Good Judge Stevens

 FRIDAY! ACLU Headquarters, Bayside PA.

Despite the fact that we had a few days off...Never the less...Olivia, Yvette and myself met with the attorneys representing our three "Face" clients..

 Olivia and Yvette were talking on the phone Wednesday Night after we came home...They always talked now that they lived a block from each other...Women, go figure!  They saw each other all day..but they decided they should meet with the Attorneys....

Yvette called Lead Attorney Benjamin Pena several times..

''He's not answering either of his cell phones.."said Yvette.

but got no answer....She called Para legal Luna Velez..

and left three messages....but got no answer either...It was as if both of them had dropped off the face of the Earth...

No matter...Friday Morning...


Olivia and I and Yvette drove to the ACLU headquarters in Bayside where we had been working on the class action suite and met with the three attorneys...

 It was a productive three hour meeting...There was no need to bring along the others...We allowed them to rest and relax...

"Funny, Ben not being here...Luna either...I would have thought he would like to be the one to run the meeting and explain to the others what we would be doing.."said Olivia.

''The Two of them probably just went somewhere for a getaway ..Somewhere they could have some privacy."I said.

"Maybe, but you would think he would have told somebody....Us for that matter.."said Yvette.

We finished our meeting with the other three attorneys and we headed for home , still surprised that Ben Pena and Luna Velez had not been seen by anyone there for at least a day....

II-

Where Ben was , was Philadelphia.....At a Detention center for Immigrants....

Luna had been traced to Philadelphia and arrested by ICE Agent Shawn Columbsy....She was being held  with intention of imminent deportation...

Ben Pena found her and posted a bond for her....Freeing her for the time being...She had a deportation hearing on Monday.....

She was facing Judge Monroe Stevens...Who held somewhat of a regional record for deportations in his courtroom...

He had a Red and White "Make AMERICA GREAT AGAIN cap in his car as well as a photo of him and President Trump at a rally in 2016...

This was definitely going to be an uphill battle.

Outside of Immigration Court...Luna looked at Ben with sad eyes..

"You should have just left me in there papi..It would have hurt less for you in the end...They got me..I'm as good as dead.."said Luna..

"That's not going to happen...I'm going to protect you.."said Ben..

"You can't...They got me cold as you Americans say..."said Luna..She looked at Ben...She smiled weakly..

"I'm sorry I lied to you....I'm sure you know my real name is Luna Vasquez by now!" she said..

"I do..I know you're smarter than you appeared....Para -Legal...Hah!  I thought you knew just a little too much to be just a Para-Legal...You're an Attorney.."said Ben, smiling..

"I was...In my native country.." She said..  "I was also a critic of the present regime and thus labeled an enemy of the people....I was on a short list of people set to vanish in the middle of the night...Never to be seen again..Only I was a step ahead of my captors...I escaped.."said Luna..

 "How did you get into the United States?"asked Ben..

"A year ago..I met this Attorney..A.J. Miller...He promised me a full Visa and Asylum.....I gave him my life savings.....When I arrived here...I met one of his represenatives...I was given a Student Visa that expired one month after I was here...No Asylum....when I tried to look him up unfortunately, He had been disbarred...and arrested and sent to prison on some non-related charges...I took on a new identity, got a job at the Juice bar and kept the lowest of profiles..I didn't date..I didn't do much of anything...I crashed with friends..Until I met you and you gave me a job and I moved to Bayside..." She said..

"The Credit Card you used was phony wasn't it?" asked Ben...

"Also supplied to me by A.J. Miller's associate...I found out that they used a dead person's name and a phony social security number...I was lied to and cheated out of all of the money I had left in the world and A.J. Miller died a month ago...He can't be held accountable for his crimes.."said Luna..

"It's going to be hard to defend you...but I will do the best I can.."said Ben.

"You're so sweet, but I'm afraid you can't...Besides you have that Class Action Suit on Wednesday...By then I'll be on a boat back to my homeland...and possibly a firing squad.." said Luna.

"I'm not going to let that happen...You've got a hearing Monday...We don't leave for Harrisburg until Wednesday....I'll see what I can do.." said Ben...

"I have nowhere to go...I've fled my loft...And I can't stay with you..."said Luna..

"It's a long shot...but we'll have to try..."said Benjamin...

III-

"Of course you can stay with us...both of you....Donnie Ray and I have an extra room..." said Olivia..

"Thank you sooo much, I have some money...for groceries ,upkeep..."said Benjamin Pena..

"Nonsense...We are only too happy to help you guys out.."I said..

"Josie is spending the night with Nelson and Me..We can all just hang out..Make a night of it.."said Beverly...

"Yeah...As you can tell..We are all one big happy family here.."laughed Nelson...

"I spend the night so much...This is like my second home.."laughed Josie..

"I stopped my my place and got a change of clothes and all of her things are in my car..."said Ben Pena..

"Park your car behind our house...behind Josie's...If it's off the street, maybe it won't attract the attention of
that asshole ICE agent, Shawn Columbsy..." I said..

We looked out the windows...There was no sign of him..

I found a GPS tracking device on Ben's car.....I took it..got in my car and drove out by Penns Landing and tossed it into the water...Then drove home...That would keep Shawn Columbsy busy for awhile..

IV-

A block away at Yvette's apartment...Yvette was holding court with her team...

"Liv and I met with the attorneys representing our three "Face Case " clients...They're all on board...so we are all set...What are you guys planning for this weekend?

''Sofia and I already went shopping today..and I think that's it...I really don't feel like going out tonight.."said Bee Bee.

"After we leave here..We are just going back and chill.."said Keith Jones ..

"Yeah, Me and Little Mamasita are planning to chill tonight too.."said Khalil..

"It's all coming down...We want to be ready...ready to go back up against those Supremes.."said Sofia..whose phone was ringing..

"Oh excuse me...I have to take this..It's Ben Pena.."she said..

"Well I'm glad to know he's alive...He wasn't at the office today and nobody's seen him or Luna for two days...I must admit, I was a little concerned.."said Yvette...

The Doorbell rang...It was Gary...

''Hey baby" he said and kissed Yvette..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned..

''And on that note...We'll be leaving.."said Keith Jones..

"Yup...Bye Ms. Yvette, Bye Gary.."said Bee Bee..

"Byeeeeeeeeee.."gigled Sofia..

"See ya Wednesday."said Khalil..

"I'm not rushing you guys out!!!" said Yvette...

 "It's all good, we've been here long enough anyway.."said Keith Jones..

 ''Enjoy your company."said Bee Bee.

 "Yeah, enjoy!"said Sofia..

''See ya Wednesday.."said Khalil..

"Okay...See ya.."said Yvette...

Gary smiled..

"Good Kids.."he said..

''My babies."said Yvette.





V-

MONDAY MORNING!  IMMIGRATION COURT..PHILADELPHIA PA.

They were in Judge Monroe Stevens courtroom...Like I stated before..He held somewhat of a regional record for deportations in his courtroom...

He had a Red and White "Make AMERICA GREAT AGAIN cap in his car as well as a photo of him and President Trump at a rally in 2016...

 Luna stood before him in court...

He looked her up and down and stated..

"Luna Vasquez, you are accused of being in this country illegally ..Now as you know..In Immigration Court ,unlike regular court..you are not entitled to a Public defender....Do you have an Attorney of record before I pass sentence?" he asked..

''Wow, you sound like you've already made up your mind before I even present my defense."said Luna..

"Your Honor..She has Legal counsel...I am Sofia Garcia..Attorney at Law.."said Sofia..

"I am Benjamin Pena, Attorney at law...I'll be acting as Ms. Garcia's second.." he said..

"Oh for the love of Pete.."said a disgusted Monroe Stevens..he was hoping for a quick ruling and an even speedier exit...

"I have filed a motion for legal asylum and I plan to present a defense of my client Ms. Vasquez.."said Sofia..

"WHAT DEFENSE CAN YOU POSSIBLY HAVE?  She has been living in this country illegally for two years....Now how do you people expect to live here if they can obey the most basic laws of our country.."said the Judge..

"Your honor, you sound like you are trying the case...How can you be impartial or fair if you already hold these kind of views? And what do you mean by the term You people?" asked Sofia..

"Are you an American born citizen..?" asked Judge Stevens..

"Yes I am sir,born in this great city of Philadelphia..U.S. of A."said Sofia..

''This is an outrage..What kind of prejudicial question is that? You should recuse yourself..You are obviously biased.."screamed Ben Pena..

Sofia calmed him down...

"Papi...I got this..relax..."she said.

She brilliantly argued for two hours...Telling Luna's life story...About how she was nearly murdered in her home country and how she fled to the U.S. for Political Asylum and was flim flammed by a now deceased American Attorney , who was disbarred and imprisoned for unrelated crimes and who had recently died..

"You finished with your fillisbuster Ms. Garcia?"said Judge Stevens..  "That's a nice story..A touching story...but your client came into this country illegally...The Attorney who you say Flimm flammed her..Did so with her knowledge.."said Judge Stevens..

Ben Pena called at least seven families who testified that Luna Vasquez acting as a Para-Legal, when she was in fact an Attorney personally assisted them in legal manners and that if not for her help and ability to translate Spanish to English, they don't know how they would have fared.

Judge Stevens breathed in and out...He was exasperated and he wasn't moved...

"Very touching..."he said and pretended to play the violin... "Is there anything else?" he asked..

"I have one more witness who will be testifying tomorrow.."said Sofia..

"TOMORROW???"asked Judge Stevens incredulously...He looked to be near tears...

"Yes Your Honor.."said Sofia.

''Alright, but tomorrow..Is it..Tomorrow I rule.." he said.

As court cleared out...

Ben Pena said to Sofia..

''What witness do you have for tomorrow?"

"I don't know...I need time to think of something or find someone...I was playing for time.."said Sofia.

"Guys..Guys enough...We are out of moves...I thank you for what you did...but this judge wants to ship me away..His mind is made up..No witness, No Testimony is going to move him..." said Luna..

"We are not out of moves..we got one more move..."said Ben..

''What is that?"asked Sofia.

'What is that?" asked Luna.

"Marry Me?"said Ben Pena.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)