One big piece... Dismissed, at last!
What I am about to write is a very sensitive subject... At least to me!
THE FACTS
Since Sept 5th 2005, I went through a new system... The American judicial system... Yes, i have been through a few troubles since I was caught in Newport News airport carrying in my carry-on some illegal substance.The fact itself is not really relevant, what is interesting is the process that went on after this incident.Being arrested as a foreign national in the US is quiet unpredictable. First you should have seen the face of the policeman that arrested me when he saw that i was a foreigner. He had never seen a French passport before in his life, and on this labor day of 2005, he didn't expect to go through its own judicial system. "-This is the FBI?" -Yes... -I have an issue with a foreign national that got caught... I don't know what to do with him, he seems pretty nice, but there are too many witnesses to let him go free (...) I believe this was just a one time thing (...) Should we send him downtown... Can I take his handcuffs off? (...) Did you do a nationwide computer check about him? (…)"FBI, wow, it seems pretty serious, well, I though that the all security system in airports was to prevent another 9/11, not to catch a 31 years old not responsible enough to keep its illegal substances at home...Stupidity... Irresponsibility... I know, I know, I don't need more lessons about it, you'll read later that I had lots of lessons later on after this...Well to you, lucky American, you would have been free in a few minutes with a call to the closest tribunal to admit or deny and leave free...Leaving free for me would have been: "go back to France"... hum.... honestly? NO WAY!Remember 'women on the verge of a nervous breakdown'? Well, I was on my play to re-enact it as "Alien on the verge of a stressed breakdown'... the problem is to fight stress, i use this substance... Vicious circle...They let me free, not without giving me the advice not to leave the US territory if I ever wanted to continue to live here. So, in order to be able to come back to the US, I had to stay in the US, Makes sense… I mean… does it?
BACK HOME
As soon as I got back to NY, my home sweet home, I started to Google my case, trying to understand the consequences of my behavior. --- Misdemeanor…up to 1 year in prison --- PRISON??? Well you have to know that Virginia is one of the worst states regarding this substance. President Bush made the war against this dr*g one of the priority of this government… Thank god, Oprah decided that Tina was more dangerous than pot, unfortunately, Oprah is not my prosecutor, my judge, or the policeman that arrested me…
STRATEGY
I called a lawyer. Of course, I had to find someone that could plead my case in Virginia, that would understand the fact and the consequences that I am a foreign national, that I live in the US, with a legal Visa, but a very specific one, and of course, that I still want to live in the US… The first question my lawyer asked me: “Do you have a partner?” Yes, I do… “Well the best thing you should do is to marry her, which would help your case… Well, sure, I’d love to marry HIM, but I would have to go through more technical problems… I’m not allowed to marry my boyfriend. Can you do something about it too?So, what do we do, well first of all, stop taking any substances, take weekly urine test, prove your case to the prosecutor, and try to show you are a person of good behavior. As Jerry McGuire told his player “Help me help you…. Help me help you”… I’ll help you as much as you want, as long I don’t go to jail, as long as I can stay in the land of the free…So starting September 6th, I stopped smoking pot, even though i was a very occasional user, of course, started to take weekly urine test, prove my case, organize my life differently… I called several lawyer friends that went pretty blank because that had no idea what to do concerning my citizenship…
FIRST TRIAL
I decided to go ahead and start a drug education program, and trust me, that was a very moving experience… As a little privilege French young man living in the US, I don’t think I was ready to interact with the people I met during the illicit substance group education program I had to go through for 3 weeks…The prosecutor agreed that if I took a drug education program in NY, she would agree to dismiss my case. That doesn’t mean that my records would be expunged, but still, no condemnation can really help my case in future requests regarding a potential new Visa, or immigration issues.
THE PROGRAM
Meth, Coke, Pot, Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol… wow, it seems like Americans have a huge issue about Alcoholism… Disease, social dysfunctionment, addiction, hepatitis C, HIV, liver cancer… I had to see video everyday, talk about my problem to others, but my problem compare to theirs seems so ridiculous… I was so uncomfortable sharing my judicial issue… The social worker had a rule: when you participate to this program; you have to be totally substance free, meaning alcohol too… I never had a problem with alcohol, never passed out, never been wasted or just simply drunk. I was educated to appreciate a nice glass of Red Chateau Margot, never to much, drink it with “responsibility”… But no drinking for three weeks when you like to go out with friends, not being high, happy, etc… feels weird and turns your world inside out in a much unexpected way.
LAST TRIAL
After succeeding all my sessions, all my urine test, back to the court… Well actually, I didn’t have to go to court again, just a few emails, faxes, and phone call between my lawyer and the prosecutor helped me being dismissed. MY CASE HAVE BEEN DISMISSED… This Thursday February 23rd 2006 I can officially say that this case is closed. What I will always remember is my face, even though I didn’t see it, when I was arrested 6 months ago, the fact that since I was arrested, and obliged to stay in the US for the remaining time of my case, I literally missed 4 weddings and a funeral that took place overseas, the interaction with the other ‘patients’ during the drug education program, and most definitely patience… I find myself pretty lucky to have had the right lawyer, the right people around me to advice me, and the patience to not touch any substance, any beverage for the remaining time of this all process…
Free, at last, I just hope I won’t have any surprises the next time I will leave the country and try to come back home to NY.
THE FACTS
Since Sept 5th 2005, I went through a new system... The American judicial system... Yes, i have been through a few troubles since I was caught in Newport News airport carrying in my carry-on some illegal substance.The fact itself is not really relevant, what is interesting is the process that went on after this incident.Being arrested as a foreign national in the US is quiet unpredictable. First you should have seen the face of the policeman that arrested me when he saw that i was a foreigner. He had never seen a French passport before in his life, and on this labor day of 2005, he didn't expect to go through its own judicial system. "-This is the FBI?" -Yes... -I have an issue with a foreign national that got caught... I don't know what to do with him, he seems pretty nice, but there are too many witnesses to let him go free (...) I believe this was just a one time thing (...) Should we send him downtown... Can I take his handcuffs off? (...) Did you do a nationwide computer check about him? (…)"FBI, wow, it seems pretty serious, well, I though that the all security system in airports was to prevent another 9/11, not to catch a 31 years old not responsible enough to keep its illegal substances at home...Stupidity... Irresponsibility... I know, I know, I don't need more lessons about it, you'll read later that I had lots of lessons later on after this...Well to you, lucky American, you would have been free in a few minutes with a call to the closest tribunal to admit or deny and leave free...Leaving free for me would have been: "go back to France"... hum.... honestly? NO WAY!Remember 'women on the verge of a nervous breakdown'? Well, I was on my play to re-enact it as "Alien on the verge of a stressed breakdown'... the problem is to fight stress, i use this substance... Vicious circle...They let me free, not without giving me the advice not to leave the US territory if I ever wanted to continue to live here. So, in order to be able to come back to the US, I had to stay in the US, Makes sense… I mean… does it?
BACK HOME
As soon as I got back to NY, my home sweet home, I started to Google my case, trying to understand the consequences of my behavior. --- Misdemeanor…up to 1 year in prison --- PRISON??? Well you have to know that Virginia is one of the worst states regarding this substance. President Bush made the war against this dr*g one of the priority of this government… Thank god, Oprah decided that Tina was more dangerous than pot, unfortunately, Oprah is not my prosecutor, my judge, or the policeman that arrested me…
STRATEGY
I called a lawyer. Of course, I had to find someone that could plead my case in Virginia, that would understand the fact and the consequences that I am a foreign national, that I live in the US, with a legal Visa, but a very specific one, and of course, that I still want to live in the US… The first question my lawyer asked me: “Do you have a partner?” Yes, I do… “Well the best thing you should do is to marry her, which would help your case… Well, sure, I’d love to marry HIM, but I would have to go through more technical problems… I’m not allowed to marry my boyfriend. Can you do something about it too?So, what do we do, well first of all, stop taking any substances, take weekly urine test, prove your case to the prosecutor, and try to show you are a person of good behavior. As Jerry McGuire told his player “Help me help you…. Help me help you”… I’ll help you as much as you want, as long I don’t go to jail, as long as I can stay in the land of the free…So starting September 6th, I stopped smoking pot, even though i was a very occasional user, of course, started to take weekly urine test, prove my case, organize my life differently… I called several lawyer friends that went pretty blank because that had no idea what to do concerning my citizenship…
FIRST TRIAL
I decided to go ahead and start a drug education program, and trust me, that was a very moving experience… As a little privilege French young man living in the US, I don’t think I was ready to interact with the people I met during the illicit substance group education program I had to go through for 3 weeks…The prosecutor agreed that if I took a drug education program in NY, she would agree to dismiss my case. That doesn’t mean that my records would be expunged, but still, no condemnation can really help my case in future requests regarding a potential new Visa, or immigration issues.
THE PROGRAM
Meth, Coke, Pot, Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol… wow, it seems like Americans have a huge issue about Alcoholism… Disease, social dysfunctionment, addiction, hepatitis C, HIV, liver cancer… I had to see video everyday, talk about my problem to others, but my problem compare to theirs seems so ridiculous… I was so uncomfortable sharing my judicial issue… The social worker had a rule: when you participate to this program; you have to be totally substance free, meaning alcohol too… I never had a problem with alcohol, never passed out, never been wasted or just simply drunk. I was educated to appreciate a nice glass of Red Chateau Margot, never to much, drink it with “responsibility”… But no drinking for three weeks when you like to go out with friends, not being high, happy, etc… feels weird and turns your world inside out in a much unexpected way.
LAST TRIAL
After succeeding all my sessions, all my urine test, back to the court… Well actually, I didn’t have to go to court again, just a few emails, faxes, and phone call between my lawyer and the prosecutor helped me being dismissed. MY CASE HAVE BEEN DISMISSED… This Thursday February 23rd 2006 I can officially say that this case is closed. What I will always remember is my face, even though I didn’t see it, when I was arrested 6 months ago, the fact that since I was arrested, and obliged to stay in the US for the remaining time of my case, I literally missed 4 weddings and a funeral that took place overseas, the interaction with the other ‘patients’ during the drug education program, and most definitely patience… I find myself pretty lucky to have had the right lawyer, the right people around me to advice me, and the patience to not touch any substance, any beverage for the remaining time of this all process…
Free, at last, I just hope I won’t have any surprises the next time I will leave the country and try to come back home to NY.
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