The Aftermath
Well after getting arrested, a failed attempt at going to court for possession of marijuana in Trempealeau County, and then me hitchhiking through a blizzard that long day in the spring of 1986, Mark and I had to call and get new court dates. Mark got his for a month or two later, in May, right at the end of the school year. Being young, dumb and adventerous, he decided that he would ride his 10-speed to court. Huh? Yep...he informed me that it would be really cool and shouldn’t be much trouble at all. Nevermind that fact that his bike was old and crappy, or the fact that he had never ridden it more than a mile or two, like from the dorms to his classes at the University of Minnesota...he thought it would be a snap to jump on his bike and pedal the 125 miles or so each way to court and back, camping along the way.
He got a map, figured out the side roads, and calculated it would take him 2 days to get there. So he loaded up a backpack with some shorts, tee-shirts, a nice shirt for court, a water bottle and a blanket. Well it did not take him 2 days, it took him 4 days. I do not remember all of the details of his horrible adventure and that may be on another blog, but he called me from the town in Trempealeau where court was and basically said it was the worst 4 days of his life. It rained most of the way so he was constantly cold and wet...he did not have much money so he was starving...he tried to sleep in a barn one night and got chased out...and worst of all, his ass was hurting so bad that he could not sit down anymore.
Apparently when he realized he was not going to make it to court on time he found a phone, called the courthouse, and they must have felt sorry for him because they said that they would hold court for him whenever he got there. Luckily his assigned public defender also felt so sorry for him that when court was done he took Mark home, gave him a hot meal with his family, a shower, and best of all -- packed his stupid 10-speed up in a box and paid to have the bike and Mark shipped home on a Greyhound bus. He literally saved Mark's ass.
Mark got a $350 fine and 4 months probation. Me? I just kept delaying court. Eventually it was summer break and then I was back at my parent's home in Waukesha...but still with no resolution. Finally they said they would just take care of it over the phone...$350 fine and 4 months probation, same as Mark...minus the horrible bike ride and broken butt.
The three lessons I learned from all of this: 1) Hide the weed better. 2) When a truck driver offers to set you up with a ride at a truck-stop, you take him up on that offer. 3) When the wheels of justice grind slowly it is often to your advantage. Delay court for as long as possible.
Well after getting arrested, a failed attempt at going to court for possession of marijuana in Trempealeau County, and then me hitchhiking through a blizzard that long day in the spring of 1986, Mark and I had to call and get new court dates. Mark got his for a month or two later, in May, right at the end of the school year. Being young, dumb and adventerous, he decided that he would ride his 10-speed to court. Huh? Yep...he informed me that it would be really cool and shouldn’t be much trouble at all. Nevermind that fact that his bike was old and crappy, or the fact that he had never ridden it more than a mile or two, like from the dorms to his classes at the University of Minnesota...he thought it would be a snap to jump on his bike and pedal the 125 miles or so each way to court and back, camping along the way.
He got a map, figured out the side roads, and calculated it would take him 2 days to get there. So he loaded up a backpack with some shorts, tee-shirts, a nice shirt for court, a water bottle and a blanket. Well it did not take him 2 days, it took him 4 days. I do not remember all of the details of his horrible adventure and that may be on another blog, but he called me from the town in Trempealeau where court was and basically said it was the worst 4 days of his life. It rained most of the way so he was constantly cold and wet...he did not have much money so he was starving...he tried to sleep in a barn one night and got chased out...and worst of all, his ass was hurting so bad that he could not sit down anymore.
Apparently when he realized he was not going to make it to court on time he found a phone, called the courthouse, and they must have felt sorry for him because they said that they would hold court for him whenever he got there. Luckily his assigned public defender also felt so sorry for him that when court was done he took Mark home, gave him a hot meal with his family, a shower, and best of all -- packed his stupid 10-speed up in a box and paid to have the bike and Mark shipped home on a Greyhound bus. He literally saved Mark's ass.
Mark got a $350 fine and 4 months probation. Me? I just kept delaying court. Eventually it was summer break and then I was back at my parent's home in Waukesha...but still with no resolution. Finally they said they would just take care of it over the phone...$350 fine and 4 months probation, same as Mark...minus the horrible bike ride and broken butt.
The three lessons I learned from all of this: 1) Hide the weed better. 2) When a truck driver offers to set you up with a ride at a truck-stop, you take him up on that offer. 3) When the wheels of justice grind slowly it is often to your advantage. Delay court for as long as possible.
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