But where Martell saw himself as a lost cause, Judge Morrow saw a smart — even brilliant — young man who had rebounded from setbacks. Instead of throwing the book at Martell, the judge gave him three years of probation and a challenge to return to court next time with an achievement, such as becoming a corporate executive. “It was kind of in jest, but he understood I believed he could be anything he wanted to be,” said Judge Morrow said.

For the next 15 years, the two regularly kept in touch, usually speaking at least every two months as Martell tried to put more space between the man he was and the man Morrow believed he could be. He violated probation before completing his three-year term. When he gathered the courage to go to community college in 2008, he was discouraged from pursuing law because of his record.

“At that time I was just a felon with a dream,” Martel said. “They advised me to [study] heating and cooling.”

After graduating with an associate’s degree, Martell said he went on to earn academic scholarships from the University of Detroit Mercy for undergrad and law school; he later got a clerkship with the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia. The day finally came, and Judge Morrow was able to swear in Edward Martell, a man whom he gave a second chance at making something of himself… a lawyer. Judge More went on to say “Most failures are because people who need help never get it, adding, “There’s no such thing in my mind as a self-made person.”

Get the entire article at The Washington Post.