Monday, March 13, 2023

Monday, March 13, 2023

Inside one woman’s fight to stave off homelessness as eviction cases flood courts

Graham’s image on the screen, “you’re in a serious spot right now. You need to catch the bus, you need to run out there … you need to get to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.”

LOS ANGELES — In her small studio apartment in Westlake, Leticia Graham stared at her tablet as the courtroom on her screen filled with people like her: renters facing eviction. With mounting panic, she realized she was supposed to have been there in person. She had little saved for a new apartment, and knew losing her case would leave her homeless.

But like a majority of renters in eviction court, she did not have a lawyer, and the judge was explaining that she had made crucial mistakes as the clock ticked on her trial, which was scheduled for that day. It was her only shot at staying longer in her home.

Contrary to what she believed, the judge said, a Los Angeles County eviction moratorium did not prevent her from being evicted. That was a mistake being repeated by renter after renter in the county’s eviction courts. And since Graham did not have a car and was appearing remotely, she would not be able to present evidence, other than her word, to win her case.

“Ms. Graham,” the judge said to

“I close at noon. You need to be here well before then,” the judge added. Graham put on her running shoes, stuffed a thick stack of receipts and bank records into her backpack and ran to the bus stop on the corner, arriving just as the doors to the No. 16 bus to downtown were closing. She hadn’t prepared much of a case. She owed thousands in rent that was not covered by the limited COVID-19 relief she had managed to secure. But she was desperate for more time — time to work more hours at her retail job, to save enough for an inevitably higher monthly rent, to get back on solid ground after the pandemic left her jobless and in a spiral of depression.

“I’m not going to fold,” she told herself as the bus made its way toward downtown.

Eviction cases in Los Angeles County never fully stopped in the pandemic, but they slowed to a few hundred filings a month. Since May, as protections have lifted, they’ve re -

Cowboys left out of NCAA Tournament

eight teams the SEC and Big 10 got in.

In six seasons as OSU head coach, Mike Boynton has reached the NCAA Tournament once.

turned to pre-pandemic levels of more than 3,000 per month. Kyle Nelson, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA who has been compiling the numbers, expects they will increase even more, to about 5,000 per month, as protections continue to expire.

Graham’s case is similar to the type of case that Nelson and others believe will flood the courts — renters

who fell thousands of dollars behind on rent during the pandemic and don’t earn enough money to pay it back.

Once they’re filed, eviction cases move quickly compared with the typically sluggish pace of civil court — at times they are decided in a 10-minute trial before a judge. Renters rarely have lawyers, while landlords almost always do.

See Eviction on 8

An orange Oklahoma State logo never flashed up.

OSU basketball fans watching the NCAA Tournament selection show waited, hoped and prayed to see their school’s icon appear in the field of 68.

It never came. That is, until OSU was revealed as the “First team out.”

“Oklahoma State was the one team that got victimized the most by being in the Big 12, they had several quad one wins but too many losses there,” CBS analyst Seth Davis said.

Seven of the Big 12’s 10 teams made the field, one shy of the

Moussa Cisse for large chunks of the season.

Detractors of OSU point out the Cowboys’ loss to Southern Illinois early in the year and poor finish to the season. In mid-February, Lunardi projected the Cowboys well inside the field and the team received votes to be ranked in the AP Poll. A five-game losing streak pushed OSU down to the bubble.

earn NCAA Tournament bid in Hoyt’s first season

Cowgirls

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

Jacie Hoyt and the Cowgirls exceeded expectations in Hoyt’s first season and now are rewarded with a spot in the Big Dance.

On Sunday, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls received the No. 8 seed in the Greenville 2 Region and will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, hosted by the University of Indiana. Their first game is versus No. 9 seed Miami.

The Cowgirls watched the NCAA

Tournament reveal in the O-Club in GallagherIba Arena with fans and donors.

Hoyt seemed to make it must to sit next to sixth-year guard Naomie Alnatas. Alnatas has been the heart of the Cowgirls’ group, but she’s also been with Hoyt for four years, three at UMKC.

In 2020, Hoyt led UMKC to its first regular season conference title, but didn’t get to participate further due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hoyt and Alnatas have been through a lot together, but “It was just a special moment,” Hoyt said.

“I think just the fact that we had that opportunity three years ago, when COVID hit, it just felt

like we were robbed of that opportunity. So, to get to soak it in today with her made it so much sweeter.”

Hoyt led the Cowgirls, who were picked to finish ninth in the conference, to a 21-11 record and a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 Conference.

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Cowgirls have lost four of the last five games. OSU went 1-1 in the Big 12 Tournament, beating West Virginia on a lastsecond shot from Terryn Milton and losing to Texas in the semifinals. One storyline heading into the first and second rounds, Forward Lior Garzon’s sister, Yarden, plays at Indiana. sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU (18-15 overall, 8-10 Big 12) entered the selection show firmly on the bubble. Sunday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed the Cowboys as the “First team out.” CBS Sports also projected OSU out of the tournament, listing OSU as the “second team out” behind Arizona State.

The argument for the Cowboys making the tournament was their six wins against quadrant one opponents (more than any other bubble team) and four against quadrant two opponents.

Hutchens Staff Reporter sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU played the No. 14 hardest schedule in the country and won eight games in the nation’s highest-regarded conference. OSU did that missing guard Avery Anderson and center

OSU entered the Big 12 Tournament with a chance to cement status in the NCAA Tournament and beat Oklahoma 57-49 and lost to Texas 60-47. Some bubble teams to receive bids over OSU are Arizona State, Nevada, Utah State and Boise State.

The Cowboys will settle for an NIT bid, and wait to see their orange logo flash up on ESPNU at 9 p.m to see who their next opponent will be.

Abby Cage

OSU coach Mike Boynton has made one NCAA Tournament in six seasons.

Courtesy of Tribune

Graham, 36, had little saved for a new apartment and knew losing her case would leave her homeless. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Graham, 36, had little saved for a new apartment and knew losing her case would leave her homeless. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Paloma Esquivel Los Angeles Times

Ben

Oklahoma State women’s basketball team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as

seed and will play No. 9 Miami on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana, at a time to be announced.

Sunday scaries Cowboys need ‘grace’ from committee

“It’s something that we could control, but we can’t control no more,” OSU forward Kalib Boone said.

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

KANSAS CITY —

Moussa Cisse sat slumped in a fold-up chair, legs fully extended, in a quiet T-Mobile Center backroom. To his left, Tyreek Smith. To his right, Bryce Thompson. The conversation was minimal. Cisse, OSU’s center, knew he and his team just let a chance for a peaceful weekend slip away against Texas on Thursday. Instead, three stressful days stood between him and Selection Sunday, where OSU finds out if it did enough to make the Big Dance.

“At this point, it’s gonna be weird,” Cisse told The O’Colly. “All I can do is a lot of prayers.”

Life on the NCAA Tournament bubble is precarious. And that’s right where the Cowboys find themselves Sunday. Many experts, such as ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, project OSU among the first teams out. Cisse sat exhausted from a two-and-a-half month stretch of basketball in America’s toughest conference. But maybe the most exhausting time is the three days the Cowboys spent up in the air after the Big 12 Tournament.

OSU was under a postseason ban last season, so there was never a chance of inclusion. Nothing was up in the air. This season was different.

OSU coach Mike Boynton has been in this spot before. In 2018, the Cowboys were on the bubble and got eliminated in the first round, then had to wait it out.

How does a coach approach that time with his players?

“Get home, get off our feet and kind of get our minds off basketball for a couple days and then regroup,” Boynton said.

“You let them get away from it a little bit. There are some of them that are going to watch a lot of it and there are some of them that won’t watch any of it, to be honest, and both are OK.”

The Cowboys spent Friday supporting the Cowgirls, who played down the street in Kansas City at the Big 12 Tournament. After that, two days left.

“Get in the gym for sure,” Smith said of his weekend plans. “But at the same time, I’ll take a little mental break because we’ve just been through so much. I’ll try to take a break from it and then get right back to it.”

Thompson said the gym is where he’d be, too. Junior guard Woody Newton said he’s in a shooting slump, referencing his 1-for-8 shooting during the conference tournament, and that he was putting up shots all weekend.

Freshman Quion Williams said Newton wasn’t the only cold shooter.

“I feel like the whole team was in a shooting slump,” Williams said. “So, I feel like

me and the rest of my team should be in the gym for three days.” Others on the team do tune in to the tournament noise. Cisse spent his freshman season at Memphis before coming to OSU. No NCAA appearances in his three years of college. He said he watches other games and keeps an eye on the bubble.

“I’m not a bad person, but I want my own interests, so I’m hoping some teams lose so I can get in,” Cisse said.

Some Cowboys have other things hanging over them. Senior guard JohnMichael Wright spent three seasons at High Point and never sniffed March Madness. He has an option to return to Stillwater next season. It’s an inevitable decision. How does Sunday affect it?

“I haven’t really thought about it, honestly,” Wright told The O’Colly. “I want to worry about now and see if we get in the tournament because we have a lot left to play. I felt like, and my teammates felt like, we’re not done. So, next year can take care of itself.”

Caleb Asberry, a senior guard with no eligibility remaining, spent a year in junior college before playing at Texas State for three seasons with no NCAA berth. This is Asberry’s last chance to experience it.

“It’s gonna be different for me because I’ve never been in this position,” Asberry said. “So, I’m very anxious... that’s been a dream of mine to go and play there. So, it’s kind of nerve-wracking a little bit.”

OSU’s resumé is completed and turned in. The team’s social media accounts even posted it, trying to make a last-second pitch to anyone who will listen. But all that’s left is 5 p.m. Sunday when schools are listed on the screen. The Cowboys will gather and watch it as a team.

“There’s gonna be good feelings and scary feelings,” Cisse said about watching the selection show.

Boynton is confident his team did enough to make the tournament. He said he thought the Cowboys had done enough before the Big 12 Tournament.

Boynton cited the Cowboys’

defense, strength of schedule and quality wins as reasons why.

“I think we certainly deserve inclusion into the event,” Boynton said.

But Thursday night, Cisse knew they left the door cracked open for disappointment. He said he was still confident, and every player in the locker room said they felt good about their chance, but they know nothing is sure. Asberry said the Cowboys didn’t finish the job and called it “frightening” waiting around to hear their name called.

That’s what makes the bubble precarious. It’s not a good place to be. The Cowboys must hope the committee sees it like they do.

“We are a team that doesn’t give up,” Wright said. “And our foundation is defense, and we’ll be ready for anything if we get the bid to go to March Madness, and we’ll try to make it as exciting as possible.

“As a team, I feel like we’ve done enough, and I hope the committee gives us grace.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

The Cowboys, projected as one of the last teams out of the NCAA Tournament, find out their fate on Sunday.

Cowgirls rally late, beat

Katelynn Carwile slid into second base, popped up and turned to her dugout to let out a roar.

OSU’s offensive frustration that built over five innings was unleashed with her yell in the sixth.

No. 3 Oklahoma State beat No. 5 Florida State 3-2 on Sunday in Stillwater. After dropping the three-game series’ first game on Friday, OSU rallied over the weekend to win the series.

Carwile’s double, a shot through the left side on a 2-1 pitch from FSU’s Ali DuBois, scored shortstop Kiley Naomi to give the Cowgirls the goahead run in the sixth. It was part of a three-run rally in sixth inning after OSU was held scoreless in the first five.

Carwile’s hit was critical in the game and also helped boost her personally.

“I thought it was great,” Carwile, a junior outfielder, said. “I felt like it really fueled us. It was honestly something we needed just to break it open. But my teammates were on me all before saying you got this. That’s what I needed. I needed that little extra confidence boost.”

Carwhile, who was removed from the starting lineup for a couple games earlier this season, hit 3-for-3. She has been a highly productive starter for OSU and was extremely sharp against the Seminoles.

“I think at times, it’s good for a reset,” coach Kenny Gajewski said. “It’s good to go through all that. She answered. She’s a tough kid and she is prepared. She’s done the things

that she needs to.”

After scoring a run in the first inning, the Seminoles experienced a similar offensive drought. Senior pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl, OSU’s starter, held FSU scoreless from the second inning until the sixth. She allowed three hits and six walks.

“Happy with the way Kilfoyl pitched,” Gajewski said. “Too many walks put her

in some tough spots she really didn’t need to be in. I didn’t think they were taking good swings off of her. When you’re walking them it just puts a little extra pressure on us. She made enough good pitches, so I’m proud of her on that.”

In FSU’s last chance in the top of the seventh, though, the Seminoles strung together a rally of their own.

After FSU started the

to take series

inning with back-to-back singles, OSU made a pitching change. Senior Kelly Maxwell entered the game and got the three outs around a single that scored one.

Kilfoyl said pitching when Maxwell can come on in relief is a good feeling.

“It’s awesome,” Kilfoyl said. “She’s a freaking stud. She’s going to get it done.”

Gajewski said he would

not get too high if OSU swept FSU, and if the opposite happened he would not have been in the dumps.

“This game could have gone either way,” Gajewski said. “I’m glad we won. Like I told (the players), I’m glad when we can win and we can learn, still.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter

Jaiden Daughty

No. 3 Oklahoma State defeated No. 5 Florida State 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater.

Isaac Terry

The Resident Hall association hosts different events on the course of a week, including “Bad Art,” where students got to paint and compete for prizes.

RHA hosted art competition at Kerr-Drummond Mezzanine

The Resident Hall Association brought the canvases, acrylics and cookies for the community on day three of their RHA week.

On Tuesday evening, RHA set up shop on the top floor of the KerrDrummond Mezzanine. Tables were organized and lined with bottles of acrylic paints and students were handed fresh canvases, sodas and cookies upon signing in.

Michael McDonald, a senior at OSU, is a member of the RHA and

helped the event come to life.

“One of the main reasons we enjoy paint night is because it’s a time for residents to get their minds off of the stressors in school and life,” McDonald said. “You can come, meet new people or come with friends. Painting is a huge outlet for a lot of people, myself included. Paint nights are a huge success and we love them.”

Fifty-five people filled the KD Mezzanine’s second floor for two hours. At the end of the night, people placed their paintings next to each other, and the RHA members voted for “best art,” and “best bad art.”

Out of those painting, there was

a few common trends. Many people painted “Sponge Bob” characters and scenes and several of those made it to the semi-finals for “Best art.”

The winners won a cookie, a soda and a specific pize to the category. The first prize, given to the “best bad art,” was a tracing projector to help them draw and paint on larger canvases. The second gift was a set of alcohol markers with a mixed-media sketchbook. The final prize was a graphite artist’s pencil set and a sketchbook.

RHA is a student-led organization that exists within the residence halls and usually hosts RHA week during the second semester each year. The week

is not new, but it did not happen for several decades. Last year was the first year that the week was brought back, and RHA hopes to continue celebrating RHA weeks for years to come.

This year’s previous RHA Week events included a mental health awareness event as well as a town hall for residents to visit and speak their minds at. On Wednesday they hosted a studying game night with the Residential Engagement Office. Students can check out the RHA Instagram to see upcoming events at @OkstateRHA.

Isaac Terry Staff Reporter

US seeks to quell risk of a bank run as Yellen pledges protections

WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are racing against the clock to find solutions for failed Silicon Valley Bank while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said officials are focusing on protecting depositors, as officials seek to avoid a wider bank run.

After SVB collapsed into receivership on Friday in the biggest bank failure in more than a decade, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. kicked off an auction process for its assets late Saturday, as it aims to make a portion of clients’ uninsured deposits available as soon as Monday, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The agency and the Federal Reserve have also discussed a fund to backstop deposits if more banks fail as part of wider contingency planning, people said.

Those efforts are aimed at protecting depositors, rather than bailing out investors, Yellen said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“During the financial crisis there were investors and owners of systemic large banks that were bailed out,” the Treasury secretary said. “And we’re certainly not looking — and the reforms that have been put in place means that we’re not going to do that again. But we are concerned about depositors and we’re focused on trying to meet their needs.”

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, whose California district is home to SVB, said the FDIC is working to find a buyer and urged the U.S. government to guarantee all of the bank’s deposits. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” he’s “hopeful that something can be announced today to move forward.”

Concern about the health of other smaller banks focused on the venture capital and startup communities is prompting regulators to consider extraordinary measures. Officials have discussed the new fund to backstop deposits in conversations with banking executives, in the hope that setting up such a vehicle would reassure depositors and help contain any panic, said the people. They asked not to be identified because the talks weren’t public.

Final bids for SVB’s assets are due Sunday afternoon but a winner may not be known until late in the day, other people with knowledge said.

In her CBS interview, Yellen renewed assurances that the U.S. banking system is safe, well-capitalized and resilient.

“I simply want to say that we’re very aware of the problems that depositors will have,” she said. “Many of them are small businesses that employ people across the country and of course this is a significant concern and working with regulators to try to address these concerns.”

U.S. regulators are under time pressure to sell assets of SVB Financial Group, the bank’s parent, prompting offers by some investment firms to provide financing to companies with cash trapped at Silicon Valley Bank.

Asked whether the FDIC might be open to a “foreign bank” coming in as a buyer, Yellen said, “I’m sure they’re considering a wide range of available options that include acquisitions.”

While the FDIC insures deposits of up to $250,000, the vast majority of funds held in at SVB far exceeded that. The agency has said it will make 100% of protected deposits available on Monday.

Asked on “Face the Nation” about the option of a private sector bank buying SVB’s assets, Khanna said: “That

would be the ideal situation and our delegation that talked to the FDIC last night made that clear. That’s what we urged them to work on, they said they’re working on it.”

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Saturday that U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t bail out Silicon Valley Bank. “Private investors can purchase the bank and its assets,” Haley, a former South

Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement.

The White House repeated its assurances on the U.S. banking system, with Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young citing regulatory changes put in place after the financial crisis more than a decade ago.

“What I’ll say about the banking system overall is it’s

more resilient, and has a better foundation than before the financial crisis,” Young said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Americans can have confidence in the safety and soundness of our banking system” and the U.S. economy is “extremely strong,” Yellen said on CBS.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill March 10, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Anger/Getty Images/TNS)

Victoria Cavaliere and Tony Czuzka

ChatGPT gaining attention for its innovations

ficult for educators to know if an essay is a students’ own work or if it is a ChatGPT created essay.

ChatGPT is a free artificial intelligence program that can be used to complete various tasks, such as writing essays, translating languages and writing computer code.

This program poses a serious problem to educators around the world, allowing students to input a sentence into the generator to create an entire essay. The essays take information from sources around the internet, often going unnoticed. This can make it dif-

There are ways to prevent this, like online AI detectors, however, students edit the essays and can cause an essay to pass through undetected. Educators can also have students turn in various assignments to show their understanding of the subject.

Chelsea Spearman, a second year Human Development and Family Science major, said it is interesting that artificial intelligence is growing so fast.

The ChatGPT bot is also gaining

attention for its ability to converse with itss users, as it is able to answer questions about almost any subject. These subjects include quantum physics, creative writing and sports statistics as well as many others.

“I personally haven’t used ChatGPT,” said Spearman, “I think that AI can be a really good tool to use but it’s also really scary that it can do so much on its own.”

Major tech companies, such as Google and Meta, are scrambling to keep up with the technological advancements that ChatGPT is introducing to the world. Similar AI has been

introduced, but ChatGPT is revolutionary in both its speed and ability. Its coding allows it to research and learn faster than ever before, as well as answer users’ questions at record speed.

ChatGPT is a major tool for students and educators if used correctly, such as educators using the AI to help write questions for exams and students using it to study for classwork.

“ChatGPT could be a great form of studying,” Spearman said. “You could totally use it to test your knowledge about a subject.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Madison Melton Staff Reporter

Chase Davis

ChatGPT can generate essays, write code, and more from user queries. Most of the time, when different people ask ChatGPT the exact same question, they will get the same answer.

Evicition...

Continued from 1

Day after day, tenants show up in court with a false impression of how the system works. Some, like Graham, believe that pandemic-era renter protections will keep them from being locked out of their homes. Often, they believe they can simply explain their side of the story and the judge will understand, only to find themselves fumbling as they navigate complex rules of evidence and other legal procedures, combined with labyrinthine local and state housing laws that are challenging even for lawyers and judges to track.

On that day in February, Graham’s eviction was one of about two dozen eviction cases — about half of them trials in front of the judge — that were scheduled in Department 91, on the sixth floor of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown. Similar numbers of people file into three other eviction courtrooms in the downtown courthouse and several others scattered across the county.

Expediency was critical to clear the docket for the next day’s wave. In quick spurts, Judge Alison Mackenzie called renters and their landlords to the table in front of the courtroom and repeatedly urged them to come to a settlement. An agreement, she said, would let them maintain a little control over what was going to happen.

A tenant might secure a few more weeks to stay in their home, or, at minimum, ensure that their evictions did not become public and visible to future landlords (which happens once a judgment is entered and can make it even more difficult to find affordable rentals). Landlords might gain assurance that tenants would leave on a certain date or that they would pay back some of what they owed.

“Let’s be solutions-oriented,” Mackenzie told Graham that day, urging her to try to come to an agreement with the landlord.

Along with Graham’s case, there was a young man in black jeans whose landlord threatened to pursue him in small claims court if he didn’t immediately hand over his keys, a tenant who called in sick the day before, only to have the trial go forward with a judgment against him, and a couple who agreed to move out within weeks in exchange for their eviction remaining hidden from public view.

Graham, 36, had gotten her real estate license in the months before the pandemic and was learning the ropes of the business, trying to build a clientele by guiding well-to-do renters at an agency in Brentwood when the pandemic shut everything down.

The open houses came to a halt and she retreated to the studio on Rampart Boulevard that she shares with her two cats, Yoda and Jordan. She stayed close to her family with video calls, but they were far away, in El Paso, Texas.

On the wall across from her bed, in a room that doubles as living room and bedroom, she hung a poster reminding her: “Believe in yourself.” But the isolation was painful and she fell into a deep depression for months that made it difficult to go outside — in a neighborhood where, as a single woman, she had never felt fully safe.

She applied for and secured COVID-19 rent relief but discovered that it wouldn’t cover all of the months she had been unable to pay — she was still about $2,300 behind.

In May, she began working part time at a clothing store in Glendale, taking the bus one hour each direction, arriving home just before midnight and earning just slightly more than the $1,150 monthly rent. Then in November, she returned home to a three-day notice taped to the door. She had 72 hours to pay the back rent or

leave.

“If you fail to perform or otherwise comply, Landlord declares the forfeiture of your Rental/Lease agreement and will institute legal proceedings to obtain possession,” it read.

When she didn’t make the deadline, the trial was scheduled for February.

The morning of her trial, she woke up feeling confident. Just a couple of weeks earlier, county officials had extended their eviction moratorium through the end of March. Graham, who watches the evening news religiously, saw multiple stories explaining that under the moratorium landlords cannot evict low-income tenants who say they could not pay rent because they were harmed financially by COVID-19.

But as Mackenzie repeatedly explained to renters in her courtroom, “it’s more complicated than that.”

The protections apply for nonpayment of rent due between July 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, due to a COVID-19 financial hardship for households with income at or below 80% of the area median income. In addition, tenants need to have experienced a substantial loss of monthly household income of at least 10%.

But landlords are not barred from filing eviction cases; the moratorium simply gives tenants a defense to use when a case is filed. To take advantage, they need to understand how to navigate the court system and properly present evidence on their own behalf. Graham, like most of the renters in court without lawyers, didn’t know any of that.

By the time she arrived in court about 10:30 a.m., she had resigned to leaving the apartment but was determined to fight to stay longer so that she could save for a new home.

“I would end up homeless if I had to move out by the end of February,” she said. “I don’t have a place to stay.”

The judge called her case and urged Graham and Benjamin Taylor, the lawyer repre -

senting the landlord, to go into the hallway and try to work out a deal.

Graham wanted to remain in the studio, paying rent, until July 1, more than four months — an impossibly long time in eviction court, where, when tenants negotiate for more time, it’s often a matter of weeks not months.

In the afternoon, Graham and Taylor returned to the courtroom and Taylor explained that they had not been able to come to a settlement. Graham was asking for too much time.

“I can do the bench trial this afternoon,” the judge said. But she urged them to try one more time. Soon they returned again, still without an agreement.

“I still need more time,” Graham repeated. “You can see I’m trying to get on my feet.”

“That’s not going to be a legal defense,” the judge replied.

She urged Graham and Taylor to continue negotiating.

“If we go to trial and you lose, you’re out,” Mackenzie said. “I really think you would prefer to find a solution.”

“Can I have a chance to speak to the property owner?” Graham asked after more back and forth. “I don’t think they understand the full spectrum of what’s happening on my end.”

“They don’t have the full story,” she added later. “I live there by myself. I’m trying to get back on my feet.”

Mackenzie told Graham that the amount of time she was asking for was unreasonable. But, she added, “if you think you can get ahold of this owner, fine. Otherwise I’m ready to go at 2:30 p.m.”

Outside in the hallway, Graham paced back and forth on the phone with the property owner’s representative. In a 20-minute conversation she told her story — all of the things she was not able to fully explain in front of the judge — how she’d applied for rent relief but didn’t realize it wouldn’t cover all of the unpaid rent she

accumulated during the first year and a half of the pandemic, how she’d been working since May and had paid since then but was only making enough to make ends meet month to month, how if she were evicted now she would be out on the street.

“I just need more time,” she told him again and again.

Eventually, he agreed.

When Graham returned to face the judge, the courtroom that had been bustling with eviction cases throughout the day was quiet and empty except for Taylor, the bailiff and the clerk.

Mackenzie returned to the bench and Taylor explained that they had reached an agreement.

As long as Graham paid the rent every month, she could stay in the apartment until the end of June. If she did not, she would be locked out. The judge set a follow-up hearing in July.

“Hopefully you’re going to do everything you need to do so that date I will dismiss the whole case,” Mackenzie said. “It will be like this never happened.”

Graham walked out of the courtroom and headed to the bus stop. She had earned a reprieve that was far more than most others in her position and she still faced an uphill battle: four months to work more hours, to try to get back into real estate again, to save thousands of dollars and move into a place that would probably cost hundreds more per month than her current studio.

None of it was certain. But in that moment, as she got back on the bus, she felt proud. Confident in herself.

Later, she would think about how the pandemic had upended her life, about the stress and panic and depression that had overwhelmed her, and she would remind herself that she survived.

“We’ve been through the fire now,” she thought. “Let’s get to something better.”

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited

by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy!

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

The best selection of beer, wine and li quor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University.

Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown

Open 10-6

Monday thru Saturday

Business Squares Business Squares Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin”

550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (03/13/23). Rake in a bundle this year. Dedication to regular self care energizes you for high performance. Winter challenges require patience and diplomacy, before a profitable springtime phase energizes. Educational explorations deviate around summer obstacles, unfolding into lucrative autumn collaborations. Conserve resources for later.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Investigate options and potential. Adapt research to shifting circumstances. Prepare your insights and share what you’re learning. Avoid pitfalls. Strengthen basic elements to advance.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate with shared finances. Revise budgets around an obstacle. Haste makes waste; proceed with caution. Figure out what didn’t work to avoid repeating it.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Collaborate with your partner. Keep your promises to avoid an argument. Patiently work around barriers or limitations. Reinforce basic support structures. Discuss dreams and possibilities.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize health, wellness and vitality. Stretch before working out. Set goals to raise your physical game. Work with a coach to get farther.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Romance is in the air. Relax and enjoy familiar company. Have fun with hobbies, games and creative projects. Your positive attitude is contagious.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Family comes first. Listen and support someone who could use it. Patiently forgive miscommunications. Make repairs and upgrades. Imagine and invent possibilities. Align on solutions.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Your creativity shines. Follow your muses where they lead. Share your wildest ideas and dreams. Apply talent and charm for a stirring cause.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — A financial challenge is temporary. Find a lucrative market niche and fill it. An open mind sees solutions beyond problems. Patiently strengthen foundational structures.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Discover opportunities in unexpected places. Changes open new doors. Direct positive attention toward a passion project. Use your energy wisely. Your confidence is contagious.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — Enjoy peace and privacy. Consider where you’ve been and what’s ahead. Schedule carefully to implement your vision.

Take time for peaceful rituals. Rest and recharge.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Support team efforts to surpass a barrier or limitation. Avoid gossip or rumors. Collaboration is key. Actions now have long-term benefits. Pull together.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Address changes with a professional project. Creatively uncover solutions. Listen to your heart to stay on the right path. Stay connected with friends and community.

Rebecca Goldstein

Solution to Saturday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk