An amazing story in the Toronto Star recounts the chance meeting of a man convicted on drug and gun charges and the judge who gave him a second chance at life. The resulting encounter is a great example of grace, mercy, and redemption.
Maxwell Beech wasn’t even sure Judge Hugh Atwood would remember him. Seven years before, Beech was brought before Judge Atwood, awaiting what he was sure would be an extended prison visit for his crimes. He expected four years behind bars – or worse.
Beech admitted to the judge that he “deserved to have the book thrown at him.” He acknowledged his guilt, but asserted that between the crime and his sentencing, he had found God, been baptized, and, in his words, became a “Bible man.” He wanted the chance to raise his infant son properly – to help him avoid the mistakes he had made.
When the judge indicated that he was not going to accept the suggested 18-month house arrest proposed by his counsel, Beech prepared for the worst. What he wasn’t prepared for, however, was Judge Atwood’s decision.
“I could see you’re a changed man,” the 20-year veteran of the bench told Beech. He sentenced him to serving 90 days in a detention center on weekends, allowing him to go home during the week to care for his infant son.
“This man gave me another shot,” says Beech. “Another opportunity at life.”
In the years following this sentence, Beech had started his own business installing blinds and security systems. He had been able to be there for his son. But he had never been able to thank Judge Atwood for his act of kindness.
That changed when Beech found himself at the Brampton, Ontario, courthouse. Recoginizing the judge, Beech decided to take the oportunity. During a lull in court proceedings, he asked if he could address the bench directly.
In front of an audience that included others waiting to be sentenced, Beech recounted his sentencing, and the life that he had lived since that time. He offered the judge his sincere thanks for believing in him.
“King Solomon couldn’t have adjudicated better,” he said.
By the end of his comments, Judge Atwood – and a number of those in the gallery – had tears in their eyes. Many of those present applauded. The judge told Beech that he had “made his year.”
With all the current emphasis on “mandatory minimums” and “tough on crime” sentencing, it is nice to see that there is is still a place for judicial discretion – and for mercy. By treating the convicted man who appeared before him as an individual, and not as a statistic, Judge Atwood was able to see a life transformed, and the cycle of crime broken before it reached the next generation.
May we continue to hear more stories like that of Maxwell Beech – those who by God’s grace and mercy have turned their lives around and focused their new lives on serving him. And here’s hoping many of those “Maxwell Beeches” have the chance to thank those who have mirrored God’s mercy, and have given them the chance to make a difference.