Negro Intellect: A guide for young black males - Softcover

David H. Horton, II

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0976358301 ISBN 13: 9780976358305

Publisher: Negro Publishing, LLC, 2004

Synopsis

Negro Intellect: A guide for young black males is a humorously candid and straight to the point guide directed at America's urban youth. Providing help for today and hope for tomorrow. With chapters ranging from “How to Road Trip” to “How to get jumped and survive” to “How to keep up with your credit.” This book just might save a life.

About this title

About the Author

Born in Durham, NC and a Durmite to his heart, David Horton just so happens to be a young black male and he is waiting patiently to become an old black male. Commonly known as Supa Dave to friends, family, and foes alike, he is a politically minded community activist and huge advocate of the progression of the young black male. David is an alumnus of North Carolina A&T State University where he earned his Civil Engineering degree and he is currently working on his Masters degree from the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech.No stranger to the hood, David has lived in 6 states since the age of 18 and created strong bonds with black males all over the globe. He is the product of a single parent home that has taught him that life is what you make it and that the sky is the limit. His goal is to empower as many young black males as he can in whatever fashion deemed necessary. After years in corporate America spending his spare time writing a playful newsletter to many of his close friends, David began to take writing more seriously and found that he spoke for a special segment of the population. Negro Intellect is David’s first book but he has more in the plans. Committed to his brethren whether they be free or behind bars, his intention is to promote confidence and self-awareness to a group of people he feels that America has forgotten and he will be letting the world know that we’re still HERE.David is currently working on several business ventures including event promotions, book publishing, screenplays, a non-profit organization, a tv studio and web sites. Stay tuned.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

How to succeed in court

Now as much as I hate to admit this, you should know that as a black man you may very easily be subjected to an appearance in front of a judge or two. This is a sad reality for us as there are crimes that we tend to appear in court for that some others would never even get cited for. But alas, this is the life we live and thus we must prepare for it.

Now if you KNOW you re doing wrong then you need to take special heed to this chapter. I have personally been in court many times and those times have taught me to look and see what s going on in the courtroom. Many of us go to court thinking it s a joke but they don t call it a system for nothing. Even though we may visit it a little more often does not mean we have to get trapped in it. Be smart enough to minimize your losses and hopefully you ll come out ahead.

First and foremost, please dress decently. Your simple visit is the court s employees livelihoods and they take it quite seriously. Casual wear is fine but remember that your kind of casual may be different from the courtroom s version of casual. Normally you don t have to wear a tie but if you go to trial then it s most definitely better to wear one. Khakis and a shirt with a collar will suffice.

Oh, and please don t be too flashy. The courtroom is not a flashy place. The only colors you will see will be on the flags so don t make yourself stand out. You want to be viewed as just a run of the mill kinda guy. The more money it looks like you have the more money that might be requested of your pockets. Fees, child support, fines, court costs, taxes, and administrative costs are all for real!!

Be on time! Nobody likes to sit in the court room so remember that if you re late then not only will a warrant be issued if you miss roll call but once you get there you will be moved to the end of list and have to wait for everyone else s cases.

Above all else, have respect for the judge. I don t care if you want to kill his gerbils but when you re in front of that judge he has your balls in a sling. A simple jaywalking ticket can turn into a week in jail if you mess with the wrong judge. So please humble yourself and say "sir" or "your honor" and the man just might feel sorry for you. Get the judge on your side and you can walk out of court a much happier man.

Come prepared!!! Don t be an idiot and come to court like you don t even know what you re there for. Do some research. Learn the laws. Learn the terms: guilty, not guilty, no lo, continuance, alibi, trial by judge, jury trial, and etc. Look for loopholes. If it requires documentation then bring it. Proof goes a long way in the eyes of the law.

Many times people hire lawyers for things they can do themselves. If it takes you getting a lawyer then by all means get one but you can consult many lawyers for free advice and in many instances this can suffice. Realize that you can also talk to the prosecutor and their main objective is a conviction. Knowing this you can talk to the DA about lesser charges and see how he feels about it. This all of course depends on your case but if it s a simple one then go for it. Anything that doesn t require jail time is a plus. However, if things don t look so peachy ask for a continuance to get a lawyer.

Court is no laughing matter and getting out of there without being led away can preserve the potential of a young life and maintain the abilities of a more mature one. We must take it upon ourselves to face our situations as men of honor and dignity because there will be times when some of us are in court for something we didn t do. Always expect the unexpected. So have your business together and increase your chances of walking out a free man.

Edition details

• Publisher: Negro Publishing, LLC
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0976358301
• ISBN 13: 9780976358305
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 114