I live in Brooklyn, New York. I came to court this afternoon because I had to come here to sign up for community service, a non-violent crime for trespassing that I had done, so, I'm just trying to get it over with. That's about it. Yeah. I was in Midtown on 32nd St. in between 5th and Broadway, and it was like around 7 o'clock in the morning, I was waiting for the internet café to open up, they open up at 8 o'clock. So, I went inside a hotel to sit on a couch 'cause I didn't want to stand outside, 'cause I was getting a little tired, so sitting on the couch made me a little extra little tired 'cause I was...I kinda tired from the sun outside, so I sat down on the couch and fell asleep. I woke up, like, 20 minutes later and I realized the police was in front of me with handcuffs, know what I'm sayin'? Telling me I was trespassing and I was getting arrested for this. The La Quinta Hotel. I stayed there the night before, recently before I got locked up, yeah, yeah. It's a spot that everybody goes to, $3.00-an-hour for the internet, know what I'm sayin'? Playing video games and all on the computer. I told the police I was kinda tired, they said they couldn't do anything about it, they just came there to do their job. And that's about it. Nobody in the hotel called them, honestly, I think, like, it was a guest...or probably a guest downstairs, you know what I'm saying? Got a little, like, strung out that somebody was sleeping in the hotel, 'cause the manager knows me, whatever, but, like, he had no control over them locking me up 'cause they still took me, anyway.
They said I can't sleep in the hotel, I said "I just passed out for a little bit, I'm sorry officer, I'll leave right now," he said "only way you're leaving now is in cuffs." Know what I'm sayin'? He told me, give me my name, my I.D., I gave them my I.D., I realized — then I realized...he said "turn around," know what I'm sayin'? I realized I was being arrested just for sleeping on the couch for 20...like, not even 20 minutes. No. Three days' community service, know what I mean? I was in jail for, like, 24 hours, like, almost a little over 24 hours, a little bit, I think. I kinda felt better on the sofa than I did feel in jail. 'Cause I don't have like a violent history, I don't have no crime, I don't have no record, period. Honestly, I should've stayed at home, it would've been more comfortable.
Jamali
