36

Tomorrow is Dean's 36th birthday. He has been in jail or prison since the age of 16 for 15 years. Most of the stays were probation violations up until he was wrongly convicted for murder. Since 1997, he has had only 4 years of freedom. Hopefully, one day, that will change, God willing.
It has become part of our life, visiting every two months, a son in prison. It still feels foreign.
As long as we all have our health, we can deal with anything. Our faith in karma and eternity, keeps us strong. For everyone involved directly or indirectly with Dean, there are valuable lessons learned.
It still shocks me that jurors who are supposedly decently intelligent could buy the prosecutions story. How can anyone think that a gang member would go into enemy territory wearing a uniform with his name on it for all to see, and driving a car that has a sticker of the city he is from on it? A gang member wants to hide who he is , so that no warning calls go out. As soon as they are "made", they get out fast before a car load of enemy are after them. Yet not only did the jury believe that a gang member chatted up with the enemy showing his name tag, but he stayed around after seeing the enemy go to a phone and make a call. How ludicrous. Also, how can a jury believe that a bloody bloody crime did not produce any of the victim's blood in the getaway car? And how can they believe that the victims blood got on the top of shoes (that had long pants covering them), yet none on the soles which were running around in the blood? These are just a few of many things that jury members overlooked. Not one witness said that they saw who exactly did it. Yet, Dean is the only one convicted. If it wasn't so tragic, it would be ironic that the D.A. got bamboozled by three murderers, and let them out forever, believing their story that Dean is the guilty one. The person he locked up is innocent, and the ones free are guilty. I wonder if this is the norm for our justice system???? Who, these days has any common sense?
Eyewitnesses described two other defendants as the assailants. No one described Dean. A police video shows that the supposed get away car is not in the spot where all snitches said it was. Of course, during the trial, they changed their mind, but still, there was no get away car in the video. The officers also said that they never remember seeing a car that the snitches said "was there."
A jury decided that they were "the people" and whatever the prosecutor wanted them to do, they would. Mindless pathetic sheep.
We all have to report to God at the end of this life, and the shame that awaits some will be huge.
Every day, I strive to be the best person possible and to be of service in my community. Everything else is rarely thought about. Dean is doing amazingly well because he is strong in faith and in health. Who knows what will come about in the near future?