Recurring Doubts

We hated that Ms. Jade had to spend one night in lock up.....but Ms. Yvette was true to her word.. She got a judge that was willing to hear us....

Lucky for us it was a week day...A Thursday and we didn't have to wait all weekend....Ms. Jade was given a bail hearing the next morning and like clockwork, Yvette, myself, Bee Bee,  Kahlil and Sofia were there.. We also brought as character witnesses , several people from her apartment complex..

The neighbors testified that Ms. Jade was an exemplary and quiet neighbor who caused them no trouble at all...They testified that ICE Agent Shawn Columbsy harassed her constantly, knocking on the door at all hours of night, begging her for sex and threatening to lock her up...

He sat in the courtroom in the visitors section and eased down in his chair..
We mentioned that she had recently become a citizen of the United States and this was all part of the constant Harrassment she had been getting..

ADA Nina Rios, a no non sense Assistant District Attorney looked at the charging docket and shook her head..

"One Kilo of Heroin was found in the murder victim's car...but nowhere on Ms. Lee's person or her place of residence...There are no records of any correspondence between the two of any kind.. This isn't even enough to interest a beat cop....I'm not trying her on this weak crap....Sounds like this guy gave up a name...any name just to get himself out of a murder rap...Ms. Lee is free to go...My office will not try this case.." she said..

"WHAT?" said Shawn Columbsy angrily..

"Don't waste my time with this weak crap Agent Columbsy……"said ADA Nina Rios , taking her briefcase and walking out...

"Yayyyyy Ms. Jade is Free!!"said Sofia, hugging her..

"Thank you so much..."said Jade,

"Let's get you something to eat..." said Yvette...

 "Yeah....That's a good idea." I said..

 "Sam Mother's right?" said Bee Bee..

"It's close.." said Kahlil.

Shawn Columbsy was as red as a beet...

Yvette walked up to him...

"You know up until now.. I've found you Amusing...Annoying but amusing...Now you no longer amuse me..."said Yvette..

"You sound like you're threatening a federal agent missy.." said Shawn..

"Oh No.....I plan to file a sexual harassment suit against you and ICE on behalf of Ms. Jade....We have witnesses...So If I were you....I'd get myself an attorney...You're going to need it...Expect to hear from our law firm in a few days...We want three million in damages...The government can afford it...Question is...Will they want to afford YOU after they lose?"said Yvette...

Shawn Columbsy looked rattled for the first time....

"That wasn't a threat...That was a promise." said Sofia..

 "You need to get laid man and pretty soon." I said..

"Yeah. While you still got a job.." said Kahlil ,laughing...

Bee Bee looked at him disgustedly, but didn't say a word..

Jade snickered a little..

He stomped his foot and stormed out of the office..

"Long  time no see Yvette." said ADA Nina Rios..

"It has been awhile hasn't it Nina...How you been?" said Yvette..

"I'm well...You seem to be doing well yourself.." said Nina..

"I try....You just don't know .."said Yvette..

"Bet I do.. Be Easy Vettie… If you see Livy.. Tell her I said Hola!" said Nina, who laughed as she walked away...

"You know her Ms. Yvette.?" asked Bee Bee..

''We were in Law School together...I think she was a year ahead of me and Livy.. but we had some classes together." said Yvette.

"Wow." said Sofia.

"You'll run into people you were in law school with too in time..." said Yvette to her protoge's...






II-

Chen Lee sat in the Fishbowl alone...

I walked in with  Kahlil...

''Who are you guys? Public defenders?" he asked..

''No, we are attorneys...I'm Keith Jones and This is Kahlil Ahmed.. We are from MccLusky/Cozen/Connor and Pratt." I said..

"I can't afford no lawyers like you guys.." he said..

"We know that....Your cousin sent us to you...You know...The one you fingered falsely for being your drug contact..." said Kahlil..

"I lied...In fact I recant my entire statement....Jade is no drug contact....I haven't seen her in two years and I didn't kill Charlie Wang...He sent me to get food for him...I was his driver that's all...I went to get his take out and when I came back a whole lot of cops was around his car...I dropped the food and ran.." said Chen.

"Why did you run?" I asked...Although I knew.. being a person of color in America at this time...or anytime for that matter..

"Look Man...I'm Asian...I'm an immigrant....I'm here on a student visa...I got to school and I work...I got in a little trouble before...Years ago...I got caught smoking weed....I did a couple of days in county lock up....I get in big trouble....My visa is revoked and back to Mainline China I go...That Fed told me if I gave him a name...a particular name...He has a hard on for my cousin, Jade literally and figuratively...He said if I named her as my contact...He'd get the charges against me dropped and get me out of here...I figured...Since Jade is a citizen there wouldn't be much they could do to her anyway.. So I gave him her name...I'm so sorry...She is innocent.. She's not anybody's drug contact and neither am I...I just drove for the guy...and I didn't kill him or have him set up.. why would I?  The guy paid my gambling debt off and paid my student loan off...All I did was drive for him ,nothing more." said Chen..

"But you did know that he was more than just the owner of a seafood market...You do know he smuggled a package from Asia to American and sold it to a lot of the local drug boys in Chinatown...You did know that didn't you?" asked Kahlil..

"Don't Bullshit us.. We are trying to help you...The more we know...The less likely we'll be surprised in court.." I said..

"Yeah...I knew what he did...I knew who he was...but I didn't have nothing to do with that...I just drove him around...I never seen no drugs on him or guns. .nothin….Now I'm no fool....I know he collected money from the people he sold to...but I didn't even see any money exchanged or hear anything ...All I did was drive him around...and for that, he paid me well.." said Chen..

"Okay, tomorrow is Friday.. We have a preliminary hearing set for you.. We are gonna try and get you out of here.." I said.

"Sit tight...and don't talk about your case to nobody...Keep your mouth shut..." said Kahlil...


With that, we left...

III-

We went to Yvette's house where Jade, Yvette and the girls were...

"How is my cousin?" asked Jade...

''He's fine...He's scared.. He's here on a work visa and a student visa.. He got busted for smoking weed a few years ago...He knows that if he gets in any more trouble.. He's done...So when Lt. Tragg busted him.. He said whatever he thought they wanted to hear to get himself released...He didn't mean to give them your name Jade and he has now fully recanted his statement.." I said.

"Lt. Tragg is a bully.."said Sofia..

"He's a disgrace to the Police force.."said Bee Bee.

"That may be true...but this wasn't Lt. Tragg….This was Shawn Columbsy….Tragg called him down there because he found out that Chen Lee is an immigrant on visas....Columbsy told him if he gave him your name Jade as his drug contact...He'd get him out and get the charges dropped..Only Tragg wouldn't go for it.."said Kahlil..

"Does he know who he was working for? That Charlie Wang was a major Narcotics supplier..?" asked Ms. Yvette.

"Yeah he knows...but he swears he had nothing to do with that...and there is not much evidence to say that he does." I said..

"I'm going to look into it..."said Jade..

"I can't believe he's charged with conspiracy to commit murder with next to no evidence.. but then, look at who the arresting officer is.." said Yvette.

IV-

ADA Nina Rios addressed Lt. Tragg..

":This is the weakest crap you've brought to this office yet....I don't intend to be embarrassed like Rockland Cambridge, Ron Harper and Miles Ellis has been embarrassed by your questionable police work Lt. Tragg...You've charged a young man with no felonies in his past of conspiring to murder Charlie Wang...and you've got no proof at all...This case is so weak.. I would drop it now if it wasn't so serious.." she said.

"Look ,this kid is up to his neck in this...He just happens to be buying Take out and returning when his boss gets whacked..huh? Come onoonnnnnn!" said Lt. Tragg..

''Who knew he was going to stop there?...Was this his regular routine? Did the kid call anybody ahead of time?  These are the questions a good defense attorney will ask..."said Nina..

"You can't best some lousy Public defender Nina?" asked Lt Tragg..

"He's not being repped by a Public Defender,,,He's being repped by Yvette Jones, Keith Jones, Beatrice Evans , Sofia Garcia and Kahlil Ahmed.. You might have heard of them...Next to Olivia and Beverly they're pretty good defense attorneys.." said Nina..

At the mention of our names...Lt. Tragg scoffed..

"Now how can he afford lawyers like them? Huh? He's backed by drug money.. The people who paid him to set up Charlie Wang..."said Lt. Tragg...

"How about...You and your goofy Federal Agent friend got him to finger his cousin..

Jade Lee, their investigator.....and they're taking this case pro bono as a favor to her..??said Nina..

And how about he made bail this morning....He's a free man.."said Nina..

"WHAT?? HOW?" screamed Lt. Tragg.//

The Five of them were in court this morning with Jade Lee..

They had character witnesses...from his neighborhood, his job and his school...They gave a credible argument and he was released...with a light bail..."

"You know that I dropped charges against Jade and she was released yesterday....Re Canvas this crime scene...do some more digging....If there is a case to be made...I want to see evidence...Otherwise...I'm dropping all charges..."said Nina..

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" scoffed Lt. Tragg..as he stormed out of the office....

D.A.'s Investigator Gary Lockwood walked in....

"You wanted to see me?" he asked.

"Do me a favor? Look into this Charlie Wang situation....If Lt. Tragg gives you any trouble.. Tell him you are authorized by the D.A.'s office and to take it up with me.." said ADA Nina Rios..

"He won't even know I'm on the case.." laughed Gary..

"Look.. I know you're seeing Yvette Jones..

This won't be any kind of conflict of Interest will it?" asked Nina..

"Did you know we were in law school together?  Me ,her and Olivia...?  I was a year ahead of them...but I remembered them.. We all had classes together for awhile.." said Nina.

"No I didn't know that...She's never mentioned you." said Gary..

Olivia and I were a little closer....but Yvette and I knew each other..
So this won't be a conflict of interest will it?" asked Nina.

"Not at all...In fact it might help both of us...I don't believe that kid has anything to do with this..He's no player.." said Gary..

"I agree.,....but I had to ask."said Nina Rios, smiling..

(TO BE CONTINUED)