VENTURES: Shut It Down

The Parking Lot of Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility...

"Thank You so much for bringing me up to see Sammy." said his wife..Lisa..

"Don't mention it...We had to see him anyway...And what better than for us to bring you up here.." said Ms. Yvette.

"We've fine tuned your defense...And we are certain we will get an acquittal this time.." I said.

"That horrible Judge won't be coming back to this trial..I assure you." said Bee Bee.

"And we've shot even more holes into the ADA and Lt. Tragg's case, which I'm certain he isn't trying to plug up." said Kahlil..

''Well We know Tragg isn't, he never does." said Sofia.

"All he's interested in is sex...Did you see the way he was ogling that one witness...The one who hung the jury...Wilma something or other...Wilma Schram...And she was flashing him the goods every now and then... His trousers were standing out like a circus tent...It was so obvious that they had something going on between them." said Lisa matter of factly...

When she said that...The five of us got silent.

"REALLY?" I said.

"YOU DON'T SAY?" said Bee Bee..

"I do say...It was very obvious...Everybody I know that was at the trial noticed those two..Making goo goo eyes at each other." said Lisa.

"WHAT? This sounds like lightweight jury tampering!" said Kahlil..

"There is nothing lightweight about it." said Ms. Yvette..

"Ms. Yvette do you even think it's possible?" asked Sofia..

''At this point...Anything is possible."said Ms. Yvette.

We entered the facility and were led to a waiting room...

Because we were his attorneys we got to meet Sam in a nice big waiting room..

He got to hug and kiss his wife...

We brought Bagels, doughnuts...and hot coffee...

"Awww man, you guys are the best..." said Sam..

"Hang tough just a little while longer Sammy...Your retrial starts next week..We gonna get you out of here." I said.

''That slimeball Judge will not be back..I guaruntee you that.."said Kahlil..

"Mannnn he was an asshole...I sure as hell don't want to see him again.."said Sam.

"I've almost made sure of that." said Ms. Yvette..

"How you holdin up otherwise?" asked Bee Bee..

"I could complain...but hey, what good would it do huh?" laughed Sam.

"Your mother is a great organizer... Her Church and the Go Fund me she started raised more than enough to pay your legal expenses.."said Sofia..

"You mean your fee right?" laughed Sam.

"Exactly!" said Ms. Yvette and we all laughed and continued our pleasent visit..

At Sam Mother's Diner.. Lt. Tragg had his usual breakfast of Fried Eggs, Hash Browns and sausage and coffee..

He was having breakfast with ADA Cotton Coles.

who was having an Everything Omelette. Bacon and Coffee.

"So what's up Artie? You ready for the retrial next week?" asked Cotton.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be...Look about this girl...That witness...Wilma Schram...What was up with her..?? Because she told me something...Something I don't wanna believe....She was drunk, but you know what they say about a drunk tongue? Cotton, did you get her to hang that jury?? That's jury tampering man...You? straight as an arrow you? Gettin a piece of ass is one thing...and considering she was on the jury, even that was over the line....but getting her to hang the jury?? Man what was up with you?" asked Lt. Tragg..

"You gonna bust me Artie? We've been friends how many years?? Huh? You gonna bust me Artie over some drunken skirt?? Come Onnnnnnn??" said ADA Cotton Coles..

"Just watch yourself Cotton...Watch yourself." said Lt. Tragg..

II-

At our building...another drama is unfolding..

Judge Leon Haley is in our building...demanding to see partner Cozen...

"Leon, it's been a long time..To what do I owe this visit said David Cozen, a founding partner of our firm..

"You're a big man David... You're a founding partner of this firm...Let me see you have offices in New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angelas and San-Francisco...Not to mention London and Paris.. You've made a great deal of money..but I knew you when you were a poor ambulance chasing

Defense Attorney. and later on when you were an Assistant District Attorney..Still poor!"said Judge Haley.

"You didn't come here to talk about my past and how far I've come and how much money I've made Leon...What did you come here for? Let me guess... Yvette Jones-Lockwood..

I heard all about how you were your old charming self in court last week...Giving your niece's estranged husband, who happened to be opposing counsel every benefit of the doubt...

Making snide sexual and sexist comments to one of our attorneys..

and making racist comments to another one of our attorneys..

and cruelly mocking another of our attorneys so badly that you brought her to tears.

and let me get this straight...Did you actually ask another of our attorneys, a Black male, if he had ever been in a gang and been before you in court years ago?

Did you actually say stuff like that Leon? Of course you did....Still the bully...Still the charming racist-sexist hoodlum in judges robes you have always been. It's just that no one has ever called you on it ,until now...Until Yvette Jones-Lockwood!"

"It's no wonder she doesn't want you on the retrial of her case...It's no wonder she's filed a complaint about you with the Judicial Review Board and the Legal Ethics Board." said Mr. Cozen.

"Oh really?" said Judge Leon Haley..."Let's talk about your past David...Let's talk about when you were an Assistant District Attorney...prosecuting a serial killer named Arnell Jenson...Remember him?? He was executed a year ago.... It came to my attention that you,failed to report a phone call made to you during the case...a phone call in which you were told that a detective, a detective named Arthur Tragg Senior planted evidence during the investigation and prosecution of that case... You violated a little thing called the Brady Act...You know what that is David? Think about it..."said Judge Leon Haley..

"Jenson was guilty... He bragged about the three young girls he killed.." said David Cozen.

''He wasn't mirandized...You knew that...So his confession was null and void.. and you didn't report that phone call that told you Tragg planted evidence at Jenson's house to make sure he got convicted.. I let that slide..because after all..the guy was guilty..guilty as hell..but you broke the rules David.. Now I want you to tell Yvette to drop both complaints...The one in The Legal Ethics Board and the one at the Judicial Review Board.. Drop them and then ask for her resignation from the firm...You do that and we never had this conversation...You fail to do it..and all of this sordid mess from the past comes up on live television David..You know what that will do to your career? It'll end it! You not only will be disbarred, you could do time...Up to at least a year in prison....You up for that David?" said Judge Haley..

"You Blackmailing son of a bitch...What are you up for, just in case Yvette wins? You could be disbarred too if it's bad enough...If we go to jail...We'll both be getting out around the same time...I'll buy you a beer. I am not going to ask Yvette to resign...She is one of our best and most loyal attorneys...You go screw yourself." said David Cozen.

"You like her don't you? She is a very good attorney and she has groomed those four young attorneys quite well..

They were an annoying bunch, I admit, but they were very well versed in the law, in predicates, and in case history...proof I guess that in some cases..affirmative action actually works." he said...But I want her gone! Gone do you hear me?" he said.

"More Well versed and prepared than your nieces estranged husband I hear...I heard they made a fool out of him during the trial, Was running rings around him the entire trial."said David Cozen.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose...He was furious..His head throbbed..He had been suffering a headache from the time he woke up this morning..A headache that was getting worse..

"I want her gone!!! She must be taught a lesson.....They must be taught a lesson....I'm sure she can find a job at any firm....I want those suits dropped and I want her gone by close of business tomorrow...I'm not going to ask you again... If those suits aren't dropped and if she is still working here tomorrow and is not leaving with a cardboard box...Well my friend, you'll be leaving with a card board box and possibly headed to prison...Good Day David." said Judge Haley..

"Youuuuuuuuuu bastard....You have no shame." snarled David Cozen.

"Shame doesn't get things done..Heh heh heh." laughed Judge Haley as he headed towards the elevator.

AN HOUR LATER-

We all returned to the office from CFC...

"Ms. Yvette...I'm going to look into this this juror, Wilma Schram....see if there is any romantic connection to Cotton Coles.." said Ms. Jade.

"If they got cozy after the trial was over...There is no problem, but if they were doing the hibbity bibbity during the trial..then there definitely is a problem..."said Ms. Yvette.

"Wow....I see we could potentially get rid of the Judge and the ADA..." I said.

"That's definitely a win for us."said Kahlil..

"I don't know...You know what they say about the devil you know." said Bee Bee.

"That's right." said Sofia as we all got off the elevator..

None of us saw Partner David Cozen...

Standing in the hallway, staring at all of us...

"Look at them, so young, so pure, not jaded yet....Just like I once was... Yvette should be jaded with the years under her belt, but she's not...She's done wonders with them..They're all fine attorneys.. She deserves to be a partner, with her own office and staff... It would be a shame to shut this thing down and to let her go...That would jade her for sure..It would jade these young attorneys...I-I can't do it...but if I don't...I'll lose everything...everything I've worked so hard for.." he thought as he stared at us..

He was sweating...He looked sick...Like he had the flu...He entered our suite..

"Heyyy Mr. Cozen.." I said.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Cozen." said Bee Bee.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Cozen." said Sofia..

"Good Afternoon Mr. Cozen." said Kahlil..

"Hey Mr. Cozen...you don't look so good...Are you alright?" asked Jade...

He smiled..They were so polite...So nice...

"I'll be alright... Just a little under the weather..." he said. "Is Yvette in?" he asked.

"I'm right here...I was going to cut them loose and go home for the day...We've been up to the prison..visiting our client ,getting ready for the re-trial next week.." said Ms. Yvette.

"Can we talk? but uh , not here?" said David Cross.

"Sure! You guys can go for the day...I'll talk to you tomorrow.!" said Ms. Yvette.

"Okay, see ya Ms. Yvette.."I said.

"See ya tomorrow Ms. Yvette." said Bee Bee.

''See ya tomorrow Ms. Yvette."said Sofia.

"See ya tomorrow Ms. Yvette." said Kahlil..

"I'll call you." said Ms. Jade.

III-

A Philly Afternoon...

Yvette felt like as lamb being led to slaughter... She knew this was serious..

David Cozen's entire suit was drenched in sweat...He looked sick...

Judge Leon Haley stood across the street from them...He was smiling..

"David is sooo weak...I don't have a shred of evidence to prove any of my accusations, but he didn't even challenge me...I knew he wouldn't...He's pathetic and weak.. He's probably walking Yvette to a coffee shop to break it to her gently that she's fired and she's going to shut down those suits...Hahahahahahahahaha!" he laughed..The epitome of pure evil..

His head was throbbing..He'd had a killer headache all afternoon...He'd better go home and lay down , he thought to himself../

They walked inside a small coffee shop..

Yvette loved the scent of Jasmine....The Ambiance...She had to come her again with the guys, she thought to herself.

They ordered two coffees...

''What's on your mind Mr. Cozen?" asked Yvette.

"Yvette what I'm about to tell you is in the strictest confidence.."said David Cozen..

''Of course."she said.

The Last time she and Mr. Cozen had a private talk..His son and his wife had given birth to a Black baby after a mix up in a fertility clinic..She had a feeling this was more serious than that..

"Yvette before I helped found this firm...I was a top notch Defense Attorney..I had a little office...It was just me and an Office Manager...I couldn't keep my little practice afloat...So I joined the D.A.'s office..I became an Assistant District Attorney.. I discovered that I was better at putting people in jail than I had been keeping them out... I was young, ambitious...loved what I was doing...My last case... There was a serial killer , who had killed three women...His name was Arnell Jenson...He had taunted the police for months before we knew who he was and he was caught...Anyway..he was captured by one of the worst homicide detectives on the force...You often butt heads with his son today.." said David Cozen..

"Oh My God....Arthur Tragg Sr." laughed Yvette, who was now intrigued...

The Late Father of the current Lt. Tragg.

"This guy loused up so many cases that none of the ADA's wanted to work a case with him..." said David Cozen..

"WOWWWWWWW! THAT SURE SOUNDS FAMILLIAR! THAT APPLE DIDN'T FALL TOO FAR FROM THE TREE!" laughed Yvette..

"Yeah how about that? It was to be my last case... Me and Mr. McCluskey and Mr. Connor were putting together what you now know as McCluskey/Cozen /Connor and Pratt ..Leon Haley was supposed to be part of the deal too, But Neither McCluskey or Connor liked him , they said he was mean spirited, crass, racist and sexist...So they bought him out...He was Judge then..

Tragg made the case.. He claimed he got a confession..But he got it without mirandizing the guy...I prosecuted the case anyway, knowing that and then I got an anonymous phone call from someone who said Tragg placed evidence on the scene of the crime..I'll never know if he really did or not..I never checked it out...I never reported the call.....I don't even know how Leon knows about the call. Unless he made it! I should have...I should have... I got a conviction and a man who I know, killed three women, possibly more went to death row and was executed last year...I never felt bad about getting him off the street..but it was a flawed case...I moved on...We founded the firm..The firm made money and opened offices around the country, around the world... Leon Haley never forgot...and never forgave.." said David Cozen.

"Let me guess..He paid you a visit today...He wants you to tell me to shut down both complaints in the Judicial Review Commission and the Legal Ethics Board or he goes to the press with his accusations, You lose your job and your license to practice and your reputation is a shambles..right? It's done! For you...I'll do it...We'll get him some other way some other time and I won't tell the others." said Yvette.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT YVETTE! YOU STAY ON HIM!!!...He's a vile racist, sexist bully and he's always been that way..a priviledged little prick who never had to work for anything...NO VETTIE, YOU GO AFTER HIM, YOU GET HIM!!! HE ALSO WANTED ME TO FIRE YOU!!...I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT EITHER...HE DOESN'T GET TO MAKE PERSONEL DECISIONS! THIS IS MY LAW FIRM...NOT HIS!!!" said David Cozen.

"What are you going to do?" asked Ms. Yvette.

''I'm going to turn in my resignation tomorrow..I've got some money in off shore accounts and here..

I'll do just fine.."he said.

"Mr. Cozen...You don't even know if he has any evidence of any of this...It sounds like heresay to me..How would he know about an anonymous call unless he himself made it..? Everybody else involved is dead...How would he go about proving it anyway?...It's just talk...Don't go...Stay...I'll defend you...Stay!" said Yvette..

Mr. Cozen smiled..Tears were streaming down his face////His hands shook. She could tell he was embarrassed.

"Okay! Let's get out of here..You should be on your way home...You need a ride home And I need a hot shower and a new suit!" he said and chuckled. He didn't know what he was going to do or say.

"My husband is still at work..I'm going to walk over to his office and ride home with him..He'll like that." said Ms. Yvette, smiling..

"Thank you Yvette...We can't let the bullies of the world win!" said David Cozen...

"No we can't! and we won't" said Ms. Yvette..rubbing his hands...

Judge Haley saw them leaving the coffee shop, smiling...

"HE DIDN'T DO IT!! THE GUTLESS BASTARD DIDN'T DO IT!!! SHE WOULDN'T BE SMILING IF HE DID!!! ARGHHHHHHHH!" he snarled..

"MY HEAD!!! OHHHH MY HEADDD!! MY HEADDDDD!" he said...His head was throbbing..

He stumbled out into the street..He was holding his head...He was feeling excruitiating pain like he'd never felt before..

"HEYYY MISTER LOOK OUT!" called someone..

"OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"screamed Judge Haley...

A speeding car hit him knocking him up into the air...The car slammed on it's breaks and his body landed on the sidewalk...He was dead!!!!

"He stumbled out into traffic...like he was in a daze..." said one of the crime scene investigators..

"It appears to have been an accident..Eye witnesses say he wandered out into the street and was hit by a car."said Dr. Marcy Martin..

"The car slammed on it's breaks but it was too late...This must have been something else..Let's get him out of here before you know who arrives and tries to arrest the driver for murder." joked Dr. Hazel Baylor.

"I know right?" laughed Dr. Marcy Martin.

The body of the late Judge Leon Haley was put in a white body bag and strapped to a gurney and carted away to the morgue,.....

"Problem Solved!!!...The Lord works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?" said Yvette,

watching the body be removed to a Medical Examiners Van..

"I hate to speak ill of the dead...But that couldn't have happened to a more deserving person." laughed David Cozen ,who looked relieved..

"Go home, get some Rest Mr. Cozen...Maybe take the day off tomorrow." said Ms. Yvette.

News travels fast.. We were all at home...

Bee Bee and I were sitting around our table having tea..

I had just got off the phone..

''Ms. Yvette just called. Judge Haley will definitely not be sitting on the bench on our retrial.. and

She won't need to argue those complaints before the Judicial Board of Review or The Legal Board of Ethics.. He's Dead! He was hit by a car in Center City and killed just an hour ago." I said.

''Couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.." said Bee Bee, smiling....

And next door at Sofia and Kahlil's house , Jade dropped by and gave them the news..

''Judge Haley was killed tonight...He was hit by a car in Center City.." said Jade..

"I hate to speak ill of the dead...but it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person..Prick!" said Kahlil..

"I certainly won't be crying any tears over him...I hope he rots in hell."said Sofia.

Like I said. News travels!

IV-

Tonight , Ms. Yvette's cool down routine changed a bit..She requested her husband, Gary take a shower with her....

He was overjoyed....They kissed and slobbered over each other while the hot water and soap ran down their bodies...

He was as hard as an iron pipe and she softly stroked him in between kisses....The man was crazy about her....

They stood in the middle of the bathroom floor ,soaking wet...still kissing....

Gary bent Yvette over the sink and plunged into her , thrusting away...

"OH MY GOD VETTIE!!" he moaned..

"MEOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!" she cooed...

He stopped long enough to let her get dressed for the night..

"Ummmmmmmm Gary, today was quite a day..." she whispered as she sat in his lap on the bed

"Tonight has been quite a night." he said..

"It aint over yet..." she whispered...still softly stroking his penis...Gary was shaking.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he moaned.

She eased down on his still massive erection and began to slowly move up and down while deep throat kissing him...

She rode him slowly drving him to near delirium....

For the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS, Yvette and Gary made slow sensuous love....

She fell asleep in his arms....

The next morning..We ate breakfast as Sam Mother's Diner.. It was the first time we'd been here in weeks..

We wanted his French Toast and Sausage....

and hot coffee...

''Mmmmmmm this is delish!" said Bee Bee.

"This is going to run me to the Gym Saturday..." said Sofia..

"We are gonna run three full courts aye Home Slice?" I said..

''Speak for yourself....I gotta be in shape for trial."laughed Kahlil..

Naturally , Lt. Tragg walked in...and naturally he walked over to our table where we were eating and talking quietly...

"I suppose you all heard the news...A great man died last night...Judge Leon Haley....He was a prince of this city...You all hated him because he didn't put up with any of your woke shenanigans..He hurt your little feelings...I guess you're happy now...huh?" he said.