I had just turned north onto Osborn Rd. from Ohio Avenue in Garfield Hts. I was coming from my Father’s house. The car was in my Father’s name, but I had paid for it, drove it as my own, only I didn’t have a license.

As soon I was on Osborn, I passed a police car driving south I wasn’t driving fast. Then as I looked in my rear view mirror, I could see them making a U-turn, and so I immediately turned down Saybrook, picked up speed, quickly parked and ran to hide in someone’s garage. I did this before they had turned onto Saybrook so they didn’t see me park or run. But they did find me hiding, because I hadn’t gone far, asked to see my driver’s license and I was arrested.

Why did I turn down Saybrook, park and hide? When you’re young, black and poor, especially if you’re wearing dreads, you learn to avoid police as much as possible. It’s just what you do. 

As this happened on a Saturday, I wasn’t arraigned until Monday in county court where I learned that I was being charged, in addition to driving without a license, with attempted murder. their claim was that when the police were approaching me on Osborn, I attempted to ram them with my car before taking off. They claimed the police avoided death by a quick defensive maneuver going off the road to their right.

Think about it. Why would I do anything that crazy for no reason at all? Funny thing! The arresting officers never mentioned anything about my attempt to ram them when I was arrested. Someone who knew my family hired an attorney and I then learned that this was then County Prosecutor Bill Mason’s method of overcharging and plea bargaining down. Every time my attorney tried to negotiate a plea that was close to fair, they would remind him that two police officers were prepared to testify in court that they were afraid for their lives and that any jury would take the officers’ word over mine and I would receive a seriously long sentence. This went on and on and no change on their side, and even though I wanted a jury trial, I was afraid.

Following my attorney’s advice, I took the plea. When I had no trial, there was a sentencing hearing where, for the first time, I saw the two police officers, one male and one female. They were then able to both testify, without being cross examined and they both claimed they were afraid for their lives. 

I served 22 months in prison when my only crime was driving without a license. When you are sitting in a prison cell you have a lot of time to think. And of course you wonder what would have happened “if, the first, “what if,” I considered of course, was what if I had a jury trial? And that did not have bring any hope but imaginary. So I just waited out my time. By the way, I now have a little girl, have been continuously employed ever since my incarceration, pay my bills, my taxes, drive my own car and yes, I have a driver’s license with no points. 

The “what if” I would ask today is simple. What if I was not poor, not black and this happened in Brecksville?