I am writing to request that you consider removing my information from the link below. I am certainly not stating that the arrest is not accurate however; I am asking that you edit it as a courtesy.
As noted I was cited in July and I appeared in Montgomery County Court in December. I explained my side of the incident to the judge and he was willing to give me probation before judgment. I am participating in all of the court-ordered activities including a drug and alcohol program and community service. I have a background in communications and marketing that I am using to help at Headquarters for Habitat for Humanity – an unusual assignment for community service but one where my skills will be best applied to their needs. I also attended the MADD Victims Impact Panel last Thursday. I do not have a history of criminal conduct and arrests — I don’t even have a speeding ticket! I certainly recognize the terrible judgment that I used in driving that evening and I can assure you, as I assured the judge, that it is not the type of person I am nor is it conduct that I will ever repeat.
My request for having my information removed stems from a job search that I am beginning shortly. There are a couple of work opportunities that would allow me to work closer to home and to have more flexible hours while staying in the same pay range. I am the mother of a child who participates in many after school activities and sports. My current job makes my attendance almost impossible at many of his performances and games. As a single mother who is the sole provider – I receive no child support and I have been solely responsible for the financial costs for my son since 2008 – my ability to work and continue to advance my career impacts myself and my child.
In preparation for submitting my resume, I Googled my name to discover that The Chesapeake posting is the first one that comes up. You can imagine that I was surprised to see that my citation was online and that it was reflected in my search. The other items in looking up my name reference my social media (Facebook, Etsy, Twitter) and work history- my current part time job at Potomac Pilates, marketing & licensing for video games at the NFL Players Association and representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation during the Warren Buffet charitable announcement. I have lived in the DC metropolitan since 1994 and I have been a good law-abiding citizen with a steady work history.
In no way am I excusing my horrible judgment in July but I am asking that you kindly remove my information as a tremendous favor to me. While I have no right to expect this consideration, I do hope that you are willing to assist me. You can imagine the impact of this Google listing on my job search and I ask you for myself and my son to consider its removal. I made a terrible mistake that I will not ever repeat, I am complying with all of the court-ordered programs and I am being afforded the opportunity to have the citation removed from my record at year’s end. As a 42 year old mother, I am ashamed of the incident and I am doing all that I can to move forward as a good citizen and person.
With my best regards,
Tirzah Orr
While you certainly seem sincere, your request raises several points of consideration.
First, when a family loses someone to the thoughtless and reckless actions of a good person who makes a bad decision, one that they later have tremendous remorse, how does that loss ever see closure? Answer: never.
Actions have consequences.
You are not the first person to desire to have the report of their DUI DWI arrest removed from a listing here or in other online venues. It is the beauty of the internet that those who fail to take into consideration the lives of others when they are simply too impaired, too selfish or too thoughtless to call a friend or a cab – later have to deal with the consequences of that irresponsible act when trying to convince a prospective employer that they are indeed responsible.
As the mother of a child that you raise by yourself, one has to wonder who was taking care of your child while you were partying, who was going to take care of your child had you wrapped your vehicle around a pole and been killed and who would take care of someone else’s child had you killed their single mother and made them an orphan?
Having said that, the proper answer to your request should be “Never”.
In the interest of having others who may read this pay attention and reconsider their decisions about driving impaired as well as encouraging you to continue in your path to redemption here are steps to take to achieve your desired result, as removing your name from this posting “as a courtesy” is not anything you remotely deserve. You showed no “courtesy” to the rest of the public when you decided to drive impaired. You deserve no courtesy now.
You may, if you choose, submit a 1,000 word essay for consideration in which you will apologize to the citizens of Maryland for driving while impaired. Why the feckless Judges of Maryland don’t bother with this requirement speaks more to their own arrogance or perhaps they are simply worn out from dealing with people like you who party hard before driving and then put on their best face when appearing before them in court. At any rate, you get the idea. I accept your apology in the request you have made, now you can apologize to everyone else.
Next, explain to the families of those who have lost loved ones to impaired drivers how they can get the name of their lost family member off the tombstone in the graveyard they visit so often and cry so hard when they do visit. I have seen such visits and it is heartbreaking. I have seen a baby die in the hands of rescuers with an arrogant five-time DUI driver sitting nearby whining that no EMT’s were bothering with his minor scratches as the baby turned gray, cold and dead. Go ahead, put on your best face and include consoling words to these families as part of your essay. They have asked me how they erase the name of their loved ones from the grave marker and I couldn’t come up with anything.
Last, this is the easy one. Make a $100 contribution to MADD. Showing up at a meeting cost you nothing. A cab the night you were arrested would have cost you $25. Your lawyer likely cost you at least $5,000.
I ignored your first request for your self-focused desire and yet, I decided to answer you now as you persist and offer you the outcome you want as long as you craft this essay and shell out the bucks to MADD, for which you can provide a receipt.
You have a life-changing decision to make to provide this essay and do it carefully, as it will be printed with your name. It just might save the life of a child that might have been taken by one of our readers, who as a result of reading your essay, decided instead of driving impaired, to call a cab.
Best regards,
Ken Rossignol