This story is Every man and woman who carries the title Convict. I was one.
How many of these documents did I read for Women I was daily attempting to teach the simplest of Maths, and Sciences? Untold.
I was trained to teach GED classes at MDOC in Rankin County and the minds I worked with were from and in a place education had nevah been useful.
Life is what consumes the 17 year old who didn’t attend school because She was taking care of Her Momma’s newest babe.
In this State I love, I was convicted of violating what I call 'The Bubba Law'. At 54 years old … white, raised Upper Middle Class, born to a well off Delta Farming Family full of School Teachers, I committed an ultimate NoNo.
I made a Bubba look bad. I made the Men of My life appear unable to keep a Family Female in line. For this, my first encounter with Felonious behaviour, I was sentenced to 29 years.
Yea, You read that correctly. As I heard my sentence - having gone to Court expecting a 5 year expungable Drug Court punishment - the Prosecutor explained My partner in crime had committed suicide ovah the weekend and "… some one must pay for the time and energy invested in this case. Ms Pretti, there’s only You".
Knees actually buckle when the mind is beyond comprehending what the ears have allowed in. Mine took Me to the floor where I heard His Honor saying, “I believe Ms Pretti understands her sentence but is having a problem with 'Why Me'”.
Sir, Your tale is not of black and white, different inflection, nor finances. Your story and all the others arises from lack of a Centralized Office Of The Public Defender. There is no office in Mississippi. Court appointed attorneys are made available through the list of each District’s acting legal minds. The list is followed and what ought to be a pretty fair spread of good, fair, or crappy lawyers is assigned - hopefully at random.
This isn’t happening because JoeBlow at Tupelo doesn’t make the big cheese and has dinner with Mr.MakesTheNews from Aberdeen and the Court has no problem with reassignment of a case if the Pros agree for what evah reason. JoeBlow gets another of the 1500 cases He handles in a year and Voila! Congratulations. You are about to play ‘Let’s Make A Deal' with Your life.
Welcome to the world of discovery, disclosure, motions, rulings, case law, BlackLetter Law, pleas, deals, postponement, and an attorney You will see one time before a Court Date that’ll change Your life. None of those legalese words has evah been heard contextually in a Convict’s life until now.
Until this unfair practise is abolished, You, Me, and others will be the voice for He who deserves to be heard by ears that listen and minds with nothing but time to niggle away at thoughts in night’s darkest hours.
I read murder convictions for 3 calendars. I listened to Convict recounting of cases I could read on My $25 cell phone snuck in by Corrections officers and bought for $600. Let’s face it. None of us visited the store often. Where Y’all reckon contraband comes from?
I argued with Convicts ovah points in their cases as I explained the twists, turns, loops, snares, and killing traps each one had walked into with eyes wide shut.
I taught algebra to Women who’d nevah need to know how to measure a room for carpet or how many miles is traveled in an hour at 60 mph. I set aside my knowledge of facing inherent evil and tackled ignorance because 'WhyNotMe'?
Who else?
Sir, You keep reading for those Who caint and You keep explaining to those Who know not the language of Law and You be The One. God puts us in odd places to get Our attention and force Us to fill life’s roles We didn’t know were going to be Our lot in Life.
You are Counsel Of Record in TheBook. Do Your job.
Thank you for this chronicle, Mr. Patri. It was so painful to read, but important. You're absolutely right that "The rich can afford ignorance; the poor cannot." And your point that "words are everything in this fight" reminds me of Richard Wright (in Black Boy): "I pictured the man as a raging demon, slashing with his pen, consumed with hate... yes this man was fighting, fighting with words. He was using words as a weapon, using them as one would use a club... I read on and what amazed me was not what he said, but how on earth anybody had the courage to say it."
This story is Every man and woman who carries the title Convict. I was one.
How many of these documents did I read for Women I was daily attempting to teach the simplest of Maths, and Sciences? Untold.
I was trained to teach GED classes at MDOC in Rankin County and the minds I worked with were from and in a place education had nevah been useful.
Life is what consumes the 17 year old who didn’t attend school because She was taking care of Her Momma’s newest babe.
In this State I love, I was convicted of violating what I call 'The Bubba Law'. At 54 years old … white, raised Upper Middle Class, born to a well off Delta Farming Family full of School Teachers, I committed an ultimate NoNo.
I made a Bubba look bad. I made the Men of My life appear unable to keep a Family Female in line. For this, my first encounter with Felonious behaviour, I was sentenced to 29 years.
Yea, You read that correctly. As I heard my sentence - having gone to Court expecting a 5 year expungable Drug Court punishment - the Prosecutor explained My partner in crime had committed suicide ovah the weekend and "… some one must pay for the time and energy invested in this case. Ms Pretti, there’s only You".
Knees actually buckle when the mind is beyond comprehending what the ears have allowed in. Mine took Me to the floor where I heard His Honor saying, “I believe Ms Pretti understands her sentence but is having a problem with 'Why Me'”.
Sir, Your tale is not of black and white, different inflection, nor finances. Your story and all the others arises from lack of a Centralized Office Of The Public Defender. There is no office in Mississippi. Court appointed attorneys are made available through the list of each District’s acting legal minds. The list is followed and what ought to be a pretty fair spread of good, fair, or crappy lawyers is assigned - hopefully at random.
This isn’t happening because JoeBlow at Tupelo doesn’t make the big cheese and has dinner with Mr.MakesTheNews from Aberdeen and the Court has no problem with reassignment of a case if the Pros agree for what evah reason. JoeBlow gets another of the 1500 cases He handles in a year and Voila! Congratulations. You are about to play ‘Let’s Make A Deal' with Your life.
Welcome to the world of discovery, disclosure, motions, rulings, case law, BlackLetter Law, pleas, deals, postponement, and an attorney You will see one time before a Court Date that’ll change Your life. None of those legalese words has evah been heard contextually in a Convict’s life until now.
Until this unfair practise is abolished, You, Me, and others will be the voice for He who deserves to be heard by ears that listen and minds with nothing but time to niggle away at thoughts in night’s darkest hours.
I read murder convictions for 3 calendars. I listened to Convict recounting of cases I could read on My $25 cell phone snuck in by Corrections officers and bought for $600. Let’s face it. None of us visited the store often. Where Y’all reckon contraband comes from?
I argued with Convicts ovah points in their cases as I explained the twists, turns, loops, snares, and killing traps each one had walked into with eyes wide shut.
I taught algebra to Women who’d nevah need to know how to measure a room for carpet or how many miles is traveled in an hour at 60 mph. I set aside my knowledge of facing inherent evil and tackled ignorance because 'WhyNotMe'?
Who else?
Sir, You keep reading for those Who caint and You keep explaining to those Who know not the language of Law and You be The One. God puts us in odd places to get Our attention and force Us to fill life’s roles We didn’t know were going to be Our lot in Life.
You are Counsel Of Record in TheBook. Do Your job.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m sorry you experienced this, and I’ll be sure to share your comment with the author.
Thank you for this chronicle, Mr. Patri. It was so painful to read, but important. You're absolutely right that "The rich can afford ignorance; the poor cannot." And your point that "words are everything in this fight" reminds me of Richard Wright (in Black Boy): "I pictured the man as a raging demon, slashing with his pen, consumed with hate... yes this man was fighting, fighting with words. He was using words as a weapon, using them as one would use a club... I read on and what amazed me was not what he said, but how on earth anybody had the courage to say it."