Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Ace In The Hole

Like any good investigator...I went about the business of first looking up our accuser...
Karyn Duval....She was born in Barbados as Karen Smith....She attended Public schools there and graduated from high school....

Upon graduation from High School, she moved to Miami ,Florida where she became the mistress of a very influential Politician...After three years she became the mistress of a very influential Attorney...Within another three years, she was the girlfriend of a notorious area drug kingpin...Upon his death...She moved to Atlanta ,Georgia..

Here , she was the girlfriend of several Football, Baseball and Basketball players and a Hip Hop record mogul...

She left Atlanta and went back to Barbados for a few years where she got married to a local man...The marriage didn't last a year and she was back in the United States...

This time in Philadelphia ,where she was a stripper for awhile and then the mistress of a very married Public official...This ended and she became the arm candy of several Football, Basketball and Baseball players in the area...

Her bank accounts flourished and she lived in a lavish condo and drove top of the line cars...The men in her life were enthralled with her...

It was around this time she got involved with our client...Eddie Vinson...


Edward R. Vinson was born in Philadelphia, but raised and educated in the affluent Philadelphia suburbs...Attended and graduated from Temple with a major in English and a minor in music...

He kept this out of his official biography....Not good for Street cred...He taught school for awhile while singing and rapping on the weekends...He got "discovered "by a local area D.J. ,who placed him on numerous mixtapes...He became an underground sensation in the Tri State area...and soon nationally...His first three albums went platinum..Downloaded in the millions..He won a Grammy, two American Music Awards and a BET award...

His next album was dead on arrival and then the sex scandal...and rumors of drug use and alcohol problems...A stint in rehab and the loss of his record contract found him humbled and where he is today!

Our ADA , Evan Fowler , was a man looking to move into politics...He wanted to be District Attorney or State's Attorney and he made no bones about it..He was already politicking..He was a stauch conservative Republican and campaigning on a strict Law and Order campaign...

As an ADA ,he had a nearly perfect conviction record...He was a skillful litigator..He picked a case that the ADA before him...Lance Roderick had "dropped the ball on"he said..The Sexual Assault case of Rapper/Singer Eddie Vinson...

He had gotten a Judge to allow him to reopen a sealed and settled civil case...In which while no wrong doing had been admitted..Money had been exchanged ...A Lot of money...

Despite the fact that no rape kit had been done and there was no physical evidence of any assault...He still wanted to "try Vinson on four year old sexual assault charges...He had already subpeoned Karyn Duval, now living in Toronto, the mistress of an area businessman from Trinidad...


The entire thing was petty and ridiculous..I said so myself when I presented my findings to my wife,Olivia and her niece, Beverly..

''So what do you think?" I said.

"Evan Fowler is out of his mind..." said Olivia..."A first year Attorney could win this case ,based on the weak evidence or lack of evidence he has.."she continued..
"This girl, Karyn Duval, took her money and abided by the agreement , not to talk about it...How can he reopen a sealed civil case Auntay?"

"Evan has connected friends...They no doubt pull all kinds of strings for him...No way am I going to let him or them get away with this.."said Olivia.

"We have an ace in the hole...Judge Crawford....He's not going to rule against you Auntay...The man's nose was so wide open when he saw you yesterday , you could  drive a car through it ...Uh..Sorry Donnie Ray.."said Beverly...

"It's alright Shortcake...Your Auntay has the same effect on me..."I said.

Olivia blushed...

"Oh will you hush up Donnie Ray.."she said laughing and blushing at the same time...

It was true though....

"Shortcake...We've got to get a copy of the deposition....Have you located that lawyer's wife??" I asked..

"Even better..I called her and violaaa..She faxed me a copy of the deposition..Including the written promise by Lance Roderick..."said Beverly , smiling..

"Okay, then you and I have to go locate Roderick..."I said.

"Way ahead of you honey bunny...I called him this morning...He'll be in court tomorrow...We are ready to go..." said Olivia..

"Wowww...you girls did well.."I said.

"Before I met you...I often didn't have the time or money to hire a good investigator...So I had to do this myself...and I taught Bev..."said Olivia..

"Ditto Donnie Ray..I really didn't have the resources to hire an investigator." said Beverly...

"I guess I uh make things easy on you ladies."I said..


Both Olivia and Beverly kissed a side of my face...

"Ummmmmmmm yes you do." they said...



III-





Later that afternoon...Beverly,Olivia and I sat in our room studying law books and pouring over information...


When the phone rang...


"Bev ,Could you get that for me?" asked Olivia...

She did and she came back blushing...

"Auntay...it's for you...It's Judge Crawford..." she said.


"What does he want? He shouldn't be talking to me.."said Olivia, disgusted...

"He's our ace in the hole...make nice babes." I laughed..


Olivia looked at me and smiled and picked up the phone...


Beverly and I sat back on the bed and smiled at each other...

"Liv-Liv...What are you uh doing?"he asked..He sounded drunk..

"Joseph?  Joseph? Have you been drinking?" asked Olivia..

"Yes...Drinking and thinking...About you...You are as sexy as hell...I'm gettin a stiffy just hearing your melodious voice.."he said.


"Joe, you shouldn't be talking to me...You know this is unethical..." Said Olivia...

"We aren't in court...We are just two people...Two people attracted to each other..Talking." he said.


"No we are not...I am an attorney practicing in your courtroom..."she said..

"Look, how would you like to meet for dinner and drinks? I know a fabulous steakhouse.."he said.


"Sure...Where and When?" she said dryly..

"Oh in Olde City....How bout in a few hours?" he asked..


"Okay...Hey Donnie Ray..you feel like steak tonight?" she asked me..

"YEAH...I'D LOVE IT!"I said laughing..

Beverly snickered...

"I was only inviting you Olivia." he said.


"I'm a married woman...How would that look? Me having a meal with you,alone?" she asked.."Me having a meal with you period while I'm practicing in your court...That's not even fair to Mr. Fowler..." said Olivia..

"Who gives a damn about Fowler???...You know and I know that he's a political hack...Just trying to make a name for himself...He wants to be appointed Judge...He's trying to make himself appear to be tough on crime...URBAN, ie Black crime!!" said Judge Crawford..


''We shouldn't be discussing this Judge Crawford..."said Olivia..

"I'd uh prefer you call me Big Daddy.." he said....


"Goodbye Judge.." said Olivia..

''What color panties are you wearing?" he asked.


"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh...Goodbye Judge.." said Olivia again...

"So it's like that Olivia?" he said.


"It has to be sir.I can't be talking to you...Not while I'm practicing in your court and I'm not going to lunch,to dinner or for drinks with you without my husband being present..Just so there is no misunderstanding..."said Olivia dryly...

"Olivia...baby..we made sweet love years ago...I always felt we didn't get closure.."he said.

"Whether we did or not...It's a little too late for that...I'm Married...I'm Married Joseph..and that's not going to change...

''Well Alright then." he said and slammed the phone down.


"Like I said...Having him as judge could be a good thing or a bad thing.." said Beverly..

''We still have more than enough to bolster our argument tomorrow and get this entire thing thrown out."said Olivia..

I only hoped she was right.

IV-


Within a few days we were back in court....Evan Fowler was not impressive to me at all..He seemed like an idiot...I expected him to be better prepared...It was a non-jury preliminary hearing....Just us, Fowler and the Judge..

Even Judge Crawford seemed exasperated with Fowler's lack of preparation for this case...



Thanks to me, Olivia and Beverly were more than prepared....They had a mountain of evidence to present to prove that this case bared no merit whatsoever, including the original deposition and a handwritten and signed letter by former ADA Lance Roderick, now State's Attorney Roderick saying that Eddie Vinson would not face prosecution...

Lance Roderick appeared and said that he promised Eddie Vinson that he would not be prosecuted in the future if he co-operated...

"You mean swept this under the rug counselor?  That's not a promise you should have or could make."said Evan Fowler...

''Fowler....We make deals everyday...You know that...Why are you trying to run with this weak shit?" said Lance Roderick.

''That'll be all counselor." said Judge Crawford.  He couldn't take his eyes off Olivia throughout the entire hearing...Staring at her hungrilly....Beverly and Eddie noticed it..So did I..and I didn't like it...

Olivia, for her part turned away from his gaze...when she caught him staring...

It looked like a slam dunk case for Eddie Vinson and his lawyers...

Judge Crawford looked at what they had and then dryly said...

''We'll take a recess while I look over this and I'll make my ruling this afternoon.."he said with no trace of emotion..

"Fowler's case was weaker than I thought it was...We got this in the bag."said a confident Eddie Vinson...

"I hope you're right.." I said. Olivia thought otherwise.

"Bev...I'm sorry baby...but I think we lost this one...Judge Crawford is going to rule against us...I know he is..And it's all personal..."said Olivia..

''We'll see..Auntay, but you have nothing to be sorry about...I'd of done the same thing you did..He's lucky you aren't laughing every time you see him.."said Beverly ,who smiled at her aunt...

Olivia kissed her niece on the cheek..

"You have always been able to make me smile ,even in the worst of times baby." she said.

We were all back in court a few hours later....Evan Fowler looked defeated..He hadn't expected Eddie Vinson to get Olivia Bennett-Alexander and Beverly West to defend him...He expected a show trial and an easy conviction..He hadn't expected Lance Roderick to testify on their behalf...They had beat him in a big case a few months earlier..He didn't know that Olivia and Beverly had handled his divorce after that.

The Judge came in and spoke...

"I have reviewed the defense's position to dismiss these charges...and in light of the evidence they have presented ...I find myself siding with the prosecution...The charges will not be dismissed...Mr. Vinson will stand trial for sexual assault..."

He banged his gavel....

Lance Roderick stared at the Judge in disbelief-

"You gotta be kiddin me?  He's going to allow this weak crap to go to court?  UNBELIEVABLE!" he said and shook his head...

''Sorry Liv...I did what I could." He said.
 "It's not your fault Lance...and thank you." said Olivia..

"Good Luck with this..."he said as he walked away...

Evan Fowler looked at Olivia and Beverly....Even he couldn't believe it...He looked at the judge....Then he whispered to Olivia...

"Did you piss him off?" he asked.,

"You might say I did...I wouldn't tell him what color panties I was wearing." she said dryly...

Evan Fowler laughed...

"Maybe you should have told him.." he said.

For a moment...both opposing attorneys...Olivia and Evan Fowler shared a laugh...

"Next time,Maybe  I will." laughed Olivia.

"A trial date will be set within the next few days.."  said Judge Crawford.

''What?  This guy has got to be kidding...IS HE SERIOUS??" yelled Eddie..

"I'm afraid he is..This isn't about you Eddie...He wants my wife...and he can't have her." I said.

Beverly put her arms around Olivia..

"It's okay Auntay...I've already got the basis for an appeal planned..I figured after that last conversation you two had that this might happen."said Beverly..

Olivia didn't look at Judge Crawford...

He had a smirk on his face...

I walked over to him...

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself..You're going to be removed from this case"I said softly...

He looked at me like I was dirt...

"Don't bet on it!" he said and walked away.

As he walked  out of the courthouse...Olivia put her arms around me and kissed me passionately...I returned her passion..

"He's a very petty man...Donnie Ray...Don't even worry about him" she said softly as we continued to kiss.

"I want you to take me home and make crazy love to me..." she said between kisses.
''With pleasure Mrs. Alexander.."I said as we continued kissing..

The Judge had to walk past us in order to leave the court...I'm sure he heard what she had said to me..

He stomped his foot in anger and stormed out of the courtroom..

So much for our ace in the hole!

(Definitely TO BE CONTINUED!)





10 comments:

Toni said...

I knew this guy was going to be trouble from the minute Olivia talked about the night they had.

Cheryl said...

This Judge is out of pocket!

Lisa said...

The Judge is wayyy out of pocket!

Angie B. said...

This Judge has crossed so many ethical lines it's not funny...Olivia and Bev should not even be trying this case in his court.

Sunflower said...

Just shaking my head....It wouldn't be Escapades if this Judge wasn't crazy!

Vanessa said...

This Judge is crazy! LMAO!

Halo said...

LMAO !This Judge is crazy!

Rita said...

I agree with Sunflower .It wouldn't be Escapades if this Judge wasn't crazy!(And Horny!)

Brenda said...

Laughing and Shaking my head! This Judge is crazy ! LMAO!

Grover Tha Playboy said...

"What Color Panties are you wearing?" I had to laugh at that...Gotta admire the Judge's swag!