VENTURES: Alibis be Bygones

COURTROOM D-

Judge Jetty Dukes was presiding...

"Courts in session...We will begin the picking of a jury..." he said.

They rarely had to pick a jury in the retrial of wrongfully convicted James Lee Woods

who won a retrial for his First Degree Murder conviction of six years before.

...These things were usually settled by a bench trial....but ADA's now considered it a sport to try and win a case over the WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT, now that ADA Karen Page

had won 300 cases without a loss.

News that she now had staff attorneys brought ambitious young ADA's out , like hungry wolves hoping for an easy victory.....They had failed in three previous tries...This was their fourth case as a team and here was another young gun ,gunning for some instant fame.

ADA Richard "Rick" Madewell....new in town and a very good attorney...looking to score a win with his first case..

Natalie had on a form fitting skirt that hugged every curve perfectly....

Rick hadn't expected to go up against her on Voir Dire...he got a massive erection, just staring at her..

Which didn't go unnoticed.

''Aye Mios Dios...Look at him....Natalie has really turned him on...." whispered Jessica to Brooke.

"He's an old boyfriend....apparently...he hasn't gotten over her.." whispered Brooke with a giggle...

David Charles couldn't take his eyes off of Natalie either...He was practically drooling....

Rick Madewell stared at Natalie...He wanted to win this case...Needed to win this case...

He couldn't get his mind off of Natalie... How sweet she smelled, how soft her skin always was..

Her butter soft lips and kisses..

He remembered that warm summer night in the Law Library down town, where they found a quiet space on the top floor

and she let him slip her panties down...

slowly, softly....and how good she smelled, how soft her skin was, baby soft.,..

and he lifted her up and entered her slowly and softly.....driving her crazy....She didn't yell out, but her head turned from side to side...her body trembled....His body trembled too....In 90 Minutes He came so hard, he felt like he was dying...She came hard too!.

He was close to having an orgasm right now,just thinking about her , when he got himself together and began Voir Dire... He got his first five jurors that he wanted...

but Natalie had been trained by the best...She got the next 7 jurors that she wanted....

"Goood Girl..She got 7 jurors..."said Karen...

"Yes indeed...7 that we needed."said Chip.

"That's my girl."said Brooke...."Your girl too!" she said to David...

"Yesssss Lord!" said David Charles, who was controlling himself today and not pawing all over Natalie like he usually does...He was trying to be professional...but his Natalie looked sooo good.

''Well Guys, How did I do?" said Natalie.

"You did Great.......I think ADA Madewell was looking at your butt more than he was concentrating...You threw him off."laughed Jessica, who was used to men looking and leering at her also.

"We have a jury...The rest of you can go....You'll receive your checks in the mail....It's Monday... Trial will begin tomorrow promptly at 9:30 AM... Attorneys be on time and be ready for trial.."said Judge Jetty Dukes.

"Good, I'm one step to being exonerated and set free"said Jimmy Lee.

"That's right...We are gonna get you out of here and back into the real world man...You've suffered enough."said David Charles...

"Come on...Let's Eat.." said Karen...

They watched as Jimmy Lee was put on the Sherrif's Bus...The Bus that was taking him back to the Holding Facility where he'd been housed since we got him a new case and petitioned for a transfer...

II-

SAM MOTHERS DINER-

They had Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy and Fried Chicken today.....

"MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM, LAWD HAVE MERCY, THIS IS SOME DAMN GOOD EATIN!" declared Jetty Dukes.... "Don't get me wrong, I love our cafeteria at the Bridge...But I love this good ole down homey food they serve in here too and Lt. Tragg or nobody else is gonna keep me from comin in here.. I knocked his ass out in here before and I'll do it as many times as I have to, but I aint gonna stop comin in here to eat..." exclaimed Jetty..

"Let's not bring him up.....Today is a good day right?" said a jubilant Natalie, who held David's hand and rubbed it softly...

David smiled.....

"It is a good day, Good food, Good friends....What could go wrong?" asked Brooke.

"Never ask a question like that!" laughed Karen Page...

"I know right?" laughed Jessica..

"Let's just enjoy this good food.."said Chip... "I wish the others were here." he added..

They chowed down, enjoying their food and eager for their day in court....

Assistant District Attorney Rick Madewell walked in and made a bee line for out table...He stopped in front of Judge Jetty Dukes...

He passed him an affadavit.

"Your Honor, this is an affadavit, I intend to file this afternoon before close of business , asking you to recuse yourself from this trial.... Here are photos of you and the attorneys involved , eating together , as you're doing now at the Roller Skating Rink in Bayside this past weekend...At brunch at the NO ID Bar and Grill and at Josie's Jazz Brunch....You socialize with these attorneys, they're your friends...No way a fair and impartial verdict can be raised in a jury trial... Recuse yourself or I'll show these photos to a magistrate and they'll make you recuse...I don't wish to do that sir." he said.

He had done his due dilligence.

"You Blackmailing son of a......" said an irate Judge Jetty Dukes.

"That's okay Jetty....I can find another judge by-"said Kaen Page.

"Oh, I've already taken care of that....When you guys show up for trial tomorrow morning, a new judge will already be in place...Just wanted to let you know....I didn't want you to be caught off guard...Mmmmmmmmm Food looks awful good today....Enjoy!" he said with a snarky smile, walking off..

"You know Nat...I'm really starting not to like him.."said Brooke..

"I know what you mean....I told you... He's a supreme Narcissist...He's going to try extra hard to beat us, just because I'm engaged to you David... He hates that he can't have me..He's going to want to beat both of us, badly...like that's going to change something...He's just a scared petulant little boy.." said Natalie..

David finally put his arms around Natalie and hugged her...

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse..."said Jessica..

"There is a reason why we don't eat in here." said Chip..

Lt. Tragg walked in and naturally he made a bee line to our table.. He sat down next to Karen...He put his arm around her waist..

"Ummmmmmmmmmm something looks good and I'm not just talking about the food... Ummmmmmm" he moaned.He had his eye on Karen Page, who he'd been after for years...

She removed his arms from around her waist..

"Arthur don't start okay?" said Karen..

Just then, Olivia, Beverly and the gang all walked in..

Lt. Tragg grimaced... He didn't feel like seeing them today.

"Hiiiiii Karen, Guys." said Olivia.

"It was a slow day...We looked on line and saw what the special was today, so we locked the office up and brought the whole gang down here to eat."said Donnie Ray..

"We knew we were taking a risk" said Beverly staring at Lt. Tragg, who she knew had invited himself to the table...

''But we decided to come down anyhow..."said Nelson, smiling.

"You guys ready for trial tomorrow?? You got a jury?" asked Josie...

who called ahead and got her husband, Paris to meet us..

"Yeah, we got a jury...We are ready."said Jessica..

''We don't know who our Judge will be...The ADA, Rick Madewell got Jetty to recuse himself..says he's too close to us." said Chip.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww"said Bresha.

"Ummmmmmmm Ummmmmph! The Power of the panties...what it will make a man do." said Alfreda, who knew about the Natalie, David, Rick triangle.

Lt. Tragg was as red as a beet...He had that goofy pleased as punch look on his face...His hands were all the way up Karen's skirt and he was rubbing her legs and inching closer to her panties..

Karen slapped the hell out of him..

"KNOCK IT OFF!!!...I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT!" she yelled Angrilly!

She slapped him so hard he fell out of his seat...He was livid and embarrassed...He stood up, stomped his foot and stormed out of the diner...

Everyone was laughing...

Even Rick Madewell , who viewed the whole thing from a distance...

Beverly and Nelson and Olivia and the rest of the crew took up the rest of the remaining eight empty spaces..

''Don't Go Away mad....Just go away."said Beverly.

Her husband, Nelson laughed...

"Don't mind my niece Karen...She's always that way."laughed Olivia..

"Let's get some of this good food...while it's still hot."said Donnie Ray.

"Yes..."said Josie

As she and Paris joined the others in line..

''At least we can eat in peace.." said Bresha.

"Thank the lord." said Alfreda..

"I wish someone had slapped your ex and ran him off."said Brooke.

"I know right? We'll slap him tomorrow in court...Right girl?" said Natalie.

"Right, regardless of who the Judge is."said Brooke.

"That's the spirit!" said Beverly.

III-

The next day, the trial began....

Judge Micheal King. A Tough , but fair Judge....both Olivia and Yvette had tried cases before him...He wasn't their judge of choice, but s they said...You could do worse...

He was the Judge Rick Madewell wanted...Someone not aligned to Brooke, Natalie, David Charles, Jessica Sanchez-Burrows or her husband, Charles "Chip " Burrows..

He wanted to bury James Lee Woods once and for all and score his first victory here, since he returned to Philly...Never mind that this man might be guilty...

He began with his story to the jury

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury....On New Years Eve 2017, Mr. James Lee Woods, known to his friends as Jimmy Lee...

He was partying with his girlfriend, Everly Ann Lewis...They got into a loud argument and she slapped him in the face... He stormed out of the bar...

"Hours later....He came back to her apartment ....They argued some more and they had sex... They argued some more after sex and he strangled her and sexually assaulted her... We have an eyewitness, a neighbor who witnessed him leaving the apartment after the argument....and murder and we have her panties and bra with Mr. Woods, DNA on them.... proof enough that the first jury got it right...This man is guilty as hell, Guilty as Hell of murder." he said.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm afraid Mr. Madewell has it all wrong.. My client was not only not in Josies that night, but Mr. Madewell's so called eyewitness did not see him...She saw somebody, not him and we are going to prove it.."said Jessica...

Rick Madewell showed the jury photos of the murdered Everly Ann Lewis, strangled in a Baby Blue

Babydoll with matching panties....lying across her bed...

He then paraded several policemen, SVU Detectives and Medical Examiners Office personell past the jury...

He smiled... He was making ground..

The next day he paraded six eyewitnesses from Josies who testified that they saw James Lee Woods in Josies that night with Jimmie Lee Woods.

Chip and David Charles were practically foaming at the mouth, waiting for this... They showed the jury that after the trial, All six of these witnesses recanted their testimony and claimed that they had been pressured by detectives... Four of them changed their stories a total of six times.

Brooke and Natalie with the help of Yvette's husband, Gary..

were able to get actual film footage from that night in question that showed Everly Ann Lewis with another man, identified as Odell McCandles, currently serving a 99 year sentence for another murder...

It's McCandles , who she is slapping...

Brooke, Jessica and Natalie brought in 6 witnesses a piece wo all testified that they were at Josie's that night and that they did not recall seeing Jimmy Lee there and that they definitely remember Everly there with Odell McCandles...They said they tried to testify to that at the first trial but that the case detective and the prosecutor refused to allow them to testify.

David Charles interviewed Gus Donegan who said Jimmy Lee was working with him that night, driving his beverage truck and making his deliveries...

Jason presented the people who swore that Jimmy Lee made deliveries to them...

Rick tried vainly on cross to turn their statements around but they held steadfast to their stories and there was a paper trail signed by Jimmy Lee after his deliveries that night proving he was where he said he was...

Brooke and Natalie hammered him with questions about why their testimony was never heard in the first trial...which of course he couldn't answer and the original ADA, now retired and in a nursing home with Dementia could never answer.... It was a clear cut case of prosecutorial misconduct they argued..

"Yes , I'm inclined to agree Mrs., Marks and Ms. Tennison." said the Judge.

This caused Rick to ask for a continuance.....He was losing his case badly and he needed to prepare his last witness, the one witness who placed Jimmy Lee at the scene...The witness They were salivating to get on the stand...She had recanted her testimony and then switched back and then recanted again seven times since the trial...Jessica, Chip, Brooke, Natalie and David were eager to question her.

"I'll grant you one day....It's Wednesday....Attorneys be here on Friday...9:30 AM, be on time and be ready for trial...." he said.

NIGHTFALL CAME !

At home, a jubilant, David celebrated...

"He asked for a continuance...He asked for a continuance... We got this puppy locked up...What can he do? What new evidence can he find? Those panties and that bra have McCandles DNA as well as Jimmy Lee's meaning she had sex twice that day....That was never brought out in the first trial and his star witness has recanted and changed back at least seven times and we've got some of it on video tape..He's cooked." said David.

"Sooooooo why don't you cook a little somethin somethin up with this girl....You know you want to...You've been wanting to all day."said Natalie...sitting on his lap.. She could care less about Rick Madewell.

She kissed him passionately , slowly and softly, driving him near delirium

"Yes, I couldn't take my eyes off of you.." he confessed.

"I saw you looking at me..." Natalie giggled.

She unbuttoned his shirt and unloosened his tie and took his suit jacket off... He took his trousers, socks and shoes off... He unzippered her skirt and unhooked her bra...

"Slip my panties to the side..." she whispered..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm" he moaned... slipping her panties down...and off..

She straddled him and began to move slowly , up and down on him...She gasped as he entered her...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! OH MY GODDDDDDD!" she moaned.....

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! GIRRRRRRRRRRRRRL " he said..

As she moved up and down and continued to kiss him..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! WOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! LAWDDDDDDDDDDD!" he moaned...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYY GODDDDDD!!OUUUUUUUUUUU
WOUUUUUUUUU!" she screamed. Tears flowed down her cheeks!

Her body trembled and she had a quick almost embarrassing orgasm....

She admired his stamina. He admired hers...She was driving him to near delirium...

She was so wet, smelled like a new born baby....and had butter soft kisses.....He didn't know if he was coming or going!

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIRRRRRRRRL!" he moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MISTER CHARLES...MISTER CHARLES.....OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"she cooed..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! OHHHHHHHH LAWD!!! OHHHHHHHH LAWWWWWD!"he cried out!..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUU DAVID!" she cooed..

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!! OUUUUUUUUUUU GIRRRRRRRRL!" he moaned.

They made sweet love for the next NINE TO TEN HOURS.

She fell asleep on top of him....her body still trembling....

IV-

FRIDAY MORNING- COURTROOM D- 9:45 AM

"The Way I see it..ADA Madewell is on his last legs....We haven't even begun our defense and we've destroyed his case."said lead Attorney Jessica Sanchez-Burrows..

"You're going home today Jimmy Lee... The Judge may even drop the charges."said a confident Charles "Chip" Burrows, Jessica's husband..

"It's been six long years.....I hope you're right."said Jimmy Lee.

"We are right...he's got nothing left."said Brooke.

"I hope not..but you never know with Rick...He's always full of surprises..."said Natalie, softly holding David's hand...

David surprisingly wasn't thinking about the case at the moment....He just kept looking at Natalie, wanting to pinch himself...He couldn't believe his good fortune...Having the girl of his dreams , who he had crushed over for so long...his fiance...making love to her almost daily....

Judge Michael King banged his gavel...

"Court is in session." he said.

"Your honor....uh in light of the preponderance of evidence suggesting otherwise...The People withdraw their argument in this matter...." said a contrite Rick Madewell..

He had avoided what inevitably would have been a bitter and embarrassing defeat...and at the hands of his ex-girlfriend and her associates..

"SO BE IT! Mr. Woods, you are free to go....All charges against you are dropped....Hopefully the city will give you ample compensation for you suffering. Jurors thank you for your time and patience...Your checks will be mailed to you." said Judge King.

"OHHHHHHHH TAHNK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!!" said Jimmy Lee.

"YOU ARE SO WELCOME....THAT'S OUR JOB, SAVING THE INNOCENT!"said Jessica..

"I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU WERE WALKING OUT OF HERE!" said Chip...

"THANK YOU DAVID....THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!" said Jimmy Lee, free after six years incarcerartion

"I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU WERE WALKING OUT OF HERE! I told you we were going to get you out." said David, shaking his hand and hugging him.

He hugged and kissed Brooke and Natalie..

"THANK YOU GIRLS FOR EVERYTHING!" said Jimmy Lee...

"You are soooo welcome.."said Brooke.

"Tonight you won't be riding on that Sherrif's Bus, you'll be going home...Where will you go?" asked Natalie.

"I've got family, friends..."said Jimmy Lee..

From a distance, Jumpshot Jim looked and smiled..He knew that this was a loser case... He enjoyed seeing that arrogant upstart, Rick Madewell humbled...

Rick Madewell for his part, took one last glance at Natalie.

That sparkling engagement ring and her new man.....She had moved on....It was time for him to move on too!

EPILOUGE-

Rick Madewell resigned from the D.A.'s office and within weeks, he left Philadelphia for parts unknown....

Otis McCandels was indicted ,tried and convicted of the murder of Everly Anne Lewis... He received another 99 year sentence... Since he already was serving one.. it was no skin off his nose.

Everybody met at the No I.D. Bar to celebrate the victory of The Innocence Project and the new staff attorneys for the Wrongful Conviction Unit..

"It's a celebration." said Karen Page..

She was Happy that her boyfriend , B.L. Benz could make it tonight....

She had champaigne and several glasses.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUWEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screamed a jubilant, Jessica Sanchez-Burrows..

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" said Chip.

"I LOVE WINNING AND I LOVE CELEBRATING EVEN BETTER!" screamed Brooke with Glee.

Her husband, Sean just chuckled..He was happy for her.

Natalie sat in David's lap with her arms around his neck..

David had a pleased as punch look on his face..

and Natalie's lipstick prints all over his face and lapel...

There was plenty of drinks to go around...

and food as well, courtesy of Olivia and Alfreda's caterer. Having a Bus service to transport everyone to their front door and a caterer to supply food was a double plus.. The bar roped off a whole section for the group, which bought a lot of drinks...