Court on Tuesday

Family
1

My brother has court on Tuesday. I’ve been waiting for this day, except now that its here, I’m not sure how to speak when I get there.

Won’t he be angry, will he stop calling?

I’m not sure how to get the judge to understand that my brother has an illness and that he didn’t commit the crimes out of wrecklessness, only out of fear “running from " them”"

Does anybody have any advice on how to begin? On the right words to choose or how to prepare my brother for what I’m going to say, but only because I want the best help for him…he’s had a bad couple past days. He’s angry and sad.
His 20th birthday is also on Monday, and he’s stuck. I can’t sleep, can’t think straight and he won’t stay on the phone long enough for me to calm him down, I hate this.

1 Like
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If people won’t talk on the phone to me, I use the mail.

Jayster

3

I don’t know that there is anything in the world you can say to make your brother okay with sitting there hearing his family members talk about how crazy he is. Just know that it’s something he needs in order to get help, and however mad he is, he will be thankful if the judge orders him into treatment that actually helps him. As for court, I’ve never had to do that so I don’t know. Maybe try to emphasize his illness, and frame everything you say in the context of him being ill. I doubt your brother will be the first mentally ill person the judge has seen, and from what I’ve heard it’s usually pretty easy to tell the difference between the truly ill and the ones who are trying to fake it for a lighter sentence. Good luck with everything.

4

Could you start out by saying some very positive things about him? Like his awesome traits before he became unwell. Then tell about what this disease has done to him. That takes the stigma off of him and puts it on his disease. I wish you well tomorrow.

5

Sounds like he is going to the hospital no matter what. give the pdoc to try to medicate some. One of the best things you can do is visit and see what you can bring to him, or just hang out and talk

My first night in the psyc ward I had to be completely sedated, the next day was better. It was the first night of sleep I had in the past week.