In a world too often characterized by cynicism, jaded attitudes and hardened points of view it is sometimes easy to miss a story involving little things that make a big difference.
Such is the case of Staff Sergeant Ray Girouard and the supporters who believed in him.
If you are a regular reader of this site you are aware that as recently as a few months ago Sergeant Girouard was facing the possibility of a life sentence and he lacked the necessary funds to hire proper outside legal representation. Without proper outside legal representation, he would be represented only by an assigned military attorney... the military equivalent of a public defender.
The small town of Sweetwater, TN (population 6,000) rallied behind their hometown hero as Girourd's grandparents and sister, Joy Oakes, went on a mission to raise the money necessary for an attorney.
Only $24,000- was needed and $24,000- was raised. While a jury sentenced Girouard to a decade in prison, it is believed he could have received a life sentence, if not for the $24,000 that paid for his civil attorney.
$24,000- may not sound like a great deal of money in the grand scheme of things...but it is all the money in the world when you are in need of it, are facing a deadline and don't have it. In this case it was enough to give a young man his life back.
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