It featured Cocky ADA Jim "Jumpshot Jim" Taylor, who was an All American College Basketball Player , until a torn ACL ended his promising college and possible NBA career . led to him entering and finishing law school and passing the bar... He had been a good Public Defender and was an even better Assistant District Attorney..
He was making his sumnation of the murder case he was trying...
"Your Honor...The Prosecution rests." he said, Smiling his kilowatt smile that was making most of the females in the court swoon...
He was one of the city's most eligable Bachelors...
Sitting next to him was Lt. Tragg, with a pleased as punch look on his face...He was certain this one was going into the win column..
The defendent, Jessie Luther , looked nervous...very nervous...
His attorney, David Rodney....A Veteren Defense Attorney, who had been in over 100 of these type of cases patted him on the shoulder..
"Don't worry son...We got this...They don't have much of a case.." he assured him...
Court dismissed...
Ms. Yvette stood outside the courtroom with Sofia, Bee Bee, Myself, Attorney Keith Jones and Kahlil Ahmed.. Jade was with us too!
"This man" she said with reverence..."This man is responsible for me being an Attorney...I don't know what I might have been had he not come to my high school on career day when I was in 11th grade." she said..
''Wow , the mentor of our mentor.."said Sofia.
"I can't wait to meet him...For us to tell him who Ms. Yvette was...before she became Ms. Yvette." said Bee Bee..
What we watched was a master in action....David Rodney wasn't surprised by anything the prosecution threw at him and had discredited three of the five witnesses...He didn't panic either..
He let the police who were on the scene, the Crime Scene Investigators, The Medical Examiners staff all testify and he didn't cross examine them...He didn't need to...It was a pleasure and an education watching him at work...
Kahlil thought so too!
Jade wondered who his investigator was....
"You're Firing me? You can't be serious...I haven't begun your defense...I told you....They didn't have much...I can win this...I can get you off...You have to let me finish this...I promised your dad..."said Attorney David Rodney..
''Dave...Dave.. You dozed off three times during the proceedings....The Judge had to wake you up once and you didn't ask the cops or the CSI or the Medical Examiner's staff one question during cross.." said the defendent Jessie Luther..
"That's because I knew what they were going to say...Come on...A lot of that testimony was known facts...None of it pointed to you...Frankly, it was boring...A couple of the jurors dozed off...Listen, Jumpshot Jim Taylor is all flash...He's like Cotton Candy, tastes good, looks good...No substance...He has no case and Lt. Tragg didn't recanvass that crime scene..I 'm going to bring all that out...I got this.. Trust me..."said David Rodney...
"No...I'm sorry Dave...No Offense....Believe me...I know of your reputation...but perhaps you've been around the track one too many times....I'm going with Pruitt....I already made my mind up yesterday...I've already retained him...I'm very sorry...I'll pay you up until now for what you've done..but I'm going with Pruitt." said Jessie Luther.
"Jeff Pruitt? Really? He won one big case five years ago...He wrote a book about it and the book got turned into a movie...He went out to Hollywood and served as technical advisor on that movie..The damn movie flopped..Then he was technical advisor on a Television show loosely based on his career, which was mostly bullshit and the show got cancelled after two episodes...He's back in town because he needs money....He hasn't tried a case in five years...COME ONNNNNNNNNNNN!"said David Rodney...
"I'm Sorry Dave...My decision has been made..I'm going with Pruitt..I'm sorry...You'll have a check tomorrow.." said Jessie Luther..
Unfortunately...We heard that entire exchange..
Yvette was devestated ,She was embarrassed for him.....
''David I'm sooo sorry.." she said..
He saw Yvette and smiled and hugged her, rocking her back and forth...
"AHHHH His Loss....VETTIE!!!! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? WHAT DO YA SAY?? WHAT DO YA KNOW?" laughed David Rodney as though nothing had happened..
"You still at McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Prattnow right? You make partner yet?" he asked.
"No, not yet..They say I'm on the fast track...but who knows? I am a Senior Associate Attorney and I supervise these guys...
ATTORNEY SOFIA GARCIA
"Pleased to meet you sir." she said..
ATTORNEY KEITH JONES,
"Pleased to meet you sir." I said..
ATTORNEY BEATRICE EVANS...We call her "Bee Bee"
"Pleased to make your acquaintence sir.." she said..
ATTORNEY KAHLIL AHMED..
"Pleased to meet you sir." he said.
AND THIS IS JADE LEE, our investigator..
"Charmed." she said.
"Good Lookin bunch of kids....Look at you...Senior Associate Attorney , huh?? supervising this fine bunch...I'm so proud of you Vettie...My protoge' , Let's get out of here.. Grab some lunch and I'll tell you guys how I met your boss.."laughed David.
II-
He was no slouch, He took us to a nice rooftop restaurant
We had New York Strip Steaks
A Nice Baked Potato with butter just melting..
Mango Martinis
Citris Martinis for Yvette, Jade, Bee Bee and Sofia..
"Dave this is sooo nice...Thank you...But you didn't have to do this.."said Yvette..
"Thank You sooo much." said Jade..
'This isn't lunch, this is dinner." said Bee Bee.
''Yesssssssssssssssss.." agreed Sofia.
And Beers for Me, Kahlil and Himself..
"Thanks, you knew just what kind of beer we like." I said.
''Thank you again.."said Kahlil.
"It's my pleasure...It's not often I uh have anybody to eat with...My partner in my firm died last year and my long time investigator, died this year...."said David , who seemed like a once vibrant and energetic man, who was now very lonely.
''So Tell us..Who was Ms. Yvette before she was Ms. Yvette?" asked Bee Bee.
"I can start with that...I was in Eleventh Grade...I was a C student... I was insecure about my looks, about everything...Boys were just starting to notice me...but for all the wrong reasons...I had no direction, No guidance in life...I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with my life and In just a few months...I was going to be a Senior...
Then one day , we had something called Career day and this little Jewish guy here walked into my life...He talked about being an Attorney...He spoke with such passion, such enthusiasm that I was hooked...I was curious.." said Yvette.
"I must do oh five or ten of these presentations at schools around the city every year...Only this was different...This cute little ,shy Black girl followed me after the presentation...She had a thousand questions...Good questions...Sign of a good attorney...I asked her how her grades were, she told me..''Not so good..about average..' I said , if you're serious...Then start now...Making good grades...The best you can...So you can go to college...You want to take Administration of Justice, Trial Advocacy and take a foreign language...and read...read everything and anything you can get your hands on...I gave her a business card....I said Call me from time to time, let me know how you're doing. I didn't expect to hear from her.." laughed David..
"But you did huh?" I laughed..
"Boy did I...She called me after she got her next report card....Straight A's....She asked me what subjects she should be taking to get her ready...I told her, English, History, a language and if her school had a debating team, to join it.. She did everything I said.. and from that time until she graduated with honors.. I got a call from her at least twice a month..."laughed Dave looking at Yvette..
"I know I got on his nerves....I got accepted at Lasalle and I was on the Deans List every semester....I majored in Administration of Justice and Trial Advocacy ..I took French and Spanish and my grades didn't drop when I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha in my Junior year...That's how focused I was.." said Yvette...
"The three of us were on the Deans List every semester at Temple.." said Kahlil..
Kahlil didn't pledge anything...but he kept me and Sofia together...Made sure we went to class and helped us study..We pledged Delta Sigma Theta our sophmore year..."said Bee Bee..
''Yeah , it was grueling, but our G.P.A. did not drop."said Sofia..
"You all are amazing...Anyway....I helped Yvette study for and pass the LSAT's....And I was overjoyed when she told me she got accepted at the University Of Pennsylvania Law School."said David.
"The four of us are all graduates of Penn Law School." I said.
"OUTSTANDING...I used the G.I. Bill and Got my Law Degree from U.C.L.A. after I got out of the Army..Anyway..Little Ms. Yvette graduated from Penn Law school and passed the bar without any help from me...And she came to work for me as an Associate Attorney at my little firm..for about two years wasn't it Vettie?" he said.
''Yes..Two years, almost three.."said Yvette.
"I hated to see her go...but she was young...and money was calling...Money I couldn't pay her...She started at MCCLUSKEY /COZEN/CONNOR AND PRATT, Wasn't Pratt then, just McCLUSKEY/COZEN AND CONNOR...And the next time I saw Vettie, she was driving a Lexus
and wearing new clothes..New Hairstyle.. I was happy for her...This skinny little high school girl had blossomed into an Attorney, a big time Attorney and a beautiful young lady... and look at her now....Senior Associate Attorney and mentoring you guys...I am sooo proud of her.." said David.
III-
Then the conversation grew somber..
"I'm sorry that little priveleged jerk fired you...I heard him say he's going to hire Jeff Pruit...Really?
He hasn't seen the inside of a real courtroom in five years...Other than that one big case he won...I never heard of him...He wrote his little book and they made that movie that I think went direct to cable and then he was Technical advisor on that TV show.. "JOHNNY LAW", which got cancelled after two episodes...Now he's back in town trying to actually practice law....That kid is making a big mistake,."said Yvette.
"Nah, maybe not for him...Which leads me to my decision...That was my last trial.....I'm hanging em up Vettie...I've tried well over 200 cases...Won most of em...I'm burned out...I don't have the stomach for this....Not anymore...My partner is dead...My Investigator is dead....My wife left me...I'm tired Vettie.. I've looked at a few offers to teach...A good one at Middleton Law School ,right outside of town that I may take...It's less stress and the money is good..." said David..
"The law is your life...Can you really give it all up ?" asked Jade.
"Yeah...I can....I don't have what you have Vettie...You got these kids....I've seen you around with that guy who is an investigator for the D.A.'s office...Lockwood..
Gary Lockwood...He's your boyfriend....
"You have people in your life Vettie...Friends, a lover...Always keep people in your life...I have nobody....It's not fun for me anymore and I always said that when it stopped being fun..I'd walk away...Now is the best time..I'm going to teach and move into a nice small apartment in Bayside...Don't worry...I'll be alright...Come Visit me...Maybe you guys can help me teach a class or two.." he said..and laughed..
He paid for all of our meals and our drinks and he smiled..
"Good Bye Vettie ,Take Care of Yourself...Nice meeting you kids." he said.
"Good bye David...You take care of yourself too." said Yvette..hugging her mentor..
"Take Care of yourself.."said Sofia..
"Thank You....Take care of Yourself.."said Jade..
"Goodbye Mr.Rodney,It was nice meeting you.."said Bee Bee.
"Goodbye Sir.."I said, Shaking his hand..
"Goodbye Sir." said Kahlil..
"I hope to hear Big Things from all of you.." said David Rodney as he bid us goodbye..
IV-
The next few weeks, I was fortunate... I got to work a very controversial Murder Case with my girlfriend, Bee Bee and Olivia ,Beverly and Donnie Ray..
We worked at their Duplex-Office every day until time for court.. They hired us as extra attorneys because they didn't have Josie or Nelson on this case...
Nelson did help us on Jury Selection and Profiling and Voir dire... He got us 11 of the 12 jurors we needed..Couldn't ask for better than that. He was involved in a case of his own at the time..
A case we successfully defended and won... Retired Attorney David Rodney, an admirer of Olivia and Beverly was there with Ms. Yvette for the verdict..
"Those two are stars in the Making Vettie...They're damn good and if hotshots like Olivia and Beverly ask for them....You know they're pretty good." said David..
"They Are good kids...both of them..I'm very proud of them." said Yvette..
Ms. Yvette, Sofia, Ms. Jade were soon working downtown with the Wrongful Conviction Unit and ADA Karen Page..
.
on a case in which a client had been wrongfully convicted...
Retired Attorney, Now Law Professor, David Rodney showed up a few days to watch the proceedings of this case too..
Attorney Jessica Sanchez-Burrows, who he had also mentored and who had clerked for him when she was a newly minted Attorney was there..They had a nice reunion...It truly was a small world.
She introduced him to her husband, Attorney Charles "Chip " Burrows. who was helping us on this case..
It was an Innocence Project Case,
which Ms. Yvette and Sofia were all too happy to assist on...
Bee Bee and I's business with Olivia and Beverly was over, so we were there too, even though we didn't take part in the proceedings...We were there to watch and because we felt bored and lonely having nothing to do..
We got Judge Geraldine Tracy to preside...She had presided over David Rodney's last case...She tossed out the original conviction...Another victory for us and Karen Page's wrongful conviction project....
She smiled when she saw Defense Attorney, David Rodney....She had always liked and respected him..
"Mr. Rodney, I understand you've retired...What are you doing with yourself...?" she asked.
"I live in Bayside now and I teach Criminal Law at Middleton Law School, right outside of town...Every now and then I come into the city to watch my former students in action..Such as today and at a trial last week.." he said.
"I sure wish that kid hadn't of fired you....He could use your help....That Pruitt is an idiot, he doesn't know what the hell he is doing...He's asked for three continuances..and that , that pretty boy "Jumpshot Jim "Taylor, the ADA....I've never seen anybody so full of themselves as he is...He's more concerned with his army of female admirers than prosecuting the case...and that obnoxious and inept Lt. Tragg...Ouuuuuu I wish I didn't have this case...It's a circus...I think Pruitt is going to lose it.." she said.
"Not my problem anymore Gerry....For me, the rat race is over.." laughed David Rodney...
"You've earned it...Good Luck to you David." she said..
A week later, Kahlil, Josie Boyd, Nelson ,Jazzy and Dabnis were in court defending a woman accused of murder...Kahlil had put this team together and crafted a masterful defense...
They had worked along side of us at Olivia and Beverly's duplex/office , the entire time.
Private Investigator, Kevin Morris had given them his services....He and his agency had done a stellar job..
Their case had co-incided with Bee Bee and My case...The one we worked on with Olivia and Beverly...They got a Not Guilty Verdict also...\
Bee Bee and I,Sofia , Ms. Yvette and Jade were in the courtroom for the verdict in their case to show support..
So was David Rodney....
He smiled..
"Yvette...I've observed your kids these past few weeks....Working with other attorneys , working some pretty difficult cases...You are mentoring them well..The four of them have very successful legal careers ahead of them and I expect you to either make partner soon or start your own law firm..You've got just the team to do it.. Olivia started with much less...Just her niece and her husband and look how successful she is...Added two more attorneys to her group...You got four good ones right here and an investigator.." he laughed..
''All I need is a rich husband to divorce."laughed Yvette ,making an aside to how Olivia won a huge settlement from her first husband, which was how she was able to buy that Duplex/Office, where she and Beverly and Donnie Ray and Nelson lived and worked there with Josie..
We all had a big laugh.....That was the last time we saw David Rodney for awhile anyway....He seemed to enjoy teaching law and didn't miss the courtroom battles.
''Everybody has to find their Happy Medium." said Ms. Yvette.."I suppose he has found his now."
It had been a successful few weeks..
None of these cases had anything to do with Lt. Tragg...Not our case with Olivia and Beverly, Not Ms. Yvette and Sofia's wrongly convicted case and Not Kahlil's murder case...We all worked in peace and ate our meals in peace...
All of us erred on the side of caution and ate at our new spot in Camden..
Lt. Tragg
didn't seem to notice that we weren't around..Now of days , He was as happy as a clam...He felt as though at last he had a winning case..
He came in and ordered his usual.
Fried eggs
Hash Browns
Sausage
and coffee..
This wasn't lost on Yvette's boy friend, D.A.'s Investigator, Gary Lockwood..sitting with Yvette and hugging her...
"Lt. Tragg is a lot happier now of days. He is so glad he's not facing Olivia and Beverly and crew or you and your snot nosed kids as he calls them." laughed Gary.
"He must be happy, he hasn't come over here to bother us." said Yvette, placing a soft kiss on Gary's Lips...
"Ummmmmmmmmm this is such a peaceful time." said Yvette.
"Yeah, you guys have all been split up, working in different teams, on cases that have nothing to do with him for a change. laughed Lt.. Danny Ho of Robbery-Homicide.
"We were all relieved to be working on cases that had nothing to do with him...." said Jade.
As they sipped their coffees..
"Look at him, just as pleased as punch... I haven't seen him this happy since he had his hands up some woman's skirt.." said Gary..
Looking at a smiling and content Lt. Tragg.
Danny Ho cracked up laughing..
Everybody was Happy for now...but you have to know...All of that was soon coming to an end....
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