Susan Doll
Dear Judge Kantor,
I am writing on behalf of Audrey Cannon. We have been members of the same community for years, and while I am not a close friend, I know her well enough to like and respect her. I take careful note of the people around me because the smallest of details may inspire me later with a possible character quirk or the reason behind how a scene develops, and I am always digging through the layers of what people are and are not saying to discern motives. I'm not crazy, I'm just an aspiring author. Don't worry, I won't quit my day job.
Audrey has been living the stereotype of the starving artist, inspired but struggling to make ends meet. What you don't know is the character and courage of the person behind the stereotype. It takes guts and genuine dedication to make it on your own as an artist. The world needs people like Audrey, they provide soul and human connection to the ends and means the rest of us get lost in. Though Audrey has been under stress since I've known her, she has never done anything to raise a red flag in my mind. Audrey is a kind and caring woman who takes pride in her community. Her normal mein is warm, calm, and dignified. She has had her share of hard knocks, but never let them compromise her integrity. I have always known her to be honest and very respectful of the boundaries of others. I overpaid for a small trinket in her shop at an event once and she stopped me before I had a chance to leave to give me the correct change. Stealing is a personal boundary she would not have crossed. She has already been convicted of a crime she did not commit. Please mitigate the damage this will further do to Audrey and her family. Be lenient in her sentencing.
Like too many things, I'm afraid this letter will come too little too late to help. I can only hope that you have seen in her what I have — a good person struggling to stay on her feet who is facing yet one more stumbling block in front of her. Audrey will overcome whatever this obstacle ends up being, she has an amazing inner core of resiliency, but life has been throwing a lot of obstacles her way lately, so please make it as small of an impediment as you can.
Thank you,
Susan Doll
503-643-5430
May 12, 2016