corazoncita
06-05-2008, 11:54 PM
Ok... I have been re-doing my letter and trying to make it not-as-emotional. I have re-written the first section, but it is still REALLY long. I have a feeling there is nothing I can do about the length, because I have to explain the circumstances surrounding multiple crimes. Am I on the right track? What else could I do?
Because of poor decisions my husband has made in the past, I know I need to prove that these acts were committed during a period in my husband’s life that I consider to be an interruption to his moral character—rather than a habit, or way of life. Not only did my husband make an ill decision by entering the United States illegally, he also broke our country’s laws while he was here. I know I will not easily convince anyone that XXXX is not a lifelong criminal, and that he is not a threat to American society. However, I know for a fact that I did not marry an iniquitous, generally defiant man. My husband is deeply remorseful for what he has done, and has written a heartfelt apology statement. (Exhibit A)
The first items you will find on my husband’s record are citations for open containers and public disorderly conduct. I’m sure you are aware that in Honduras, it is not against the law to consume alcohol in public venues; due to my husband’s ignorance, he broke a law by drinking alcohol in public. In this instance, my husband was in the parking lot of a bar with an alcoholic beverage; while I agree that it was my husband’s responsibility to understand the laws, I also believe that it was the bar’s responsibility not to allow customers outside its doors with a beverage in hand. A fight broke out between two patrons, and when the police showed up, everyone ran. My husband stayed behind because he was not involved in the fight and never believed he would be arrested. The police wanted to know the names of the individuals who started the fight, but my husband had never met the people in his life. He attempted to convey this information to the police, and they were not satisfied with his answer, so he was arrested. In South Carolina, the open container charge is traditionally accompanied by a charge of public disorderly conduct. (Exhibit B) You will notice the string of charges for public disorderly conduct/open container is quite extensive, and this is why. Another point that cannot be ignored when examining my husband’s criminal record is the fact that many of his arrests are the result of racially discriminatory behavior in the town where XXXX resided before we were married. (Exhibits C – yellow highlighted section- D, & E) I have submitted many forms of evidence so that I may open your eyes to the existence of such hatred. I know the letters are long, but I ask that you please read each one in full.
In the past, my husband has had a real shortcoming when it comes to driving without a license. There is no denying that he has broken the law several times in this way. It was pure irresponsibility and carelessness for my husband to drive around the streets of the United States as an unlicensed driver. I owned a vehicle which my husband was helping me pay for. It was really difficult on him to pay for a car that he wasn’t allowed to drive, so against his better judgement, he drove the vehicle on several occasions. He received the ultimate consequences for his bad decisions when he was involved in a car accident. My husband ran away from the scene on foot because he was terrified of being deported and separated from his wife and newborn baby girl. My husband ended up turning himself into the police the next day and was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. (Exhibit F) After several days in the hospital, my husband was released from police custody on a signature bond. His court case was continued many times, and my husband showed up to court each of those days—on time and dressed respectfully. XXXX knew he was probably going to prison, and that removal proceedings were imminent, yet he still chose to go to court and face the consequences he deserved. My husband did go to prison for seven months, and was eventually picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Thankfully, his immigration judge was compassionate enough to grant him a voluntary departure back to Honduras.
In addition to being greatly remorseful for his actions, my husband has shown rehabilitation and I am one hundred percent certain that he is unlikely to commit a crime again. It is clear that XXXX has taken full responsibility for his actions. He has always attended court for each past charge. He has never had any type of warrant for failing to appear in court, and he has always promptly paid each fine as required. Since his most recent incident, my husband has had a spiritual re-awakening. (Exhibit G) My husband should have died in that car accident, but he lived; he has re-dedicated his life to Christ. It is our religious belief that if alcohol is a personal conviction, it should not be consumed. Although my husband does not have an addiction to alcohol, it has caused him to accumulate an open container charge. Also, my husband used to spend time with his friends at a bar in town. The police knew the Latin population frequented that area, so it was an easy way for police to target and terrorize the patrons. If my husband hadn’t been out having liquor with his friends, he would have a much cleaner record. While XXXX was in prison, he found support in attending AA meetings. (Exhibit H) Even though most of the convicts attended the meetings to deal with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, XXXX felt like he was part of the group. They all had something in common: they came close to losing everything because of careless decisions they had made. In addition to participating in AA group meetings, my husband was very well behaved in prison. He was a model inmate and never got into trouble. (Exhibit H) He received one infraction for fighting, but it was dismissed hours later because it was determined that he was defending himself from another inmate. (Exhibit C –pink highlighted section-)
As I mentioned earlier, my husband received a voluntary departure. (Exhibit I) I could not afford a lawyer, but I had been preparing a packet of letters for an attorney regarding my husband’s general character. Please read these candid letters from my family and friends so that you may acquire a better understanding of my husband’s personal character as seen by those who know him. (Exhibit J)
Because of poor decisions my husband has made in the past, I know I need to prove that these acts were committed during a period in my husband’s life that I consider to be an interruption to his moral character—rather than a habit, or way of life. Not only did my husband make an ill decision by entering the United States illegally, he also broke our country’s laws while he was here. I know I will not easily convince anyone that XXXX is not a lifelong criminal, and that he is not a threat to American society. However, I know for a fact that I did not marry an iniquitous, generally defiant man. My husband is deeply remorseful for what he has done, and has written a heartfelt apology statement. (Exhibit A)
The first items you will find on my husband’s record are citations for open containers and public disorderly conduct. I’m sure you are aware that in Honduras, it is not against the law to consume alcohol in public venues; due to my husband’s ignorance, he broke a law by drinking alcohol in public. In this instance, my husband was in the parking lot of a bar with an alcoholic beverage; while I agree that it was my husband’s responsibility to understand the laws, I also believe that it was the bar’s responsibility not to allow customers outside its doors with a beverage in hand. A fight broke out between two patrons, and when the police showed up, everyone ran. My husband stayed behind because he was not involved in the fight and never believed he would be arrested. The police wanted to know the names of the individuals who started the fight, but my husband had never met the people in his life. He attempted to convey this information to the police, and they were not satisfied with his answer, so he was arrested. In South Carolina, the open container charge is traditionally accompanied by a charge of public disorderly conduct. (Exhibit B) You will notice the string of charges for public disorderly conduct/open container is quite extensive, and this is why. Another point that cannot be ignored when examining my husband’s criminal record is the fact that many of his arrests are the result of racially discriminatory behavior in the town where XXXX resided before we were married. (Exhibits C – yellow highlighted section- D, & E) I have submitted many forms of evidence so that I may open your eyes to the existence of such hatred. I know the letters are long, but I ask that you please read each one in full.
In the past, my husband has had a real shortcoming when it comes to driving without a license. There is no denying that he has broken the law several times in this way. It was pure irresponsibility and carelessness for my husband to drive around the streets of the United States as an unlicensed driver. I owned a vehicle which my husband was helping me pay for. It was really difficult on him to pay for a car that he wasn’t allowed to drive, so against his better judgement, he drove the vehicle on several occasions. He received the ultimate consequences for his bad decisions when he was involved in a car accident. My husband ran away from the scene on foot because he was terrified of being deported and separated from his wife and newborn baby girl. My husband ended up turning himself into the police the next day and was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. (Exhibit F) After several days in the hospital, my husband was released from police custody on a signature bond. His court case was continued many times, and my husband showed up to court each of those days—on time and dressed respectfully. XXXX knew he was probably going to prison, and that removal proceedings were imminent, yet he still chose to go to court and face the consequences he deserved. My husband did go to prison for seven months, and was eventually picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Thankfully, his immigration judge was compassionate enough to grant him a voluntary departure back to Honduras.
In addition to being greatly remorseful for his actions, my husband has shown rehabilitation and I am one hundred percent certain that he is unlikely to commit a crime again. It is clear that XXXX has taken full responsibility for his actions. He has always attended court for each past charge. He has never had any type of warrant for failing to appear in court, and he has always promptly paid each fine as required. Since his most recent incident, my husband has had a spiritual re-awakening. (Exhibit G) My husband should have died in that car accident, but he lived; he has re-dedicated his life to Christ. It is our religious belief that if alcohol is a personal conviction, it should not be consumed. Although my husband does not have an addiction to alcohol, it has caused him to accumulate an open container charge. Also, my husband used to spend time with his friends at a bar in town. The police knew the Latin population frequented that area, so it was an easy way for police to target and terrorize the patrons. If my husband hadn’t been out having liquor with his friends, he would have a much cleaner record. While XXXX was in prison, he found support in attending AA meetings. (Exhibit H) Even though most of the convicts attended the meetings to deal with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, XXXX felt like he was part of the group. They all had something in common: they came close to losing everything because of careless decisions they had made. In addition to participating in AA group meetings, my husband was very well behaved in prison. He was a model inmate and never got into trouble. (Exhibit H) He received one infraction for fighting, but it was dismissed hours later because it was determined that he was defending himself from another inmate. (Exhibit C –pink highlighted section-)
As I mentioned earlier, my husband received a voluntary departure. (Exhibit I) I could not afford a lawyer, but I had been preparing a packet of letters for an attorney regarding my husband’s general character. Please read these candid letters from my family and friends so that you may acquire a better understanding of my husband’s personal character as seen by those who know him. (Exhibit J)