She was looking at her laptop..
Her investigator in New York had sent her information on Jasmine Coley.
Jasmine Lee Jenkins-Coley
Born in Philadelphia PA.
Graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls
B.A. in Trial Advocacy /Pre Law/Administration of Justice-Temple University, Philadelphia PA.
J.D.- University Of Pennsylvania School of Law
Passed the bar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Deleware, New York
Speaks Spanish and French fluently
Public Defender , Philadelphia.
Assistant District Attorney, Philadelphia
Associate Attorney -Barnes and Baskin, Philadelphia
Associate Attorney- Waddell and Canal, Philadelphia
Sr. Associate Attorney -Wayne and Grayson ,Philadelphia
Married to Attorney Dabnis Coley
"Another Ivy League Attorney...and with ties to Olivia and Beverly...
"Apparently Beverly and her went to High School, College and Law School together and they both worked with Olivia and Beverly's future husband, Nelson East at the Public Defender's office." she said.
She then looked up Predicates, Laws and Like cases on her laptop...She was hoping she had done enough research to get her through this case...For the first time in a long while, she was facing attorneys on her level who were just as good if not better than she was.
FRIDAY MORNING-
Voir Dire Began..
Nelson did his thing... Playing Bait and switch and trying desperately to get the kind of jurors we needed.
Millicent was no dummy...She quickly realized what Nelson was doing and began playing a little gamesmanship of her own...
She was no slouch...We knew we were in for a battle royal...
Beverly smiled at her husband and blew him a kiss.
D.A. Gil Garcetti, his son, ADA Chris Garcetti and Attorney Ivan Zelinsky sat in the gallery nodding their approval...They liked what they had seen so far..
"Okay...We have a Jury...Trial begins here Monday at 10:00 am sharp...Be on time attorneys and be ready for trial." she said and banged her gavel.
II-
Saturday- Sam Mother's Diner
Against our better judgement, we all decided to have breakfast at Sam Mother's Diner...It was an unseasonably warm Saturday and no one felt like cooking.
He was right.
Our meals arrived and more of our friends arrived.. Yvette, Gary, Keith, Bee Bee, Sofia ,Kahlil, Jade, Danny and Ms. Virginia.
"I hope you know who doesn't show up." said Jade.
"Stop allowing him to live rent free in your heads." said Danny Ho.
The rest of our neighbors wandered in...Dabnis, still yawning , his wife Jazzy, Cousin Kayla,Ray, Jessie and Chip...
"Just coffee and toast for me." said Dabnis.
"You know you want more than that...I know I do.." said Jazzy...
Kayla smiled.. She was so glad everybody else was here, Just in case Lt. Tragg came in here on the war path...We were all spread out..He'd have too many targets she figured.
Her husband Ray could have cared less. He didn't give Lt. Tragg a second thought.
Neither did Jessica
or her husband Chip as the waitress took their orders...
Attorney Brenda Jordan walked in Attorney Joseph Bean...He had taught at Penn Law School...He knew and had lectured Beverly, Kayla, Jazzy, Keith, Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil in his classes...
He was glad to see all of them and glad they were all doing so well as Attorneys...
Natasha Smith walked in...She was holding hands with Attorney Terrence Jenkins....
They spoke to everybody...Bresha and Tony knew him from law school...
''I sure did...I'm Senior Associate Attorney with The Harris Group of all places.."he said..
"This is my girlfriend, Natasha Smith, she's an actress." he said.
''We've met...Long story...Maybe she'll tell you." said Bresha.
Natasha smiled and winked at Bresha.
"Well this has been an interesting morning.."I said..
"It's about to get even more interesting.." she mused..
Lt. Tragg was coming into the diner...
I couldn't imagine all of us in here all at once...
Warren Lloyd zeroed in on Brenda Jordan having breakfast with Joseph Bean.
so did Lt. Tragg..
He was astounded... He stomped his foot in anger...He walked over to the counter and plopped down..
"My regular Sam." he snarled.
Warren Lloyd looked heartbroken..He slumped down at the opposite end of the counter.
They were the only ones whose food hadn't arrived yet....
Todd Dellums sat in the middle of the counter. Tears ran down his face...
Looking at all three of them at the counter...I couldn't help but smile.
Lt. Tragg didn't notice us at all... or Yvette's crew..
Neither did Todd Dellums, who had finished his meal, paid for it and got up to leave behind us..
The rest of us slowly poured out of the diner...We had had a good meal and no incidents...and yet the tension in there was thick enough to cut through with a knife..
They had no idea that Brenda was talking to Joe Bean about a job at his firm and that this was not a romantic meeting at all.. He paid for both of their meals and they both left together..
Lt. Tragg sat by himself in the now empty diner...He was livid!! He couldn't believe she was in here with another man after what they had done just a few nights ago, This despite the fact she made it clear to him that this was a one off, that she did not want a relationship with him.
"Sam, I'm through wit dames." he said.
was with yet another lover, a man who said he was from New York, she met at the Hotel Bar the night before.
"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, UMMMMMMMM, you are huge!" she said.
He bent her over the bathroom sink.!
"OHHHH MY GODDD!" she screamed.
And had her on the floor..
"OUUUUUUU YOU'RE A BEAST!" she screamed.
They sat on the bed , with her moving up and down on him.
They made love for NINE TO TEN HOURS! with her having one intense orgasm after another.
They were in her bed, going at it again! She loved Philly! She hadn't been laid this much in a long time!
The Trial Began Monday Morning sharp at 10:00 AM.
was the third wife of Billionaire Quinton Harris, CEO of the Harris Group... 27 years his junior....They had a pre nup that she signed willingly when they got married...
Josie pulled out a 70 inch screen and showed the jury the actual pre nup with Mrs. Harris's signature.
I had done my research and there was no indication that Mr. Harris was planning to divorce his wife.
Which was where Jazzy came in... Jazzy was prepared for her objections and tied her in knots during the week...
Olivia was impressed with Millicent Caldwell. She was a good attorney and against anybody else, she might have won this case.
Bresha was impressed with Jazzy....
Olivia argued that Mrs. Harris wanted to renegotiate the Pre Nup agreement, she felt she was entitled to more. Mr. Harris refused.
Beverly brought in his first wife, who he still talked to and conferred with who said he told her on several occassions that the current Mrs. Harris was bugging him about renegotiating the pre nup and that he was not going to do it..
Olivia smiled and rared back in her seat..."That's exactly what I would have said.." she said..
"Wow they came back quick and they didn't ask any questions..."said Beverly...
"Because this was a slam dunk.. I'd hate to be defending a case like this with so many holes in it." said Nelson.
"Millicent did a great job, but she could have used an investigator.."said Olivia.
"I think all she was thinking about was a big payday. But you're right Liv, she did good with what she had."said Jazzy.
''Donnie Ray, you thought something was funny about this case from day one, even before criminal charges were pressed , I remember you saying something didn't feel right." said Josie.
"Yeah I remember you saying that too." said Bresha.
Her niece, a very talented attorney
and her niece's husband, with his knowledge of trial science and voir dire.
Josie Boyd, with her knowledge of business law
and young Bresha, a developing talent..
Bringing in that Jasmine Coley was a stroke of genius.. She used to be a prosecutor, An Assistant District Attorney...She knew how to structure the prosecution of the case.
and her husband, an ex-homicide detective...Murder police, hard to pull something like this over his eyes...
"Nice to win one!.... Olivia..I never thought I'd say this, but I was happy to have you guys on my team for a change instead of against me."said D.A. Gil Garcetti.
"Yeah how about that? Monday, everything returns to normal!" laughed D.A. Gil Garcetti in a rare photo op.
"You all deserve so much more.. Take that money ,it's yours, put it into your accounts...Don't give it to the business...The business will do just fine." said Olivia.
''Baby, this goes in our joint account.." gushed Beverly.
"YESSSSSS! MANNN, I knew hanging with you and Liv was going to be beneficial to me one day."laughed Nelson, hugging Beverly...
"This will pay off my mortgage and buy me that new car...Paris too!" said Josie.
"Oh My God, Oh My God ,Oh My God!!!....Definitely paying my mortgage off and my credit cards too
Assistant U.S., Attorney Todd Dellums was there also.. He saw Lt. Tragg..
They went back to her hotel room..
Millicent Caldwell was grudgingly paid her fee. She had to sue to get the rest of her money. She returned to New York City and her practice.
Michelle Harris was sentenced to Life , no parole for the murder of her husband.. After Attorney Millicent Caldwell was paid. Michelle Harris was flat broke. She sat in prison, ridiculed by the other inmates who all said, she should have taken the money.
AUSA Todd Dellums had federal agents watching Lt. Tragg's every move, and reporting back to him.
''We were just here...I love this restaurant." gushed Yvette.
"I told you Donnie Ray knows his stuff." said Gary.
"Man Olivia and Beverly are like the social developers of our neighborhood."laughed Keith Jones.
"Yes they are and I'm so glad to be in their orbit...To be their friends." said Bee Bee.
''Me too! They always share the wealth." said Sofia.
"Yeah they do.." agreed Kahlil.
"Tonight we can relax and enjoy a good meal and drinks with no worries at all." said Jade.
"None at all." said her husband, Lt. Danny Ho.
Virginia breathed a sigh of relief....Glad to be part of our group of friends...Even if she didn't live on our block.
III-
with Judge Elise Cummings presiding...
Olivia, Beverly, Jazzy and Nelson spread the narrative that the defendent, Michelle Harris
The Pre Nup initially gave her two million dollars... It stipulated that every year they were married it would double.. After their first anniversary , it was worth four million, after their third anniversary ,it was up to eight million and after their fourth anniversary and the time of his death, she stood to walk away with Sixteen million.
Bresha brought three of Mr. Harris's confidants who said that from what he had told them...He was quite pleased with his wife.
Attorney Millicent Caldwell was good, her constant objections slowed us down and annoyed us a bit during that first week..
''She's running her defense, exactly the way I would if I was her...It's like looking into a mirror, a mirror image of my younger self...She's good...She'd damn good." said Olivia.
She loved her entire approach...Her awareness, her cut throat, take no prisoners attitude...Jazzy was her hero... And I knew that Bresha was one day going to be our pit bull. Bresha hung on to her every word..
Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Josie spoke of the generous offer of 32.5 million Mrs. Harris was offered and how she turned it down asking for 65 Million and Controlling interest in the company... They spoke of a second offer of 40 million that was made that Mrs. Harris also turned down...asking for an outrageous 70 million and stock options.
Millicent Caldwell argued that as his widow, in a community property state like Pennsylvania...she was entitled to his entire estate upon his death...
Jazzy with help from Josie argued that that was exactly why Mr. Harris drew up a will and Pre Nups for all of his wives ,so that nothing like that could ever happen..
Millicent argued that they couldn't pretend to speak for a dead man..
Olivia , Beverly and Nelson argued that they didn't have to pretend... It was all stated in his will and the pre nup agreements... They stated how much his three children from his first marriage and his first wife got and how much his second wife got.. All was considerably less than the 32.5 million the third Mrs. Harris was being offered.
Millicent objected vigorously, stating that this was hearsay...
In fact , a day before the start of the trial she had objected to bringing on the first Mrs. Harris as a witness.
''Millicent is going to say it's hearsay."said Olivia.
''Yeah she will, because you and I would say that Auntay if we were in her shoes, but , the jury will still have heard this by the time she objects." said Beverly.
I agreed.
Watching Beverly and Jazzy take her experts apart on cross like a surgeon was frightening...
Olivia argued that "This was about money...She could not get the outcome she wanted, so she staged this entire scenario and murdered her husband and stabbed herself..Thinking she'd inherit the entire conglomerate and a fat pay off.. I ask you to find Mrs. Michelle Harris guilty of First Degree Murder."said Olivia in closing.
"Oh My God...She was alright with me until she told that joke." laughed Olivia..
''Come onnnnnnnnnnn.It was funny." laughed Nelson.
''To you and her... You're lucky I love you.." laughed his wife Beverly...
She hadn't planned to originally... Michelle was too cold and calculating and she feared she'd turn off the the jury...but after the job we'd done.. She had no choice..
"Mrs. Harris, when your husband met you...What was your occupation?" asked Nelson.
"I was a school teacher. I taught High School Chemistry." she said.
Beverly showed the juror photos of her injuries..
"Uhhhhhhh I don't think so..."said Jazzy... "Here is the knife...Now what I find strange is that your husband's fingerprints aren't on this knife.. Nor his DNA from sweat...Nothing!
"Now who is dealing in speculation counselor?" said Jazzy.
''Well here is the gun..that you shot him with... 
I smiled back.
She opened the shredder and there mixed with paper shreddings was blue latex shredding with red blood spots on them..
Perhaps both Olivia and Beverly were right... Millicent objected, but like Beverly said..The Jury had already heard it.
Nelson and Bresha showed photographs of Mrs. Harris's wounds on the 70 inch screen and had doctors and medical experts testify that thought the wounds were deep...They did not constitute life threatening at any cost...
Millicent brought in Medical experts of her own to dispute the claims..
Bresha was enjoying every minute of it..
We had made the points we wanted to make and had presented a very convincing and compelling case..but we weren't through.. Millicent was planning to put Michelle on the stand during her defense and that is what we wanted..She didn't know that we weren't finished pressing our case.
Millicent opened up her defense by saying..
"These Special Prosecutors, These stooges hired by the Harris Group , which no doubt are making a contribution to D.A. Garcetti's campaign fund have weaved a brilliant story, but that's all it is , is a story.
They haven't offered an ounce of proof...
My client wanted to renegotiate her pre nup...She felt as though she deserved it...Due to Mr. Harris's custom of trolling for a newer younger spouse ever so often...I'm betting the next Mrs. Harris should just be graduating high school in a few months..
The Jury and the Visitors roared with Laughter...
"Okay,Okay, Order everybody."said the Judge.,who was laughing herself.
Millicent called Michelle to the stand...
For two days the jury listened to a sob story about how she felt she deserved the money and controlling interest in the company because her husband had a "wandering eye and a zipper that was constantly down" and she feared she'd be replaced soon like the other two wives.. She complained about how he wanted sex "constantly.." and she had to be on demand whenever he called..
''He wanted me to serve him orally when we were in a limo headed to a gala event." she sobbed.
The entire thing looked and sounded rehearsed and the jury which was leaning 9-3 to convict wasn't fooled.
"And what did you teach before that?" asked Josie.
"Anatomy." she said silently...
"Say that louder...Anatomy right? And you were in the Army prior to that weren't you? What did you do in the Army?" asked Bresha.
"I was a Medic." said Michelle.
"Now the first stab wound...missed your heart by inches...The second stab wound missed your liver, again by inches and the third stab wound missed your femur... How lucky can a girl get?" said Beverly.
Again the courtroom roared with laughter..
"You were a medic , you knew just where to stab on the body without causing any real damage.."said Olivia.
"This is preposterous...SPECULATION!!! PURE SPECULATION!" argued Millicent...
I have a Policeman who was at the scene and Crime Scene Investigators and Medical Examiners personell, who will testify to that."said Jazzy..
''Cross contamination...So many of them handled that knife, the prints got wiped off."argued Millicent desperately.
"YOUR FINGERPRINTS AREN'T ON THE GUN EITHER!!" said Olivia.
"Did you wear latex gloves, Blue Latex gloves when you stabbed yourself and then shot your husband?" asked Beverly...
"No , I DID NOT!" screamed an angry Michelle Harris.
"We have a real good investigator Mrs. Harris."said Jazzy looking at me and smiling.
Bresha pulled the shredder
into the courtroom
"OUUU LOOK!" she said, showing the jury the contents.
Jazzy looked at Michelle who looked like she'd swallowed a canary.
''Now come again about whether you were wearing gloves when you shot and killed your husband and stabbed yourself? " she said.
IV-
FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER-
"It was too perfect, too neat...Things seldomly are that perfect and neat." I said,.
"You blew this case for me.. If you had spent more time working on my case instead of going to bed with every man with a pair of trousers on, we'd be winning this case."snarled a very angry Michelle Harris , who knew if she was convicted, she wouldn't get a thin dime.
Millicent bowed her head ...
She realized that not only was Olivia good, but she cultivated young talented lawyers around her..
Yes, Olivia knew how to put together a team. She thought.
"Has the jury come to a unanimous decision?" asked Judge.
''Yes your honor we have."said the Jury Foreman.
"Bailiff pass me the verdict." she said.
The baillif passed her the verdict and she read it..She passed it back to him..
"Read it." she said.
"THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA VERSUS MICHELLE HARRIS,
COUNT ONE , FIRST DEGREE MURDER, GUILTY
COUNT TWO, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, NOT GUILTY
COUNT THREE USE OF AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME TO DO BODILY HARM, GUILTY
COUNT FOUR, USE OF AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME TO DO BODILY HARM, GUILTY
"Baillif take Mrs. Harris into custody." said the Judge.
"You're a whore....a lousy lawyer...Sleeping with every man in Center City, WHORE!!!You could have won this case...You coulda won this..WHORE!" she screamed as she was handcuffed, read her rights and whisked out of the courtroom.
"Olivia, this is better than I could have hoped for.. We don't have to pay that Harpie a cent and we keep the company.. You and your associates will be paid well...and I will be throwing business your way. Thank you again.." said Ivan Zelinsky.
"Then Monday , we go back to trying to beat each other's brains out."laughed Olivia.
All of us received cashier's checks for 2.5 million dollars... a million and a half more than we were initially promised...Even Jazzy.
and I've got my eyes on a new car. So does my husband...Now he can have it!" said Bresha
"I've got my eyes on a new vehicle for us too!" I said smiling.
"I'm just gonna put this away for awhile...in an account,let it grow...WOWWWWW!" said Jazzy.
"Thank you guys for bringing me on this case." said Jazzy.
It was a happy ending for us...
Lt. Tragg was there in the crowd watching the whole thing and smiling.. Acting as if he had something to do with the case, reminding reporters he made the arrest!
"I looked into Michelle Harris's cold eyes that held a blank stare and I knew I was looking at a cold blooded killer." he said.
He knew that he was behind this..Him losing his girl and he was determined to get revenge..
He saw Attorney Warren Lloyd leaving the courtroom with Attorney Millicent Caldwell.
For one last romp between the sheets, they both needed it after what they'd been through..
He hung his head and walked out of the courthouse into the teaming streets.
Heartbroken!
EPILOUGE-
Attorney Warren Lloyd tried to reconcile with Brenda Jordan. He called her several times, begging and pleading for her to reconsider and to take him back,
but she was adamant that she wanted nothing more to do with him...
Looking for any slip up, anything they could use against him
and P.I. Bert Vanderberg was also being watched. Bert Vandenberg was so spooked, He left Philadelphia for awhile.
He was in New Orleans at last report!
The Saturday Night after the trial, Olivia treated everybody to dinner and drinks at a Tony new restaurant in town.
She was happy Jetty came out with her tonight!
Jazzy was ecstatic...
Her husband, Dabnis, couldn't keep his hands off of her..He kissed her and hugged her all night long.
"This is sooooo nice." said Kayla.
"This is why I love all of you Bennett women." said Ray.
Jessica laughed at what Ray said. "Bennett women huh?"she said.
''Well Kayla is related to Olivia and Beverly. She is a Bennett Woman." he said.
''We built something here,...I wanted to be successful...I never dreamed we'd be this successful, I never dreamed we'd have this many friends and associates living in our neighborhood. That's real success, all of us here, our extended family in this place together." said Olivia.
Alfreda and Rockland joined us..
but she wasn't answering her phone.
Olivia looked at the newlyweds, Bresha and Tony and Josie and Paris.
She turned to Beverly, Nelson and me!
It was a sobering thought...
Zoey and Lem also joined us..
It wasn't a great night for everybody.
A Saturday Night with no sign of his favorite people in Curley's or anywhere else. April Taylor
was still in San Francisco and still not answering her phone,
There was no sign of Brenda Jordan and she appeared to be out on the town somewhere.
He even called "Reeny"
Horny and bored, Lt. Tragg decided to troll our neighborhoods..
He saw that none of us was home tonight. He realized he was violating Cease and Desist.. He didn't realize that the FBI was watching his every move and quite aware he was on cease and desist. An anonymous call was made.
He found his vehicle surrounded by Sherrif's cruisers...
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"he asked. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF.." he said as he was handcuffed and arrested.
He found himself spending the weekend in the cooler.
AUSA Todd Dellums walked past his cell and smirked.
''Got'cha" he said, finally smiling.
Lt. Tragg was livid...He knew that Dellums was behind his current incarceration...He was as red as a beet.
Like I said, It wasn't a good Saturday Night for everyone!
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