Funny stuff

Sometimes my job makes me crack up.  Yesterday, I had one of those funny moments in my day.  I have a case where the most serious count is a presumptive commit case (for non-lawyers/people who don't live in MN, that means that if convicted, the sentencing guidelines recommend a prison sentence, not probation).  There's also like 4 other charges, too.  The offer letter that was sent over to me for the case is an offer to plead to a gross misdemeanor and a misdemeanor--dismiss the other charges.  No felony charges, no prison sentence.  So, that's a remarkably awesome offer.  It's such a good offer that when Golf came into my office one day and the offer letter was sitting on the top of my inbox, Golf saw it and exclaimed, "You get offers to plead [the most serious charge in the case] down to a gross misdemeanor?!  I'd never get that in my county!"  

So, I went to go talk to the prosecutor on that file, to go over the specifics of it and to see if we could agree as to any potential sentence he'd serve on the gross misdemeanor.  The prosecutor got his file and came and sat down to talk to me.  As he was looking through it, I was reminding him on what he'd offered and I said, "So, he's charged with [most serious offense] and you offered to have him plead to a gross misdemeanor."  As he's flipping through the file, listening to me, he looks a little surprised and says, "I did?  I offered that?  Why did I do that? Was there a reason?"  Then he flips to his copy of the offer letter and reviews it, saying, "Hey, I did offer that.  I wonder why I did that.  I don't remember why I offered that.  Why did I do that?"  This made me laugh pretty hard.  He was so confused about his own offer, I couldn't help but laugh.  Especially when he also started laughing and then said, "That's a really good deal.  Your client should take it."  

Worn out

I had one client with three files on for contested omnibus hearings today. I've got one short brief due by next Tuesday. I've got another brief due on March 5. I'm up for trial next week. And I have two more contested hearings next week.
I'm pretty worried about how/when I'm going to get things done. I need more hours in the or a extra copy of myself.

Honestly...

Being on medication is a complete pain.

Problem #1: I run out of meds on the 20th of the month. The prescription says "dispense after 20th" so no one will fill it until the 21st. Since I need it first thing in the morning, this means I'm without medication on the morning of the 21st. So I'm usually in a giant rush in the morning to get them filled.
Problem #2: there is a national shortage of my medication, so my normal pharmacy is sometimes unable to get my medication.
Problem #3: Apparently, my insurance has switched its policy and will only cover ONE pill a day of my medication, but I need TWO. So, as I found out this morning, my regular pharmacy has a prior authorization from the doctor to allow the insurance to cover two pills. Meaning if I go to any other pharmacy, because perhaps my pharmacy is out of my medication, the new pharmacy has to get a prior authorization from the doctor. I find this out this morning, when I attempted to pick up my prescription from a different pharmacy.
This all adds up to me sitting in the parking lot of the pharmacy, waiting so my prescriptions can FINALLY be filled, after I've called my boss to explain the problem and let her know that I'm supposed to be in court in like 20 minutes, but I'm not going to be able to make it on time.
Ugh. I wish I was healthy.

Things

Sometimes you are sitting around in your house and you think, "Hmmm, maybe I should paint my nails like a trashy high schooler. That seems like a fab idea!" So then you do. Yeah, I'm the lawyer with the weird haircut and the trashy nails. But I'm ok with that. I need some fun in my life right now and my silly, trashy nails are fun.
I walked in to meet my 19 year old girl client today and the first thing she said to me was, "You're my lawyer?" I nodded and said that I was, to which she responded, "You're pretty!" in a semi-shocked voice. Apparently, women attorneys aren't expected to be pretty, I guess. Good to know I don't live up to that stereotype.
In other news, I already hate tomorrow and it isn't even here yet. However, because RV is the best best friend ever, she sent me a Valentine's Day gift to my office. It was awesome to get that and made me feel like 800% better. Plus, my gift included awesome new earrings that I plan on wearing tomorrow to ward off bad thoughts and make me feel loved. I have the greatest people ever in my life (and that includes all of you, many of you commenting for the first time to tell me you were thinking of me when YKW first dropped his divorce bomb on me).
I've started keeping a little notebook full of quotes that I find inspirational/uplifting/funny/awesome.  Then, when I am feeling sad or ready to cry (it's annoying how frequently I still feel like crying, even after all this time), I whip out my little notebook, read the collected quotes, and feel better.  So, Monosyllabickers, do you have any suggestions for quotes/sayings you like that I should include in my notebook?

I may be a little late to the party on this, but my current new favorite jam is "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" by Kelly Clarkson. Talk about a perfect anthem for me right now. In case you aren't familiar with it, the chorus is:

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
Stand a little taller,
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter,
Footsteps even lighter,
Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone."

I listened to it like 8 times in a row today. Makes me feel all pumped up and powerful. What husband? Ha!

I know, I know, another picture of Ward? Totally becoming the crazy cat lady. But seriously, how cute is that when he covers his eyes while he is sleeping? Adorable.

This week was stressful. With the impending valentine's day coming up next week, I've been feeling more blue than normal recently. Court went fine this week--nothing too overwhelming as far as cases to appear on--but I got two client mothers who were crabbing at me. Normally this wouldn't bother me but I'm a bit more sensitive than usual right now so it really got under my skin.

The first mom was mad because her (adult) kid missed court and there was a warrant for the client. Somehow that was my fault? And she was not happy that I couldn't just snap my fingers and make the warrant disappear. She was very unhappy with my not-being-the-judge-so-not-able-to-quash-the-warrant-right-then. I guess I'll work on that?? I mean, I guess I don't know what to say to that.

The second mom was angry with me because her kid got a prison sentence and the co-defendant didn't. This mom wanted to know why. She wanted me to email her the answer. Trying to explain the MN Sentencing Guidelines in an email is really difficult, I found out. It's much easier to explain them in person. She also had several other questions/demands/accusations for me, which I found exhausting to deal with. But that is my new current state-exhausted.

Which I am because it's 3:00 a.m. Time for all little narcoleptics to go to bed...

I'm going to pass out at this rate

I'm the #2 case for trial next week and the #1 case is going to resolve. That will mean I'm in my third felony trial in four weeks. Talk about burn-out...

Trial #2

Half win.
Not guilty on the domestic assault by strangulation. Guilty on the domestic assault. So, I'm at 3 1/2 out of 5 on felony trials. 70% win rate at felony trials. Not too shabby.
However my brain has officially turned to mush now. I'm so fried I'm barely able to remember how to walk.

They Must Be Trying to Make Me Quit

Yesterday I got an email with the trial order for next week.
I'm the #1 and #2 trials.
There. Is. No. Way.
I haven't seen my office in a week and a half. I haven't answered any phone calls or gotten to stuff in my inbox. I haven't even looked at the two files on for trial next week in some time. There is no way I will be prepared for trial next week.
Isn't there some rule against being in three separate trials in three weeks? There should be.
I'm so burnt out and I'm still not done with this week's trial.

Oh nice...

A recent MN Supreme Court case has held that a defendant's post-arrest, pre-Miranda silence can be used against him in the state's case-in-chief.
Because that makes a lot of sense.

The Universe is Out to Get Me...

Jan. 19, 2012: President Obama breaks into "Let's Stay Together," by Al Green. This shoots the song into the spotlight, so that it is constantly played or discussed on the news. Until this impromptu performance, it was very unlikely to randomly hear this song.

Jan. 20, 2012: legendary singer Etta James dies.  One of her most well-known songs, "At Last," is repeatedly played or discussed on the news. Although relatively well-known, this was not a doing that was regularly heard.

May 15, 2009: I walk down the aisle on my wedding day to "At Last," by Etta James.

May 15, 2009:  At our wedding, Hat and I have our first dance as a married couple. Our wedding song is "Let's Stay Together," by Al Green.

It's bad enough having one song from my wedding day, one song that is forever linked in my memory with YKW, suddenly catapult into the spotlight again. But two? And one has to be our wedding song?

Thanks, Universe.

Second Trial of 2012

Starts tomorrow...apparently, I never want to get to that enormous pile of stuff that has been sitting in my inbox since I got back from vacation and that has only grown more and more overwhelming while I've been in trial last week.  


I'm in trial again this week.  Sigggghhhh....


Different client.  Different judge.  Same prosecutor (both she and I are going to be very tired ladies at the end of this week). 


Not only is it only January and I will have knocked out 2 jury trials already, but this is my first back to back jury trial experience.  I'm not going to lie, I'm not looking forward to it.  However, I am grateful that I won the last one, because otherwise that would have made it really hard to gear up for yet another one.

I won! (Again!)

I'm getting good at this...

In Grueling News...

Although I'm still not done with my current trial, I've found out that I'm the #1 case for next week's trial calendar, on another case! Back to back jury trials? Please kill me... I'm going to be a zombie by the end of next week.

Shopping is clearly the best response

So our judges sometimes give the jury a survey after trials are over, to assess the attorneys and stuff. I hate these things. In the two juries I've had fill them out, a jury member commented on my appearance as the thing they liked the least about me. I was incredibly offended. One said I should have dressed more professionally, despite the fact that I wore a business suit every day.  Wtf? What am I supposed to wear, a ball gown?
First off, I know how to dress professionally and appropriately for court. Second off, although I dress a little more flashy for routine court appearances, since the judges and court staff and other attorneys are familiar enough with me that they aren't surprised if I show up with hot pink eyeshadow or giant earrings, I dress conservatively for jury trials. Neutral make-up, low-key colors, etc. So, it's not like I dress like a freak.
Third off, how is telling me you don't like my appearance constructive at all?
Fourth off, I doubt male attorneys get comments like that...
So, naturally, I am now all self-conscious and worried about how I look. Which necessitated a trip to the mall today to get myself some new work clothes.  And maybe I found an adorable pair of kitten heels that I also had to get because they were only $10!

Ready, set, TRIAL!

Day one of my first trial of 2012 starts this afternoon.  Game face on!
In case you were wondering, my current trial pump-up song  is "I Need a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Look it up!

First trial of 2012

I start another trial on Monday. Oddly enough, the client in this trial is the same client as my last trial. He had two cases pending and he just happened to have his cases actually make it to the top of the trial calendar one right after the other. So, we are going to trial on the other file starting on Monday.
I'm going to be exceptionally far behind on things after this trial. I still haven't caught up from being gone for vacation and now I will be gone for trial, as well. So I am going to be super crazy back-logged. Sigh...I'm not looking forward to that pile-up. But that's what happens, I guess.
And of course, I get to work over the weekend now to prep the case for trial since I've had basically zero time to be in my office since getting back. Woo-hoo. Oh well, it is what it is.
I'm just hoping that this trial goes better than the last trial, which we lost (and I was pretty surprised by that loss, actually). So fingers crossed that this one will be a winner!

Oh, you fancy, huh?

This is Ward.  He's very fancy, clearly.  That's why he sits like a person on the couch and folds his arms.  He is my fat and fancy cat.  The last time we took him to the vet (YKW was with me, since we were also taking the other cat in, as well, and it's difficult to try to wrangle both the cats into their carriers all on your own.  Plus, YKW was paying for the vet bills, so he had to come with so he could pay), the vet told us, "Well, Ward's a little heavier than I'd like to see for a cat of his size.  He's thirteen pounds, which is a little on the heavy side."  Tell that to Fatty Cakes.  He never stops eating!


As lame as it is, I'm posting about my lovely kitty because Ward and the other one, Oscar (see photo below) have been my heroes lately.  They make me laugh when I'm sad, they cuddle me when I'm lonely, they greet me when I come home from work to my otherwise empty house, they listen to me when I talk, and they generally make me smile when I'm feeling cranky.  Sure, they are just cats--I know that.  But, they are loving, sweet, and funny and when I'm having one of those days where I just want to curl up into a ball and cry, seeing Ward sitting on the couch like he's a fancy gentleman is just the thing to crack me up.  


So, this is my tribute post to the males in my life who have been my constant companions and who always know how to make me smile--Ward and Oscar, my wonderfully awesome kitties. 

I'm totally in like Flynn

I survived the first week back, but just barely...  I was swamped when I got back and I spent several extra hours at work trying to play catch up.  Which is not exactly the most exciting way to come back from vacation, but whatever...


Next week is another massacre, especially at the beginning of the week.  Monday is MLK, Jr. day, so it's a holiday and I don't have to work/am not allowed to work w/o prior authorization from my boss.  So, that boots me to Tuesday as my first day next week and, like this last Tuesday, it's a damn disaster.  I have 6 hearings in the morning and 7 in the afternoon, for a 13 hearing day.  Slightly down from last Tuesday, which I suppose is an improvement.  But then on Wednesday, I've got 8 hearings, all scheduled at 1:30 p.m.  Well, that should certainly be interesting when I have 8 people all showing up at the same time wanting to talk to me...sigh.


So, work is back to being hellacious again.  It calmed down for awhile, which was nice.  It was still busy because it's never not busy.  But, it was manageable busy--occasionally I was running into jams where I felt like I wasn't going to be able to get something finished, but that wasn't nearly as common.  However, this last week, and my upcoming weeks, is back to being breakneck, rapid-fire, too-many-cases-on-at-the-same-time, grueling, exhausting hell.  It makes me wonder why I stick around sometimes.  Especially when this job is thankless, underpaid, has zero possibilities for raises because we're those scum-sucking, atrocious, awful government employees, and almost always has the threat of being laid off as a fun bonus. 

Yuck

This is what was waiting for me when I got back from vacation. Ew.