Another busy month that is highlighted by some of the pictures below...MawMaw got to see Sean Dietrich again...My manager drew our team as the Fantastic Four on her wall...I took my 1984 Don Mattingly Rookie Card to be PSA graded, this was the first time I have ever seen it outside of that case...Ruby visited Claire and got to see the full Animal Farm...Tanya and Joe have returned to Alabama, and we got to visit them for a bit at Granny and Granddads...A fun church lady outing to see Junie B Jones...It was pressuring washing time again, so I left my traditional love message for Magan out near the road (S.J + M.J 4 eva). The girls bus driver told them it makes her smile each time she stops at our house...Picking up Belle after the girls St. Augustine trip at Peach Park (which includes my favorite picture of Noel after driving windows down all the way from Florida due to no AC)...Putting together some puzzles with my Ruby and Belle...Columbiana pickleball courts is the new location for the Chelsea evening church service...Ruby found that she can open Belle's phone with her face...Another Lesson from Mayberry at our home, and everyone happy to play "Papers" with Ruby...Ivey telling some funny jokes at granddads, then telling Noel "I love you, but I only like Sam".
Davis received a scholarship from the local Freemason group in Chelsea. I was glad that I made it home from Georgia to be with Davis on this night, as I just don't think Magan would have felt right here. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that focuses on personal growth through a moral and allegorical system of self-improvement, emphasizing values like Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. It traces its roots to guilds of stonemasons and requires belief in a Supreme Being from its members, but it is not a religion itself. Lodges are secretive about some rituals but conduct administrative business, hold ceremonies for new members, and engage in charitable activities.
It was a good group of guys, and we enjoyed an amazing meal of meatballs and spaghetti with them. But when the went upstairs to begin the secret opening, then came down to get us wearing some special "aprons", I think Davis and I both felt a little strange. I am sure all is cool here, but to some outsiders, everything just seemed strange. Like the throne seats to the East and West, the shining orange lights in the middle of the room, and the "aprons". They awarded Davis a $1000 scholarship, and we all took some pictures. Each of the men also stood up to share some words of encouragement/advice for Davis, then Davis was asked to share some words (he did well winging it)...then they asked me to say some words, and well, I said some. After this, Davis was asked to select a name from a giant wheel of names...the winner of the month receiving a gun. Davis' CTEC teacher is a freemason in Columbiana, and the one that talked about Davis as like a son to him. Mr. Irwin was great for both years of CTEC, and we have him to thank for probably both this scholarship and the CTEC one. I think Mr. Irwin did not have to wear his apron because this was not his home lodge. After these events, Davis and I left with Mr. Irwin to allow the lodge to get back to their other "stuff".
This was also the month where we had our first of what may be many more family gatherings between the Junkins and Montgomerys. Alisha and Wes invited us over to a meal where I think Noel made some tacos, and for dessert made the best strawberry cake you could ever eat. I don't remember any particular stories, but there was alot of laughter at the dining room table. Wes and I had some time alone sharing about these young kids and some upcoming decisions. I think both of us are on board, but he made it clear, as I will know also one day, that it was much harder giving the girl away than letting the boy go away. Magan then got us playing a game of papers, where Samuel really was good acting things out, Magan messed up everything trying to keep the teams straight, and Wes was hilarious with his running "Forest Gump". It still feels so strange that people we grew up with have a kid that will be marrying out kid. But it will be nice for both Noel and Sam to have that bond where they will both have same connections, which seems to produce many conversation topics for what seems like a lifelong connection to one person.
And finally came Sam's court case in Atlanta. His citations and accident were in May, and the original court date was June, then July, and finally on a Tuesday in August. Which was a pain as classes had started and Sam would be missing one class, and had a lab that evening at 5PM. Sam drove home late on a Monday night, so that we could rise early (out the door at 5AM) to head towards Atlanta and make his 10AM court appt. Both of us talked about the pain of driving in Atlanta, especially as we hit Atlanta and got in line with all the traffic. But I planned for plenty of padding, so we were parked by 9:30AM, and able to enter the courthouse across the street.
The courtroom was on the 6th Floor, and Sam was to appear before the Honorable Ardra Bey. On this day, the courtroom was packed, so while we waited outside, an officer told us that only people with citations would be allowed into the courtoom, no loved ones. So I stayed outside, while Sam went into court. Sam had on a long sleeve button up with a tie that Magan said he should wear. Others there seemed to have just woke up out of bed. Our drive over included some fun conversation about the honeymoon preparations, but also some prep for what to say to the judge. They slowly started allowing loved ones to enter as some started leaving, so I got up and was the next to enter the classroom when Sam exited smiling. The prosecuter had told him he just needed to enroll in PTIT on the third floor and all will be waived (fees and citations). What is PTIT you say? To address your Atlanta Municipal Court driving school inquiry, you should look into the Pre-Trial Intervention Traffic Program (PTIT) offered by the City Solicitor's Office for eligible traffic offenses, as it can lead to dismissal of charges. If your situation involves an out-of-court order for a defensive driving course, contact the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to find a DDS-certified Driver Improvement Program in your area.
So while we walked to the third floor, I reminded Sam that I had already requested that he enroll in PTIT online, but he was denied. But he did not have that info with the prosecuter, they just told him to take the form to the 3rd floor. We did, but before we left, I did not have a good feeling on this, and said we need to talk to someone with PTIT and see if it will be denied again. So we went back into the office and the lady behind the desk said that if he had been denied, then he had to go back up to court. At this point, some lady in the Solicitor's office came out and she was like magic lady that helped things work. She said follow me, and Sam and I did back up to the 6th floor straight to the prosecutor, no waiting with the magic lady. Her and the prosecutor talked back and forth, then finding that Sam's case had been denied, she said we had to go verify this on the 3rd floor. Back we went led by the Magic Lady to the 3rd floor where it was verified that Sam had been denied. Back again with the Magic Lady that this time dropped us off with the prosecutor back in the courtroom on the 6th floor.
And now both Sam and I sat in the courtroom waiting for his chance in front of the Judge. The Prosecutor lady was awesome and came out to Sam and showed him where she removed one citation completely and said that the Judge may be even more lenient. While waiting, we kept hearing a phone behind us, and there were signs and we were instructed multiple times that phones better be off in court. Finally as an officer (the one that was at the accident of Sam and Noel) was walking people to the back of the courtoom, the phone went off again, and she instructed the older gentleman to turn it off. He said that he had already turned it all the way down...bless him, his hearing was worse than mine, and thought no one else could hear his loud phone. The officer made him hand it to another younger person behind us to help him turn it off.
Then Sam was called to the front with 3 other people, it seemed the judge was seeing about 4 people at a time. When she got to Sam, she asked his name. After his reply, she remarked to us in the crowd "See how he is dressed, this is how you dress for court" (Which I am sure somewhere Magan smiled not knowing what caused that sensation of pride and joy). Then she asked "What school are you attending"? And when he replied "The University of Alabama", no lie, that judge just quickly said "Roll Tide", then the other prosecutor in the room mimicked the "Roll Tide", then Sam finished this trio of "Roll Tides". And a final question "What are you majoring in?" "Electrical Engineering, your honor" Sam replied. "Yes, finally a useful major". She signed some paperwork and sent Sam to the side to talk to one of her clerks. As Sam spoke to the clerk, I listened to the next guy that had not paid some tag fees, but once he said he was a Marine, she also signed some papers real quick and sent him onto the clerk.
And we left the courtroom with $505 dollars in fees completely wiped, and only the one citation remaining on his record. On our way down the elevator, we met up with the Marine. He said "You had it made with the Alabama thing". I thanked him for his service, then asked him how he did with the Marine thing. A big smile and he said "All fees wiped off".
So Sam and I had our first times in a courtroom, him at 20, and me at 45. He entered a plea of No Contest or "Nolo Contendre" in front of the judge and we left glad that we had come all the way to Atlanta. Our drive home was uneventful, with our conversations a little more happy, and thankful for the blessings of the magic lady, connections to Alabama, and most of all thankful it was all over finally. He even made it back to Tuscaloosa in time to get to his 5PM lab.
Nolo contendere, or "no contest," is a Latin legal term for a plea in a criminal case where the defendant accepts the conviction without admitting guilt. While it results in a conviction, similar to a guilty plea, a nolo contendere plea generally cannot be used as an admission of guilt in a related civil lawsuit or other legal proceedings.
Judge Ardra L. Bey was appointed to serve as judge in the Municipal Court of Atlanta by Mayor Kasim Reed. She currently presides over general traffic matters. Judge Bey earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. Prior to her appointment, Judge Bey practiced for over twelve years in various state and federal courts in Alabama and Georgia. Judge Bey began her practice in a boutique law firm in Alabama where she represented civil plaintiffs, the Alabama Teacher's Union, city governments and criminal defendants. After relocating to Georgia, Judge Bey expanded her practice to include complex civil litigation and representation of defendants charged with serious felony offenses.
