Winning an Argument in Rare Circumstances by Attorney Darlene Harris

Yesterday was the best day of my career by far. I won an argument that kept my client who was facing six years active jail time out of prison. He would have never come out the same person and everything he built since he was charged would have been lost. I'm not even sure he would have made it out.

The chances of winning this argument for extraordinary circumstances is so low, it’s rarely made.

The young man who I argued for absolutely did not deserve what he was facing. Especially because prison is punitive, not rehabilitative. He was the victim of numerous failures of various systems and myself and the community were the last line of defense.

Aside from his freedom, the best thing about yesterday was seeing the community come together. Yesterday solidified, if you ever had doubt, that with the right resources every and anyone could have the life they’ve earned and deserve.

So today I’m grinning. I’m smiling. I’m proud of US. But today and everyday, the marathon continues

For Us By Us. Period.