surprising the defense lawyer. “Grossman.”
“Hey, Tony, this is Adam Barlow. I’m representing Jacob Chase, file number…”
“No need, Adam. I’ve got the folder right here in front of me. Looks like a pretty clear-cut case of evading, resisting, and obstructing to me. Do you want to plead it out?”
“The video we have tells a different story, Tony. I think we’ll take this one all the way,” Barlow replied, his voice growing icy cold.
There was a long pause, the word “video” causing the prosecutor to flip pages, giving him time to think. “I see here that the squad car’s dash camera was inoperable the morning of the arrest. You have a third party video?”
Barlow’s next statement sounded almost cheery. “Oh, yes, we do. And there isn’t a judge in the county that’s going to like what’s on it. The reason for my call is to give your office a heads up. I’m filing for dismissal today, and I want charges pressed against these officers.”
Again, the people’s lawyer scanned the file, his mind racing with the ramifications of Barlow’s words. Not another one of those damn videos , he was thinking. Here we go again.
Not spotting any proverbial smoking guns within the meager police report, Tony replied, “I’d like to see this video, Counselor. Perhaps we could meet a few minutes before the arraignment outside Judge Pearson’s chambers.”
“Fine by me, Tony. I’ll show you the signed witness statements at the same time. I have a stack of them, and I intend to use them both to clear my client’s name and as evidence against the officers. I’ll bring you a set of copies.”
As soon as the defense attorney disconnected, Tony dialed his boss’s extension. “We’ve got a problem, and it’s Officer Marwick again,” he reported.
“What the hell has that gorilla done this time?” the perturbed District Attorney responded.
“Same as before, only this time the idiot did it in front of multiple witnesses… and a camera. Adam Barlow is on this like a pig on shit. He’s filing for dismissal today at the arraignment, and he means to show the judge the video.”
“Well, at least it isn’t on the internet… yet. Let me know how bad it is, and I’ll warn the chief what’s coming. Oh, and break out some of that new level four body armor. One of these days, that man’s going to shoot the messenger.”
The two attorneys met in the county courthouse, outside of District Court 11, in an area reserved for just such assemblies.
Barlow started with the video, noting the other lawyer grimace several times during its three-minute length. After it was over, Tony regained his composure quickly. “That doesn’t prove anything, Adam. Everybody knows that it never looks good when the cops have to use force to subdue a rowdy suspect.”
“He didn’t try to evade, Counselor. Just a few days prior to this incident, my client monopolized a basketball game in which the officer’s son was the on-court opponent. That’s the true reason why Marwick pulled Jacob Chase over. He saw the kid drive by and decided to get a little payback.”
“Bullshit,” Tony pushed back. “According to the officer, the kid didn’t pull over for a significant distance. He was clearly trying to evade, buy time to dump his stash of dope, or something. Everybody knows the cops hate a runner more than anything.”
“There was no evasion, sir. There was no high-speed chase. The kid pulled over in less than two blocks after the lights came on, and he kept the speedometer below the limit.”
The prosecutor shook his head, “Again, Adam, you’re barking up the wrong tree. It’s the kid’s word against a cop, and we both know that the judge is going to believe an officer of the law over any teenager, no matter how good his jump shot is.”
Adam shook his head, pointing at the computer where a new video started playing.
The second recording was in black and white, depicting an image of a small parking lot, with a
“Hey, Tony, this is Adam Barlow. I’m representing Jacob Chase, file number…”
“No need, Adam. I’ve got the folder right here in front of me. Looks like a pretty clear-cut case of evading, resisting, and obstructing to me. Do you want to plead it out?”
“The video we have tells a different story, Tony. I think we’ll take this one all the way,” Barlow replied, his voice growing icy cold.
There was a long pause, the word “video” causing the prosecutor to flip pages, giving him time to think. “I see here that the squad car’s dash camera was inoperable the morning of the arrest. You have a third party video?”
Barlow’s next statement sounded almost cheery. “Oh, yes, we do. And there isn’t a judge in the county that’s going to like what’s on it. The reason for my call is to give your office a heads up. I’m filing for dismissal today, and I want charges pressed against these officers.”
Again, the people’s lawyer scanned the file, his mind racing with the ramifications of Barlow’s words. Not another one of those damn videos , he was thinking. Here we go again.
Not spotting any proverbial smoking guns within the meager police report, Tony replied, “I’d like to see this video, Counselor. Perhaps we could meet a few minutes before the arraignment outside Judge Pearson’s chambers.”
“Fine by me, Tony. I’ll show you the signed witness statements at the same time. I have a stack of them, and I intend to use them both to clear my client’s name and as evidence against the officers. I’ll bring you a set of copies.”
As soon as the defense attorney disconnected, Tony dialed his boss’s extension. “We’ve got a problem, and it’s Officer Marwick again,” he reported.
“What the hell has that gorilla done this time?” the perturbed District Attorney responded.
“Same as before, only this time the idiot did it in front of multiple witnesses… and a camera. Adam Barlow is on this like a pig on shit. He’s filing for dismissal today at the arraignment, and he means to show the judge the video.”
“Well, at least it isn’t on the internet… yet. Let me know how bad it is, and I’ll warn the chief what’s coming. Oh, and break out some of that new level four body armor. One of these days, that man’s going to shoot the messenger.”
The two attorneys met in the county courthouse, outside of District Court 11, in an area reserved for just such assemblies.
Barlow started with the video, noting the other lawyer grimace several times during its three-minute length. After it was over, Tony regained his composure quickly. “That doesn’t prove anything, Adam. Everybody knows that it never looks good when the cops have to use force to subdue a rowdy suspect.”
“He didn’t try to evade, Counselor. Just a few days prior to this incident, my client monopolized a basketball game in which the officer’s son was the on-court opponent. That’s the true reason why Marwick pulled Jacob Chase over. He saw the kid drive by and decided to get a little payback.”
“Bullshit,” Tony pushed back. “According to the officer, the kid didn’t pull over for a significant distance. He was clearly trying to evade, buy time to dump his stash of dope, or something. Everybody knows the cops hate a runner more than anything.”
“There was no evasion, sir. There was no high-speed chase. The kid pulled over in less than two blocks after the lights came on, and he kept the speedometer below the limit.”
The prosecutor shook his head, “Again, Adam, you’re barking up the wrong tree. It’s the kid’s word against a cop, and we both know that the judge is going to believe an officer of the law over any teenager, no matter how good his jump shot is.”
Adam shook his head, pointing at the computer where a new video started playing.
The second recording was in black and white, depicting an image of a small parking lot, with a
Similar Books
