After working for so many years in the criminal justice system, people often ask me if I have any unusual stories..

Do I have stories!

Those of us who work in the system often say that no one could make a reality show out of the courtroom dramas…no one would believe them–they’re too real and true!

I remember representing a young man who wanted to be a genuine gangster.  He dressed in color-coordinated gang clothing including expensive shoes, shorts, tank top, and a baseball cap with the tag still attached and turned just-so on his head.  He dipped each shoulder in a pronounced way as he walked.  And he always walked slowly…too cool to move at the normal speed.

His gangster friends made their “licks” by robbing people on the street, sticking-up convenience stores, and “jacking” cars when they could.  All of this activity was dangerous, they were often caught, and the rewards were low.  My client, Demontre, decided to go for the big-time: a jewelry store with lots of expensive items that he could sell on the street.

Once he made this decision, his mistakes started happening.

Mistake No. 1:  He planned to rob a jewelry store at a popular shopping mall on the north side of Minneapolis called Brookdale.  That meant he’d have to not only get out of the store after robbing it, but he’d have to get out of the entire mall also.  He didn’t have time to put together a disguise nor did he put much thought into his equipment–a large, black garbage bag which he’d use to carry the stolen jewels.  To his credit, Demontre made it to the mall, got to the jewelry store, smashed the cases open with a hammer, grabbed as much loot as he could, stuffed it into the garbage bag, and took-off.

Mistake No. 2:  Since he didn’t wear a disguise, the employees who called 911 were able to identify Demontre easily and mentioned the large, black garbage bag.  Demontre got out of the mall, somehow, and escaped into the night.

Mistake No. 3:  Police responded to the 911 call and searched the area around the mall.  They spotted a young man in gang colors dragging a large, black garbage bag that looked like it was heavy.  When the police circled the block, they caught Demontre standing on a curb.

His mistake was simple:  for his getaway car, he planned to use the city bus.  The police arrested him as he stood on the corner waiting for it to come!