When Larry first met Marie Pacyga, he was facing some of the hardest seasons of his life. Addiction, health struggles, and new criminal charges left him feeling trapped in a system he had been tangled in for nearly 20 years. He was scared, overwhelmed, and unsure if there was any way forward.
That’s when Marie stepped in.
Larry recalls how, from the moment he hired her, relief washed over him:
“It felt like, finally, someone was listening. She didn’t see me as just a criminal. She saw the person behind the charges.”
Marie fought hard for Larry—not just in the courtroom, but in helping him access treatment, resources, and a different kind of justice. She was able to get him into Teen Challenge during the uncertainty of COVID, later into mental health court in Hennepin County, and she made sure he could continue receiving critical medical care.
Through it all, her compassion stood out.
“She would answer the phone anytime—even nights or weekends, even if I was calling from jail. She never left me hanging,” Larry said.
Mental health court has been a turning point for him. Instead of a system that only punishes, it provides structure, accountability, and resources: regular check-ins with a judge, therapy, treatment, and support. Larry describes it as the first time he’s felt like the system is helping him build a life, not just cycling him through.
With Marie’s persistence and guidance, Larry has worked through therapy—including EMDR to process childhood trauma—secured safe housing, and begun restoring relationships with his family. Most recently, he celebrated a milestone: getting his own apartment again.
Larry is clear-eyed about the challenges, but also about the hope he’s found:
“Things don’t get fixed overnight. But if you slow down, stay patient, and do the work, things start to change. Marie believed in me and gave me a chance to prove to myself that I could get there too.”
For Larry, Marie wasn’t just a lawyer. She was an advocate, a lifeline, and someone who reminded him that redemption and restoration are possible.