20 years ago this month, my husband was labeled a convicted felon.
The tale begins on a dark and stormy October evening when Glynn was driving along Highway 101 north of Olympia. Predictably, a deer ran 'out of nowhere', in front of his truck and didn't live to tell about it.
The deceased deer, laying on a curve in the middle of the road, was a threat to the safety of other drivers so Glynn dialed 911. A trooper arrived quickly, radioed for help, lit a flare or two, asked Glynn for his drivers license and chatted with him while he filled out an accident report (for insurance purposes). Glynn was soon on his way home.
A few weeks later, imagine Glynn's surprise when he opened a letter and found a summons to appear in district court! I do not remember the charge but it involved an archaic & ridiculous law still 'on the books' in Washington state. When one moves to the state, the law dictates that one must obtain a valid Washington drivers license within 90 days of residency. We had moved to Washington 5 months previous.
With the assistance of a criminal attorney, Glynn managed to avoid jail time. After paying a fine, he carried the felony conviction on his record for 5 years.
20 years ago, we were frustrated and aghast at the consequences of unknowingly breaking such a ridiculous law. The attorney was shocked at the harshness of this particular law and had no clue that it was still in effect. Today, we can laugh about the incident. (R.I.P., deer....)
My advice? If one moves from one state to another, run to the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a new drivers license!
I never knew he a convicted felon! Much respect to the Glynn!
ReplyDeleteWow! When I moved back to WA I went for a year without renewing my license...because the tabs were so expensive here! But for the Grace...
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