As promised.

My bench warrent.

It all started in the Summer of 2003. I was pulled over for speeding (almost yearly, haven't been given a speeding ticket in almost two years, I'm crossing my fingers that this trend continues). The usual drill: pay the fine and get a date for traffic school. I'm sure it was explained to me but if you don't show up to traffic school you're breaking a lawful order (failure to appear), and therefore, can get arrested. I missed my traffic school date. Woopsie.

Flash forward to November 28, 2004. I'm in Afghanistan and I receive a letter from my mom with a post-it note that read, "I think you need to take care of this. Love, Mom." I look at the letters. One of them is a statement saying I needed to pay some court costs. The other is a summons to be in front of the Honorable Judge Michael Kwan on November 30, 2004. Being in Afghanistan I had a couple options. Be the hero and tell my First Sergeant I needed to take some emergency leave to go take care of things with the City of Taylorsville - or - call the City of Taylorsville and tell them my situation. I chose the latter.

I was on the phone with Michelle in the City of Taylorsville Court and she said, "The best you can do in your situation is to send us checks for all the fees you have incured and write the judge a letter on your letterhead explaining your situation making sure you include copies of your orders. Be sure to get all the papers noterized." I did just that. It took a couple days to track down a notery but I found one with the JAG.

He asked me what was needing to be noterized and I told him the whole story. He laughed and said, "Fucking government. Can't they look up in their database and see that your kind of not in the country." I shurg my shoulders and say, "I know. Maybe I won't speed anymore."

I get the letters mailed out and I think things are fine and dandy.

Over Memorial Day Weekend 2005 I make my way down to the Sand Dunes to pay a visit to my First Sergeant to make good on a deal, I owed him a case of Bud Light. On my way down I get pulled over for speeding through the city of Lehi. He gives me a ticket and sends me on my merry way.

About two weeks later I'm all moved into my new apartment adjusting to single life and alone living. I'm living my life when the little voice we all have whispers into my ear, "You should go check to make sure everything is taken care of with the City of Taylorsville." I talk myself out of it because in January 2005 I got one of my own checks back with a letter that read, "This matter has already been take care of."

Little voice again, and again, and again.

One Saturday night in July I decided to order some Chinese food and watch a movie. The next day on my home from church I go check my mail because I forgot to check it the day before. I got a letter from the City of Taylorsville. Odd. I open it up and in big, bold letters at the top I read, "Defendant: Allison. Any officer of the peace is authorized to arrest the forementioned defendent and bring them to the City of Taylorsville Court House."

Arrest...Defendant...Allison...Arrest...Allison...Arrest...Me...Arrest me.

Tears streaming down my face. I freak out. I called my dad leaving frantic messages, crying. "Dad, I need help. I don't know what to do." I get a call back, "Allison, calm down, what's wrong? Everything will be okay." Doing that hiccupy crying I say, "The (breath in) Ci- (breath in) -ty of Taylors- (breath in) -ville wants (breath in) to ar- (breath in) ar- (breath in) arrest me. I was in Afghan- (breath in) -istan. I was in Af- (breath in) -ghanistan. I was in Afghanistan." Dad's wife says, "We're in your neighborhood, we'll be right over."

Minutes later I'm hugging my dad and sobbing on his shoulder. He reads though the letter and says, "Allison, we thought you were pregnant. This isn't a big deal. Look at this. You can go get a bench warrent recall on these dates." (In my panicked crying, I must have missed that part of the letter.)

They leave me to my thoughts and leftover Chinese food. I crack open my last fortune cookie. "Your luck has completely changed today." You can't make this stuff up.

I go to the soonest bench warrent recall date (which was the same day as Camille Clawson's wedding reception and the day I met the coolest summer boyfriend I ever had). I'm all dressed up in slacks and a blouse, hair done. I was wearing panty hose. I was among people that were wearing jeans and t-shirts...IN COURT. I had a file with all the copies of my orders and the letters and everything I thought I needed for court. I was practically the last person to see the judge after people who were driving without proof of insurance.

It comes to my turn. I get up in front of the Honorable Michael Kwan and he says, "You were supposed to be in my court on November 30th and on April 30th. Where were you?"

"Sir, on the November court date I was serving with my Utah Army National Guard unit that was deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. If I had known I was to be here in April, I would have been here."

I tell my story making sure I use phrases like "Utah Army National Guard" "Deployment" "Afghanistan" "Serving the United States" Stuff like that. I've seen court shows and I wanted to be a lawyer.

As I'm finishing my story the Honorable Judge Michael Kwan looks at me. The City District Attorney looks at me then at the judge then back at me. He stands up from his solitare game on his laptop and says, "Your Honor, the City of Taylorsville is willing to overlook these infractions since she's been serving our country." Judge Kwan looks at me and says, "Is that okay with you?" I nod my head and say, "Yes, your Honor. That's completely fine with me."

Five minutes later, I'm in my car and driving to tell my dad that I was a free woman.