In all my years of writing this blog, John Nicklas is the first person locally and an example of how to communicate, respect free speech, the press and to learn from his tragic experience how ordinary people are treated in the criminal justice system.
I responded to him, "Thank you. I will add this and I appreciate your writing and letting me share it."
John Nicklas responded, "Thank you for your kind words."
John Nicklas statement:
"Last night, my wife and i got into a heated argument about our communication struggles. It was a miserable marriage scene, arguing about arguing and becoming increasingly heated with insults. We were sitting at the dining table. In my frustration, i got up and aggressively pushed past her. I felt the chair catch my hip and i pushed through it, unintentionally causing it to turn sideways with her in it. I don't think i even directly touched her but my act of aggression accidentally caused her to fall out of her chair. She was also very heated and immediately went upstairs and called law enforcement. My teenage son was in the other room unaware. I took him with me and explained the situation as i cooled off. It was important to me that i show my son the importance of accepting responsibility for our selfish mistakes."
"Upon returning to the home, my wife greeted me and we apologized to each other reaffirming our commitment to honoring our marriage by speaking to each other with grace. The police returned. My wife answered the door and answered them honestly that i had returned and that she didnt want me to be arrested. They informed her that it was their duty to arrest me. At that point, i welcomed them in and told them that i wanted to accept responsibility for my actions."
"Domestic violence is a very important issue and I don't want to attempt to minimize my responsibility. I am seeking counseling for myself and our marriage."
"Upon arrival at the jail, the officer told me that in his 6 years, he had never seen a man accept being arrested so gracefully and strongly encouraged me to bail out. However, I hadn't decided to bail out until a phone call came to the sheriff from a bail bonds person who had been called by one of my renters that saw me arrested. I was deeply moved to hear that my renters who i have developed friendships with as a landlord were trying to raise money together for my bail. "
"I called one of them and told them how much i appreciated the offer but told them to save their money and I used a credit card to pay the bail bond fee of $5,000. "
"I don't know much about the system, but it seemed disturbing to me that it is so easy for people with money to bail out while the poor are stuck in cages to wait for trial. I could go on about how i got to this point and where i hope to grow as a husband and father from this experience. I accept any criticism or harsh words people may have. I am listening and interested in growing."
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