A few months back I'm leaving my apartment in time to catch the Redline. As I'm walking through the hall to the elevator, I'm thinking...missing something. Wondering wondering...COFFEE!! Still on the dining room table. I run back, grab the coffee & then hurry back to the elevator. Press the button...waiting...waiting...wAITING!! DING...door opens & down.
People pile in floor after floor. Finally we get to the first floor. Will still make the train, if I hurry. Hustle around the elevator peeps, through the front lobby & out to the street. Walk quickly & then start running as I see the white WALK sign turn to 14, 13, 12, 11, 10...whew made it across by 3. Walking swiftly past the 7/11, almost to the Pershing Square Station.
Pershing Square Subway Station
Crap! Wouldn't you know it, escalator out, so I hurry down underground, make line to buy a ticket & I hear the train...BEEEEEEP, as I feel the rush of air from the approaching subway train cars. Still in line, don't wanna miss the train so since I'm only going to MacArthur Park, I'll skip it & buy a ticket there. Run through the turnstyle & down the last set of stairs bypassing the escalator...jumping on the train as the doors close.
Whew, Just made the train!
Whew...just made it. Okay now I get to sip my coffee I hurried back for. First stop, 7th & Metro. My stop: Westlake/MacArthur Park. As I'm headed up the escalator I notice out of the corner of my eye, some of the latino's hesitating. Not realizing why, I continue up. As I arrive at the turnstyle level...
BUSTED!
Well, this wasn't me but you get how I was feeling
Metro-Police checking for tickets & tapcards. Oops. I get a ticket. I stand aside as the officer asks me for ID. I give him my Utah State issued temporary paper Drivers License. Guess what? He writes down No Identification.
He hands me a ticket with a date to see the Judge months later.
AM I INVISIBLE? What about my State issued paper ID I just handed him? I choose not to question and to see the judge on the appointed day.
A few months later I'm at the Bauchet Street Courthouse across from Los Angeles's notorious Twin Towers,Mens Central Jail, armed with my adoption papers, my State of Arizona "Certificate of no Birth Certificate", copy of my now sent Navajo Nation Application for Membership, Certificate of Navajo Indian Blood, and all my research documents.
The court deputy asks for my ticket and any paperwork I'd like the judge to see. I give him all of it...
about 50 or so pages in a manila folder. He looks at me like I'm crazy.
Well, I have to prove I'm legal, so I don't get deported...yea I could see it might seem a little crazy, over the top, an insane amount of paperwork.
The Judge calls people in groups of 5, the courtroom is full. About three fourths the way through, he calls:
"Leland Morrill" along with 4 other names.
We all approach the bench. Everyone of us is nervous.
The judge is the only white person in the courtroom, the rest of us are differing shades of brown and black.
He lifts my folder, pages through it.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK...
What seems like 3 or 4 minutes goes by yet I dare not separate my eyes from the judge.
He finally looks up and says:
"Mister Morrill. I see you chose not to buy a Metro Rail Ticket. Can you explain why?"
I tell him my feeble excuse and then tell him I was also under alot of stress trying to research and get a birth certificate, about my wallet being stolen, and about my paper temporary identification.
The Judge then says something about waiving rights, <blah blah blah>...
How do you plead? Guilty, Innocent, No contest?
I say: "Guilty"
Judge:"I see you have been trying to get a birth certificate. 12 hours of community service to be completed in one month."
Whew! Stress relieved. Thankfully I had done 12 hours of community service already & asked if that would be okay?
The Judge asked: Where?
I stated a few different places. He says: Well just get them to write me a letter & give it to the court deputy and you should be finished.
A month later I did exactly that.
Yup. That really did happen kinda like that. I did leave out the parts where I had been calling back and forth to Alisia at the Navajo Nation Vital Statistics wondering when my NN birth affidavit and CIB would be finalized. I realize it probably wasn't that serious of an infraction but still, I had broken the law, didn't have proper ID so I stressed quite a bit until my community service requirement was submitted to the court & my case was completed.
Thanks Aunt Ruth for the Title!
I also have a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adopted-Native-American-Citizenship-Affected-by-The-REAL-ID-Act-of-2005/165349256848200 
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