I spent July 4th at a family reunion for a family that was not my own. Jeff is married to one of the family members and had been to the last reunion, an event he had chosen to leave. There was a great deal of trepidation among family members about his return this particular year. After hearing the story in many versions, I was quite eager to meet him for myself.

The person I met was partially the man described, a tattooed Southern California surfer, an individual who is openly critical of established social and political norms, and a strong advocate for the reformation of our drug laws.

He also happened to be a successful criminal defense attorney, a thoughtful and caring father of three, and a man who took full custody of his first child when she was just an infant, and raised her while attending law school full time.