I Love This Job

Do you ever have one of those magical moments in the middle of a work day that just makes you so happy that you can't stop smiling and laughing and thinking about how great your job is? I spend a lot of time complaining about my job. If it's not the stupid laws, it's the stupid prosecutors, the stupid judges, the stupid clients. This week, I'm fighting a bad cold. I'm fighting with prosecutors and clients over plea deals. I'm fielding phone call after phone call from clients' mamas, wives, and baby mamas. Basically, it's been crappy. And then today, out of nowhere, I had one of those moments. My client was charged with felony prostitution (the fact that it is a felony is something I would normally complain about, but not today). She also suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and is mildly retarded. She has sickle-cell anemia and recently suffered a small stroke while in jail. Her mental health case worker was very upset when she was arrested because, although she has a long misdemeanor record, she had been diligently following her mental health treatment program, and hadn't been in in any criminal trouble in several years. Today, I managed to work out a plea bargain agreement for her where the DA reduced her case to a misdemeanor and she will have to serve a little more time in county jail, and then be released to her mental health case worker. When I told her, she was elated. She then presented me with a picture of me she had drawn while she had been waiting in jail. After we signed the plea papers, I explained to her what would happen when she was brought in front of the judge to enter her plea. She suddenly got very frightened, grabbed my hands, and asked if the judge would be mean to her. I assured her she wouldn't. The plea went through without a hitch. At the end of the sentencing, the judge closed with her standard line to defendants, "Good luck." My client responded, "Good luck to you, too. And if I win the Lotto, I'm going to buy you a car." Everyone got a good laugh. Sometimes, the most satisfaction you get in this job is helping someone who is guilty. Sometimes, it even feels like magic.