Sitting at my desk, the phone rang.
By Night Train
NT: Hello? BL: Simon its Billy. NT: Billy? How are you doing? BL: I’m pretty good thanks. NT: You holding up strong? BL: So far yes. I wanted to call you and thank you for the column you wrote on me in July. NT: No problem Billy. I appreciate you opening up and giving me the time. It was hard to write but I enjoyed it. I poured my heart and soul in this one just like you did. How is your mom? BL: She’s pretty good. Thanks. NT: Billy can I ask you a question? BL: Of course. NT: Look, I don’t know you as well as many do but I have grown to really appreciate you, your honesty and your transparency. I have no real right to ask this and you are not obligated to answer. Would I be wrong to think that if you were to get off easy with next to no punishment it just would not sit well with you? BL: (silence) … Absolutely Simon. I am prepared to take responsibility for my actions and I trust that the judge will make the best decision for everyone. NT: Billy, is there anything at all that I can do for you or your family? BL: It would be nice if you could just be there for my sentence. Maybe even cover the event for me (chuckle). NT: Billy, I am touched that you ask this of me. As you know my wife just went through a tough surgery and I have two kids under three years old but I will do everything in my power to make it work. This conversation between Billy and I took place approximately 2 weeks before his sentence day. When I came back from Melbourne with my wife and two kids in the car, my heart was heavy but I was relieved for my friend. I watched all the news and read all that I could read about it. I concluded there was absolutely no news that I could provide that had not been provided already. Because of that I concluded that I would not write anything regardless of what my editor would say or feel about it. Then as I reflected on the events of the day, my conversation with Billy of about two weeks before sentence day resurfaced. I did tell Billy that I would cover the event if I could and so I will honor my commitment to him. The lobby was packed with people from all walks of life. Some with suits and ties and some with leather boots and jeans, tattoos and all. Some of Billy’s closest friends were there in his support as well as in support of the victim and his family and friends. I found myself in the courtroom sitting immediately behind Billy’s mother (Marion) as well as his dad (Warren), Billy himself and his sweetheart Amy. Among the crowd I could not help but to notice the soulful, elegant and teary Claudia whom once captured Billy’s heart. Among the crowd was also Bill Dodge, Paul Cox and a number of others. Approximately 95% of the room was filled with people whom sympathized with Billy. The victim’s brother Byron Morelock as well as his son (Sean) walked in and a cordial acknowledgment was exchanged between Billy and them. As Circuit Court Judge Robert Burger entered the court room. Billy went to sit at the defendant’s table. The DA I must admit did an outstanding job and proceeded making his case that Billy’s score sheet was a minimum of 111.15 to a maximum of 176.2 months of incarceration and so on. The DA said that he had no records showing that Billy had remorse and that if you looked at Billy’s traffic record combined with the fatal accident, it provided good grounds to qualify Billy’s actions and choices as a “sophisticated crime” which is just another way in a sense to say that Billy’s judgment and sequential historical choices were leading towards an accident to happen hence putting more weight on Billy’s responsibility.