Driving Miss Francisco

A couple weeks ago, I got a call from a Miss Francisco. She responded to my letter offering to represent her in getting a Civil Protection Order. This young woman in her twenties informed me that two of her siblings had beaten her up and knocked her out of her wheelchair. Beating up on a sibling, I understand. Beating up on someone in a wheelchair, however, is a new low. I drove to the other side of town, picked up Miss Francisco, loaded her and her wheelchair into my car and drove her to my secretary’s office. We did up the necessary forms requesting a Civil Protection Order. I drove her and her wheelchair to the County Courthouse. I pushed her and her wheelchair into the courthouse, got her an ex parte order, then pushed her in her wheelchair back to my car. I loaded the car up and then drove her home. I told her that it would be very helpful if she obtained contact information on any witnesses and on the guilty parties.

The day of her hearing, she did not show. When I called her, she told me that she had not been able to get the information I had asked for. Therefore, she wasn’t going to bother. After consulting with the bailiff, I learned that she didn’t even need to appear; I could simply get her a continuance. However, Miss Francisco told me that she wanted to drop the whole thing. I had no alternative but to have the case dismissed. I probably shouldn’t have called her a “bitch” on the phone, but I felt SO much better after I hung up on her.