Princewill Odidi|28 July 2018
It was a Tuesday morning, 6:45 am, I had just arrived from Nigeria where I spent four weeks holiday. I had left my car at Atlanta airport, so as I drove down the city back home, I was pulled over by police through a scanning technology that identified my plate number.
First, I thought I was over speeding, but it was not. As the police officer walked to my side window, he said, Sir, you have a court warrant.
Now a warrant means a court judge is looking for you and as such if the police finds you, they will arrest you and take you to meet the judge.
I politely told the officer that it may be a mistaken identity, that I have no case to answer to anyone. He stepped off, went back to his car, and confirmed that I had a court warrant of arrest.
At that point, I asked the officer what the warrant was all about, he said he had no idea, but his computer shows I was needed in court. so I followed him to court using the police car.
It was memorable because in all my years in America, this was the first time I sat behind a police car all dressed up. In all my years in America I have never had an incidence with the law.
At about 10AM, we arrived at the court house. While on our way, I kept thinking what the matter was, I could not think of anything.
However, very unfortunately, getting to the County court that issued the warrant, the judge was not on seat until 2PM and this was only 10AM.
Worst still, according to American law, once a court places a warrant on you, and you are accosted by police, they cannot let you go until you see a judge. In America only a judge can grant bail.
Now, the question became, where will I wait until 2PM to see the judge? More worrisome I had no idea why I was arrested.
If it were in Nigeria, I would have waited at police station, but American police have no waiting room in their offices, I was asked to wait at the open floor of the jail house until 2PM to see the judge.
While waiting, I thought of every possibility under the sun on why I had a warrant of arrest as a result of contempt of court, I could not come up with an answer.
While waiting at the open floor as a matter of official protocol I was mugshot for the records. Everyone who waits there even if it is for one minute must be mugshot. Again, it was my very first in America.
At exactly 2PM which was 4 hours later, the officer arrived saying the judge was ready to see me. Upon meeting the judge, it was so funny, me standing in court, the judge read the accusation, at that point I came to know who had filed a report.
It was an elderly client of mine who was due a refund of a very small amount, it was for some online service we provided, her refund was approved for repayment, but due to my busy schedule I couldn’t see her before I left for Nigeria. She had called my phone lines severally and it goes to voice mail since I was out of the US. She proceeded to file a report that I stole her money. It sounds funny, but it was a weighty accusation, moreso an elderly woman.
She had approached a minor offenses court, I was invited for hearing, but the summons came in the same day I left the US for Nigeria, I never got it, the concierge in my building signed for it and kept it in my mail box.
14 days later was court date, I was still in Nigeria and had no idea I had a case to answer. A case that ordinarily would have been a civil case, was defaulted to a criminal case when I did not appear for initial hearing.
The elderly woman, not getting her refunds while I was in Nigeria alleged that I stole her money.
So, standing before the judge, I introduced myself, talked about my personal and business profile, told the judge the reason the lady could not reach me on phone was because I was out of the country, and the reason I couldn’t appear at initial court hearing was because I had no idea I had a summon.
At that point I told the judge the elderly lady will get her refunds next day in my office, and the honorable judge Welby dismissed the case and it was expunged out of records. I waited to see a judge and the case was dismissed four hours later same day and I was cleared, I was not in prison.
Why am I telling you this? I am telling you this because anyone can be accused of anything, anyone can be charged of anything, but if your hands are clean, you will come out clean. Being arrested and even charged is not synonymous with being guilty.
I can clearly remember, as I sat down waiting for the judge, like a flash I remembered, Martin Luther king was booked, Nelson Mandela was booked, and many other great men were booked. I silently asked myself, can being booked be a sign of greatness? I smiled, there’s always a first time, for it is a story I will tell tomorrow.
Upon paying the elderly lady as I went to office next day, the case was deleted entirely out of my records, expunged and closed.
To set the record straight, In all my years in America, I have maintained a clean and unblemished record as contained in my most recent background check.
I believe in truth, I say the truth and I work in the truth. This makes it easy for me to challenge societal misdeeds.
It was a memorable experience. This detailed information is necessary just to set the records straight. It was once upon a time 5 years ago. God bless you all!!
Odidi writes from Atlanta, Georgia
