The Beginning Of The End

Monday finally had rolled around and it was time for me to go to the Secret Service office in Jacksonville and turn myself in. Wow! This was really happening! I drove the hour drive to the office and went inside the building, the next hour or so I spent cuffed to a chair and table, both hands and feet. We finished the appropriate paperwork and headed to another room where, I was digitally finger printed, weighed and my stats we taken all at once(aside from the situation that part was really cool); it felt like CSI! But the reality was beginning to set in, this was happening!

The time had come to make the transfer to the Federal Court House, which was across town. I was cuffed and lead to the side entrance of the building where another agent had a SUV waiting for us. I was lead in the back and given a type of "rights" that I'd never heard before. The agent that sat in the back with me held his gun to me and asked me if I planned to injure him or his partner, to which I replied, NO! Then he informed me if I tried to do anything, he would shoot me on the spot and that it would be in protection of his and his partners safety. I had never heard of this one before, but you don't argue with a man who is pointing a gun at you, which he kept pointed at me the entire 30 minute drive. That was a blast...NOT!

When we arrived to the Federal Building, I was escorted to a holding cell, which is basically a room with a bench all the way along three sides of the room and a toilet in the corner. So I had nothing to do but wait, this I would soon learn was the way of the Feds, wait! I had arrived at the Secret Service office at 7am and was escorted to the Federal Building by 9am. I was waiting to see the Judge for an arraignment which basically means that I get to hear what I'm charged with and what my rights are. Then I would be transferred to Miami, where the case originated. So there I waited and prayed and praised. A lot of things were going through my head at that time, but most of the things were prayers of thanksgiving that the situation wasn't worse. For example, the Secret Service didn't have to let me turn myself in, they could have had the Marshalls come and storm my house and get me like a fugitive, which I would soon find out is very common.

So I waited and waited and waited. At some point I had actually fell asleep, well passed out would be a better term for it. But when I opened my eyes next there was a Mexican man sitting across from me, starring at me. Then he smiled, a toothless smile at me and said, Hola. I merely replied Hola and began to pray again. Now I was praying that this man doesn't go crazy and attack me. But suddenly God began to speak to me and show me that He loves this man too, so I began to pray for peace in his life. But I was still worried that this guy might want to hurt me in some way! Man, judgment comes so easily for me!

After and eternity, a man in a suit comes out into the hall and calls for me. I stand and am re-shackled and led into the courtroom. We are literally underground, there are no windows and no clocks, I have no idea what time of day it is or anything. All I do know is that it has been forever, I haven't eaten at all today, I haven't had anything to drink since 7am and I don't know if I'll ever make it home. I

I walk in and sit where the man tells me to sit and there in front of me is a very high bench with a judge sitting there glaring at me, yet another criminal. I wasn't prepped for this and had no lawyer, I was totally lost. Yet in that moment, I wasn't afraid, I felt warm and peaceful. The judge uttered some very official words in a language foreign to me, English, yet foreign. I would later find out that those words were the various charges against me and that the following meant that all he was doing was saying that I showed up and in 24 hrs would appear in Miami for the "official" arraignment. Then they sent me back into the holding cell, the Mexican man was gone now. I was alone again, well seemingly alone. I knew that God and His heavenly host was all around me bringing me peace and love.

Hours went by again and finally an officer came and led me up the elevator, not in shackles this time, which was a good sign. We came to the 3rd floor of the building and to an office, where a woman gave me a huge stack of papers to sign and asked me if I had a ride home. Home? I was not being held! Thank God! I told her no and she let me use the phone to call a cab to get back to my car. When I made it outside to wait for the cab, it was almost dark. By the time I reached my car, it was 7pm. 12 hrs had gone by since I first arrived at the Secret Service building. Now I had to be in Miami the following day to be in court for my arraignment there.... Where was this going to take me?