"I'd be honered to look over your case ADA Page." he said , all smiles....I know my dad and I know he was checking her out...
"Thank You So Much." said ADA Karen Page.
"This is sooo cool, your dad reviewing our case...honey bunny.." said Bee Bee, hugging me.
"Yeah, I guess..." I said..
My Father looked at me and Bee Bee together and smiled..
"Lawwwwd Jesus, that girl got all those hips and those big breasts and is probably driving my son crazy in the bed...If he doesn't marry that girl...he needs psychiatric attention.." he mused..
"Heyyy Judge Morrison, thanks for looking into our case." said Kahlil..
"Yess, thank you your honor.."said Sofia..
''Don't Mention it...I'm pleased to help you young people in any way I can..." he said, smiling and looking Sofia up and down..
"Ummmmmmmmmph, I know it was a hard choice between Bee Bee and Sofia for my son...This girl got the shapeliest legs I've ever seen , my lord....His friend Kahlil is one lucky guy..." he mused...
He looked on at Ms. Yvette, our boss..
''And his boss....Lawd Jesus..What I would do with her."" he mused..He couldn't take his eyes off of Ms. Yvette.
She was talking to Former ADA Jasmine Jenkins...She was in Private Practice...She
She was invovled in this too? Nothing but fine women in this case...He was going to love this...It beat sitting in a room with middle aged overweight men arguing a case...and it would give him a chance to get out of the courthouse and venture down to Penns Landing to that new building..
He had heard a lot about this building... It had just opened a few months ago....
Lt. Tragg was in the courthouse this morning...He saw Karen talking to Judge Morrison
''I've tried a few cases in your court...I'm honored to have you oversee one of my Wrongful Conviciton cases.."said Karen.
"I miss you here in the courthouse trying cases..."said My dad.
And he saw Yvette and us talking...
"I am so proud of the work you guys did...Not Just on Jason's case, but with Dabnis too. You just don't know how proud I am.."said Yvette, who was glowing like a proud parent..
"You gave us a job to do and we did it that's all.."I said and smiled.
"I'll be happy when we save this guy from being executed...That's what I care about.."said Bee Bee.
"I'm with Bee...we need to save this guy's life...."said Kahlil..
"Any News on Jimmy Farmer?" asked Sofia.
"He's got to be subpeoned.. he refused to talk to me and he's scheduled to be released from Jail next week.."said Jade.
"Karen, How are you? I haven't seen you in a few weeks around here."said Lt. Tragg..
"I'm working with the Wrongful Conviction Unit....I don't have a staff or an official office....I've been working out of a different building...People have been getting in contact with me through email or phone."said Karen...
"Oh? And where is that?" asked Lt. Tragg...
"By the way, what are you doing here? Aren't you on desk duty?" she asked changing the subject...She did not want him bothering her in her new building...
"They had me to deliver some forms to Process Serving over here...I hate being on Desk Duty...I'm an overpaid Administrative Assistant with a gun....I need to be back on the streets, solving crimes.." he said.
She suppressed an urge to bust out laughing... The streets were safer with him off of them she mused..
Jasmine walked over to Karen..
"Everything is set Karen...We are going to Sam Mothers for lunch...Care to Join us?" she asked.
''Don't mind if I do...I'm feeling pretty good about things and all.."said Karen...
''So Jazzy...You're working with Karen now?" asked Lt. Tragg.
"Just on this case....I'm still in Private Practice...Karen doesn't have any staff attorneys..She contracts out to handle these cases...Which is why she's been so successful, Olivia, Beverly and their team have handled a few cases...So has Yvette and her team and there are other attorneys on board..Over all this is a good thing." said Jasmine..
"I see...What kind of case are you guys working on now?" asked Lt. Tragg.
"Uh we should be going now...We've got some prep work to do for our hearing.. Goodbye Artie...see ya around." said Karen as she
whisked the seven us away and off to lunch.....
at Sam Mother's Diner.
Lt. Tragg looked miserable...
He longed to be back on the streets, in the thick of things...
II-
A FEW DAYS LATER-
Lt. Tragg sat at his desk...
He was enjoying a cup of coffee...There was nothing on his agenda as of yet...
Captain Eddie Cantrell walked into his office...
"I've got good news for you Artie...As of Monday, you go back into rotation at Homicide..Try to keep your nose clean...No Controversies....But today...I need you to grab two Sherrif's deputies...You're going over to CFC to transfer a prisoner to this address."said Eddie Cantrell..
"Jason Biggs?? What is he doing here? He's on Death Row at Stanga, where I put him some years ago.." said Lt. Tragg..
"According to this...He has been transferred to CFC...His case is under review by the Wrongful Conviction Unit...His Hearing is today...Get him and transfer him there..."said Capt. Eddie Cantrell.
"I don't believe this...I made a good case..ADA Patch told me as much..."said Lt. Tragg...
"Patch killed himself three years ago...I bet you wish he was here to tell theWrongful Conviction Unit the same thing huh?" said Captain Eddie Cantrell, laughing.. "Go get the prisoner Artie." he said and walked away..
He despised Captain Eddie Cantrell..They had been in the Academy Together , Made Detective the same time...He made Sgt First, The Ed Cantrell Made Sgt...He made Lieutenant first, Then Ed Cantrell made Lieutenant....and then Ed Cantrell made Captain....and was now his boss, his superior..He hated it...
Lt. Tragg and two sherrif's deputies went to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center and got Jason Biggs..
"Bet you didn't expect to see me again did ya convict?" said Lt. Tragg..
"No I didn't you keystone copper...Hopefully it'll be the last time.." said Jason...
"You're goin back to Death Row...Hearing or no hearing, Nobody is going to release you so don't get your hopes up."snarled Lt. Tragg.
He was impressed with the new building...
Totally shocked when he delivered the shackled Jason Biggs to the huge conference room and saw..
ADA Karen Page, Director, Wrongful Conviction Unit
Attorney Jasmine Jenkins, Defense
Attorney Yvette Jones, Defense
Gary Lockwood, Investigator for The D.A.'s Office
Attorney Keith Jones, Defense
Attorney Beatrice "Bee Bee" Evans, Defense
Attorney Sofia Garcia, Defense
Attorney Kahlil Ahmed, Defense
Jade Lee, Invstigator for the Defense.
''What The Hell?"asked an astonished Lt. Tragg, he now knew where Karen worked..
"Yeah clown...I've got real attorneys this time and real good investigators..They're gonna expose the poor job you did...I'm not handicapped with an overworked and green Public Defender like I had the last time.."said Jason Biggs, who did not hide his total disdain for Lt. Tragg, the man who arrested him so many years ago and was responsible for him being on death row for a crime he insisted he did not commit.
Hot doughnuts and coffee was on the table..Served to Jason and the Attorneys present..
"Karen, is this where you work? What is this?" asked Lt. Tragg.
"It's a hearing Arthur..."said Karen, walking away...She was sure sorry he had found out where she was working..
Judge Morrison walked in...
"Sorry I'm late...You can begin when you're ready..."said My Dad..
III-
Ms. Yvette and Jasmine gave the opening arguments for the defense...Impassioned arguments that while not naming him specifically pointed out that a sloppy police investigation and rush to judgement led to many discrepancies in the case.. They even implied that the Late ADA PAtch willingly left key aspects of culpable evidence out of the original case..
Bee Bee was up next...
My Father was fixated on her like a hungry wolf..
"Lawd that's probably my future daughter in law...but she is fine as hell." he mused..
Bee Bee stated that The murder weapon has never been tested for DNA evidence. Requests for DNA testing of crime scene evidence, including of a belt that was used as the murder weapon, have been repeatedly denied by the Pennsylvania Court of Criminal Appeals. And the United States Supreme Court declined to directly review the Pennsylvania courts’ denial of DNA testing in 2018.
1. The State’s three forensic experts have admitted on the record to errors in their testimonies, which led to Jason's conviction and death sentence.
The three forensic experts from Jason's’s original trial have since submitted affidavits stating that Laura’s original time of death is inaccurate, which makes the prosecution’s timeline of Jason's allegedly killing her implausible.
2. Jason Biggs and Laura Lee Lyles were having a consensual sexual relationship. At the time of the trial, no one came forward to corroborate their relationship. But today, new witnesses including Stacey’s own cousin and co-worker have corroborated Rodney’s claim that they knew that he and Stacey were romantically involved.
Bee Bee presented the three forensic experts who gave their new testimony.... The Murder weapon was presented...It did not have Jason's DNA or fingerprints on it at all...It did however have James Farmer's fingerprints and sweaty DNA.
Kahlil with Jade presented several witnesses... People who worked with both Jason Biggs and Laura Lyles and came forth conforming that the two had had a sexual and consensual relationship...This had not been brought up in the original trial...
They presented a cousin who knew first hand about the relationship between the two..The cousin told them that Jimmy Farmer, her fiance found out about it and he was livid....They were getting ready to call the wedding off in the last week of Laura's life...
They all signed affadavits and allowed their testimonies to be videotaped.. They gave live testimony saying much of the same thing..
Bee Bee and I called
Dr. Hazel Baylor
Doc Gibbons
and Doctor Cyril White.
The three of them, All Forensic Investigators and Coroners all concluded and testified that in their opinion after examining the body again and looking over all of the forensic evidence provided... concluded that Jason's guilt was medically and scientifically impossible.
The prosecution’s only forensic evidence linking Jason to the crime was semen taken from Laura’s body, and her panties ,which was attributed to the consensual relationship between them. The prosecution used this to connect him to the murder and refute their consensual romantic relationship, but the testimony supporting this theory has since been recanted, completely discrediting the State’s case.
Sofia, Gary and I were next...
We called Sheriff's Deputy Curt Moody..He stated that Jimmy Farmer had always been a bad cop...He smoked ,drank and used drugs,illegal drugs..and he lied about damn near everything...
He had told him he had been out drinking at the time of the murder....
Then later on it was found out that he wasn't...The bar caught on fire that night...He then changed his story and said that he was at home with Laura the night she was murdered and that he saw the assailant fleeing the house...
A story he then changed a third time..
We got him on videotape .
We got lucky...
We also were able to get videotapes of his original intterogation in which he told a third story...This was great...
We interviewed two other people who claim he made incriminating statements and a retired Deputy Sherrif with the Montgomery County District Attorney's office who claimed he made incriminating statements concerning his Fiance's murder well after the murder when he was in custody for an unrelated crime..
Jimmy Farmer was eventually fired from The Philadelphia Police Department and in County Lock up for an unrelated offense..
He testified that He told all of this to both Lt. Tragg and ADA Patch and that neither put it in discovery or informed the Public Defender defending Jason Biggs..
Judge Morrison called for a recess...
"Lt. Tragg..I need you and the Sherrif's deputies to go to The House of Detention and bring Jimmy Farmer here... After I hear from him...I'll make my decision...but based on what I've heard...I'm almost ready to make my decision.." he said..
We broke for lunch...
Jasmine hugged every one of us..
"You Guys were fabulous.." she said..
"Thank You." I said.
"Thank You.."said Bee Bee.
"Thank you."said Sofia..
"Thanks."said Kahlil..
"Things look good for you Jason...Hopefully we won't have to go to trial..If we do, we are prepared..and we have enough to win...but I don't think we will,I really don't.."said Yvette.
"Anything is better than facing a needle and knowing you're innocent.."said Jason Biggs, who had been somewhat of a jailhouse lawyer for years, filing briefs and writing different lawyers trying to get someone to take his case..
"I think you got this one won right here...I can't see a new trial being ordered, not based on what I'm seeing." said Dabnis.
"I hope you're right."said Jasmine..
Lt. Tragg said to Gary...
"You don't see where this is a conflict of Interest Lockwood??.. You're an Investigator for the D.A.'s office..Not Yvette Jones...I realize she's very pretty and charming...but you can't hang on to her bra straps like a whipped puppy...Garcetti is going to hear about this...So is Rockland Cambridge." he said.
Gary laughed..He wanted to respond.. "At least Yvette makes it worth my while..We make love every night...How are you and Karen Page doing?" but he didn't say that..
"You don't think they know I'm here?" he said instead!
"Arthur ,Gary is working for me...I borrowed his services from Rockland Cambridge with D.A. Garcetti's full knowledge....I think you should be on your way to the House of Corrections to pick up Jimmy Farmer." said Karen Page, who had overheard their conversation and was livid at the implication..Which was as usual on Lt. Tragg's part wrong!
Lt. Tragg was beet red..He stomped his foot and left with the two Sherrif's deputies..
IV-
Back in the conference room.....
Bee Bee and I shared a soft kiss during the break..
"Ummmmm I just love you girl.." I moaned in between kisses.
"I love you too!" Bee Bee whispered.
Sofia and Kahlil were also kissing in the corner on the other side of this huge room.
"I love you Kahlil!" Sofia whispered softly...
''I love you too Little Mamasita." he whispered back
They kissed passionately in the corner..
and right outside the door, We weren't hungry, at least not for food...So we stayed right there ,enjoying each other.
"Thank You Gary for all your help...I'm so glad Rockland let Karen borrow you so we could work together."said Yvette in between kisses...
''I was getting ready to volunteer.." laughed Gary as he and Yvette continued to kiss passionately on the street in front of the building.
It was passion central..
Standing downstairs, around the corner from the building..
Dabnis and Jasmine were kissing..
"Mmmmm this is my favorite color dress you have on....Do you have matching panties to go with it..?" he asked.. Jasmine's eyebrows raised....
"Ouuuuuuuu! That's a thing with you isn't it? ''laughed Jasmine.. "I tell you what,After this trial is over, you can go with me and help me pick out matching pairs for all of my outfits that you like,how about that?" said Jasmine..in between more kisses.
"You'd do that for me?" asked Dabnis..
"You're going to be my husband...Yes...I would..I want you to be happy."said Jasmine..
"You are the best.And I am Happy...Very Happy" he said..
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww"said Jasmine.
who rewarded him with another kiss...
The Hearing was back in session...A sullen Jimmy Farmer sat shackled in the conference room..
with his Public Defender. Her body language revealed that she was repulsed by him, but had to take the job....
Jasmine presented . Two witnesses who had come forward after Jason's conviction and submitted signed affidavits that added to the mounting evidence against Jimmy Farmer. These affidavits included testimony from an insurance salesperson who stated that Jimmy threatened to kill Laura while applying for life insurance. The second witness was a Deputy in the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the murder to whom Jimmy made an alarming and incriminating statement regarding Laura's body at her funeral.
They both testified to Farmer's statements..
He laughed and stated.."They're liars.."
His Public Defender asked to see the Affadavits...She observed them and she questioned the people who testified hard... They basically stuck to their stories.. In All fairness ,she had next to no time to prepare for this hearing...She was called at the last minute...but she did alright...
His attorney questioned the former Ku Klux Klansmen, but could not break his story...He stuck to it...She argued hearsay, but that wasn't going over with Judge Morrison.
Judge Morrison said.
"I've heard enough!!!....I'd like to commend all of the Attorneys and Investigators for a job well done..I have heard enough compelling evidence to void the death sentence and conviction of Jason Biggs completely and to rule that he is innocent as charged...He is to be released from custody immediately..." he said.
"Mr. Farmer ,there is enough compelling evidence here for you to be held over for trial on a charge of First Degree Murder...Cuff him and return him to the House of Detention.."
Lt. Tragg read him his rights...The Sherrif's deputies handcuffed him and returned him to the House of Corrections..
Newly freed Jason Biggs hugged Karen Page, Yvette Jones and Jasmine Jenkins..
"THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!....I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN." he said, sobbing..
He hugged me, Bee Bee, Sofia ,Kahlil and Jade.
"THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH...YOU GUYS WERE MY GUARDIAN ANGELS!!" he said..
He stared balefully at Lt. Tragg, who had once again loused up a case....He wanted to curse him out..
''I know how you feel, but don't....You're a free man now.. Pick up the pieces of your life..Forget about everybody else.." said ADA Karen Page.
She was relieved herself to be on the winning side of a case involving Lt. Tragg..
It was great, No new trial was to be ordered...It was all handled in a day...
Lt. Tragg walked out into the hallway where he was face to face with Dabnis Coley...
He was tempted to say something smart, but he held his tongue...No need to rub it in...He had grown.
He had learned from Olivia and Beverly that being arrogant and rubbing an opponents nose in something was immature and dishonorable..They never did that, they kept it movin...He would also.
He turned and walked away...saying nothing.
Lt. Tragg headed for the elevators with his prisoner, furious...
"Well guys...Thank you for making this another successful case..It was great working with you."said Karen..
"I've got a surprise for you Karen...DA Garcetti was on the phone with the partners in my firm... They have an office for you in my law firm's suite upstairs....So your Wrongful Conviction Unit will officially operate out of this building."said Jasmine..
"Really? Ohhhh My...That is great news."said Karen...
"I'm Happy for you.."said Yvette..
"I'm Happy for her too...Now..we have the rest of the afternoon off..Why don't you come to my place and give me a happy ending?" asked Gary...
Yvette smiled..
"Okay! You certainly deserve it! " she said..
She kissed Gary like it was no tomorrow.. devouring his lips.. This made everything worth it.. He knew he was hopelessly in love with Yvette.
At our apartment...
I was in Bee Bee's room, helping her get undressed..
Kissing her passionately...
and eventually making sweet love to her..
this time, we could take our time...There was no rush...Our bed was squeaking off the chain...headboard ,rattling...
Across the living room from us..in Sofia's room.
She and Kahlil..
were doing the same thing,undressing
and making sweet love...
their bed squeaking and headboard slamming against the wall just like ours..
and across the street,
Ms. Jade and Danny Ho were making sweet love..
a nice way to end a long case...
At Gary's house...
He and Yvette stood on his terrace looking out at the city..
They had made sweet love for hours...
and were staring out the window..
looking out at the city..
"I don't think anybody went out to drink tonight...I'm bettin everybody is at home doing what we are doing.."said Gary..
"I know my babies are...They're like rabbits...always steaming up the walls..."laughed Yvette..
Gary kissed Yvette's neck...He put his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight.....
"I'd like to steam up the walls with you a little more." he said softly..continuing to kiss her neck and her earlobes...
Yvette smiled..
"I've got you sooo spoiled.."she said.. She turned around and took him by the hand...
"Come on..."she said, smiling as she took his robe off...
"I've got you spoiled too." said Gary...
''Ouuuuuuu yesssssssssssssss…"cooed Yvette..
They kissed softly and fell upon his huge sofa....
"Jasmine do you need to have a big wedding?" asked Dabnis..
''Well I'd like to have one, I've never been married before.Why do you ask?" asked Jasmine..
"I'd like to marry you now...Go down to the Justice of the Peace in City Hall with a few witnesses. Tomorrow!"said Dabnis..
Jasmine's eyes got large...She smiled sweetly, then she laughed...
''Wow!!...You really want to marry me don't you??....I AM FLATTERED...WOWWW! How bout I push the date up to next month?" said Jasmine..
"Okay...that will work..."said Dabnis..
"I can't believe this...I'm about to get married.."she said..
''Never thought it would be to me.huh?" he said..
''No, but you aren't a bad choice...You dress nice, you smell nice...We both like the same things, many of the same things...We're both Attorneys...Have the same values...That's how we became friends.. You and me...We always got along."She said.. It was true after all..
They began kissing passionately...Jasmine began devouring his lips again...She loved kissing him..
"Oh yeah....I'm wearing Mint green panties...just in case you wanted to know.." she whispered..
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god..." he moaned as he undressed her..
and she undressed him...
''I can't believe that turns you on so." she giggled..
''Everything about you turns me on.." he moaned..
Jasmine ran her index finger across Dabnis's lips..
"Know what I think?" she said, smiling..
"What?" he asked..
"I think, youuuu have liked me for a very long time...Longer than you want to admit..You just were afraid I'd shoot you down.." she said..
He didn't answer..
"You don't have to say anything...I know this." she said..
They fell upon the bed..kissing and making sweet love...
"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm , okay...I confess....I always did have kind of a thing for you.." he admitted..
"That night I first kissed you ,you thought you hit the jackpot didn't you?" she laughed.
"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss.." he said.
"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..I hit the jackpot too...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." she cooed..
CURLEY'S BAR-
ADA Karen Page sat alone tonight...A big difference from a week ago when she was here with twelve of her dearest friends..She knew everyone was with their significant other tonight..
B.L. was taping his show...She didn't feel like being alone ,so she was here having a drink..
A Mango Martini..She hoped she could have this drink and get out before He showed up, but she was too late..
Lt. Arthur Tragg walked in...Saw her sitting alone and invited himself to her table..
"Welllllll he said...It's been a log time since we sat together..." he said.\
"Not Long enough." she muttered under her breath....How she wished Yvette was here with her...or Olivia...Anybody!
"I'm off desk Duty...I'm back on the streets again.." he said happily...
"I know you're happy."said Karen Page...
He ran his hands up her dress, rubbing her legs...
"Know what would really make me happy?" he said raffishly...
"Well we can't have everything we want.."said Karen, who removed his hand from under her dress.
"Karen look, I want you so bad I can taste you....I can be very discreet, we are both adults and we are both alone tonight...Let's got to a cheap motel or something, get a bottle of wine and spend the night together..Come on..What do you say? You know you almost went home with me two times." he said.
''Almost is only in Horse shoes Arthur."said Karen..
as she finished her drink...
"I'll order you another one.." he said.
"No...That was my third...That's my limit."she said and paid her tab...
''So what are you going to do, go home alone?
"You know I thought I was...but it doesn't look like I will." she said smiling and got up...
B.L. was coming into the bar...She got up and walked over to him..
''We finished taping early tonight, so I came looking for you...I figured you'd be here..We interviewed that Jason Biggs guy...Great show." laughed B.L. "I'm starving...You mind sitting with me while I order a steak?" he asked..
"I don't mind sitting with you at all." said Karen.
They kissed passionately...
B.L. and Karen moved to another table and ordered
Beers
and a New York Strip Steak from the kitchen....
Curly looked over at his friend's son..
Lt. Tragg...he looked sad..He thought about what Karen had told him..
"Well we can't have everything we want.." she said.. She was right!
No comments:
Post a Comment