A happy Christmas story

Earlier this year I represented a gentleman down in Galveston who had been arrested on a drug case and placed on probation back in 2005. Unfortunately for him, the driver of the car he was in was the target of a federal investigation and he ended up doing federal time for the same crime for which he was on state probation.

Fast forward to 2009 and my client is out on parole for the federal charge and in custody on a motion to revoke his probation in the state case. The initial offer from the prosecutor was five years in prison on the state drug case. I told her that he had already done 30 months of federal time for the same offense and that he was facing a motion to revoke his parole. I even gave the prosecutor copies of documents from the federal case.

With the help of my client's federal parole officer we were able to work out a deal by which he would receive state credit for his federal time.

Yesterday I received a phone call from my client telling me that he was out of prison and home with his family for the holidays. He thanked me and wished me a Merry Christmas.

There are times when we have to deal with a lot of crap as criminal defense attorneys. There are times we question whether we are doing anybody any good or if we're even making a difference. But then there are moments like yesterday's that give us a renewed sense of optimism.

Wherever you are this holiday weekend, I wish you a Merry Christmas.