rickey
"A lot of people commit crimes in order to make a livelihood. Everyone is not committing crimes like, “I just woke up in the morning, let me go steal from the store.” There are people that actually commit crimes because they don’t have the knowledge or the know-how to make a livelihood for themselves any other way, except for things that are against the law. .. It’s like no matter how far you go in life, it will still be there."
~ Rickey
Rickey was born in Chicago to a 13-year girl, who was the youngest of 15 children. His father was the youngest of 13. Rickey and his mother basically grew up together -- he remembers her learning to drive. When he was in 8th grade, she graduated from high school. By 11, he was bringing home money for food, earned by being a lookout, climbing trees to watch for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Fast forward to today and Rickey has served several sentences for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession and distribution of narcotics, and residential burglary. He owes $17,000 for just one of those offenses. He was arrested in King County and held for two days for failure to pay LFOs he owes in Snohomish County. As a result, he lost his job. He now makes $5 payments towards his LFO debt.
In Rickey's Own Words . . .
On Legal Financial Obligations . . .
"I was walking through the International district and two public officers walked up to me. This is how they introduced themself. “Hi my name is officer so and so . . . you are Rickey . . .? You need to come with us." I was like, what did I do? "Well, the judge has been looking for you for almost two months now.” The judge has been looking for me for two months? What county is this out of? Of course they said Snohomish County jail. So they book me into the King County jail,. Even in King County jail, you know strip down to your birthday suit, sit in this cold cell, here’s a bologna sandwich that is turning green, “What did I do?” They didn’t even give me bail. That’s the thing with these LFOs. What they did they degraded me so bad to where I didn’t even realize what I was incarcerated for until I seen the judge. They weren’t being assholes, it wasn’t that. They didn’t even know. Arrest warrant. For what? And when they called me for the docket, they said that I’m appearing in court for delivery of cocaine. I said delivery of cocaine? My god. I couldn’t even tell you how cocaine look. So I appear to the court. It was restitution and LFOs that had arose from something else. It’s like no matter how far you go in life, it will still be there."
Rickey holds up the $5 money order he buys every month so that he won't get arrested for failure to pay LFOs ever again (or failure to appear before the court).
To start his own business, Rickey needed a friend to get the financing. His LFO debt is on his credit report.