Thanks to one unexpected meeting, a routine filming of a court session suddenly turned into a viral video. It turned out that the judge at one time sat at the same desk with the defendant, whose case was being heard that day.
In the United States, Judge Mindy Glazer asked lawbreaker Arthur Booth an unexpected question about the school he attended. She explained to those present that she recognized her former classmate as the criminal: “How sad to see you here. What happened to you…”
To those present, the woman explained that her classmate was “the best, just the best child.” She said that they played football together and she always wondered what happened to him after school. Arthur Booth was in shock, apparently experiencing a strong sense of shame and crying.
The man showed great promise in childhood, but at some point he began to use drugs, and then committed several serious crimes. He was arrested for theft and robbery, resisting police officers, and he was repeatedly in prison. Former fellow practitioners met in the courtroom during bail hearings: some time before, Booth had caused an accident and fled the scene.
Judge Glaser set bail and tried to cheer up her former classmate. “I hope you manage to get out of all this and you don’t break the law anymore,” she said. Booth only repeated: “My God, my God” and continued to sob. The reaction of the man touched, perhaps, everyone in the hall.
Everyone has moments in life that are hard to be proud of. But to meet a classmate in such a situation is a blow in the stomach. Once the children sat at the same desk, and now one is judging the other.
Yes, the situation is extremely awkward. Yes, the one who breaks the law is ashamed. But there is more. Which, perhaps, caused such strong emotions in the man in the video.
It is childhood friends, classmates who remember us when we were little. Vulnerable, vulnerable, naive and pure. No matter how stupid we may be, each of us still has an inner child. The one who played with friends imagined his wonderful future, believed in something, and certainly did not plan to end up in the dock.
An unexpected meeting with childhood friends, especially in a stressful situation, “breaks through” emotional armor. And the inner child is left without cynicism, bravado, indifference and other “defenses” that mask it. His pain, disappointment and confusion are so acutely felt by an adult who has done stupid things and got into trouble.
And to the question “What happened to you?” the hardest thing to answer is not to the judge, but to your confused childish “I”. But perhaps this meeting will give the violator of the law a resource for recovery and return to normal life. Remember your dreams and desires. Do not destroy your life, but build it anew.
It is known that Arthur Bout was sentenced to 10 months in prison, and he was also ordered to undergo treatment for drug addiction. Will he ever be able to start living by the law, as his former classmate, Judge Glazer, wished him to do at the end of the conversation? Time will show.