VENTURES: Mergers and Reconciliations

With the trial looming....We began our day.....with breakfast

Omelettes, because they were easy to prepare...

Sausages

Hash Browns and hot coffee and round table discussions..

"This looks like it could be one of the easiest cases we ever tried.." said Olivia..

"They have next to no physical evidence... A murder weapon with no DNA or Prints ,found halfway across town.."said Beverly.

"A defendant with no motive whatsoever.." said Nelson..

''And not one eyewitness.."said Josie.

"Her Ex-husband owed a lot of people money...A lot of shady people and he had beat up some low level hood pretty bad just a week before he was killed.."I said..

Often Joined by our friends, Philly ADA Karen Page

and her boyfriend, B.L. Benz..

The T.V. journalist who was getting the scoop of his life..

Days were spent in the Law Library in town..

It was a nice size and the girls said it afforded them privacy...

Olivia, Beverly , Nelson and Josie worked on trial strategy and arguments as well as questions...

ADA Karen Page pretended to be the Prosecutor and put it to them the way a prosecutor would ,asking good questions and helping them to find their way out...

It was invaluable help...

I spent my days trying to see if there was anything more to this baffling murder.... I did catch a shadowy figure in a Black hoodie, too large to be our client, exiting the back of the victim's apartment on the night of the murder...but that was all..

II-

Attorneys David and Tywanda Snowden announced that they were not divorcing and that they had settled their differences amicably....

''Wowww, they got back together..Imagine that!" said Beverly...

"That was a power move my dear.... At first she was in the drivers seat, about to get the house and some of his cars and a considerable amount of money....He was losing the race to be District Attorney...So she upped the ante..Bailed out his lover, fed the story to the press about him hiring us to defend her and that coupled with a nasty messy divorce was going to sink him..."said Olivia..

"Only Butts got deep sixed when his own scandalous extra marital homosexual relationship was exposed, knocking him out the box..and leaving the way clear for David to be the first African-American D.A."said Nelson...

"That's right...They have no real proof that he brought us here...or really that he and Veronica are or were ever an item....Now she was losing...So she cashed in her chips and made him an offer...He gets what he wants and I'll bet she'll get that practice in a few months...It's a win win..both ways."said Olivia..

"But Liv you were kind of in the same situation.. and.." said Josie..

"Difference is...I didn't want him back...I wanted out....I took it all and got what I wanted..."said Olivia.

I walked in just then....Olivia's eyes lit up....She smiled..

"I got everything I wanted..." she said...

and she gave me a big kiss...….

"Ummmmmmmm every damn thing I wanted..." she said.

III-

The trial began....

ADA Jessie Snell seemed to be more interested in photo ops and seemed to have his eyes on the ladies..

This included our client, Veronica Layton,

ADA Karen Page...who he made small talk with in the hallway

and of course,

Josie ,Beverly and Olivia , the three attoreys who would be trying the case against him...He was so distracted that he didn't notice, but they did ,that he had a huge erection that was very visible to the women jurors..

Only Lt. Tragg could have done as bad an investigation or as slip shod an investigation as Lt. Borse of Santa Monica Homicide..

Olivia, Beverly ,Nelson and Josie ripped holes into the prosecutions entire theory....The only witnesses they called were the policemen, Crime Scene Investigators and Forensics people at the scene..

Not one eyewitness, Not one witness period that put our client at the scene...We on the other hand had her in the Starbucks halfway across town at the same time of the murder..and half a dozen witnesses to corroborate her story...

They had a murder weapon registered to her that she hadn't used or seen in a year...Her husband had it and not one print or DNA belonging to our client on it...

This trial lasted a little over four days...

IV-

THIRTY MINUTES AFTER THE TRIAL-

"Bailiff read the Verdict!" said The Judge...

" WE THE JURY FIND THE DEFENDENT, VERONICA LAYTON, NOT GUILTY!!" they said..

"YAYYYYYYY, You guys did it! Thank Goodness that is over!" screamed a jubilant Veronica Layton..

''Well you got your life back!"said Olivia.

"I know you're glad that's over girlfriend." said Beverly...

"Yesssss...I was divorcing my husband and as crazy as things got...I would have never of killed him...I didn't hate him.."said Veronica.

"Well not to be a downer...but I guess you heard, David Snowden and his wife reconciled.."said Nelson, addressing the elephant in the room...

"How do you feel about that?" I asked.

Veronica shrugged..

"I could be angry, hurt...but I'm above all of that...After all, he did hire you guys and got me out of a jam." said Veronica..I'll always be grateful to him for that.." said Veronica.

"Besides, you can have any guy you want.."said Josie..

"Oh I have a date tonight..."said Veronica..

ADA Jessie Snell walked out of his chambers..

"I'm ready baby.." he said.

''Do you realize your trousers are standing out like a circus tent? don't make it so obvious you're horny.." she whispered...

"Then let's get to my place and take care of this." he said and then looked at us one last time..

"Olivia ,Beverly and team...It was nice trying a case against you...Have a safe flight back home." he said.

"Thank you guys...Thanks for everything.." said Veronica..

Beverly watched the two of them leave...

"Did you get the impression that he didn't want to win that case?" said Nelson..

"Now that you mention it Nelson...I'll always be wondering.."said Olivia.

"Funny how things work out."said Josie..

"Isn't it?" I said..

EPILOUGE-

David Snowden went on to become the First African American District Attorney in the County....

His wife, Tywanda Snowden did start her own law firm with three Associate Attorneys and an Investigator and an Office Manager within a year..They rented out an office suite in one of the newer buildings in downtown Santa Monica.

The Murder Of Sean Layton is still open and unsolved..

With Lt. Borse on the Case...It will probably remain that way...