The Tree

The Tree
Katie's Tree
Showing posts with label drunk driving accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drunk driving accident. Show all posts

Monday, December 14, 2009

HA! I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Katie! Oh my! I miss you! I haven't been here in so long. I was afraid to post because so much has been going on with the courts and stuff. I was afraid that someone that shouldn't see might be reading. But now I don't care. I've realized that addiction is a disease of secrets and so I don't want to keep secrets anymore! Not even for Kelsey. Not even if it means she loses the kids. :-( And the kids are now in a foster home, Katie. I'm so sad!!!! It's almost Christmas and they won't be with Kelsey and your dad. But I guess the state is going to let them see her afterall. Kelsey said that they may let them be with her and aaron for 3 hours that day. OH I HOPE SO!!! Zoey is so amazing! She has such a pure soul. If anyone has the "right" to feel sorry for themselves in all of this drama, it's our little Zoe-Head...but she doesn't. She knows she has to keep going...and she does. There is so much to tell you. We had court. Richard Bennett is in prison. It was so dramatic, Kate. When we got to court that morning, the Victim Witness lady and the ADA said that the pre-sentencing investigation people were recommending NO JAIL TIME!!! Evidently, he was doing all these good deeds. He was going to the defensive driving school and giving talks about the evils of drunk driving. He went through TWO treatment programs and brought TWENTY character referrence letters. The lady from the driving school even wrote a letter telling the court how effective his talk was and how she wanted him to be able to come back to do more! I was flipping out. It was like on TV or something. The Victim Advocate lady (her name is Shelly) was telling me I had to get ahold of myself. That it wasn't over. That we would get to address the court, but I didn't believe it would make any difference. Kelsey freaked out too. They almost couldn't get her to come into the court room. I guess we sort of feel like the system never works for us. It always seems like they take the other person's side. So your dad went up and talked. And then I went up and talked. We talked about the kind of person you were. We talked about how we will never stop missing you. We talked about Kelsey and Zoey and how much they miss you. We told them about Kayden and what a loss it is that he will never even get to meet his amazing Aunt Katie. I talked about how you and I would never have a chance to resolve our "issues" and how I would never get to hug you and smell your hair again. We also told the court (and I told Richard Bennett directly) that we knew he didn't mean for you to die that day. And that we don't hate him. We don't want him to die. We want him to pay his debt. We want him to never do anything like that again. It was so...intense, Kate. It was so awful to have to get up there...but yet...it was good. I brought pictures of you and Kelsey together. And of you and Zoey together. The judge was really kind. He seemed to really feel our pain and made notes while we spoke. THEN Richard's family got to talk. They had a really good statement. It was talking about how YOUR memory would be better served if Richard was allowed to go free and do his "good work" about drunk driving and all of that. I wanted to stand up scream, I was so scared that the judge would agree. Then RICHARD got to talk. OMG. You know how much I love to watch those court shows on tv. It was like that...and then some. It was so dramatic. I can't even imagine having to do that everyday. Even as an attorney or a judge. Also, they don't have anyone that's not associated with the case in the court room. But anyway, then Richards attorney spoke and he was REALLY good! If I was ever in trouble in Wisconsin (which I hope I never am!!!) I would want this guy representing me. But the judge ended up interrupting him and cutting him off. He told them that yes...it was true, that Richard had done a lot in making sure he wouldn't reoffend and also rehabilitating himself. But he goes, "There's also punishment." He talked about you. That you too had a problem with alcohol and drugs, but you chose NOT to drive that night. He talked about how your chance to make good had been taken from you and that it was not ok. That he had to pay for that as well. Katie, I could have run up to the bench and hugged him. He was very stern with him. His family was sobbing and I'm sorry for their pain. But as the judge pointed out, they will still have their son when all is said and done. And he has brought all of this pain to them as well. And he sentenced him to a year and a half in prison. He will have 6 1/2 years supervised probation and he will have to do 100 hours per year of community service every year that he is out until the 6 1/2 years is over. He has to pay for your funeral. "every penny!" as the judge said. And if he is ever in violation of his probation, he will serve every minute of the 25 year maximum sentence. That's what the judge said. He banged his gavel and walked out. They took Richard to jail right then. They let his family say goodbye to him, but then they took him to jail. I can't begin to tell you how healing it was. I have so much more to tell you, but I'm at work right now and haven't done anything yet. I love you and I miss you so much. I am so glad to be back here. I will be here a lot now. The courts be damned. We've been through it the past couple of years, girl. All due to alcohol and drugs. I hate them. I really do. I hope you're in the arms of the angels my sweet girl. Talk to you soon. Love, Momma

Monday, June 8, 2009

Katie Katie Katie................

Hi Katie. ugh...i miss you so much today! i'm at work, but decided to take a minute to talk with you. so this is my lunch. :-) i don't have a lot of pics on my puter here at work, so i just found one on the internet. i thought you might like it. i must have dreamt about you last night. i don't remember it, but i've had that feeling all day. like...i expect a call from you. i tried calling your cell phone numbers yesterday. some guy answered and i said i must have the wrong number. he goes, "are you sure??? who are you looking for?" i said i was trying to find katie. that was very weird. the number you had when you had the accident is not a "working number". i wonder if we will get those things back after the sentencing hearing. i would like to. your purse was in the car. i wonder what was in it. i would like something you had with you. i kept some particals of glass from the accident scene. i looked all over for something of yours. oh geeez...i always feel like i sound so mormid talking to you. i guess i use this to vent to you, katie. i want want want want WANT you to come back. i hate this feeling. it always feels like i should be able to call you. and then....i have the realization...that you are gone and you're never coming back. i don't believe in heaven. not like...someday i'll die and i'll get to see you again. and some day we'll all be together, the same "people" that we are now. i believe that you've gone on. that everyone does. that our souls are recycled. maybe even scattered. maybe a piece of your beautiful soul went to kayden. maybe another to mandy's baby that is on the way. maybe to people we don't know. maybe to another universe. of course, i don't know. but i know my earthly self will never hold your earthly self again. i always picture your hands. i love your hands. and i can still smell your hair and feel your skin. and it just kills me that you will never write another poem. experience anything else here again. at least not as katie fernihough. omg...news flash! kelsey is going to get...........................are you ready???? she's going to get her.........DRIVER'S LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. omg! since your accident, kelsey has been working towards getting her life together. you would not believe how far she has come. her life is so different. she's been going to counseling and staying clean. so she paid her fines with her income tax return and went to her final appointment with the people that decide whether you can have your license back or not. they signed the papers and she has like...just a little left to pay and after that, she can take her driver's test. she's so excited! lol. cool, huh? well anyway, sweetie, my lunch is over so i should get back to work. i love you. i miss you. and i think about you every single day. love you, baby. talk soon. momma