By Jim Romig, Homeless Court Navigator
I first met Donald at a Merced County Rescue Mission (MCRM) Transition to Hope program here in Merced. He had called me asking for my help in getting his traffic fines dismissed through the Homeless Court program. I asked for the information needed and emailed the courts for his Register of Actions containing his fines. Even though his court fines were substantial, he did qualify to have his fines dismissed through the Homeless Court program because he had just graduated from the Salvation Army Men’s Rehabilitation program.
After graduating from Homeless Court with the weight of these fines removed, he enrolled in the truck driving class at the Phoenix Project here in Merced. Living at the Merced County Rescue Mission’s Transition to Hope program facility gave Donald the opportunity he needed to attend classes and study for his Class A license. He passed the course, received his Class A license, and was ready to find a job driving big rig trucks. Working with Donald for the time I did, it was clear to me that he was a driven and motivated individual that wasn’t going to let his past mistakes and addictions hold him back from having a brighter future.
Donald wasted no time finding a truck driving job with a national trucking company, but he couldn’t take the position because of a felony that was on his record. He asked for my assistance, and we went back to court asking to have this felony reduced to a misdemeanor so Donald could take the job. The judge was so impressed with Donald’s drive in overcoming his addictions, getting his Class A license, and finding a job with a national trucking company that the judge not only lowered Donald’s felony to a misdemeanor, but ended Donald’s probation right there and dismissed the fine. The court gallery erupted in applause which I’d never experienced before. It was amazing!
Because the judge reduced his felony to a misdemeanor, the trucking company paid for a car rental so that Donald could travel to Southern California where he would attend classes for four days. If he passed, he would then continue to the next phase of instruction for three weeks with a driving instructor. He passed his classes and was off to the next phase. Everything looked good for Donald until the trucking company he was with told him that some of the pages in his court documents were missing. He called me and asked if I would go to the court and get it cleared up. It took a couple of visits to the court, but these pages were located, and the trucking company was satisfied.
A few days into his training, Donald was notified by the company that something else came up in his court records, and they would have to let him go unless he could get this mark expunged from his record. We went back to court hoping for success. However, this request was denied, and it seemed Donald was back to where he started, not having a job and not knowing what he was going to do.
We spoke outside the court regarding his next move, and you would think Donald would step back and take some time to assess his situation. Not Donald. Within a couple of weeks, he gave me a call while he and another driver were driving a big rig on their way across the country to Connecticut. Donald had been hired by an out-of-state company and was now on his way to a new job.
What I’ve seen come to fruition in Donald is what I encourage others with whom I work through the Homeless Court to pursue; “Your past has nothing to do with how your future turns out unless you allow it.” Well done, Donald! Proud of you, my friend.
