Try Me

The Preliminary hearing in the sexual assault case opened up....

My Father, Judge Keith Morrison was presiding...I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing considering..

 Attorney Arthur Trout, a very good attorney was representing Amber Robinson...

The young lady accusing Judge Pinkney Bach of sexual assault and unwanted advances...

She sat in the courtroom looking contrite between him and his investigator.

Dexter McMann, a former Detective with the Philadelphia Police department..

 Ms. Yvette whispered to me..

"Keith, I almost don't feel like taking this case on...My gut tells me Pinkney is guilty as hell, even if the facts don't line up and he appears to have an airtight alibi.." she said.

''Even the most unpopular and odious amongst us deserve a fair trial and decent representation."I said, citing a cliche' every law school student must have heard..

Yvette smiled..

''Law School 101 huh?" she said...

She was reminding me of the separation between book learning and actual application in the real world..I suddenly felt like the greenest law student ever...

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad...You're absolutely correct.....I'm sorry!" she said softly and rubbed my back...

She reminded me of how kind and nurturing she could be...One of her most endearing qualities.

 Bee Bee and Sofia sat on either side of Judge  Pinkney Bach..To their utter surprise, they got a taste of how much of a horn dog he really was..

Bee Bee thought she was imagining it at first, then she realized...He was softly rubbing her thigh and inching his hand up her skirt...She removed his hand firmly...

''Are you for real??  Are you serious??" she asked him.

 He looked at her and smiled sheepishly...

His hand had inched up Sofia's skirt also....He was softly rubbing her hips, her thighs and her butt  and smiling at her..She removed his hand firmly.

''Cut it out!" she whispered.

He smiled raffishly....He palmed Bee Bee's behind with one hand...squeezing it ever so gently....and softly moaning...

And rubbed Sofia's thighs with the other...inching his hand up her skirt...breathing deeply....

He wasn't smiling when both women slapped him hard and said under their breath..

"KNOCK IT OFF!"they both said.

The Jury heard the slaps, saw them too!  They looked confused...

Yvette, who saw the whole thing turned to him and said...

"You have one more time, one more time to touch me or my girls inappropriately and you're going to be sitting here by yourself..DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" she said sternly..

"You do realize that I have a rather friendly relationship with Mr. McCluskey...Your Boss, don't you?" he said snidely...

"TRY ME!" said Yvette firmly.... I had never seen her this angry.... "TRY ME!  Touch Bee Bee, Sofia or me once more and we will all walk out of this courtroom and you can defend yourself."said Yvette

He got the message....He was thoroughly embarrassed...and he was enraged that he had been slapped by both girls.. He was no longer a judge who they were trying a case under...He was a defendant and they were his lawyers.. He was still furious..He sat like a petulant child the rest of the day with his arms folded......Saying nothing to any of us..

 I stared at him balefully..

So Did Kahlil...

He sat back and pouted like a petulant child...






II-

Arthur Trout was a very good Attorney, a very good storyteller . He weaved a story of how this young girl
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A Recent college graduate was working as a court stenographer with hopes of getting into Penn Law School in the New Year....

She caught the Judge's eye and his attention...He was Handsome, Famous...Youngest Sitting Judge in Philadelphia History...An age when most people were getting their first jobs as an Attorney...He had already established himself as an ADA and a Corporate Litigator...He had accomplished much and with that an arrogance..

He brought witnesses who saw the young lady out with the Judge For Breakfast, Lunch, dinner and drinks at local establishments..

 Sofia cross examined them, asked them if these were dates or just someone being nice.. Of course, none of the witnesses could say..

Kahlil asked them if the Judge had TAKEN THEM OR ANYONE ELSE OUT TO LUNCH OR DINNER..It was a loaded question...Some of them, especially the females said yes, that he had...

I asked her why she waited so long before filing a complaint?

Amber said she didn't want to lose her job and she weighed in whether anyone would believe her..

Arthur Trout showed a police report and a forensic report that said semen was found on one of the walls of his apartment, just where she said it was.

Bee Bee argued that that was his apartment...He no doubt entertained women there and there would be semen in his apartment..

Arthur Trout argued that she had described his apartment perfectly....Proof that she had been there..

Yvette argued that her client never denied that she hadn't been to his apartment before , but that nothing sexual went down and nothing happened that night..

She then produced our witness, Brenda Reagon..

Brenda Reagon stated that she knew Judge Bach because he was a frequent visitor of the night club Stoleys...and they talked and flirted often..

'' I was in Stoley's , he was jocking that girl...The one who accused him of assault...He must have bought her about ten drinks....She was pretty wasted... He was practically begging her to come back to is place with him, but she refused...He offered to drive her to his place and come back for her car...but she refused...She left in her car... He and I started talking, chopping it up a little later and I went home with him.

We uh had a very very nice night together...

VERY NICE! If you know what I mean and I think you do! I left that morning.." she said.

.
Arthur Trout went hard after her on cross examination...

"You were with him all night?" he asked..

''All Night...I didn't leave until morning.." said Brenda Reagon...

Judge Bach smiled wryly....

Judge Mason Spector sat in the visitors section watching the entire thing carefully...Not cracking a smile..

 Arthur's investigator walked in with some photos...

"Your honor...I'd like to present this as new evidence.."said Arthur Trout...

''Everybody ,approach the bench" said my dad, the Judge.

To our shock were photos of our client, Judge, Pinkney Bach dressed in a pirate's costume with no pants on...but with his boxers on and a rubber dildo in his hands...clearly inebriated...There were seven color glossies in all..

We were shocked..

The Judge, my dad, looked at the photos..

"This shows the defendant in a pirate suit, but with his pants on and no one else in the photo..just him."said the Judge..

"But your honor....This clearly shows my client wasn't lying about the apartment , the Pirate get up , everything..."said Arthur Trout...

"It shows she had some knowledge, but she's not in the photo...The semen was in his apartment, none of her DNA is in the apartment at all..This just isn't enough and I can't allow it..These photos are inadmissible.."said the Judge...

Some time later the jury said..

"WE THE JURY FIND THE DEFENDENT, PINKNEY BACH ,NOT GUILTY!"

We won, but nobody felt good about it...we couldn't look

Arthur Trout or that girl, Amber Robinson in the face as we filed out..

 Jade passed Yvette a file...

She read it and shook her head in disgust...

Pinkney Bach smiled at Yvette..

"Thank You Yvette, I owe you my career." he said.

''You were guilty as hell!"said Yvette... "You paid that girl, Brenda Reagon, to perjure herself in court.. My investigator checked her work schedule...She didn't get off work that night until 2:00 am..Long after you and Amber Robinson had left...Even if she did spend the rest of the night with you..It was long after the fact...and you do own a pirates costume just like she said and you did spray the wall with semen as you chased her around the apartment...You played us.."said Yvette..

"Yvette...I'm sorry you feel that way...I'll see you around.." he said and walked out of the courtroom...

III-

In a Motel, Later on that day ,another meeting is taking place...

 Judge Mason Spector is meeting with a Private Investigator..

"Your wildest suspicions have been confirmed your honor...Your wife and Judge Pinkney Bach have been having an affair.. I found credit card receipts...Hers...for this very motel we are in, going back years... and look at these photos..

 Photos of them making love...in this motel..

and elsewhere sir..." she said..

"That little shit...I took him under my wing...He was a snot nose recent law school graduate...he had just passed the bar...He clerked for me for two years...He lived in a room in my house.. I mentored him...I made him into the trial lawyer, litigator he became....I cheered him on as he moved up the ladder. gotdamnit...Assistant District Attorney, then Corporate litigator  and then the youngest judge in the city's history....and this is how he does me...He sleeps with my WIFE... I gave her everything.....EVERYTHING...A BIG HOUSE...A NICE CAR....I got her a job with that great law firm...and she sleeps with that rat right under my nose..."said the Judge...

"Just calm down sir...Have a few drinks, go to sleep and get yourself an attorney , you'll figure out what to do next.."said the Private Investigator..

A little while later an enraged Judge Mason Spector enters his bedroom.. His wife is sleeping soundly...Too soundly, one might argue..

"SOOOOO Sleep in the middle of the day huh?  Tired from screwing your boyfriend?" he said

and pulled out a gun and fired into her head three times....!!!!!

He then sat down and dialed the police...

"I think I've killed my wife.." he said..Crying profusely and shaking..


IV-

So for a second time this week, The six of us were on the sixth floor of the Holding Facility in the courtroom where the judge sat, his head between his legs...

 

 "Your Honor....We are here to offer any assistance we can.."said Yvette softly..

 "Your friend, Mr. McCluskey is our boss, founding partner of our firm..He asked us to assist you in any way we could.."I said.

 ''We understand you saw some shocking photos of your wife and Judge Pinkney Bach in the bed and you lost your temper and killed her." said Bee Bee.

 ''We can argue diminished capacity sir.." said Sofia.

 "Yes...You have a good case for it.." said Kahlil..

"You do indeed sir..Seeing those kinds of photos would get anyone murderously upset.."said Jade.

The Judge looked up and managed a smile..

"McClusky has a fine bunch of Attorneys at that firm....That was his dream you know..Starting his own firm..He's done exceedingly well." said the Judge..

"And you're exceedingly lucky "came the voice of Lt. Tragg who instructed the bailiff to open the cell.

''What are you doing?" asked Yvette.

"He's free to go!...He didn't kill his wife...She had been dead for about six hours before he shot her..He shot a corpse..."said Lt. Tragg...

"WHAT?" said the Judge..

"Rigor Mortis had set in when we got the  body...That was the first clue...Autopsy Report says Cyanide Poisoning was the cause of death...By the time you shot her.. Her body was stiff and cold...She had been dead for six hours...Somebody else offed her your honor. Easiest case you ever had eh Yvette??"said Lt. Tragg..

"You know what they say Lieutenant, Some nights you just get lucky!" said Yvette.

"So True...So True.." said Lt. Tragg, who watched us as we all filed out..

''I could go for some good Moo Goo Guy Pan right now."said Jade..

"I love Chinese too..How bout it,  you guys? Dinner is on me."said a relieved Judge  Spector.

''Works for me..How bout you Bee?" I asked..

"I just want to be with you...I don't care...let's go." she said..

''Awww that's so sweet...My girl is in love.."Gushed Sofia.

"Let's get out of here...Twice in one week is two times too many for me."said Kahlil..

"You aint never lied Kahlil."said Yvette.

We walked the Judge out of custody.....

Later on that afternoon...

Lt. Tragg and a squadron of police arrested Judge Pinkney Bach again!!! ..

"You guys are out of your mind....I didn't kill her....I didn't kill her.....I was in court all day,...I swear, my lawyers can testify to that..I'm INNOCENT!!!!" screamed Pinkney.

Some days you get the bear, Some days the Bear gets you!


(CONCLUSION NEXT)