September 17, 2007 Monday

While the oldest man in the world was celebrating his 112th birthday, I woke up Monday morning to school. As I leave for the door, I can hear my Vietnamese landlord woman speaking in Vietnamese in the kitchen down the hall. I hear her talking with another Vietnamese voice of which I could not identify. (She does not live in my apartment, nor does she live in the building.) I apparently lived in an illegally-rented apartment. As I lock my bedroom door and go to the front door, the front door has 2 locks, top and bottom. I only have the key to the bottom. The top lock is not locked. So I turn the bottom lock to unlock the door, walk in, then close the door, and use my key to lock the bottom lock, and go to school.

My last class ends at 7:55 p.m. I take 2 buses to get home. I usually catch the 1st bus around 8:05-8:10 p.m. On the 2nd bus, rather than getting off at my stop, I get off a couple blocks earlier, on Western, to get into Warren Park. I been hanging out with a group of kids in the playground, and as it was a school night, the families would leave earlier. I'd rather stop by the park to see no one was there, and continue walking home, than to get off at the stop closest to my apartment, walk back to the park and find no one was there and walk back. So as I arrive at the park, I see the kids there, and, having my back pack on, my routine was to go home, drop my back pack off, and come back, which is what I did. To save time, I run/walk home in a rush. By the time I reach my 3rd floor door, I find the top lock is locked, so no matter how many times I unlock the bottom lock, the top lock is still locked. With whatever frustration that took, I drop my backpack off, and run back to the park anyways. At the park, all the kids wanted to do was play "tag" as any other day before and after, usually because I'm the oldest (not counting their parents) and fastest. For that mood, I rejected playing tag, and just sat somewhere (on monkey bars) thinking about what I was to do that night. From there, I thought abut the consequences I was going to get that night, such as arrest, when I go back and burn the keyhole of the door.

Maybe half an hour later, all the kids with their parents left, so I went home. I probably got back around 9. I go back up the stairs and bang on the door just in case anyone was there (the Indian lady secretly moved out days ago). She actually disappeared a couple days before September 11, which is when I noticed all the food in the refrigerator was gone. However, I last officially saw her leaving the apartment with her bags on September 12, 2007, which was 5 days ago from then. I tried unlocking the door several times again, until I was convinced the top was locked. I figured it was the landlord that locked the top portion of the door after I left for school that morning.

I then go to the back door to find it also locked, and as trial and error, tried all of my keys, and none of them worked. I didn't have the landlord's number memorized, or on my cell phone (wow, a 3rd cell phone), and the number, as a fire man pointed out, was on the front door of my freezer. I go back to the front door and get out my flare, light it, and aim it at the keyhole of the locked lock. I aim the flame at the key hole for some 5 minutes, where smoke just kept forming, and every once in a while, I try to slam into the door to see if the lock melted. Until nothing happened for some 5 minutes, I decided to turn the flare off, by going back outside and spinning it in the air, which it blows off, and then it lands on the ground. Using my key chain flashlight, I find it on the ground and go to the alley and throw it away.. to the bottom of the dumpster. I go back in and try to break through the door and no luck. I thought about peeing on the keyhole, because urine is usually acidic, which I thought could help dissolve the metal after the flame. But the top keyhole was certainly high up that I didn't think I could reach, not even after getting out my backpack and standing on my 3 textbooks. However, there was notable smoke in there, and not wanting to breathe all that for long, I try to open the window. I remember not being able to instantly open the window for the 1st time, so for the 2nd time, I tried harder, and found the screen wasn't stable. So I open up my backpack and take out 3 textbooks and put them under to hold the screen for the window. Then I went outside again, and hung around the alley of my house. I looked at my 3rd floor windows and, the windows weren't locked but there was no way of me getting up there. In the backyard, I saw some metal formable chairs, which I brought back up again. I stand on the chair, making me much taller, and pee at the top keyhole, for pretty much most of the time. After that, I grab the newspaper hanging on the back rack of the wall, and wipe out the mess. I then take the chair back to where it was in the backyard. I think I walked around my apartment again thinking of another plan. When I go back in, on the 1st floor, the 2nd floor resident told me there was a fire on the 3rd floor, to which I tell him no, there's no fire. He then banged on the 1st floor door telling people of the smoke.

I also had an original plan which was ask the police for help. So I left to go to the police station .5 mile away. When I arrive, I tell an officer I was locked out, didn't have the keys, etc. She said we don't break through doors on request, so there wasn't anything they could do. So I walk back home, and as I leave the station, the idea occurred to me that I could ask the fire department to raise a ladder to my 3rd floor apartment window and I could get in! I thought I would just call 311 when I get back. When I got back, by that time, the fire trucks and company were there, and everyone living in the 3 floors + basement were out. I find a fire fighter in the front and ask him for the help, to which he told me the door was already broken down, and it was time to find the police officers, so we walk around to the back porch, then back to the front, and up the stairs to my apartment.

The door was open, but the walls were cracked and everything, and the fire fighter takes me in to a room full of police officers. There was 4 I think (more likely an even number). I didn't get arrested till about an hour later. 1st they check if I have anything on me, such as weapons, so no. Then I sit on the chair and they sort of ask me questions, and I tell them my story. The fire detectives went over all the rooms in the 3rd floor, announcing it was another 1 of those illegal apartments. They asked me how many people lived here at 1 time, to which I said up to 5. The floor was a 3 bedroom, but the landlord make it a 5-room apartment, each door having it's own lock. Later an officer asked me what I used to burn the keyhole, to which I said flare, and they were shocked to see I carried a flare (or road flare) everywhere I go, thanks to 2 incidents in the summer. The fire fighters and such talk to each other complaining that the landlord was supposed to be here, that they were to come in 15 minutes, which was 30 minutes ago. The fire fighters also wanted to know where the flare was, so they could photo it. Some of the Vietnamese relatives show up, but they don't speak English, so not much is done. The actual landlord, or owner of the building, is a Vietnamese man, whom I've actually never met before. He didn't speak English, and when he showed up, I reported I didn't recognize him, and that I always paid rent to a Vietnamese woman. Later the fire fighters come back and say they can't find the flare, so I was to go outside (with a police officer) and show them. The fire man shoves the dumpster to where the flare is visible, then photographs it, then leaves it there and we go back in, and I sit down again. By the time the woman landlord comes back, the 1 that locked the door, she's the 1 that speaks the most English. The fire detectives went over with the woman that she can't rent to more than 1 family on the same floor, that by putting a lock on each door and giving the people separate keys, they become separate units, which is illegal/unlawful, to which she replied no, no no. She also mentioned to the officers that she thought I was crazy, and that she thought there was something wrong with me. When the fire detectives find out who the building owner is, which was the man and his daughter, the detectives asked if they wanted to press charges for the damage done to the door, and the Vietnamese man looks at the rest of his family for a decision, and they spoke a little in Vietnamese. He said yes, so the detectives had him fill out the forms, and I got arrested. Handcuffed, sat in the back of the police car, etc. Although when I was in the back of the police car, I noticed I didn't have to, and didn't have putted on seat belts..

I go back to the same police station that I left. I got put in a room where the 2 police officers, with 1 other fire detective, sat around a table with a laptop and typed up my report, where I was handcuffed to a bench at the other end. I was there for some half an hour, where I have to take my shoelaces and stuff off. I was actually given a 2nd charge, which I think is a follow-up. The fire detective told me that the Vietnamese probably won't show up in court, so that the case will be dropped, so that my 2nd charge will be the charge. Take a guess at what that might be. Reckless behavior/misconduct. A 2nd fire detective that was stopping by, asked me if I remembered what he told me. I stopped and thinked, and said, yea, not to go back to my apartment without calling the owner of the building and having them walking me in. In other words, I was not allowed to go back in on my own. Throughout the time, random police officers often walked in to chat with the current officers and go "What'd this 1 do?"

Some half an hour rolls by, and the officers take me to the cell unit, where I say goodbye to the 3 of them. In there, I get fingerprinted, stamped (on the back of my hand), and photographed. My lucky number is 313. For about the 1st time in my life, the photographer did not go "Smile!" or "say cheese!" or any of that bull **** before taking my photo. I was just told which way to look. I was also asked (not by the photographer) if I had a tattoo on me to which I said no. Then I get put into an empty cell, where I slept on a metal bench on the wall, with a toilet in the center of the cell. The place had air conditioners on all night, and all I had on the upper-half was a black t-shirt, so I was cold all night and barely slept. It was probably around midnight when I got in the cell, and I got out around 5:10 in the morning. The jail officer shouts my last name and out I go. I get my stuff back, and as I leave, I sign some paper promising to come to court in 5 weeks. I spend the next 20 minutes putting my shoelaces back on my shoes and trying to open the other plastic bag which I couldn't do so I asked an officer to cut it open with the scissor. I left around 5:30 a.m., and, with only having 4 bucks in my pocket and no ATM card, went to a McDonalds on the way back to my apartment. Had 2 has browns and a Sprite or 7UP. Sat at a corner like a homeless trying to sleep till I left around 6:50, and waited outside the woman landlord's family house. I saw her walking to the house around 7:30, and she walked me back to my apartment through the back door and I packed my stuff and went to school. I was tired indeed, trying to stay awake in class. I only had 2 classes, with the 2nd 1 4 hours and 10 minutes after the 1st, so I spent most of the time in between napping.

Some notes.

-I never had the key to the top lock. The day I 1st moved in from San Diego on June 23, 2006, 447 days earlier (the keys were mailed to be in San Diego before I left), the top lock was locked, so none of the keys I had worked. Luckily, the woman landlord's brother was working in the back kitchen so I could go through the back door. Then I went to the front door, and unlocked the top. So I was to learn never to lock the top lock out.

-3 days later, on June 26, 2006, I did the stupid mistake of locking the top lock and going out through the back. I didn't have the keys to the back yet so I left it unlocked. (Woke up at 7 p.m., so left shortly after). When I came back, the back was locked, so I couldn't get in on the front side either thanks to my intelligence. Had to go to my cousin's house, whom contacted the woman landlord that I accidentally locked myself. Spent the night at his house. The following morning, the landlord's brother came shortly after noon to unlock the back door. The woman landlord's brother didn't even have the key to the top lock, as we tested by locking him in and out. This time I knew for sure never to lock the top lock again.

-On August 29, 2006, I came back from school noticing a new lock was installed on a door. It was the back door I believe.

-On April 24, 2007, when I came back from school, all locks were normal, and I napped. Woke up around dinner time to find that the top lock was locked. Turns out I couldn't unlock it from the inside. In other words, I was locked in and out of that door, so from that day forward, I had to go through the backdoor each time. The key chain to the front door I also always carried because it contained my bedroom key.

-On May 20, 2007, I noticed the back had a new door which was locked. Had to go in through the front, which was now unlocked. I thought, wow, now I don't need to carry the keys to the backdoor if the front door top lock is no longer locked! Therefore, I only carried the key chain that had the front door on the 3rd floor and 1st floor, and my bedroom door.

So then on September 17, 2007, the woman landlord locked the top lock of my 3rd floor door to which I was locked out..

-When I told the police officers what I used to burn the key hole was a flare, they asked where I bought it. I said AutoZone. They asked did I walk all the way to the store and back just to do that? I replies no, I had it in my pocket. So they talked to each other that for the report, they should add I carry a flare with me everywhere I go. I carried a flare with me on Mondays and Wednesdays because my last class gets out at 6:55 p.m. (and earlier on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). So it was a coincidence that this incident happened to me on a Monday yes. Anways, in the next semester, my Monday and Wednesday night class I will be getting out at 9:45 p.m. - a 45 minute post-record of all my classes in high school, so I will definitely wanting to be carrying a flare on pocket with me then.

When I was in my apartment with the cops, the woman landlord (the only member that could speak English), said I was being kicked out and I could no longer live there and the rent will go up to $1,200 a month. But the next morning when I got out of jail, the door being broke, she asked if I had a problem with her and I said no. When I told her I will come back to pick up my stuff if I find another apartment that night, she said I could stay, but I went but the rent will go up, and she said it'll stay the same. I guess the fact that if the door was broke, with holes in the wall, no one would want to move in, so if I move out, they lose $350 a month. So the woman landlord told me they will be getting a new door, and all I have to do is pay for it and they won't go to court. I went to go examine the key hole - it still works. It can turn and lock. My attempt to "melt" the key hole failed. The police pointed out the previous night, that I was a chemistry major, and my chemistry experiment failed.

1 day the woman landlord told me she was having a new door, and she announced it will cost $400. So I told her I will pay her $100 more in rent, for the next 4 months, to make up the $400 to pay, so she agreed.

The 2nd crime I was being charged with (if they don't show up in court) is a class A misdemeanor. If I don't get locked up, but are still guilty, I imagine I may have to pay a huge fine. I was in the lookout for a job.

Since the fire department broke through the door, the fire department wasn't going to fix it or anything, the landlord family was. And who did they want to pay them, me, or, the fire department? Me. In other words, I was going to be economically responsible for the damage the fire department did.

Scenario: the man on the 2nd floor opens his door in the stairway-hallway and sees minimal smoke. He goes upstairs to the 3rd floor where the heavier densely-packed smoke is and bangs on the locked door, no luck, and goes back downstairs to call the fire department. I would have done that too, likely. So when the fire department come, they break through the door seeing all the smoke. Obviously they could identify the place of the flame.

I was curious about how the fire department works, in terms of the aftermath of responding to emergencies and breaking through property. I sent an e-mail asking who does reparations for the damages done by the fire department? I asked if there was a company out there that is referred to the fire department, that specializes in undoing the damage done by the fire department? That was to police@cityofchicago.org. Within less than an hour I think, I got a response, saying to ask the fire department for that. This is the police. So when I e-mail the same thing to the fire department (chicagofire@cityofchicago.org), I did not get a response..

Over a week goes by.

September 30, 2007 Saturday - 13 days later.

On September 30, 2007, the woman landlord's brother was in around 7, and using loud machinery, took the door off from the wall. He then installed a new wooden door. When I saw the woman landlord that day in the apartment, I asked her how much was the door. She paused and then I went on, that I was waiting on a job, and if I got accepted, I will pay the $400 in 1 check instead of in 4. She must not have understood my English because as we go downstairs, she says I wil pay for the door and everything, the fixing, which will be $400. In other words, she wasn't going to tell me the exact price of the cost of the new door.

I then went to my school with my laptop for Internet. I left and while on the way back, I did some thinking. I was expected to get a call or so on Saturday (that day was Sunday), and I didn't. So it doesn't seem I was going to get that job (grocery store). So now I thought, damn, guess I won't be getting a job. Then I thought about having the priviledge of seeing that receipt for the door. The woman landlord told me I was going to have to pay $400.00 nevertheless.

It basically comes down to "pay me $400.00, and we won't show up in court."

Since the key hole still works - it still works! There was no damage done to the door. I thought about not paying them $400, so they can show up in court and continue pressing criminal charges against me - which would be criminal damage to preoperty. So, if that were the case, 2 things can happen.

That I will be charged with the crime after the fire department broke down the door, which means replacing it and everything, which will exceed over $300, which means instant felony.

Or.

That I will be charged with the crime to the door before the fire department came, which is somewhere close to $0.

What was the risk I was willing to take? If I were punished as responsible for what the fire department did, I would be instant felony, locked up for more than a year, or paying a huge fine, certainly in the 4-digit dollars or more. But then, if I weren't responsible for what the fire department did, I would get a damage done close to $0, as everything still works.

I decided to e-mail police@cityofchicago.org again. I asked how do I go about getting an attorney or lawyer, which is for my knowledge, and if I had the knowledge, I wouldn't need a lawyer or attorney, so where could I ask my law questions? I mentioned that I wasn't given Miranda Rights during my arrest or after, so I was never told I had the right for an attorney so I didn't get 1.

I get a reply 6 days later.

On Tuesday, October 2, there is a job fair at my school, and I start applying. But hmm. Do I think, that if I apply for a real job, the owner would like to do a background check? Sometimes in on-line applications, they ask you "have you ever been arrested before?" as opposed to, sometimes, "have you ever been convicted of a felony before?" And I imagine some ask for misdemeanors too. Well if they did a search on my background, I would imagine they can find my arrest in progress, but that a court date is pending on whether I'm convicted or not (guilty or innocent), or dropped.

On Tuesday, October 9, I decided I did not want to pay $400. I planned on moving out. Even if I won the court case, (and not have to pay a fine), then the opponent loses the case and fails on getting the $400. What does that mean, eviction? So I was moving on. And then there would be no point in still living there if I was still allowed to, especially since I would not want to confront them or their family again.

On Wednesday, October 10, I made some phone calls to landlords.

On Friday, October 10, I met the new landlord, where I toured my new studio. We agreed to meet the next day at 11 to do the lease.

Some reasons I why I would like to move out:

-Even if I won at court, the landlord family would be mad if I didn't pay them the $400 despite paying them $350 a month for rent. I just couldn't deal with them if I didn't pay them $400.
-I don't like having unconsensual floor mates. In January 2006, our 3rd floor had a record 5 people (me, Indian woman, black girl, and a middle-aged Vietnamese couple). Husband smoked and wife barely spoke English.
-Sleeping in the winters, my room was frozen cold. No heater. The heater in the dining room and such were on, but not in mine.
-Crime neighborhood from my May 1 incident 2007.

As per point 2, I could go over all the individual problems and follies (as well as fights) over the other individual floor mates, but, that would be incredibly off-topic..

Some benefits of my new apartment.

-Closer to school (1 bus instead of 2).
-Closer to public trains (Brown Line).
-Less landlord intervention.

On Friday, September 29, 2006, I came back from school to see both the woman landlord and her brother in the kitchen. They (her brother) were doing some construction which needed a saw chain. The machine needed an outlet to plug in order for it to work (electric). I leave for my Dad's house to spend the weekend. Spent the night, and Saturday night. I came back on Sunday night.. to see the refrigerator was unplugged. The landlord crew had to unplug the refrigerator Friday afternoon to do their construction. But, they forgot to re-plug the refrigerator, so the freezer and such were absolute room temperature!

Can't quite blame them for an accident, and it was their refrigerator, but the frozen food I had in there.. ugh. This won't happen in an apartment where I have a lease!

Anyways, the "pay me $400, and we won't show up in court" is kind of like bribery, but, we don't have to go there, do we?

So we recall the fire detective telling the woman landlord "You have too many units here [3rd floor]. When you lock the doors and make the keys, they become separate units, and you can't do that." Did that stop the landlord family from renting to more than 1 family on the same floor? No. (Continued.)

On Sunday, October 14, as I was hiding in my room, I could hear the woman landlord's brother tour a couple into the living room. They had an Indian voice and accent. When the man told them there is 1 other person living there, the husband asked if he was Indian. That kind of made them not want to rent there! The man told them to save them money, they should only rent 1 room (which he suggested the living room, which was $500). Else the couple would have to pay more if they wanted more of the 3rd floor.

/* The Day of Court */

Friday, October 26, 2007 1:30 p.m. - 39 days later.

I arrive at the building at 12:49. When I walk in and a police officer asks can I help you. I say, court at 1:30? He says come back at 1:15. The police officer next to him says too early. At around 1:00, the police officer knocks on the window, and the some 3 of us walk in. Go through a metal detector (after dropping off my cell phone and keys). Get them back. We can sit in court early.

I sit down and slowly more criminals start coming in. Later I see the landlord family show up. By the time it was apart to start, the woman landlord whispered and called me to come over. When I came over and sat next to her, she somehow figured out I moved out, and confirmed it with me, and I said yes, then reached into my pockets and gave her back all the keys. Then she asked, "What we do now?" And I shrug, "I dunno." Then she asked if I moved all my stuff out, and I said yea. Then the landlord man turned back and said so if there are anything left in my room, she can throw out? And I said, yea.

Wow, the landlord can speak English! Sun of a gun, he did a good job pretending to not know English. Pretty clever. She even asked me how muh my new rent was, and I said 475, where she went wow, so expensive. Then at 1:30, the clerk starts calling names. When the clerk, sitting to the right of the judge, calls my name, I stand up and say here, and walk on up. So the judge reads the papers which has my photo on it. He says something to me which I didn't understand, I believe he pronounced my name wrong. He asks if I speak English and I say yes, yea. Then I say I'm Neal. Looking at my papers, he asks, so, you're from North Northeastern Illinois University? And I say yea, and the people around laugh. Then he looks at the papers again and says to himself I'm issued a public defender, so then I leave the room and stand out, waiting.

So the judge read my crime report. Well guess what. The police officers screwed me over in their report. 1st, they said I "forgot my keys" and tried to burn down the entire door. Wow. That made me look like a real criminal arsonist. Obviously, the cops wouldn't include that I was never given the key and did not lock myself out... You think the judge was going to let me free on that?

The landlord family comes out, too, and a lawyer comes out and calls their name, and they discuss my incident. The family tells the lawyer they would like $400, and the lawyer also asks if they would like me on like a restraining order on their property so I'm not allowed on. Well I didn't hear what they said. Then someone asks if she's (the attorney) the public defender, to which I said not my public defender. Then he asks the cops, and they tell us to go walk to the other part and sit down. I sit on a bench. A woman was handling all our cases. When it was my turn, I come up. She doesn't know my crime, or anyone's, so she reads it, and when she reads it, she reads it out loud to me, so I can hear it too. After she is done reading my report, she tells me the state is willing to drop the "endangering lives" charge, and I guess that's because, heck, none of the police officers or any of the fire crew detectives showed up either. Talk about disrespect.

The public defender tells me the crime can range anywhere up to 364 days in prison, or up to $25,000. Well, I don't got $25,000, nor do I have a job, so I guess that's not an option. Prison it is, right?

Up to 364 days in prison? I guess I was wrong about the damage exceeding above or below $300 on making it a misdemeanor or felony. Because someone apparenlty decided it will be a misdemeanor since felony means minimum 1 year in prison. I guess someone already calculated the value of the entire door and either said it's worth less than $300. What do you know... good to know I got a felony off my record.. I guess it isn't about how much damage you did, but how much the entire thing is worth initially. However, if the fine can go to up $25,000, I thought that would be felony, at least it is in California.

The public defender tells me I can pay $400 and end it all. She also told me I could admit guilty, and be supervised for 1 year (meaning not allowed to commit another crime), and do 40 hours of community service. But that would mean I get to keep that misdemeanor on my record. And it can be expunged someday.

So she asks me if I want to pay the $400 which she sort of recommends and I say no. She asks if I would like to admit guilt which she recommends and I say no. She takes a breath and asks if I would like a jury court or, have the judge decide, and says she recommends jury. I say judge. She frowns. I just tell her I have questions. I ask if I am responsible for the damage the fire department did to the door. She tells me it's up to the judge to decide. She says I'm being convicted of property damage to the door, and I say I didn't, the fire department did, and the key hole still works. She says she'll talk with me after words, so she calls the next person up.

As I sit back down on my bench, a black guy in front of me to my left, who overheard our conversation, tells me to pay the $400 and avoid up to 1 year or $25,000.

When she calls me up again and asks what I decide, I still say I don't know, I still have questions. Since she tells me it's up to the judge to decide if I'm responsible for what the fire crew did. I ask, can I ask the judge? So she says yea and she walks in, and I walk in from the back. I sit down and wait again, and when the clerk calls my name, and I stand up, say here, and walk on up. The public defender tells the judge I don't know what to decide (on admitting guilty, etc.). The judge gives me a sheet of paper which says to come back to court in some 2 weeks, or November 8..

The paper says I'm being charged with a misdemeanor, so that gets the felony doubt out of my mind, but I didn't think about this till hours later.

So I'm dismissed, and walk out of court a little after 2:15. I walk along the street to take the bus. I then decide to change my mind, head back, and go to the office of the public defender department in downtown. I take a bus and a train. I thought, just before I left, the judge asked me jury or judge. And I said judge. And he and the clerk nod their heard that I'm making the dumb decision. So I guess I don't actually decide plead guilty or not, I simply go to trial.

This looked like a 50/50 probability to me, and since I don't have $25,000, I most likely will serve the up to 1 year in prison thing.

Thursday November 8... I believe my Mom was to fly to Chicago on November 11. I still haven't told my parents about my arrest or moving to another apartment. If I'm convicted and imprisoned, my mom will fly over to think I still live in the old apartent I moved out of. I haven't seen her in 6 months. I could see myself crying when she visits me.

Sometime after the arrest and night in jail, but before the court, on a Monday, I got a voice message from my Mom. I was scared at first since I thought she might have found out. She was talking about how she was in the airport about to go in and fly out to vacation, and hope nothing bad happens. At the end she says I love you.. And I almost felt like crying knowing I haven't called her in a while. And my Dad, will be disappointed.

When I arrive at the Cook County building, I ask where the public defendant office is, and I get directed, 16th floor. Go to the elevator and press 16. As I walk out, someone also walks out on the other elevator. She asks if I wanted to go to the public defendant office, and I say yes, and she points to the door and says pick up the phone first. So I pick it up the phone, and go, I was told to pick up the phone, and then answer I would like to have a public defender, and she asks, have? And I say, speak with, and she lets me in. We have a little confusion about the public defender being only available at court, and I go the public defender didn't know the answer to my question, so she asks me to ask it to her and she didn't know it, so she looks at my paper, and calls someone, and says someone got out of court today, is post-poned, and would like to ask questions. So when she hangs up she tells me to go to the conference room and pick up the phone on the table when it rings.

I pick up the phone when it rings and asks her the questions. She tells me I am responsible for the fire department's actions. In other words, the fact that I did something that caused the smoke for the downstairs people to call the fire department - doesn't matter if I damaged the door or not, that I would be guilty of what they did.

Guess that means dounty jail for me.

I had to stop and think. And then I remembered about what I remembered on the bus. I ask her if the landlord has the right to lock me out of my apartment. Duh! She says she doesn't specialize in landlord laws. So I say I'll tell her from the beginning. I tell her I woke up 1 day and heard the landlord in my kitchen, and she goes, what was she doing in your kitchen? And I go, cleaning it, I guess. And I tell her she goes in and out. And she asks why didn't I do something about it. I said I didn't object to that. She says I could do something about it if I didn't want her in.

Then I asked, but I don't have a lease. So she says I may not have a lease on paper, but I have some sort of imaginary lease, such as paying her the $350 rent that month.

Then I tell her, if I remember what the charge that the police write, that I didn't type it or anything, that in the report which the public defender read to me, that they said "I forgot the keys." I said that wasn't true, I actually didn't have the key to the lock. And she tells me that I should have all the keys. I ask her if there's any way to correct the police charge report, and she says no, wait until court and clear all that up. We pretty much ended it at that.

It should be noted that I do worry about my apartment if I go to prison. Would I want my mom paying for my apartment $475 a month when I live and eat in prison for free? So before the day of court comes I shall pack some stuff ready in my suitcase, and leave a note, explaining, if convicted, please ship all my stuff (except refrigerator and furniture) to <address of my Dad's address>.

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 28, 2007, while sleeping in my closet, I had a dream where I was crying of thinking of the death of my grandparents. Apparently living and non-living. It was after meeting them individually (the living). I guess if I get a year in prison, it's possible that 1 of them could die before I get out. And this makes me wonder if I'm allowed out to go to a funeral. Apparently, it's an aggravating circumstance that it would mean me to fly out of state, and back. Sigh..

If convicted at day of court on Thursday, November 8, I will likely be instantly held in custody, and unable to update the site until I am out, of course.

The door in 1 piece, moved along the wall.

And of course, my Mom called me on the phone 1 day and noticed I made a deposit of $475, and what that was about. I paused and said, I moved to a new apartment. And that's my new apartment's rent.

But my Mom on the phone brought up something I did not know about. She said when I moved in to the apartment a year ago, we paid/payed a security deposit. $350. So, I owe them $400, they owe me $350. I really should in fact pay them $50. Since that's what a security deposit's for.

Hell broke lose when my Mom phoned me a later day, saying she was to arrive to Chicago from San Diego 2 days before my court. I had to lay down on my sheet in my closet for some time.

My Mom flew over to visit my Aunt, or her sister. Her sister's apartment is 1 street away from my old apartment. In other words, we're a building away across on the same alley. I didn't visit her Tuesday night when I attended something at night. So I came to visit Wednesday morning.

Then sometime in the middle, the apartment got a phone call. My Mom answers, and says yea, mhm, and they go. And I ask where? She says outside. And she and my Aunt leave. ???

Oh sht, they went to go see the landlord. Nervous as I was, they took their time. When they came back, they acted as if nothing had happened. Then they brought back some stuff I left in my old bedroom apartment, so I knew they saw some of the landlord family. But maybe half an hour later, she confirmed with Dad on the phone that he was to pick us up and drop me off to school. Outside, is when she referred to me about my arrest incident, and to hear my side of the story. Then when my Dad arrived in his car, and we got in, we apparently continued the conversation.

I haven't been with both my parents at the same time since summer 2004. And it was when my Dad was staying over at my Mom's house for 3 weeks. Before that, I haven't been with both my parents since 2000, also when my Dad was staying over for 3 weeks. Before that, was when we moved out of my Dad's house in 1999, when I was 11 years old. And now the 3 of us are in the car discussing tomorrow - my final judgment day of court.

Well, in the end run, my Dad agreed to pay the $400 settlement which I refused to pay. As well as a lawyer. I told him I already said no to not paying, so it might be too late for him to offer the $400. And my decision still stands - I ain't giving them a penny. I told Dad the worse that can happen is if they don't accept their money (since I can't stop my Dad for paying them).

At that point, I could not tell whether my Mom would pay the $400 settlement or fine if found guilty if my Dad wouldn't. Since my Mom is Chinese, which is Asian, she's also cheap, and it doesn't seem she was going to pay anything anyways. Then my Dad's old and white. A retired college professor. Philosophy Ph.D. He was also a social worker in the Cook County prisons, and didn't like the lifestyle there. Logic would imply that my parents would split the money in half, but my Dad was going to pay for all of it. My parents are divorced. My Mom won the divorce court of course where my Dad had to pay her $80,000 settlement, dispite paying for her tuition for her nursing degree and stuff, as well as paying our grandparents for baby-sitting us when we were babies to toddlers.

With Dad:

"Cook County jail is okay Dad."
"No it isn't son."

With Mom:

Well, she pays for half of my tuition, as well as my apartment rent of $350 every month. As well as money for food. All that which she complains about. If I went to jail for up to a year, tuition and rent bills would cease for the time. And I get free meals. So, it would actually save her money if I was in jail.

The next day, waiting outside the court building, both my parents show up, as well as my Aunt. Dad grabbed a lawyer and he went at it. Therefore, in court, a new date is set so we are to pay the landlord family $400 so the case be "SOL." And if they don't show up, the charge is dropped. But they of course won't, since it's to pick up money. My Dad paid/payed the lawyer $500.

/* The 2nd day of court */

December 3, 2007 Monday.

The next day of court, Monday December 3, I met my Dad in the parking lot of the court, and we sat in the car since he was a bit late. When we got out, we met our lawyer again on the other side. My Dad brought $400 bucks in cash. We again, asked our lawyer about what to do with the security deposit. Some time after, my landlord outside the court room asked my woman landlord "did the $400 settlement already include the security deposit?" My woman landlord got all weird and said stuff about he he didn't leave the wrong clean, all dirty. My lawyer asked a yes/no question. If the answer was yes, then the damage done was really $750, but knocked down to $400 becaue of the $350 I owe them. Apparently that wasn't the case. The transaction was done between my Dad and 2 lawyers. Then we were set.

And apparently, security deposits are not handled in circuit courts. My lawyer said I would have to take it to landlord and tenant court. A student in my physics class is an attorney, and he said I would take it to small claims court.

December 11, 2007 Tuesday.

8 days after my final day of court which settled my charge, I made a trip to downtown. Was snow outside, and I wore a blue coat, with a flare in my pocket. Took the Brown Line train (which was 2 blocks north of my apartment) to downtown (buildings were 2 blocks away from the station).

1st I went to City Hall. After looking at the directory, took an elevator to the 11th floor, to room for 1109, which was for public records of buildings. Went in and asked about it, and I was told to fill out this piece of paper on the table. Filled in my name, cell phone number, as well as the address of the house I'm investigating: a.k.a my previous address, 6443 N. Seeley. Under my address, I initially put in my address, then wrote a line over it, which was still easy to read, and above it, wrote: mail to, followed by my Dad's address. I was leaving city in 3 days, for 3 weeks. The paper was 2 forms, of carbony copy white over yellow. Didn't know which 1 was mine, but I dropped both in. Then went down 2 floors to use the restroom, then the elevator down to the 1st floor. Asked someone for directions for where the Daley Center was, and the answer was right out that door and across the street.

Arrived at the Daley Center. Uh oh, the 4 corners had security guards to go through a metal detector. Then the 4 corners of the building led to the elevators in the center. The previous company flare contained strontium nitrate, where strontium is likely a metal. Sat on a bench, and took my coat off, leaving the flare in it. Then, with my black sweater left, took my cell phone and keys out and went through the detector successfully. There was no directory, so asked a security guard and he gave me directions to 6th floor room 602. When I went to the 6th floor I was a bit confused as to where to go. Took the escalor up 1 floor, then back down. Went in and waited in line. Was at station 2. Asked about landlord and tenant court or small claims court, was directed to station 5, evictions. Station 5 was busy, but not station 4, so the guy called me and I told him I wasn't evicted, but wanted my security deposit back. He directed me to station 11. Station 11 man, looking like an attorney of some sort, asked if he could help me. They cover security deposits of $1,500.00 and under. He asked if I was sueing my landlord and I said no, I just want my security deposit back. He said then I am sueing my landlord, for the security deposit. I said ok. He asked how much was it, I said $350. Then he said total court costs will be $189. Do you have $189 on you? I said no. Do you have a job? I said no. I can help you with that. Then I asked about the landlord and tenant ordinance, and he directed me back to City Hall. So I left and asked at the same desk. Was directed to a room full of counters. Asked the help desk about the landlord tenant ordinance, and she directed me to a shelf along the wall to a pamphlet that said, landlord tenant ordiance. Is it for free? Yes. Thanks. Went out to the halls and asked a police officer who enforces this. He directed me downstairs. Went to the basement and down hall ways. Asked about who enforces this packet, they said we don't have anyone available at the time, take it to the Daley Center. Went I left downtown and went home.

The next day, while preparing myself some macaroni and cheese, at 2:03 p.m., got a call from downtown, and the person asked regarding my paper I filled out for violations of the building, and he said no violations were found. Okay? Ok!

There was a 4 week pause, as 3 days later, on Friday, I flew on an airplane to San Diego to visit my family (Mom) in San Diego for 3 weeks. I flew back on Friday 3 weeks after I left. Then, went back to the Daley Center the next Tuesday, spanning exactly 4 weeks.

In San Diego, we had a dispute over the new rent. We had a conversation where she complained why she had to pay the increased rent of $125 (from $350 to $475). Or that I could move back to the apartment since Dad paid/payed the $400 settlement and continue with the $350 rent.

Note that, my Mom was making $100,000 that year as a nurse - now topping my Dad's peak salary of $80,000 as a college professor before retirement.

January 8, 2008 Tuesday.

WebChat forums edition paragraph: I'm doing something I'd never have thought I'd do (per age 19): pulling a Mark Owen on someone! Just like how Aeriana would never have thought she'd pull a Neal on someone like she did to ThunderWoman in the #WebChat thread started by Oliver.

After I left school for organic chemistry class, went home, then went on the trains back to downtown. Went to the Daley Center, knowing exactly what to do (or at least, where to go). Took the elevator up to the 6th floor. Went to the desk and sat down. Filed a lawsuit! For the landlord. Since I didn't have or know the address to the woman landlord, I'm picking the man landlord instead (after all, he is the building owner, and the name of whom I write the checks to). The lawyer-person filed out the sheets as he asked for the landlord's name, my name, his address, my address, his number (which I didn't know), my number (not in that order). And the amount. I was then asked whether I want certified mail, or sheriff. Sheriff was where the sheriff or someone in person makes sure the landlord man receives the paper. What's the difference, I asked? Well, 1 is more expensive. The sheriff 1 was ~$60, whereas certified mail was ~$10.32. And then I go, "Oh, certified mail is where the U.S. postal service does it?" And he shakes his head yea.

After the paper was filed, he made several copies of it, stamped, all that, and now I was to take them to the cashiers and pay for it.

Webchat forums edition paragraph: I finally did it! I pulled a Mark Owen in someone! I'm [i]suing someone[/i]. Woot. How many of you have ever done that at age 19? So, like, "If the culprit isn't reprimanded, I'm going to press formal charges, " - yup, I'm doing exactly similar to that. Except I wouldn't consider the landlord to be a culprit, heh.

Brought my ATM card and check book. In line, I ripped out the top 2 pages so I don't have to worry about ripping it in half or something after I wrote in it. When I got in front the cashier saw my ATM card then check and said phew when I saw your ATM card I was like sorry we can't accept that but the check will do. The amount was $140.31. Who do I pay to the order of? The cashier said I don't write that, that she will stamp the answer. Although, there was a problem with that - on the accepting of checks in a legal business transaction. I didn't have a driver's license. And neither a state ID. I showed her my college ID card and my expired passport from 1994, where I was age 6 in the photo. So I was sent to the 10th floor where they would transact something. This person was an Indian man, and asked if the address on my passport was the same address now (for mailing purposes, yes), and I told him yes. Then he took my college ID, took it to a computer and did stuff with it. Then came back. When he read my papers about my request charge which was $350, he asked why it was so low. I told him that's what my security deposit was - my month to month rent. He said I'm a student, I could ask for more. That I need money for school. Or the problems they caused me for not giving back my security deposit - that I could have asked for more? I guess I go, really? And then he does, well, I wouldn't tell you that, but you could. He went on about I could write in the papers that I request for more than $350 for all the problems they caused me. Well, the previous man wrote his handwriting in all of them, and took photo copies of them, so if I wrote in 1 I would have to write in all of them. So I asked him, but in court I could ask for more, right? And he said yea, but I could also include it initially in the papers.

What happened was, "pay to the order of" in the check, was now for me to write "Clerk of the Cook County courts," or something like that. Something official. And then the man ut his signature. As well as my cell phone number and a house phone number on the check. Then I was to take it back to the 6th floor. Success! After it, the different cashier told me to check on the website in 3 days to see if the mail was successfully sent.