On the morning of April 2, 2013, my family received phone call from the local county jail. My brother, Brian, older than me by two years, had been arrested for "Accessory After The Fact To Burglary." My mother, who had answered the phone, talked with him about five minutes before hanging up with tears rolling down her face. My brother had declared his innocence and my family set out to help him; thus began my interest in the law.
It just so happens that my aunt works as a paralegal for a law firm in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, so this was the first phone call. Arrangements were made for bail and an appointment with the firm's criminal defense attorney was scheduled for later that day. Because I come from such a close-knit family, we all went to the appointment, although Brian met privately with his attorney. As we waited, I visited with my aunt and
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Although he was in a bad situation, I found it intriguing. I had never known a so-called "criminal" and was quickly reprimanded for calling him that. Brian explained that there were no grounds for the charges and that his attorney was filing a motion for discovery of evidence. They believed that charges would be dropped.
The next step was an initial court appearance where Brian pled "not guilty." This was a quick process mainly, it seemed, because he had an attorney. An appointment had also been scheduled with the prosecuting attorney following the court proceedings. This was a long wait. While my parents stayed with Brian, I spent most of my time inside the courtroom taking in as much as possible. Although I do not know the details of exactly what took place, and to the relief of everyone involved, the charges against Brian were dismissed that day.
I have always heard that everything happens for a reason. Until the day Brian was arrested, I was on my to nursing school. The events of the weeks following his