Most of you have probably read my year in review email. But due to address book problems, you may be one of the few lucky individuals in this world who did not receive the email. It is reprinted here in it's entirety much like the sales tax is guaranteed to get those who avoid their property tax.

Year In Review

“No poet ever interpreted nature as freely as lawyers interpret truth.” -Jean Giraudoux 2004

began with me finishing up my five year stint in the Oregon Legislature working for Senator Gary George – The Happy Warrior (and a truly great statesmen).

The Oregon Legislative experience is truly a character builder. You work with great people on great things for five years and then you step back and discover that you’ve pretty much been stymied. But if only the Oregon Department of Transportation would do their job and raise the speed limit to 70; it would be worth it all!

On January 10, Rachelle and Mike came through in the clutch and brought Michael Bennett Reitz into the world. "Ben" is his grandmother's pride and joy. The rest of us like him too. Ben had the misfortune of being born on the opposite side of the United States as his Uncle Mark (did not get to meet him until the Fourth of July). After several cross country trips by his grandma in an extremely short period of time, R and M decided that the best thing for all involved was to move Ben to the west coast where he could grow up in the political minority, just like his mommy did in Oregon and his pappy did in New York.

Ben has many unique traits. Bashfulness does not seem to be one of them. He is used to being the center of attention. He enjoys being the center of attention. He is good at being the center of attention. And he apparently has no intention of ever not being the center of attention.

At the ripe old age of 11 months, he can dance with the best of them. He smiles and mimics on command, and generally just loves people of all shapes and sizes and the world in general. He seems intent on building a sizeable “personal attention” lead on any siblings who may be following. His Uncle Mark does his best to help him.

“A man who never graduated from school might steal from a freight car. But a man who attends college and graduates as a lawyer may steal the whole railroad.”
- President Theodore Roosevelt, attempting to persuade his son to become a lawyer

In February, I changed careers. After five years in politics, I finally decided that I was done with all of the lies, corruption, and frustration. It was time to do something that gave me a sense of purpose; where my work allows me to rest in peace at night knowing that I had made the world a better place; a profession that would finally cause the world to respect and recognize my accomplishments.

Of course, I’m referring to criminal defense.

As the founder of my law firm put so well. "95% of the people we represent are guilty. As for the other five percent, well, we just don't know."

Since I am focused on public defender work, I like to think that I am being just as philanthropic as those working in soup kitchens. My work is with the needy. Except I only work with people accused of crimes. In other words, the “morally needy” and “legally challenged” in our society.

“He was a lawyer, yet not a rascal, and the people were astonished.”
- St. Ives, thirteenth-century lawyer and a saint (or so I’ve heard)

My boss is a truly good man. God looks after me that way. I get along well with and enjoy interacting with both my co-workers and the folks in the DA’s office.

I say that even though none of those individuals are on my email list.

The job is in Madera, California, where I lived in a Best Western Hotel for 3 months (every one should try it once, just so that hotels lose their luster). I then moved just down the road to Fresno, California.

“Between grand theft and legal fees lies nothing but a legal degree.”

Fresno leads the nation in car thefts. That is why I drive a beat up van.

Fresno is a wonderful city for a young man. When you are young you should surround yourselves with things that motivate and inspire you to better your position. Fresno is a great place for me to be at this stage in my life and I do enjoy my little apartment.

But on weekends, I leave.

February, I managed to travel somewhere every weekend including
a 2000 mile weekend road trip that took me through Reno, Las Vegas, to Kingman, Arizona (Across Hoover Dam), down through the Mojave Dessert and to San Diego, then back through LA (“Hi” cousin Jon), Bakersfield, and to Madera again.

Other weekend trips in the past year included approximately 4 trips to Yosemite, 3 trips to San Diego, Monterey, Catalina Island, Sacramento, and uncounted wonderful trips to the highlight of every AAA vacation book, Bakersfield.

“Talk is cheap. Unless it’s a lawyer talking.”

When I left politics, I did so with a wonderful resolution that for the first few years of practice I would forsake campaigning and such for the sake of throwing myself into my career. Resolutions are truly a wonderful thing. Results are a completely different matter.

In the summer, I found myself sucked back into my past working with the title of the Fresno County Bush/Cheney Get Out The Vote Chairman. I ended up working with James Dobson’s state organization on voter registration, with Generation Joshua on funneling campaign workers to key races, and the last few weeks of the campaign on voter fraud issues.

While completely enthralled by all aspects of my involvement, I question the effectiveness of refusing to say “no” to most of them. Spread as thin as a bulimic crane, I was left with the knowledge that I could have fulfilled all of those roles much more effectively if encountered one at a time.

Lesson learned? Ha!

“I have knowingly defended a number of guilty men. But the guilty never escape unscathed. My fees should be sufficient punishment for anyone.”

-F. Lee Bailey

And those fees were put to good work in August. I was able to go back to New Orleans to be with family and celebrate my Uncle Darold’s retirement from the Navy.

The festivities for Rear Admiral Bigger were quite impressive. There is so much to admire about the men and women who serve in the military. That admiration stems from their ideals and their commitment. In the midst of a world seemingly without moral bearing, our military personnel reminds us that God, family, country, gives us a blueprint to live from.

"In August 21, 1878, in Sarasota, New York, the American Bar Association was founded. On September 18, 2004, the Oak Brook College of Law Alumni Association was founded."

Only time will tell which institution will make more of an impact on the world (and you laugh!). But the latter organization was handicapped by a severe moral dilemma: Mark Bigger wanted to be a part of the organization. Many wise people put their heads together to come up with a way of keeping their friend Mark Bigger involved while not putting any actual important functions of the young organization in his hands. At last, they settled on a time honored solution here in the United States: Vice President.

So here I am, writing this letter in an undisclosed location, in full support of President Kevin Koon’s policies to build a stronger, more caring alumni association. My only concern is that the health care and retirement plans for alumni association officers are woefully inadequate. Maybe I should make it an issue in the next campaign.

“I do not care to speak ill of any gentleman behind his back, but I believe that he is an attorney.” -Samuel Johnson

Law school friend Joel Campbell undertook the courageous task of being my roommate during the summer. A better roommate who could find?

We soon decided that our housekeeping skills were inadequate and Joel got the short straw (or so I thought) and went out to bring home the bacon. Unfortunately, his fiancé put her foot down before the wedding and said that she wasn’t going to cook for both of us so I’m on my own again.

They make a fine pair, their wedding was recognized as a thing of beauty, and the reception and events afterwards were universally esteemed as fine entertainment for law school friends reunited.

The following is not meant for them.

Poetic Legal Advice

"You can say it with flowers,
You can say it with candy,
You can say it with jewelry or drink.
You can say it with candles and dinner with brandy,
But be sure you don’t say it with ink."

As so often occurs, I’m the only one that follows my own advice.

Over the holiday seasons, good friends Jonathan Brownell (from home) and Carrie Marks (from law school) decided on a cost saving Oregon State merger. Carrie thought that both S and a C-Corps were too unromantic, so they are happily planning on putting on the ritz next August. This is extremely good news.

To say nothing of their happiness, it involves mine. For there is a tradition in Oak Brook (the law school in the sky) of having at least one truly marquee wedding each year.

My goal in 2005 - as it has been every year for quite some time now - is to make sure that I am an attendee, but not one of the principal participants, in the event. With that in mind, it probably is unnecessary to point out that I am still living the bachelor dream. I visualize myself as an unattached knight of the Round Table jet setting around the world to fight battles and live adventures of all kinds free from the restraints of anything but high ideals.

Other people view it differently, but the fact of the matter is running from adventure to adventure with Legal Pad comrade-in-arms’ Seth and Jeremy is a full life indeed and giving it up at such a young, sensitive age borders on insanity. Or so I think.

Which brings us to end of the year and reflection and such.

This year has brought me into incredibly close contact with life without God. It is all around me. From a professional environment, criminal defense, where very few practicing Christians reside to the people I am serving; people who, either by design or addiction, have taken the easy path instead of the straight one.

Every day I am amazed out how people can live at all without God, without hope, without redemption. At the same time, I am reminded by the misery of the consequences of that life, and that those consequences do not end on this earth.

And here I am, a steward of God’s message of His Son’s gift to the world.

It humbles me; that I would be given such a gift.

It troubles me; that I have not spread the gift more wisely.

It inspires me; that there is so much work to be done.

It sobers me; that the eyes of so many rest on me with all my imperfections to see what the Christian life means.

2005 lies ahead. The future I cannot see. But there are challenges ahead to be met and conquered and I remain grateful for the support of my family and friends in doing my part.

Blogger

PS: Places of interest: My Church (love it. Can’t believe I left it out of the letter): http://www.northpointe.org/Home.htmlMy park where I go for walks: http://www.nps.gov/yose/My law firm (lousy website): http://www.johnbarkerandassociates.com/