Petition for Appeal Freak Out

The petition is written. I even hand delivered a copy to the Commonwealth Attorney at the end of the week. Unfortunately, I was too lazy to get in the office on time this morning and get it out by certified mail. It's not a problem; for a change I actually got it done early.

So, I'm rereading a copy of the statute I have laying around and think I spot an error. Something is not in the statute which I thought was there - something which will change the entire argument. I freak out. I've given this thing to the prosecutor. I've got a gazillion copies printed up and ready to mail out to the court of appeals and my client. I go into panic mode. I look to all the sources I can find online free - no help. I look on VersusLaw - no help. I get on to WestLaw and pay the extortionate rates. $4.50 to do a keycite. I copy the info I need and get off of WestLaw as quickly as I can just in case it's charging me more for each second I'm logged in.

I look over the West history of the statute. It doesn't show the change which is freaking me out. I look over the history again. It still doesn't show the change. For a second I start to think that it's no wonder I missed the change if WestLaw did. Then I think again. Something's wrong. I look at the typed out version of the statute which freaked me out and *ping* I finally get it. When I copied the statute I took out the non-relevant addition which the General Assembly added as of 01July 2005. I also took out the phrase immediately before it which should have still been in the statute. What an idiot. I wasted an hour on this garbage just to find out I hadn't made an error.