perpetuity
-the case would hurt the families of the detectives who depended on their husbands/fathers for support
-a court case would cement in my mind a resentment for the system
-it would waste my time
-money does not bring peace
A teeny bit poorer financially but richer intellectually, I stand before you now as one who chose to let it just go away. He was right. I feel at peace a lot more like this than I would be with money.
When the letter finally came in December of that year from the District Attorney who asked the court to dismiss the charges against me, it was my best Christmas present. Although we had plenty of reason to take the case to trial, it was in everyone's best interest to find a speedy, easy, solution that we could just put behind us. My attorney told me that we had plenty of grounds to sue, and although he needed the money, he advised against it. He said that I would be better off if I just let it go.
So, at 26, I passed up a chance to be a millionaire. There are many reasons for this, a few of which I detail here:
-the crime was perpetrated by people who would not be asked to bear the burden themselves. Any settlement money would come from innocent residents of the town.
-any restitution would invite the disdain of police in the area from then until perpetuity
-the case would hurt the families of the detectives who depended on their husbands/fathers for support
-a court case would cement in my mind a resentment for the system
-it would waste my time
-money does not bring peace
A teeny bit poorer financially but richer intellectually, I stand before you now as one who chose to let it just go away. He was right. I feel at peace a lot more like this than I would be with money.
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