[Troubling Times]

Go easy - I can't get it all out in one post. Questions welcome. And no I'm not going to plead - I have a plan! This is part of it. ;-)

[Troubling Times]

Ping! ;-)

[Cindy]

If you’re concerned with your situation, get legal advice from a licensed attorney.

[XR7]

Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish:
The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

If the LORD delights in a man’s way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.

But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

— Psalm 37

[Jet Jaguar]

Get a lawyer who specializes in RKBA. You should know someone who can refer you to a good one.

[JDoutrider]

Did the perp coming after you have anything that could be used as a weapon against you?

[Felis_irritable]

I’m sorry I have no constructive input re: help, but thank you for having the courage to post your story. It gives me, at least, and maybe others another angle on RKBA and might alter my thought processes in a similar situation. I find the way the cops treated you like dirt interesting, but I confess I’m not surprised.

I will post again if I get a bright idea.

[Pearls Before Swine]

He’s got a 12 year old lying witness. You have three kids. You sent them home after he went for the sheriff, so they saw the confrontation. Are any of them old enough to act as counter-witnesses?

[PeteB570]

I was not there and am not a lawyer but....

If you carry - you must carry a cell phone and if you pull the gun the first thing to come out after the situation is over is the cell phone. Call 911.

If nothing else your run in with the cops would have been recorded.

[Eagles6]

save

[dmw]

All I can add to this, and I’m sure you already figured this out on your own, get a new attorney.

[Copernicus]

With all due respect, your story needs a timeline and more background.

Perhaps you could post the Police report of your arrest?

Could you begin at the beginning, proceed to the middle and finish up at the end?

Right now all I understand is that you were arrested at a dogpark in some unnamed city after you and another patron exchanged words and you brandished your (legally) carried weapon.

Presumably you had proper orientation and training when you acquired your CCW and somehow did not follow your instructors advice or somehow managed to ignite a cascade of threat reactions from the local police.

Best regards,

[Quix]

Prayer is the best and most I can offer.

Sigh.

Horrible situation.

[SunkenCiv]

Next time, pull the trigger.

[raybbr]

Who is the other guy? Does he have some kind of clout with the police or city hall?

[lowbridge]

If I were you, and I’’m not an attorney, I’d fight it. Fire your attorney, get a new one. Let it come to court. I doiubt that the guys story and his kids will mesh, exposing him for the perjurer he is.

[lowbridge]

And no I'm not going to plead

Thats good. It makes no sense to surrender. Dont make it eay for them to prosecute you. They want the easy way out, and you have alot to lose by gving in. At the very least, give them a real fight.

[AFPhys]

Some good advice already here. Most important items: Be at peace. Reconsider your choice of lawyer. Don’t make snap decisions. Pray - and listen for an answer.

[Joe Brower]

Sorry for the belated ping, everyone.

Gutmacher is a pretty good attorney, so I'm told, and has a long and detailed knowledge of Florida law. I'm surprised he advised a plea deal, but maybe he knows something you don't, TT (like how corrupt the police and courts in your jurisdiction are).

On the other hand, my take on this -- fight it, all the way to the top if need be, and if you play your cards right, you will win. It will not be easy, and it will likely take years to hash out, but eventually you will be able to retire on the proceeds.

Bottom line, if your story is correct, then you need to make those who are in the wrong pay, and pay big. That goes for your attacker, the cops who assaulted you, and the corrupt dirtbags who consider themselves in charge.

It's up to you if it's worth the fight. Good luck.

[Bear_Slayer]

In the future, also carry pepper-spray as a deterrent and to get an advantage over an attacker, — a graduated step before drawing a deadly weapon. Save your pistol for a clear response to deadly force.

[hattend]

Bump for later read