When we met at NAMM last week, Todd (His Modness Nostatic with his lovely girlfriend Shirley) asked for a Room Monkey Update. I explained that due to a legal situation, I had been reluctant to go public but coincidentally . . . it had just been resolved while I was in Vegas & LA.
So the short version . . .
The Cast:
Room Monkey #1 = my stepson - the son of my wife.
Room Monkey #2 = Xiyuan Ren (aka Shennie) is a connected ex-Beijing Chinese national.
Us = bewildered but supportive parents. The RMs lived with us for 17 long. long months but had been perched in a 49th floor downtown condo rental for 15 months at the time of the incident.
- Room Monkey #1 suspects & finds evidence of Room Monkey #2’s infidelity. Good Friday.
- Confrontation in bathroom.
- RM # 1 leaves. With her cell phone containing text evidence of infidelity.
- RM #2 goes to police.
- RM #1 surrenders to the very insistent police. They are less than nice. He spends the night in a holding cell.
At a special court session (Saturday of the Easter weekend) he is charged with:
- Uttering threats.
- Assault.
- Theft under $5000.00 (the infamous cell phone).
Our hastily hired yellow pages lawyer arranges release on bail. We are the guarantors & the bond stipulates that he must live with us, with no contact with RM #2.
- Hotshot expensive lawyer is hired after much discussion. We pay & RM #1 starts a reimbursement program with us. Big $s but we decide a double-barrel legal defense strategy is warranted.
- RM #1 reluctantly tells the licensing body of his profession the sordid news of the charges (a requirement).
- After 6 months & numerous step-dancing court dates, it is evident that the Crown (the DA) has nothing.
- At the suggestion of our legal eagle, RM #1 takes an anger management course. This makes him angry but he successfully completes it.
- January 12 – all charges dismissed by the Crown.
- January 16 – RM #1 is served with divorce papers for a clean & simple divorce.
- The End.
Moral of the Tale:
- As a male, you are assumed guilty if you are accused of spousal abuse.
- Beware of immigration-status-seeking hotties from afar.
Ian