Edward Martell was given a second chance back in 2005 when he was arrested for selling drugs in Detroit, Michigan. However, when he appeared in court to face the charges, Judge Bruce Marrow decided to give him a second chance.
Fast forward 16 years later and Martell has completely transformed his life and has now become a lawyer. And none other than Judge Morrow himself was the one who swore him in!
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When the two men first crossed paths, Martell was a 27-year old repeat offender in a Wayne County courtroom pleading guilty to manufacturing and selling crack cocaine. The judge could have sentenced him to up to two decades in prison. However, he decided instead to give him just 3 years of probation. He also challenged them to come back to court next time as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
“It was kind of in jest, but he understood I believed he could be anything he wanted to be,” Morrow said.
But in May 2021, Martell did return his courtroom, not as a criminal or a CEO, but as a lawyer that had already graduated from law school and passed the bar exam.
Martell says that he will use his personal life's experience to inspire others who are on the wrong path to make the needed changes, and turn their lives around.
This is a perfect example that demonstrates what second chances and rehabilitation is all about!