I guess you want to know what happened. If you are a 'friend' on FB you probably saw a post I made referring to it, and several have asked what happened. So here is a bit of a recap of our 'fun filled day'.
Yesterday, the kids are at school and I am on my way to town to run some errands (none of which got done) and go to the doctor for an annual checkup (which was difficult to get an appointment for to begin with). I get a call from Rodney, one of my husband's 'right-hand men' at his office. Now let me preface this with the well known fact that Rodney and all the guys in the shop are major, MAJOR pranksters. So when I get this call from Rodney and he tells me that Dan (my husband) was just taken out of the office in handcuffs by U.S. Marshalls. I completely (!) do not believe him. I keep telling him this is a joke and he better tell me the truth because if I miss my doctor appointment and I find out this is a prank there is 'going to be something to pay!' He keeps telling me he's not joking and he keeps adding information "there were 3 cars and 7 men", "with guns", "its about some sort of arson charge", "from 2002", "something to do with Indian land and the Bureau of Indian Affairs",
"taking him to U. S. Courthouse in M------", he gives me the address, but I find out later its wrong, and he tells me some crazy story about how he and Dan and two other employees were driving back from lunch and three black government vehicles go whizzing past them on the bridge, then as they are driving they realize they are pretty much following these vehicles because these vehicles are going the same route back to the shop. He even tells me how they are all joking that someone is 'coming to get' C---- who is another employee who just got a speeding ticket yesterday. But when they get to the office, those cars are parked in front of it and after Dan and the guys get inside, the Marshalls come in and ask for Dan. They go to his office, and then Rodney says they leave with Dan in handcuffs and that Dan had told Rodney to call me and have me get ahold of our friend Chris who is a lawyer and he would know what to do.
Well, let me tell you... Rodney is a MAJOR prankster, so I don't believe ANY of this. In fact, I tell him "ok I'm writing this down, but I know u are lying to me and u are going to be in SO MUCH TROUBLE when I find out that you are!" Still he keeps assuring me he's not lying, which of course I don't believe. So I hang up and immediately call Dan. Of course his phone goes to voicemail, which just makes me think he and all the guys are sitting in his office laughing as they see his missed call from me. But I try to call Chris anyway... unfortunately, the cell phone number I have in my phone appears to be wrong because it has a message for someone else. Great! So I start looking in my wallet for Chris's business card because I've had one in there for years. Unfortunately, I finally cleaned out my wallet and decided I didn't need to keep that because I had his number in my cell phone (which of course is wrong-grrr!) I call his home to ask his wife for his cell number, but unfortunately, I get the answering machine.
So now I call our church office because Chris used to attend our church before he moved away and I know they have had contact with him. I try to talk to Dan's mom (she's the pastor), but the secretary says she's unavailable, so I ask her for Chris's phone number or the name of his law firm, which of course right now I unfortunately cannot remember for the life of me! "Its REALLY important, I HAVE to get ahold of him" I say. Thankfully, she realizes how important this is and as she is looking it up she has interrupted his mom, who gets on the phone and I have to explain to her that I don't know if this is a joke or not but supposedly Dan's been arrested and I need to get ahold of Chris but I can't remember his law firm name or his phone number. Of course she is concerned, she tells me she will have his Dad go to the shop and find out if this is a joke or not, meanwhile her secretary is successful in finding his lawfirm on the internet and their phone number.
I then call the law firm, but unfortunately, (do u see the pattern here?) he is at lunch. I ask for his cell number and tell his secretary that I'm a friend (even I know this sounds lame-who in their right mind is going to give out that personal information to someone claiming to be a friend or relative?) Thankfully, though she is very efficient and tells me that she can have him call me. I thank her and ask her to please call him now and tell him its very important. Thankfully, she does. He calls me back immediately (thank you Chris!) and I explain to him everything Rodney has told me and I tell him I still don't even know if this is a joke or not, but if its not Dan thinks he can find something out or do something is some way. Chris is awesome (!), he takes the info I've given (the church also looked up the phone number for the court for me, based on the name and address Rodney gave me, which is how we found out the address was wrong). Chris tells me he'll call over there and call me back.
By this time I'm standing at the checkin counter of my doctor's office filling out paperwork and fielding phone calls (what a mess!). Dan's mom then calls me back and tells me she just talked to Dad, and this is not a joke (great! not what I wanted to hear!), she tells me he is heading to the courthouse right now (which is about 30 minutes away from us). The first phone call I received from Rodney came about 1pm, it is now 1:40pm. My appointment is for 1:30pm and I have no idea what I am doing... do I leave (and miss this appt that took forever to set up), or do I stay and field all these phone calls with my legs in stirrups (not exactly a cool scenario don't you agree?) Grrrrr!
By this time Chris now calls me back and informs me that there is a 2:30 magistrate hearing set where the charge (of arson) will be called as well as any other charges there may be (what??!!!), bail will be set, his attorney will be named or one will be court-appointed,and we will find out exactly what he is being charged with. (OH MY WORD! WHAT???!!) Can you tell my head is about to explode with this information? Chris of course is in 'lawyer-mode' and he is proceeding to tell me that this is a felony, "NOT a misdemeanor, Rene', this is a FELONY", and that the U.S. Attorny's Office is handling the case "that's the FEDERAL government, Rene', NOT the county" These are serious charges and its a serious case. I ask if we need a lawyer should he handle it or what should we do. He tells me this is criminal law (which is not his specialty), but that he has some lawyers he can refer us to.
I ask what to do, am I supposed to go to the hearing -I'm at the doctor you know[now this sounds so silly, why wouldn't I just leave the doctor, but in the moment the whole thing was so surreal. Even though I'd been told it wasn't a joke by reliable sources now, it still doesn't feel like my reality. It certainly can't be real, so I guess in my typical denial fashion I am trying to make it not be happening, so I keep dragging my feet about changing my reality, and jumping into the real reality that I am truly fully submersed in, and at this point I am frantically treading water trying to get out of.]
Chris pretty clearly tells me that I really need to be there to find out what's going on and in anycase to bring him home if he is released on bail. To which I reply that his dad is there so he already has a ride. Writing this now I can totally see how insane that was of me, but I was desperately trying to deny that this could really be happening. I lost the battle in that delusion and ran inside to the doctor's office and said I would have to leave and couldn't make my appt, I then burst into tears and run out of the office. I hop in the car and start driving towards M-------, which truthfully I have never even driven to via this route. Not good for me, but thankfully, I now have GPS on my new phone AND Rodney calls as I'm driving and he has pulled up directions on the internet and is walking me through how to get there. Then his dad calls and gives me more directions and tells me that he can't take his cell phone in the building so he will be unable to be reached. It is now about 2pm and this hearing is scheduled for 2:30 and I am about 30 minutes away, and I don't know where I am going! Yikes!
I call my friend Jen, en route but unfortunately can't reach her.
I leave a voicemail.
I send her a text.
I send her an email. (I am desperate for her to call me back NOW).
Thankfully, she calls me back pretty quickly and I ask her to pick up my kids from the schoolbus and take them to her house because I'm en route to M-------. She asks if there is anything else she can do, and I start crying "Pray Pray Pray!" I break down and tell her what I know (which is nothing except that my husband has been arrested for something he very obviously has not committed). She is such a blessing and thankfully she is there and able to take care of them. That was a huge piece taken off my mind. I knew that whatever I was going to encounter ahead, at least the girls were fine and safe. (Thank you Jen!)
The drive there was probably the worst, because that's when my mind started going through scenarios that are just plain bad! Of course I know he's innocent and this is obviously a BIG mistake, but... what if they don't believe us?
How much will bail be?
Do I have enough in my account to cover it?
I have no idea the level of crime this is, so is the 10% portion of bail going to be $2,000, $20,000 or $200,000?!??!
How much is a lawyer going to cost?
If its hundreds of thousands of dollars, this is NOT the right time to be spending this money. This is going to affect our livelihood (our business) very badly. This is not good.
What if we spend all this money and the courts fail us and they don't believe he's innocent and he goes to jail?!? Our kids are going to have their father in PRISON!!!!!! AAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!
This is not good.
I have GOT to talk to the court and find out EXACTLY what is going on and make them realize they have the WRONG man!
When I get to the hearing is Dan going to be in orange coveralls? Can he talk to me? Can I see him? Is this going to be the last time I see him for awhile?! Oh this is soooo not good. I'm also praying the entire time, but unfortunately my mind is also racing with all these 'what if/worst-case' scenarios.
Thankfully, the GPS works perfectly, it brings me straight to the courthouse, I leave my cell in the car and run in to this massive building with stone columns and very official looking (nothing like the small-town, business-office style courthouse that was in the town I grew up in!)
I toss my purse on the conveyor belt, the buzzer goes off because evidently I need to take off my belt as well. Fortunately, I pass security after that and I ask one of the guards where the magistrate hearing room is. Thankfully, he is very helpful and sends me straight there. I arrive at the courtroom and as I approach the door it is about 2:30 (the time it was supposed to start), I don't know what I'm going to see when I get to the door. Will they let me in if its already started? If this is some charge that happened while we were jeeping in 2002 (we didn't burn anything, but maybe there was a fire somewhere near where we were 4-wheeling and someone is blaming us? These are some of the things I was thinking about while driving). Anyway, if this is from that, then maybe there is a warrant for me too and when I go into the hearing maybe I'll get handcuffed and pulled away too, then what is going to happen to our kids????!!!!!! AAAAGGGHHHHH Can you tell my emotions are on full alert, its like that movie WarGames, and it feels like DefCon 12!
So I get to the courtroom door where the hearing is supposed to be and no one is in there. Ok this is weird, is there another hearing room? I go searching for it and don't find it but ask for some aid from a woman in her office, she directs me to another office. I ask the second lady if she can tell me where this hearing is and more about the charges. She tells me the hearing is moved to 3PM and walks me downstairs to another office waiting area. It is here that I see Dan's dad waiting. I ask him if he's talked to anyone to find out anything and he says that they are supposed to come back and talk to him soon, but he has no info yet. I start to ask the clerk about this, when 2 or 3 men come through a door and greet us. They don't say anything yet about the case but the older man introduces himself to us as the U. S. Marshall. (I find out later, he is above everyone else Dan has been talking to and he reports to the President). Hmm?
He takes us into his opulent office which is very big and very court-like, it certainly looks like a government or court office. He seats us in two chairs and then sits on a couch across from us. This probably only takes 10 seconds but it feels like forever, because I am dying to ask him what this case is about and to get details on it so I can begin proving that Dan is NOT the man they are looking for. I'm fishing in my purse for my pen and notepad so I can be ready to write down everything he says (because in my current state there is no way I can be guaranteed to remember it - I don't even remember how we walked into his office and what I saw on the way, because when we were leaving I was thinking 'wow, I don't remember seeing ANY of this' lol).
Anyway, the first thing out of his mouth is something about how Dan is not the person they were looking for (Hallelujah!!!) Dan's Dad and I simultaneously blurt out "we KNOW that!" lol
He then continues to basically say that someone with Dan's same name and age-range is who they are looking for and it is evidently not Dan. He continues talking a bit blah blah blah about how mistakes can be made and in fact one time when he was lower on the totem pole a warrant came across with his name on it, but of course it was for a different person as well. This goes on for a bit, when behind me I hear some chains jingling.... and who walks through the door, but Dan (Hooray!) No more handcuffs, and the men walking in with him are carrying the ankle shackles that they just removed from his legs (wow!)
The Marshall then continues to schooze us and try to become our best friend because obviously this is not a good thing to happen (apprehending the wrong man). He even pulls out some Official U.S. Marshall coffee mugs and gives them to us saying we should have some sort of souvenier (I tell him I just want a picture with the chains back on so I can post this--he doesn't oblige). So anyway, here is a picture of the peace-offering-souvenier mug to remember this whole experience...
It is now about 3PM when we leave the courthouse. I can't believe this whole thing took place in only a matter of 2 hours (a little longer for Dan), it certainly feels like I just spent 12 hours being rung through the ringer. Heightened emotions will do that to you!
In talking to Dan as we drive back home I learn all the background details of what HE has gone through. He of course thought this was a joke too when they came to his office... until one of the marshalls put his hand on his gun. Okay.
He said the handcuffs were the worst, they were way to small and hurt really bad. After they left his office they drove him to the local police station where they then put the ankle chains on him and he was in those the whole time. Wow.
He was in a cell (by himself, thankfully). He was calm.
He told them they had the wrong guy.
He gave them all kinds of information about himself that really got the marshalls second-guessing the warrant and making them realize they probably had the wrong guy too. In fact, even before they got from his office to the court, the marshalls had called in an 'identity hearing' instead of a regular hearing for the charges because they were already starting to believe they had made a mistake.
He answered their questions, and asked lots of his own. He volunteered lots of things that proved he was not the person they were looking for. Thankfully God opened their eyes and the courts worked properly in our favor that day, because they admitted their mistake and released him.
I still can't believe he was taken off in handcuffs, and wore ankle-chains. It really is so far from our reality that its uncomprehensible to me.
I do however, thank God profusely, that our prayers were answered and I thank all our close friends who were fervently praying for us. I am thankful for the knowledge and quickness of our friend Chris who helped shed light on court proceeding that I knew nothing about, my friend Jen for always being there to watch over my kiddos, Dan's parents for stepping right up to the plate and taking this seriously even though I myself was trying not to, and of course all those who were praying: Marlenes, Bobbie Jo, Chuck, Flossie, Chris, Jen, and countless others I'm sure, who I don't even know about.
It was less stressful for Dan than it was for the rest of us, because he was there and could see the reactions and behaviors of the marshalls and realized that they were beginning to realize this was a mistake. So he had comfort in knowing this was heading in his favor. We however, did not know this so, (at least on my part), had extreme anxiety about the 'unknown' and 'what-if's'. I am certainly glad its over. He has already fielded lots of jokes about it from his friends, and we have made lots of jokes too about him 'being a free man' etc. But the truth is, I don't think I will really be able to laugh about this for a long time. It was really bad. Just be thankful that you have not experienced this and hopefully never will. I can honestly say that this was probably the worst experience of my life. I was horrible. I also wish that I could have prayed harder so that peace would have come over me the way it came over Dan. I would rather be confident in God's word, than be worrying about what-if scenarios. So, as a lesson to me, increase my prayer life (and don't commit arson) :)
talk to ya all later
P.S. Dan's quote of the day "Sure glad my God is bigger than false arrests!" :) That's Dan for ya!
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