I’m still in shock over the sentence that was carried out today. I’m confused. I’m angry. I’m scared… I really just don’t know what to think at this point. Coming into today, I was under the misconception that the worst I could be facing would be a likely 60-day stint of “work-release” at the local Johnson County facility. Here I was standing in the courtroom listening to the judge talk about my actions as if I had committed murder or something far worse. Am I really that horrible a person? Maybe I should just be locked up forever… Now my family is going to suffer. My punishment…, I just sit in a box for the next two years.
I cannot recall the exact words or phrases used by the District Attorney or by the Judge, but I remember the sentiment. It felt like they wanted me to suffer. They looked at me like I was scum, something unredeemable and disgusting. Although I had my therapist, my loving wife and the professional who processed my psychological exam, I was outmanned by a handshake agreement that was in place prior to my walking into the courtroom. I was supposed to be with my attorney, arguing for probation instead of any form of incarceration. My whole world has changed in the blink of an eye.