Scandals and Dismissals

72 HOURS or THREE DAYS LATER-

We met in Superior Court....Micheal Pratt had not returned from London...Naturally we all were concerned...

Ms. Yvette explained to us..

"I promise I'll tell you all everything in due time..but right now...I am the lead Attorney...and you guys have to help me win this guy's acquital..Are we all in?" asked Ms. Yvette...

"I'm in.."said Bee Bee..

"Of course."said Sofia..

"All in Boss Lady..." said Kahlil..

"That makes it unanimous...Let's do this..." I said..

ADA Miles Ellis was surprised to see Yvette as lead counsel and not Mike Pratt...This certainly through a monkey wrench in his plans... He didn't want to go up against Yvette...He cared for her..He wanted to smash Mike Pratt...

Never the less...He had a job to do...and he intended to do it..

Defendent Neil Leghan was turning out to be a nuisance...His wandering hands slithered up Yvette's skirt more than once..

She moved his hands three or four times before she got up and moved...

Bee Bee sitting next to him was no better...

He was sliding his hands up her skirt...and pinching her butt...She moved and was replaced by Sofia..

, who told him before he got started..

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

He giggled like an adolescent....

His wife, Marla Leghan walked into the courtroom and sat in the visitor's section...She glared at him with an icy steel glare...

II-

Miles Ellis called forensic witnesses....and the police officers who were on the scene...

They offered the same boring testimony that the jury already heard...

But on cross, I asked them...If they had any DNA evidence other than the obvious...that linked my client to the murder scene...I re-itereated to the jury that my client admitted to having sex with Laura Preppon just an hour before she was shot to death...

"His DNA and fingerprints WOULD be in the room..He has already stated that he was there.."I said..

I asked the policemen on the scene and CSI people if they found a murder weapon or any shell casings..

They all sadly said no...

Miles simply said, the killer took the gun with him and discarded it..

Khalil brought up the fact that Mr. Leghan had no gun permit...

And Miles walked right into our trap...

He presented a copy of his wife, Marla Legran's gun permit for a .22 purchased just two days before the murder..

"He used her gun!" he said..

 Marla Leghan looked nervous then....She slumped down in her chair...A fact that wasn't lost on any of us..

Yvette smiled that sexy grin of hers...

"She still has her gun...When my client was arrested , he not only had no gun on him...but the test they give you to determine if any powder burns or dust is on your hands from firing a weapon all turned up negative.." said Yvette...

Miles realized he had walked into a trap...To stop the bleeding...He rested his case and spun a brilliant oratory about how Leghan was a noted womanizer and had killed his girlfriend when she threatened to tell his wife and go public about their affair..

Yvette looked at Bee Bee and Sofia..

"Oh we are going to have fun with this.."said Bee Bee..

"I can't wait.."said Sofia..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.."moaned Neil Leghan who rubbed Sofia's legs and ran his hands along her legs....

"You are wearing sheer pantyhose...Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.."he moaned..

"You put a run in my pantyhose and I'll slap your face.."said Sofia..

"Remove your hands from my girl's legs..."said Kahlil..

Yvette addressed him..

"We are trying to help you...Keep you off death row....You've got to calm yourself down.." she said sternly...

"I am like a child in a candy store...Surrounded by so many sexy women..."he protested and laughed...

"Child being the operative word...Try harder to control yourself.."I said to him...I took Bee Bee in my arms..

and we walked away...

Miles Ellis walked over to Yvette..

"You did well counselor..So did your youngins..I continue to be impressed by all of you...Shame you have such a loser case.."he said..

"Trying to get in my head Miles?" asked Ms. Yvette..

He whispered in her ear...

"I'd much rather be in your bed.."

Yvette couldn't believe it, but she was actually turned on.. She was sweating a little...

God if I wasn't with Gary, Miles could get it with his arrogant ass, she mused.

She instead replied..

"Just focus on the case Miles..Not on me!!"

"Oh I am focused on the case...Every bit of it....By the way..Where is the Golden Boy anyway?" he asked..

"Mister Pratt had some deeply personal business he had to attend to.."said Yvette diplomatically...

"Oh yeah...Like the kid he may have had with the partner's niece over in London huh?  He's in real hot water over that...She's one of your firm's Sr. Attorneys and she's married.."he said..

"You knew about this?" asked Yvette.. Surprised for the first time today!

"Not at first...but I still have a few friends at Connor/McCluskey/Cozen and Pratt, who for a drink and pleasent conversation are willing to tell a few things....Your bosses are keeping a lid on this thing, but they are very upset....Connor's  niece was married to an attorney they considered making the next partner.. He was so distraught when he found out his wife not only cheated on him, but was pregnant ,he killed himself last month..."said Miles..

Yvette's mouth dropped...

"Ohhhhh my godddd!" she said..

"You didn't know did you?" laughed Miles Ellis...as he walked away... "Company Girl, they didn't even fill her in." he muttered.

Jade walked up to Ms. Yvette with another file...It contained all of the evidence...Miles Ellis had just filled Ms. Yvette in on..

"Miles Ellis just told me all of this just now!!!" said Yvette...

"Well forget that...Here is something involving your case that will help you next week..."she said and passed Ms. Yvette another file..

"Now this makes me smile."laughed Yvette..




III-

The defense opened up it's case...

Mike Pratt still hadn't returned from London....

Yvette gave a stunning oratory...Explaining again that our client had indeed cheated on his wife...but that he had a change of heart...He realized he still loved her and that he was wrong...He planned to go back to her...He broke off the relationship with Ms. Preppon...

Miles called a hostile witness...A man who was also seeing Ms. Preppon....

We knew about him...He testified that he was seeing Ms. Preppon around the same time....

 On Cross, Bee Bee asked him if he knew about Neil Leghan...

He said he did, but wasn't sure Neil Leghan knew about him...

Neil Leghan didn't know about him.

Sofia brought to the stand a florist who testified that Neil Leghan ordered a special bouquet of flowers to be sent to Marla Leghan on the day of the murder...but they couldn't be delivered because she wasn't home..

Marla looked stunned...She hadn't known about the flowers or the bracelet...She opened her mouth wide and stared at her husband....Tears ran down her face...and she shook her head...

Khalil brought to the stand, a jeweler who testified that the day of the murder...Mr. Leghan had a platinum bracelet with Marla  Legrand's initials engraved on it ordered...Clearly the actions of a man who was having a change of heart...

Miles countered that in all of this...He still stopped by Ms. Preppon's condo for sex...

 I countered that it was break up sex and that the sex was consensual as proven by his own witness.
The men on the jury smiled..No doubt they all had been there a time or two..I was counting on that..
I think the women connected on that too!

Bee Bee bolstered my argument....She said that he had left his watch in her condo...Which is what he was returning to retrieve when he was arrested.
The men in the audience were entranced with her curves and her shapely legs...She was wearing a stylish red knit dress that was enhancing her every curve and some brown suede boots that all of the women secretly coveted...
We were shifting the jury towards us slowly.

Yvette called Lt. Arthur Tragg to the stand..

Lt. Tragg was the Homicide Detective who had arrested Neil Leghan at the scene..He was convinced that he had brought in a good case...Open and shut..He had a superior sneer when he took the witness stand..

Yvette asked him what was Neil Leghan doing when he arrested him...

"He was putting on his watch...and making a call on his phone..." said Lt. Tragg..

Yvette held his phone up and an enlarged copy of the phone call records...She passed a copy to each of the jurors...

"He was calling the police to report a murder...He walked in on her dead body....If I had just killed someone...I doubt I would 1. Return to the scene..2.Hang around long enough to put on a watch and 3. Call the cops. By the way..How did you get to the scene so fast?"asked Yvette.

"I got an anonymous tip..." he said..

"An Anonymous tip! Yes...An anonymous tip that came from the PHONE of MARLA LEGHAN!!!  Had you of bothered to check, you'd of known that!!!"said Yvette..  "She didn't do a good job of covering her tracks...

The Jury gasped...

Marla Leghan chose this time to get up and quietly slip out of the courtroom!

I looked around....His wife was nowhere to be found....

"We found a cab driver ,who will testify , he took her to the condo of Laura Preppon on the day of the murder..She used her credit card to pay him....If you check the time...It's exactly twenty minutes before the murder..."I said..

"We even have a grainy shot of her from the business camera across the street from the condo ,leaving the residence...minutes before our client returned."said Yvette...who passed a copy of the photo to Miles and the jury...

"And we have a private investigator who will testify that she hired him to follow Mr. Leghan, and that he informed her of the affair weeks before.."said Sofia..

Miles Ellis looked sick....

"The ADA looks kind of sick.."snickered Khalil..

"I think the jury has heard enough...Ms. Yvette can close now.."whispered Bee Bee.

"MARLA!!! SHE DID THIS? SHE KNEW ABOUT LAURIE AND ME???" exclaimed Neil Leghan in horror!!!

The Judge admonished him to sit down...

Miles Ellis dropped his head in his hands...

"DAMN IT!" he exclaimed and stomped his foot.. He glared angrilly at Lt. Tragg

,who was beet red....His sneer and his swagger all but gone...

IV-

The Jury had been asked to leave the courtroom...

"Your honor in lieu of this compelling new information...The People move to dismiss First Degree Murder charges against Neil Leghan and we want a warrant sworn out for Marla Leghan..."said ADA
Miles Ellis..

"So be it...All charges against Mr. Leghan are dismissed!!!! You are free to go Mr. Leghan!" said the Judge..."Dismiss the jury and thank them..." he said and smashed his gavel.

"We did it...We won Ms. Yvette!" said Sofia..

"Ummmmmm can I rub your legs now?" asked Neil Leghan..

"NO!!!!!!!!!!" said  Bee Bee, Yvette and Sofia in unison.

Kahlil and I laughed heartedly...

Miles Ellis walked over to Yvette and bowed his head..

"Nicely Done Counselor...If I had to lose one to somebody...I'd rather it be you..." said Miles..

"You didn't lose Miles...You dismissed the charges remember?" said Yvette...

"Thanks for letting me save face....I'm glad golden boy wasn't here..." he said..

Gary walked up...

"Nicely done counselor.." he said..

"ADA Ellis, this is Gary Lockwood, an investigator for your office in fact...and my boyfriend." said Yvette.

"You're a very fortunate man....Yvette and I worked together years ago...I used to be her supervisor..."said Miles Ellis..

"Then you were lucky also..you got to know her first.."said Gary diplomatically...

Miles smiled..The boy is in love and completely whipped, he mused to himself...about Gary.

"Nice case....See ya around Yvette...Nice meeting you Gary." he said and walked off...

Yvette kissed Gary..

"Ummmmmmmmm." she moaned..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm girl...you feel so good and I love this dress..."said Gary...

"This girl is on her way up baby!" said a jubilant Yvette...Who looked at Me, Bee Bee, Sofia,Khalil and Ms. Jade..

"And when I make partner...I'm taking them with me..." she said looking at Me, Bee Bee,Sofia ,Khalil and Ms. Jade.

"That's my team...I wouldn't be here without them..I'm getting a larger office..a suite and they're going to have nice offices too..."said Yvette.

 "I'm happy for you babes.." said Gary...

"I'm happier for you.."said Yvette..

"Me? why are you happy for me?" asked Gary..

"I stopped by Bridget Jone's store,Lady Chatterlies Lover, Panties and Bras for the Discriminating Woman...and bought some lingerie that will make you lose your mind..I plan to model it for you tonight...."whispered Yvette..

Gary smiled sheepishly...Just the thought of that had him aroused beyond reason.....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh lawd!" he said..

"Thought you'd like that...."she smiled..

 She kissed Gary some more...Softer, Slower.....

 Miles Ellis watched us all from a distance...He shook his head and walked out of the courthouse into the Philadelphia afternoon.

EPILOUGE-

A WEEK LATER!

We all met at a popular rooftop bar and restaurant  after work..

 "Heyyy Glad you guys could meet me here..I know you're tired of seeing me lately..."said Yvette..

 "Noooooo don't say that Ms. Yvette...We owe our overtime and bonuses to you..." said Bee Bee..
who was sitting on my lap....

 "I'll say ..That money came in handy....I paid my rent and utility bills early and still have money left over...."I said.

 "Thank you sooo much for the opportunity Ms. Yvette.."aid Sofia..

" Yes...Thanks for the opportunity...I never dreamed I'd be making this kind of money this early in my career"said Khalil.

 "Me neither for that matter..."laughed Jade..

"Come on Yvette cheer up!" said Gary...

Yvette sighed..

"If it wasn't for you guys...I would have tendered my resignation...They gave me a raise....I got raises for all of you....When you get your next pay check you'll see it...

''As it turns out...a DNA test was given to Partner Connor's niece....The baby is not Micheal Pratt's..It was her husband's baby...He however was so distraught when he found out that she had cheated on him with Michael Pratt that he killed himself..

So Michael Pratt is kind of off the hook...He's still a partner despite all of that..but he and Connor are probably keeping their distance...He will be returning to the Philadelphia office...The partners don't want him any where near Connor's niece...or Connor for that matter...

Neil Leghan was pleased that he beat the murder rap...He has us on retainer and has sent several of his friends at his country club our way....The company has new wealthy clients up the wazoo now...That was because of us..."said Yvette.

"Then I guess it was worth him pinching my butt and running his filthy hands up my skirt for two weeks."said Bee Bee..

"Yes, he was a nuisance...He had his hands up my dress every minute...?" asked Sofia..

"I know, I had to slap his hands a couple of times myself.." said Jade.

"Oh and the police picked up Marla Lehgran at the Airport... She's been charged with First Degree Murder...I Imagine she'll need an Attorney right about now.." added Ms. Jade.

"So did you ask for a partnership Ms. Yvette???...You certainly deserve it...You landed this account..Not Mike Pratt.." I asked.

"It was implied that if we won this case ,I was in the running for partner.."said Yvette..

"You still may be Honey Bunch."said Gary, hugging her....

 As our beers

and their colored martinis arrived...

"I told Miles Ellis that making partner wasn't everything....The work was what had to be satisfying in the end ,Guess I should take my own advice... Thanks to you guys...I enjoy practicing law again...The work is satisfying..."said Ms. Yvette...

Mr. McClusky said when my next review comes up he is going to move that I be made a partner....I suppose that's something to look forward to..but I'm not going to waste my time worrying about it..I'm just going to work to be the best Attorney I can be and you guys should do the same.."she said.

Gary whispered in her ear....

"You're still the sexiest woman alive.."

Yvette smiled and rubbed his hands softly...

"Flattery will get you everywhere.." she said and laughed...

 "I hope Ms. Yvette cheers up....They did kind of screw her over...She didn't even want that case.."said Bee Bee..

"She'll be fine...In a few days she'll forget about this...You'll see..."I said.

"Mike Pratt will be in our office now...Every time she sees him , she'll remember this.."said Sofia..

"Amazed that he kept his job after all of the mess he was /is involved in."said Kahlil...

"That's the way of the world.." said Jade...

We looked around....Ms Yvette and Gary were gone...

They were in the back by the foyer, kissing passionately...

Gary was kissing away her tears of disappointment!