”The criminal court for Washington County is now in session, the Honorable Leonard P. Green presiding. Please come to order.”
Judge Green climbed the steps to the bench and took his seat in the high-backed black leather chair directly beneath a massive portrait of himself.
”Thank you, Deputy Baines,” he said. ”Please be seated.”
I, along with everyone else in the courtroom, dutifully sat down.
”Good morning,” Judge Green said.
”Good morning.” Nearly everyone in the courtroom responded, as though they feared the consequences of remaining silent.
”The first case we’re going to address this morning is an arraignment in the State of Tennessee versus Angel Christian .” He turned to the prosecution. ”And I see that the district attorney himself has chosen to grace us with his presence today. To what do we owe this rare pleasure?”
Baker’s face flushed the slightest bit. He stood up.
”This is a serious case, Your Honor. I’m merely here to ensure that all goes well.”
”And to get yourself a little free publicity in an election year, I trust.” Baker thought Judge Green was soft on sentencing sex offenders and wasn’t shy about saying it to the local media. Baker had also openly and actively supported the judge’s opponent in the last election. He was fond of telling people he wouldn’t piss on Judge Green if the judge were on fire. Green, for his part, took obvious pleasure in harassing and humiliating Baker every chance he got.
I’d seen them nearly come to blows on several occasions. They truly hated each other.
”I didn’t invite the press,” Baker said. ”I believe their presence here has something to do with the First Amendment.”
”You may not have invited them, but you’ve certainly had plenty to say about this case over the past week. You’ve been on television more than Law & Order reruns.”
Baker plunked back down into his chair, either unwilling or unable to spar with the judge, and Judge Green turned to me.
”What are you doing at the defense table, Mr.
Dillard?”
”Representing the defendant, Judge.” I knew he preferred ”Your Honor.”
”Has she hired you?”
It was a stupid question, but I resisted the urge to say something smart.
”She has.”
Judge Green raised his eyebrows at me as if to say,
”How much did she pay you?” He turned towards the deputy nearest the door that led to the holding cell and barked, ”Bring in the defendant.”
The deputy disappeared into the hallway. He returned in less than a minute with Angel beside him.
The shackles on her ankles forced her to shuffle. Every camera was suddenly pointed in her direction. The courtroom went dead silent. Just behind the deputy and Angel were two more deputies and K. D. Downs, the sheriff of Washington County. Everybody was getting in on the show.
The bailiff gingerly escorted Angel to the podium in front of the jury box, directly to the judge’s right.
I noticed that he patted her on the shoulder before he stepped back. Angel looked tired, scared, confused, and gorgeous. I walked over and stood by her at the podium.
Green turned to Tammy Lewis. ”Let me see the indictment.”
She handed the document to the judge. He studied it for a few seconds and then offered it to Wilkie Baines.
”Give this to Mr. Dillard, and let the record show that the defendant’s counsel has been provided a copy of the indictment. Mr. Dillard, your client has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of abuse of a corpse. Do you waive the formal reading of the indictment?”
”We do, Judge.”
”How does your client plead?”
”Not guilty.”
”Very well.” The judge looked at Deacon Baker. ”I assume you’ve filed your death notice, Mr. Baker?”
”We have, Your Honor. We filed it this morning.”
With the number of stab wounds, the case was probably second-degree murder at best. It certainly appeared to be a crime of passion. But Baker handed out death
Judge Green climbed the steps to the bench and took his seat in the high-backed black leather chair directly beneath a massive portrait of himself.
”Thank you, Deputy Baines,” he said. ”Please be seated.”
I, along with everyone else in the courtroom, dutifully sat down.
”Good morning,” Judge Green said.
”Good morning.” Nearly everyone in the courtroom responded, as though they feared the consequences of remaining silent.
”The first case we’re going to address this morning is an arraignment in the State of Tennessee versus Angel Christian .” He turned to the prosecution. ”And I see that the district attorney himself has chosen to grace us with his presence today. To what do we owe this rare pleasure?”
Baker’s face flushed the slightest bit. He stood up.
”This is a serious case, Your Honor. I’m merely here to ensure that all goes well.”
”And to get yourself a little free publicity in an election year, I trust.” Baker thought Judge Green was soft on sentencing sex offenders and wasn’t shy about saying it to the local media. Baker had also openly and actively supported the judge’s opponent in the last election. He was fond of telling people he wouldn’t piss on Judge Green if the judge were on fire. Green, for his part, took obvious pleasure in harassing and humiliating Baker every chance he got.
I’d seen them nearly come to blows on several occasions. They truly hated each other.
”I didn’t invite the press,” Baker said. ”I believe their presence here has something to do with the First Amendment.”
”You may not have invited them, but you’ve certainly had plenty to say about this case over the past week. You’ve been on television more than Law & Order reruns.”
Baker plunked back down into his chair, either unwilling or unable to spar with the judge, and Judge Green turned to me.
”What are you doing at the defense table, Mr.
Dillard?”
”Representing the defendant, Judge.” I knew he preferred ”Your Honor.”
”Has she hired you?”
It was a stupid question, but I resisted the urge to say something smart.
”She has.”
Judge Green raised his eyebrows at me as if to say,
”How much did she pay you?” He turned towards the deputy nearest the door that led to the holding cell and barked, ”Bring in the defendant.”
The deputy disappeared into the hallway. He returned in less than a minute with Angel beside him.
The shackles on her ankles forced her to shuffle. Every camera was suddenly pointed in her direction. The courtroom went dead silent. Just behind the deputy and Angel were two more deputies and K. D. Downs, the sheriff of Washington County. Everybody was getting in on the show.
The bailiff gingerly escorted Angel to the podium in front of the jury box, directly to the judge’s right.
I noticed that he patted her on the shoulder before he stepped back. Angel looked tired, scared, confused, and gorgeous. I walked over and stood by her at the podium.
Green turned to Tammy Lewis. ”Let me see the indictment.”
She handed the document to the judge. He studied it for a few seconds and then offered it to Wilkie Baines.
”Give this to Mr. Dillard, and let the record show that the defendant’s counsel has been provided a copy of the indictment. Mr. Dillard, your client has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of abuse of a corpse. Do you waive the formal reading of the indictment?”
”We do, Judge.”
”How does your client plead?”
”Not guilty.”
”Very well.” The judge looked at Deacon Baker. ”I assume you’ve filed your death notice, Mr. Baker?”
”We have, Your Honor. We filed it this morning.”
With the number of stab wounds, the case was probably second-degree murder at best. It certainly appeared to be a crime of passion. But Baker handed out death
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