SPEAKER: After I was arrested, we had the pretrialand I was let out on my own recognizance.And at that time, you get to learn moreabout what stage of the game that you're in.And when I say what stage of the game,I think it's really important to understand that you're now

SPEAKER [continued]: in their world and this is their game,and you have to figure out how to negotiatethrough this whole process.And your legal rights are in question.Your options are very few.And money is a big, big part of it.You feel like, well, if I could just hire a lawyer

SPEAKER [continued]: and if I could just get enough money together,this would all go away and that'sactually never really the case.When you were given the option to how to plead,you could either plead guilty or innocent and, at that time,you're making a choice which you need to be aware of.Because if you plead innocent, you'regoing to be sent down a particular fork.

SPEAKER [continued]: And that fork is that you're going to go to trialand to be judged by a jury of 12 of your peers.And, at that stage, I knew that if Iwent to trial, that the circumstances wouldbe much worse for me.So I chose to plead guilty because primarily I was guilty.

SPEAKER [continued]: So I was drinking.I was intoxicated.I drove a vehicle.It wasn't the first time I did that.I knew that I was going to be convicted.So I chose to plead guilty.And at that time, when you plead guilty to something,then you're going down a different fork in the roadand you're given options to what type of a way

SPEAKER [continued]: that you could serve your guilty plea.And so, at that time, you're given the optionto do straight jail time or to enterinto the restorative justice program.And that's that kind of the big momentthat you decide to go one way or the other.