Hollow Victory

I'm on my way home having just won a major victory. I get off the Number 10 bus on my way to catch the Rapid doing what I normally do when I'm melancholy, daydreaming of Miss Linsky, the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. You'd think I'd be psyched that I won... but I'm not. I see a throng of people wearing Oakland Athletics Baseball hats and jerseys are making their way into the East Dublin BART Station on their way to watch the A's and the Skankies face off in the last game of a three game series. The Athletics will be looking for a sweep against the team sensible Americans love to hate. I haven't been to a game this season, and there's no way I could afford to see this one. A's – Yankees games are premium games... they're always sold out and with the Athletics as red-hot as they are right now... well, getting a seat would be a bear anyway... At least the Athetics last several victories have been meaningful. This victory of mine, big as it is seems... hollow.

Adam Parris is notorious amongst the homeless in Livermore. Two different women claim he raped them, but will not come forward and file charges. He has been arrested for attempted rape. That story made the San Jose Mercury News. He's attacked volunteers, was ejected from the Livermore Homeless Refuge two years in a row for violent behaviour and has taken a particular liking to yours truly.

In the restraining order he had me served with a couple of weeks ago, he claimed we were friends... which I thought rather amusing after I recovered from the shock of having received it. Certainly the members of the Livermore Police Department I shared it with were amused. I haven't yet met one of Livermore's finest that haven't had contact with Adam Parris in connection with some incident he supposedly perpetrated.

And, it seemed, everyone had an Adam Parris story, very often involving violence, or his forcing his way into some place he wasn't welcome. More recently, Adam Parris assaulted a man I know in the Computer Room of the Livermore Public Library. A few days later, I called the police to report his location having found him at Trinity Church on Olivina. It was simply more of the same from Adam. In the days that followed the delivery of that restraining order it seemed to everyone around me that defeating this restraining order was a slam-dunk.

I could never be completely optimistic. Initially, I thought it certain I'd have to leave Tommie's and never come back.

It was here, on a Sunday afternoon, Adam claimed I spat in his face and threatened to beat him to death. That didn't happen, but an accusation carries weight, and never having stood accused of anything criminal in my life, I had no idea what I was facing. I assumed the worst.

It is, of course, entirely my fault that any of this happened. I simply do not take kindly to the likes of Adam Parris being anywhere near those I care about, and in case you haven't noticed, I care very much about those who come here to Tommie's and not a few that walk into the Livermore Public Library. Making myself Adam's target to get him off people more vulnerable was a high priority of mine for several months. I knew I'd achieved that goal when he slashed the tires of my bicycle in late March of this year. I had to replace the inner tubes, but till a friend helped me get new tires, I managed to shore up the gashes in the old ones with Duct Tape (just so you know, it does work!)

I arrived with statements in hand and one witness to Superior Court in Pleasanton promptly just before 9AM, sat down in the jam, packed court room and listened for an hour and a half to some of the most interesting, if ridiculous requests for Restraining Orders I could imagine. Judge Roesch made it quite clear in the beginning that this was not the Jerry Springer show, and he'd not be tolerating any theatrics. Adam Parris took his place three rows behind me, all the way in back where, for me, he was out of sight, out of mind. I was able to enjoy the drama of other people's problems for a while.

I was interested to hear that Darryl Parker had a restraining order granted against him. The man was not in court today, but this is yet another name known to folks around here. We haven't seen Darryl for a while at this end of South Livermore Avenue, and that's a good thing. I'm pretty sure this was the only petition I saw Judge Roesch grant. The rest were so frivolous and ridiculous that I wondered how hard the Judge had to fight to contain his laughter. One involved what amounted to a series of girl-fights. The petitioner, it seemed, and I think the Judge agreed, was as guilty as the petitioned. RO denied. Another one had a Vietnamese lady asking for an RO on her boyfriend's father. It was her boyfriend beating her, and she had the photos to prove it, but it was the father she issued her petition against. When the judge questioned the father and asked why he was involved, the father told him he was just off the boat from Vietnam and in his culture... “Welcome to America!” said the Judge... if it had not been a courtroom, I think the rest of us would have applauded.

When the judge finally called Parris vs. Holm, I was suddenly in a cold sweat. I listened to Adam's declaration that his accusations were true to the best of his knowledge. I told the judge I had never once sought Adam out, and turned in my documents. Those, with my witness, who had been present when Adam claimed I threatened him had Judge Roesch deny Adam's petition in very short order. It was, effectively, the slam-dunk everyone said it was.

But Adam is still out there. Under penalty of perjury, this man who is on probation made false accusations is still walking free to abuse his next victim. Yes, folks, the victory feels very, very hollow. But I will, every time I lay eyes on Adam, report his location to the LPD... that he can be sure of.

It's the bottom of he 8th inning, and the score is 2-2. Hiroki Kuroda is still pitching but probably won't last much longer. So, I'll get back to the game... and once it's over, I'll go back to daydreaming of Miss Linsky... I need something pleasant to think about for a while...