FROM GANGSTER TO LEGAL WARRIOR.
David Lee Windecher is a friend, fellow criminal defense attorney, and brother in Christ. But, the man you see today is almost unrecognizable to the teen who was headed down the dark path of crime and perpetual incarceration. David’s life is perhaps one of the most astonishing examples of God’s work you may ever see.
Raised impoverished in the streets of Miami, David was only eleven years old when he was first arrested for shoplifting. Stealing out of desperation to feed his family, he believed he took what he deserved. That day, David started thinking like a hustler. He no longer waited for the scales to tip in his favor. That day, he learned he could simply take what life denied him.
David knew what that sort of life could lead to; he saw it in gruesome detail when he went to the movies one night to see “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and witnessed a gang fight in front of the theater. A young man was shot in the stomach and bled to death, moaning pitifully, as David looked on in horror.
Nevertheless, for the next seven years, David battled bitterly against his circumstances at the side of his gang-affiliate brothers. What started as grave measures to feed his family of six turned into a criminal lifestyle racked with violence, drugs and money. David lost himself on the streets. He joined a gang, sold drugs, built and masterminded a crime ring, and was arrested 13 times.
Despite living a life of crime, deep inside of David, an idealistic boy still dreamed of becoming an attorney and fighting for justice for all. He was just waiting for someone to believe he existed.
Little did he know, God had a plan.
At 23 years old, a worry that he was destroying the lives of his loved ones resulted in a panic attack. Since that moment, David began a dramatic metamorphosis that led him to study law.
I don’t want to spoil your reading of his autobiography, HisStory In The Making, the miraculous story about David’s transformation from gang member to being given a chance to attend and graduate from law school to becoming a highly-respected attorney, by providing more details. The book is both compelling and illustrates how God molds His most broken children into superheroes.
Today, God uses David in so many ways to educate, inspire, and influence people from all political and cultural backgrounds. One of his most impactful projects, that I am proud to support, is called RED (Rehabilitation Enables Dreams, Inc.) The organization’s history is practically his own. RED was for his former gang nickname.
RED is a domestic non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that engineers and administers rehabilitation programs for pre-and post-adjudication first time nonviolent offenders. RED’s mission is to increase literacy, reduce poverty, and stop recidivism amongst America’s youthful offenders.
Well, what is recidivism and why is it such a problem? Recidivism refers to an individual’s relapse into criminal behavior. The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. Recidivism negatively impacts unemployment rates and economic freedom, forces excess taxpayer contributions to the criminal justice system and most importantly, compromises the safety of our communities. Georgia’s incarceration rate is 32% higher than the national average. Georgia leads the nation with over 160,000 probationers which is 321% higher than the national average. In stopping recidivism, we can foster upward social mobility, optimize allocation of taxpayer dollars, and enhance the quality of our community.
Surprisingly, you may already know David. He is prominently featured on the reality competition, “Hunted,” where nine teams of two attempt to go off the grid for 28 days without the help of technology while being tracked by highly skilled investigators.
I am blessed to know David and call him my friend. He has been an inspiration to me and thousands of other people across the world.
I encourage you to purchase and read his book, joining the effort to stop recidivism, and donate to God’s work being done through David Lee Windecher.
For more information about David and his work, go to www.windecherfirm.com, www.hisstoryinthemaking.com, and www.stoprecidivism.org.
