We’ve all heard the expression about the wheels of justice: “The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind small.” With that, I did (albeit jokingly) expect city government paperwork would not be filled out in a timely manner and I would be arrested at my home at some point.
Well, that was last night….
Cory had taken the car to get a bite to eat and I had just settled down to watch the Rangers-Senators playoff game when there was a knock on the door. It was a stranger’s knock, while I did keep open the option that it could’ve also been Cory with his arms full of fast food. I opened the door and there were three Manassas police officers who asked me my name.
I knew what was about to go down so I tried to explain to them what had happened (in ten seconds or less), that I had appeared in court and paid the fines, and wondered why there could still be a warrant out for my arrest? They basically said they had a valid warrant out for me, asked me to step forward and proceeded to handcuff me right in front of my apartment. I continued to explain that my second and last court date was recently pushed back because on the morning of the hearing, my attorney and I were told (at the very last minute) the officer in my case couldn’t make it that day. I told the officers this was a mistake and they responded I could get this cleared up at the Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center.
Cory had just driven into our parking spot as they were walking me to the squad car. I asked the officer to give my cellphone to Cory, upon which I called to him to inform my girlfriend, attorney, and also call (name of prominent person) and “tell him I’m sick of this sxxx!”
Funny, it was only when I name-dropped did the police officers decide it might be a good idea and double-check the arrest warrant. After 10-15 minutes of sitting on the hard-plastic back seat of a squad car in cuffs again, one officer started signing the paperwork, and then quasi-apologized: the Fairfax County warrant was removed but it was still erroneously in the Manassas system. They carefully helped me out of the back seat, uncuffed me (that’s when my watch fell off broken), it was a smiling, no-hard-feelings moment, and they assured me they wouldn’t be coming around again, at least for this.
The Manassas police officers were professional and as courteous as one would expect they’d treat a stranger they were there to arrest. However, it sucks to think how many people may have cops wind up on their doorstep to take them to jail because some overpaid government worker didn’t get around to updating a computer.
The saga continues….
Sovereign Immunity, Parts 1-2
We’ve all heard the expression about the wheels of justice: “The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind small.” With that, I did (albeit jokingly) expect city government paperwork would not be filled out in a timely manner and I would be arrested at my home at some point.
Well, that was last night….
Cory had taken the car to get a bite to eat and I had just settled down to watch the Rangers-Senators playoff game when there was a knock on the door. It was a stranger’s knock, while I did keep open the option that it could’ve also been Cory with his arms full of fast food. I opened the door and there were three Manassas police officers who asked me my name.
