Clusters of synchronicities that occur with numbers range from the odd to the truly strange. They can coalesce around a single event or continue over the course of a lifetime. In Maria’s story, the number 14 recurred four times over a period of four months.
One night Maria, a college sophomore, drove into a DUI checkpoint on her way to MacDonald’s. Earlier that evening, she’d had two beers. After performing the field sobriety tests, the policeman determined that she was impaired, arrested her, and performed the breathalyzer. Even though she blew under the legal limit for impairment, she spent 14 hours in jail before she was bailed out. Her parents hired an attorney, who felt she had a strong case for dismissal based on the video of her field sobriety tests and because she blew under the legal limit. A prosecutor was assigned to her case, After reviewing the evidence, he was ready to dismiss the charges, but was then removed from the case and another prosecutor was assigned who wanted to press charges. Her court date was set for December. Since it fell during her week of final exams, the attorney asked for a continuance and a new court date was set for February.
Before Christmas, 14 law firms filed a motion that the DUI checkpoints in this particular county were illegal because the police had too much discretion. The motion was heard on January 14 and the judged ruled in favor, which meant that all the evidence would be dismissed in 14 cases, including Maria’s.
