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“I’m an artist, Your Honor,” I replied, and despite the distance between us, I could al towards me from where my parents sat “At least… I like to think of myself as one”

“An artist?” Judge Forrester said, with interest “What kind of art do you create?”

“All kinds, Your Honor,” I replied “I love street art, and I use that as inspiration for s But I incorporate lots of differentto life my subject matter”

“Did you go to school to study art?”

“I did, Your Honor,” I nodded “I graduated alree in fine arts from New York University”

I saw Judge Forrester’s eyebrows rise and I knew I had impressed hi, but I knew they would never interpret his reaction that way They were too small-ht be backward

“I see,” Judge Forrester nodded “And you decided to cos?”

“No, Your Honor,” I said “I was trying to secure s The truth is I worked very hard to get into a university in the first place I even qualified for a ten-percent scholarship for h, I had expenses and by the ti in student loans and h to be able to afford rent

“I didn’t want to stop creating s so that I could continue my work, pay off my student loans and attempt to make ends meet somehow”

Judge Forrester looked at h narrowed eyes “And did you have no one you could turn to for support?” he asked

I suppressed a sigh, but I spoke a little louder to make sure that my parents would hear “No,” I said “I had no support”

“You don’t have parents?”

“Not ones that support what I do,” I told the judge “When I told the into medicine like et no backing from them They effectively disowned me”

Judge Forrester’s expression was passive but thoughtful I wondered if he would be less inclined to give ht of my sorry family situation I also wondered if he would want to speak to my parents to corroborate my story

“Let e Forrester said, at last “Do you still want to pursue a career in the arts?”

“I do, Your Honor,” I said i I’ood at”

“It’s not easy to do what you do these days… it’s very rarely profitable”

“I know, Your Honor,” I said “And I understand that I may have to live hand to mouth my entire life But… it’s still worth it”

“Is it really?” Judge Forrester asked “If pushing drugs is the only thing that will allow you to support this lifestyle?”

I paused He was givingto extract a pro me a lesser sentence