Another Night in the Life of an ADA

It's a rule to live by.  If you absolutely have to leave the office at 5:00 p.m., do not answer your office phone after 4:30.  It's my fault.  I answered it at 4:55.

Once you answer the phone, it's your responsibility.  So the rest of the night was spent fielding phone calls from police officers and trying to salvage my plans. 

Apparently, a fifteen year old was driving a stolen car.  That was only where it begins.  A high speed chase, an intentional crash into a police vehicle, an injured officer, guns, stolen property, and a string of robberies combined to create one messy case with a lot of legal issues.

As my fellow prosecutor and blogger eloquently wrote, officer involved cases are involved and emotionally charged.  It was my responsibility as the juvenile crime prosecutor.  There are issues concerning how to take a proper statement from a juvenile, how to charge him, whether he can/should be charged as an adult, and how to conduct the investigation. 

The hours and phone calls piled up.  The injured officer was released from the hospital.  Statements were taken.  Charges were filed. 

If not for my prior commitments, I would have went to the station and helped out however I could.  That's the fun part about the job.  Sometimes you get to respond to an investigation as its unfolding.  You start to feel like a cop.  Most of the time, you are cleaning up an investigation.  If you are involved from the beginning, you can direct the investigation.  By the first few days, most of the investigation is complete if that happens.

These nights are not the norm.  My family is not happy when I'm called out from home or receive phone calls, but they understand.  I think they do, at least.