SWIM will be saying goodbye soon

[mick mouse]

Well, SWIM has fought this case for almost 18 months now and it finally comes down to this. On December 8th of this year, SWIM will be giving up freedom for 5 long years. In order to get SWIM to cop a plea, they had to threaten SWIM's wife with an accomplice and conspiracy charge which would have lead to a minimum of 5-7 years as well as removing SWIM and wifes parental rights, which would mean that SWIM's two girls ( 9 and 10) would be shipped of to some foster home. they would have also charged SWIM's boy (21) as well as his fiance with possession of MJ, paraphenalia, and child abuse, which would have led to them losing their 18 month old girl as well.

Needless to say, SWIM was left with no choice but to plea out, but he drove a hard bargain in doing so.

SWIM's wife walks, son and fiance walks, our girls come home, and their baby comes home as well. All seized property is returned (computers, laptop, guns, etc.) 91 days after sentencing. No fines, no restitution (other than a small payment that goes toward paying for SWIM's attorney). SWIM will avoid a potential 18 1/4 to 24 3/4 years.

5 years is still a long time.

SWIM would really like to rant on and on about the injustice in threatening a mans family, piling on BS charges on the principle of "stacking the deck" and getting conditions more favorable to a plea bargain, etc., but he won't.

We all know how it works, either through personal experience, a friend or family member going through or having gone through the same thing, the various professionals here who deal with this (police officer and NTassel come to mind).

Instead, SWIM will do this. I would like to thank Alfa for taking the time to guide a newbie with his wisdom, understanding, and advice. Thanks to the moderaters for making this a great site, may you never have to remind a noob of the rules more than once! Thank you to all who pose insightful and rewarding posts, keep passing on the knowledge! Thanks to all who answered my questions and replied to my posts, I NEVER got a bullshit answer.

To those who found my small bit of knowledge useful and to those who perhaps had my advise used constructively, thank you for the chance to be of some small use.

LuLu, hang tough. Its hard at first, but it gets easier. There are good people here and they will help you as I may have done.

SWIM will still post up to the final day, with a final goodbye at that time, but right now, SWIM has to take a day or so, come to terms with what will happen, make arraingements for SWIM's family, etc. It still hasen't fully sunk in yet and SWIM is sure to lose it as soon as it does, which makes it kind of hard to type and be emotional at the same time.

I Shall Return, as Douglas MacArthur once said. If not to this forum, then to it's successor, although I cannot conceive of a successor that could eclipse this forum.

Right now, I plan to go through the boards again, drink lots of beer and spend time with family, this one as well as the one in my home.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Sorry to hear that, good u doing the right thing as the others say best to stay with your family and friends. If only th...

[old hippie 56]

Hey mick, been down that road. Enjoy your freedom with your family.

[LuLu]

Here's to you Mick

LuLu

[Paracelsus]

So sorry for SWIY. Try to spend lots of quality time with your family, as they will be missing you.
Always remember life goes on and there is always someone who loves you.
And I hate to say it, but try to make the best out of your time there.

BTW is it really five years? Or do you have a chance to be released on parole?

[Forthesevenlakes]

SWIY will be missed. Make the most of the time between now and then, spend it with your family and friends. Remember that SWIY did an incredibly noble thing, and is keeping his family together. Those thoughts will help keep SWIY sane. keep active while swiy is there, read up on as much as you can and generally keep busy. It will be long, and rough, but SWIY will get out of it fine, he seems to have an excellent support system in his life. I wish you the best, and will keep my fingers crossed for parole, a sudden jailbreak, act of god, etc.

[mordecai8614]

wow, tis sad. reading a post from SWIY sharing that he is staring at an inevitable 5 year prison sentence made SWIM tear up, that's rough!! Don't let prison change SWIY, let family be guidance (for they will help SWIY get threw it). SWIM doesn't know SWIY situation, but SWIM hopes that the opportunity of parole and early release presents itself.

Enjoy every minute of the next month and a half

[Alicia]

Sorry to hear that sweetie. Enjoy what you have and dont let anyone make your life a misery in prison. Swia wishes there were more people like you around that were that decent with there family and friends always be proud. Just a shame life is this difficult sometimes
Take it easy.

[Sitbcknchill]

Keep your head up Mick. You did what you needed to do for your family, do not forget that.

I'll see you in five years dude.

Stay safe bro,
Sitbcknchill

[painfully_lost]

Swim doesn't know you, but shares your fate. In swim's botched suicide attempt, the wifey who botched such attempt, with that 911, brought not only life savers, but the law, who with probable cause found lots of swim's goodies, enough for multiple felonies. I am in the legal process now, I still have some time with family, and will see 2nd kid born next month, you brother must be tough and never let them encarcerate your mind and heart, or soul, only your body.

[mordecai8614]

Originally Posted by painfully_lost

Swim doesn't know you, but shares your fate. In swim's botched suicide attempt, the wifey who botched such attempt, with that 911, brought not only life savers, but the law, who with probable cause found lots of swim's goodies, enough for multiple felonies. I am in the legal process now, I still have some time with family, and will see 2nd kid born next month, you brother must be tough and never let them encarcerate your mind and heart, or soul, only your body.

SWIY attempted suicide with a 2nd kid on the way?

[painfully_lost]

yes, and don't judge swim if you don't know swim.

[SPWIM]

Jeez, hope you're out before 5 years mate, that's terrible. I hope the Internet's still a landmark of free speech when you get out too.

It kinda makes you think, doesn't it. The law probably has a load of shit on every one of us for some reason or another and as soon as someone we love gets in a bit of trouble, we and other members of our family, will be used as blackmail.

Good luck, mate.

[Alfa]

Holy shit Mick! Not fun. Hope you spend your time wisely and come out wiser, stronger, sharper and with your head up high. And then do find your way back here.

[D.U.M.B]

Mick you have my respect. what you did took balls and showed your true colors.

I hope, no I KNOW you can and will get through you're tough time ahead. You'll do it for family,friends,yourself and hell maybe even a little so you can come back here and say hello to people like SWIM who will still be sneeking in quick peeks at DF while at work in the tiniest window available on his desktop.

Keep your head up

[Nature Boy]

Good luck in the big house Mick. I sympathise with your scenario. Stay positive.

[mick mouse]

First, SWIM has to say that he is absolutely blown away by the out-pouring of love and support that he is experiencing here! Thank you all! SWIM has unfortunately done this before, although not for quite so long a time as this. As they say in my neck of the woods "this ain't my first rodeo!" Last time down, SWIM ended up as an aide to the substance abuse counsellor in his facility. When SWIM went in, the unit had three programs, AA, NA, and a new behavioral modification program called "thinking straight". When he came out, SWIM had developed and put into place throughout the Arizona Department of Corrections 28 new programs, from anger management to domestic violence to stress management, as well as a host of others. Most of the programs in use in the AZ. DOC today are the result of SWIM's hard work and motivation to help others succeed. In addition, SWIM also did freelance legal work for other inmates, resulting in getting 27 inmates sentences overturned or released in some fashion or another. All of this was done in a span of 3 years, too.Then, as now, I couldn't get my dumb ass out, but I got others set free. The Goddess truely does work in mysterious ways! Everything happens for a reason and it is not always up to us as individuals to choose our path, we merely do what we can with what we have. I go into this situation as I go into any other, with motivation and dedication, with the certain knowledge that I WILL make a difference. My theory in situations like this is simple: The system can only be beaten from the inside. Every time I can get someone freed, every time I can prevent someone from coming back, everytime I can open someones mind, I have won and the system has lost. The scales of the universe balance out a little more, my kharma load decreases, and I become better as a person. This is not a situation which calls for sadness, but a challenge that I accept joyfully. SWIM has not been challenged in a long time. Initally, there will be some pain, but pain only tells you that you are alive. SWIM stands ready.

[Donmeka]

damn, best wishes and take care. just do what you can and take it one day at a time. remember your family loves you and you got my best wishes as well. take care man.

[Nicaine]

Very, very sorry to hear about this. At least drugs are fairly plentiful in prison . SWIY shouldn't go straight in the joint, man... was there ever a better use for drugs than to help pass the time & stay occupied whilst essentially confined to one's own bodily space?

Not that SWIM's recommending drug use in prison, mind you... he just doesn't recommend abstaining, either. Just kidding...

Stay strong, man. Five years can be long, or they can be doable/tolerable... better not to impose expectations on things IMO.

[mick mouse]

Drugs are indeed plentiful in prison, but SWIM has decided long ago that prison is a place where a wise man keeps his wits about him, therefore he chooses not to indulge there. Besides, I will be surrounded by those who are not exactly the salt of the earth, throw dope in the mix and you have a collision thats waiting to happen! I have seen many a man use drugs to dull the passage of time and they invariably come out worse that when they went in. Besides, my brother, as I stated in your blog, freedom is a mental thing!

Originally Posted by Nicaine

Very, very sorry to hear about this. At least drugs are fairly plentiful in prison . SWIY shouldn't go straight in the joint, man... was there ever a better use for drugs than to help pass the time & stay occupied whilst essentially confined to one's own bodily space?

Not that SWIM's recommending drug use in prison, mind you... he just doesn't recommend abstaining, either. Just kidding...

Stay strong, man. Five years can be long, or they can be doable/tolerable... better not to impose expectations on things IMO.

[stophate]

Im a new member a don't know anyone here, but i hope that during your time you learn a lot and that others can learn from you. If you can help other inmates get free, get diplomas or be happier then you may be in a good place. Five years seems like a long time, for me at least, but take it as a learning experience, like Depp in BLOW. But you don't have to learn about how to get coke out of colombia. Even though I have never met SWIY or know SWIY's name, I feel for him.

[Bikelbees]

Those laws are constitutionally flawed. If we cant vibrate those walls down then we must fight those laws.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

since when does the consititution mean jack shit in the us? we are not a constitutional republic we are a theocratic socialist police state.

It angers me that a good man like you mouse is going to prison for harming no-one. I wish you and your family good luck in the troubled times ahead.

[El Calico Loco]

<sarcasm>
It's obvious that you're an extremely dangerous person who must be locked in a cage to protect society's children.
</sarcasm>

Things like this are what make the voices in my test subject's head tell him to kill. He knows it happens every day, yet it never ceases to enrage him. I fear he might start a revolution or something.

Sigh... It's like we're living in the god damned dark ages. Complete with inquisitors.

Be sure to wave to the rapist/murderer who has to be released to make room for you. He'll be on his way out while you're on your way in.

Good luck, brother. Stay strong. This too shall pass.


ECL

[mick mouse]

While SWIM agrees with the need to start a revolution, SWIM has also learned that in a fight, an angry man is a beaten man. SWIM is indeed a very dangerious person, 12 years of special forces training has seen to that. I could, quite literally, walk out of any prison that they choose to place me in, but anger and rage are not appropriate emotions there. That would make me just like all of the other inmates, and while I may BE with them, I am NOT one of them. Induce your test subject to inhale the calming smoke of herbal harmony and defeat the inquisition in the same way that they were defeated in the past....with knowledge and fearlessness!

Originally Posted by El Calico Loco

<sarcasm>
It's obvious that you're an extremely dangerous person who must be locked in a cage to protect society's children.
</sarcasm>

Things like this are what make the voices in my test subject's head tell him to kill. He knows it happens every day, yet it never ceases to enrage him. I fear he might start a revolution or something.

Sigh... It's like we're living in the god damned dark ages. Complete with inquisitors.

Be sure to wave to the rapist/murderer who has to be released to make room for you. He'll be on his way out while you're on your way in.

Good luck, brother. Stay strong. This too shall pass.


ECL