I assume they are still incarcerated? Even in that case, they may be receiving benefits that are paid into a trust account managed by their lawyer.
It may be worth their while to still demonstrate that they are not homeless. Until they are convicted and sentenced, there is no reason for their lawyer to not continue to pay their rent and utilities.
I would definitely be checking on the place regularly since it is vacant, but make sure you notify the lawyer prior. Maybe give him a schedule of when you will be checking for heating and plumbing and be specific about those two items.
Yes, they're still in there.
Why is this thing taking so long? I asked a friend who is a criminal lawyer. He told me the most common strategy in a criminal case like this is for the defense to keep asking the court for continuation because the case is not yet ripe for trial. See, when the case first happened, the offender is public enemy number 1. If you let enough time go by, people will start to lose interest. Once the public has forgotten about the case, there is a lot less pressure on the DA to throw the book at them. Hence, given enough time that goes by, there will be a lot more chances of working out a deal to the benefits of the defendant.
I mean, this makes sense. All these police brutality cases we see on the news. They are stretched out for years. Elijah McClain died 4 years ago and they just started going to trial now. That's how long they stretched it out for.
But in the mean time, the kids are in foster care for this long and the parents are still in jail. It sucks. I can't imagine sitting in jail for a year or longer waiting for trial.
I remember when this first broke the news, everybody around here was talking about it. I had a tenant tell me if he ran into them he'd beat them up for abusing their kids. I had to tell that tenant to go easy on the language. The neighbors of that house I talked to all expressed dismay and disdain for the parents.
Nowadays, nobody is talking about it. So, I guess the strategy is working.
But ya, I need to go check the place once or twice a week during the coldest months. I've seen what happens when a pipe froze and busted. It's ugly and the damages...
You are absolutely correct. I need to let their lawyer know I'll be checking the place regularly in the winter months just in case. I'll do this next week.
And you're right about demonstrating they're not homeless. I'm guessing their lawyer advised them to keep the place for the long term goal of getting the kids back.
