WooHoo!

As a result of the conviction for the crime I was accused of, I was required to attend group treatment/counseling. Of course, during the treatment, it is required to tell your story. After sharing my story a few times and answering questions, the counselor said that I needed to take a specific type of polygraph test called a Specific Incident.

A Specific Incident polygraph, as the name implies, allows the polygraph examiner to ask questions specific to the crime to determine whether I am telling the truth or not. I was scheduled to take the exam this morning. The questions were very specific to the crime and the victim and I was even asked if I had lied at all during the examine. The examiner conducted the test twice. Afterward, he graded the test.

I sat and waited on pins and needles. Then the examiner turned to me, stood from his seat, held out his hand and said these words, "Mr. Silverman, I believe you are telling the truth."

He then informed me to let my probation officer know the results and that I would be released from having to attend treatment. Later that day I received the call from my probation officer. It is official. I no longer have to attend treatment.

Finally, I have some news that is heading in the right direction, some news that agrees with what I have been saying all along. This does not overturn the conviction nor does it release me from probation, but it does help my case.

What To Do?

As you may have noticed, this blog has been silent for quite some time. In fact, I have been contemplating what to do and finally decided to share my quandary with any of you that still bother to check in here.

I've learned a lot through my experiences, going through the legal process, incarceration and now probation. I believe I have a lot to share on these subjects and I especially have a lot to say about the Sex Offender regulations and many of the people that are currently listed on the Sex Offender Registry. However, I have been silent for a variety of reasons.

One reason I have refrained from writing here, to be frank, is that I am a bit frightened to report what I have seen, what I have researched and what I think on these subjects. Why? Simply because I am still on probation and will be for some time to come. Back when I was out on bond awaiting my trial and sentencing, I reported just about anything I could on my case and my thoughts at the time. The blog did not go without notice. Social Services and the Guardian ad Litem were quite livid with me for maintaining this blog. Several times they suggested (in a vaguely threatening way) that I should shut the blog down. Even when the court eventually took my children away from me (after I was sentenced) and gave my wife full custody, the judge brought up my blog, condemning me for having it. Over all, I believe that the things I said and reported in this blog made some people upset and, in return, may have caused some things to be more difficult for me personally (and legally). It seemed that everyone involved in my case was aware of it and the things I was saying here. My fear is that if I speak my mind then things may get rough for me while on probation.

On the other hand, I have learned and experienced so much. I believe that the things I have witnessed and researched could benefit many others. The worst my observations could do is make some people aware of how the system works and possibly confirm the suspicions of others. In some ways I feel that I have a duty to tell my story, to make people aware of what goes on in the legal system, the jail and prison system and probation. My eyes were certainly opened and I wish I had known much of this before my arrest. It would have saved me a world of trouble, to be sure. In fact, I doubt very much that I would have been sentence at all had I better understood how things actually worked in the legal system (as compared to how they should work or how we might think they should work).

So, my question to all of you is this: to continue the blog or no? What would you do? And why?