The Cooler

Courthouse Holding Facility  (aka "The Cooler")

Judge Elise Cummings was waking up....She had the dubious distinction of being the first sitting Judge to be held in "The Cooler"...The Courthouse holding facility as it was nicknamed...

Assistant District Attorney Chris Garcetti , who she herself had sentenced to a night in the "Cooler" a few weeks before after his courtroom histrionics after losing to us, walked over to her cell...He was holding a tumbler of coffee and smiling..She sure was pretty he thought to himself..

''Welll...Welll..Wellll what do we have here?  The High and mighty Judge Clemmons, you are still a judge right? HAHAHAHAHA....doing time in the cooler...Who would have thought it?" he laughed.

"I believe you were doing time in this very cell a few weeks ago counselor...because I can still smell the stench of your cheap cologne..." she said..

That visibly stung him!

"Laugh all you like Judge....and your days are numbered for being a Judge...After you're convicted..You'll be disbarred and the only job close to the legal profession you'll have is serving process letters or subpoenas....Maybe I'll throw you a bone...Hahahahaaha. I only wish I was the one prosecuting you." laughed ADA Chris Garcetti.

"Some ADA's are actually smart, good , well meaning attorneys.....Then of course there's you!    I wouldn't be too smug if I were you....My attorneys happen to be...the two young ladies who beat you last time you were in my court....Olivia and Beverly..

so if YOU were prosecuting....YOU'D LOSE!" she said and laughed..

He was again visibly stung by that and reminded of his four failures against us in court....

She knew she'd gotten to him and laughed maniacally....

He stomped his foot angrily and stormed out of the section, heading for the elevator.....As much as he hated her, he found her very attractive and was surprisingly very aroused after verbally jousting with her..She was very pretty ,he thought! He was trying to calm his erection...but he couldn't....

She laughed loudly and hardily...Her laughter echoed in the hallways..






II-

HOURS LATER- SUPERIOR COURTROOM B

Judge Keith Morrison was presiding over the bail hearing..

Olivia, Beverly and I , Judge Clemmons, Nelson and Josie stood before the Judge..

 "Your honor we are asking for reasonable bail for Judge Elise Clemmons..."said Olivia.

 "She is not a violent felon, she has not been charged with a major felony and is a respected Judge." argued Beverly..

 As long as I had known these two, Aunt and Niece, I was amazed at how well they complimented each other and how they never got in each others way...They operated like two parts of the same machine..

 Judge Clemmons was making the same observation....

The Assistant District Attorney Prosecuting the case was Gerri Williams, who we had faced off against awhile ago......

"Your Honor...Judge or not..She is charged with two major felonies, Aiding and Abetting a felon, and Accessory to Murder ….She has access to quite a bit of money and could possibly be a flight risk."said Gerri...

"Your honor, Accessory to Murder? Really?? Of who?? Our client has nothing whatsoever to do with any murder, this is ridiculous..."argued Nelson.

''And as far as cash, our legal fees are being paid by the Innocence Project and the League of Women Lawyers who raised the money, not our client..."said Josie..

 "Judge Clemmons, She still is a Judge your honor She is not a flight risk."said Olivia

''And she's not a dangerous felon who is a threat to the community...You know her personally your honor."said Beverly.

He did indeed.....

"I agree, the charges are not that serious and the client being a Judge is not viewed as a vicious criminal...I'm setting bail at ten thousand...and I ask that the defendant be fitted for an  ankle monitoring bracelet." said the Judge.

 Lt. Tragg sat in the visitor's section enraged...

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!" he said..

ADA Chris Garcetti was equally upset...

"UNBELIEVABLE!!!" he said and stomped his foot..but kept looking at her..."Why has she got to be so damn hot?" he said to himself...finding himself extremely aroused again....

Olivia, Beverly and I, Nelson and Josie walked right past him with newly freed Judge Clemmons.

 "Let's get you out of here and get you some food..."said Olivia..

 "I'm sure you want to go home and get a hot shower too." said Beverly...

 I looked around...

"You got someplace you can stay?   You may have made a few enemies in the wrong places.."I asked.

 Nelson eyed Lt. Tragg and ADA Chris Garcetti, neither of whom he trusted..

Neither man looked too happy...

 "If you like, you can stay at my place."said Josie..

''Awwww thank you guys...but I'll be okay...I'm not afraid..."said Judge Clemmons. She stared at Chris Garcetti one last time and laughed in his face..

He was beet red with rage....and yet had a red hot excitement deep in his loins....

"He wants me....He wants me so bad he can taste me....but he knows he can never have me...He's too stupid....Intelligent guys turn me on...."said Judge Clemmons..

 "I hear that!" said Olivia..

 "Okayyyyyyyyy?" said Beverly

"OKAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?" said Josie as the two girls high fived and high fived the Judge.




III-

We all arrived at Sam Mother's Diner in time for Breakfast....

We all ordered the Waffle Special with Scrambled Eggs and Sausage and Coffee..

 "Awwwwwww this tastes sooo good...I am so glad to be out of the "Cooler." said Judge Clemmons.

 "Have you sent a lot of people there?" asked Olivia.

''Believe it or not Chris Garcetti is the only person I've ever sent to the Cooler. That was my first time as a Judge ever sending anybody to the Cooler."said Elise.

 Beverly laughed....

"Have you ever been sent to the cooler before? I mean when you were a defense attorney?" she asked.

"No...I was threatened at least three times...but I never made it...So here...I'm arrested and I finally see the Cooler."said Judge Clemmons..

 "Bev and I have been to the Cooler once.."said Olivia.

"A long time ago..."said Beverly..

Nelson laughed...

"I acted as their attorney and got them out." he said..

"I remember that..." I laughed..

"I do too, You guys got that Judge censored eventually.."said Josie..

"Ouuuu scared of you girls.."laughed  Judge Clemmons..

Lt. Tragg walked in...He was still visibly angry...Naturally he stopped by our table..

"You know?" he said..

 ''You know what? Don't start."said Olivia.

"You know we have to hear this Auntay...You know what?" said Beverly...

"I don't generally have any dislike of you two...I mean I've known both of you  for any number of years...I understand that you are Lawyers and you're just doing your jobs...but you seem to take on a number of lowlife charactors...Real Bottom feeders....Just to get on TV....You take any case that's controversial..." he said..

"OHH? You sound like you're describing yourself...You're always in front of the cameras.....Always declaring someone guilty before a verdict is read and then when you're wrong and the reporters make you eat crow, you're getting into violent melees that clear the courtroom...It's a wonder YOU haven't been arrested ...It's a wonder you're still a Detective! And just remember Lieutenant....I am still a Judge.."said Judge Clemmons..

"That's only for a matter of time."said Lt. Tragg..

"You Keystone Cop, you couldn't make a good case if the defendant confessed....Actually...in your last case in my court the defendant DID confess and she still went free...AhHAHAHAHAHAH!"laughed Judge Clemmons...

"WHYYYYYY YOUUUUU!" screamed Lt. Tragg..

"Everybody....Everybody...ENOUGH!...ENOUGH!....Come on...We aren't in court....We are just trying to eat breakfast....Come on now!" chided Olivia, who got in between them...

 "Oh Boy...This isn't going to end well.."said Nelson to me..

"Who are you telling?" I said..

"We should have gotten our food to go.."said Josie..

"You aint never lied Jo.."said Beverly...

"ARTIE!! ARTIE!! THAT'S ENOUGH....DON'T HARRASS MY CUSTOMERS! NOW ORDER SOMETHING OR GET THE HELL OUT!!!" shouted  Sam Mother.. Several other patrons were staring...

"Liv, I'm just sayin...you could use a higher class of client!  And this one you'll definitely lose because I CAUGHT HER IN THE ACT!" said Lt. Tragg...

"You didn't catch me in anything Columbo!"said Judge Clemmons...

Beverly cracked up laughing...

"Columbo?..hahahahahahahahahahaha." she said..

Lt. Tragg bristled...He didn't like being laughed at and while he could generally tolerate Olivia, me, even Josie and Nelson...He really didn't care too much for Beverly and the feeling was mutual...

Olivia sighed..

"Duly noted Lieutenant...Now can we finish our meal?" she asked.

 "I'm done....I'm going to settle up." said Beverly, who was still laughing...

"Columbo. Hahahahahahahahaha."

"My niece is a teddy bear...She means no harm..." explained Olivia..

"Grisley Bear in a Mini Skirt is more like it."snarled Lt. Tragg...

"Ohhhh come on Lieutenant, that's not nice.!" cooed Olivia..

"This is for everybody's meals Sam."said Beverly ,passing him the company credit card...

"Thanks Bev...Sorry about him..."said Sam Mother, pointing to Lt. Tragg...

"Oh that's okay....He doesn't bother any of us in the least bit." said Beverly...

"Your meal is on us your honor.."said Nelson..

"Awwww Thank you."said Judge Clemmons..

"Enjoy it...Soon you'll be disbarred and you won't be going to the Cooler...You'll be headed to the Women's Correctional Facility at Muncy.."said Lt. Tragg..

 ''Let me settle up.."said Josie.

"Relax Jo...You and Liv are on me.." I said..

 "Awwww thank you..."said Olivia..

"Thank youuuuu.."said Josie..

Both planted wet kisses on me...

Lt. Tragg turned to Sam Mother..

"That Donnie Ray was a good cop..A Homicide Detective , sterling record....He met Olivia and she just turned him out...He's so whipped he doesn't know if he's coming or going." he said.

"We should all be so lucky Artie...The man looks happy to me. Who wouldn't be ,surrounded by three lovely women everyday...and married to one..?"said Sam Mother.

Olivia was sitting on my lap , I had my arm around her waist....

Beverly was holding Nelson's hand..

 "We are ready to go now....You want me to drive?" asked Beverly...

I tossed her the keys..

"Welp we are out...Can we drop you off anywhere Judge?" asked Nelson...

 "Just by my apartment...Thank you guys so much.."said Judge Clemmons..

"Let's get out of here.."said Josie..

IV-

We were all back at our office.....Alfreda was staring at ADA Rockland Cambridge..

"Well, I guess you'd better get back to work.." she whispered.

"I guess I'd better." he said..

They embraced in a soft, slow kiss that lasted at least FIFTEEN MINUTES......

"Ouuuu you'd uh better go.."Alfreda whispered..

"Yes....Uh I'd better.." said Rockland...

Just then ADA Gerri Williams walked up... she just happened to see Rockland's trousers standing out like a circus tent..

"Ouuuuu!" she said..and put her hand over her mouth..

Rockland, embarrassed smiled sheepishly and said.

"Uh ADA Williams...uh....How uh nice to see you again..." he said and rushed toward his car..

"Yes....ADA Cambridge...Ouuuuuuuu.." she said and smiled sheepishly herself... "My lord...ouuuuuu." she said to herself...

Alfreda appeared in the doorway...

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, Hi...I'm Assistant District Attorney Gerri Williams....I'd like to talk to Liv and her team.."she said, knowing that Alfreda was the woman who had gotten ADA Cambridge that way....

"Ummmmph, She's going to GET it tonight!" she thought and smiled to herself..

Alfreda smiled..

"Come with me..." she said..

Olivia was sitting on my lap....

Beverly was sitting on Nelson's lap...

Josie was sitting quietly....It had been a momentious day...A Bail hearing and a brunch confrontation with an angry Lt. Tragg.

 "Hi Liv, Beverly, Donnie Ray, Nelson, Josie....."said Gerri..

"Heyyy what brings you here Gerri?" asked Olivia..

"Well, it's mixed emotions...I'll be prosecuting Judge Clemmons and I really don't want to...I like the woman...I admire her...That's the truth!!!....If I can be honest..I think she should get into Politics, that's where she would do the most good.."said Gerri Williams.

"My Auntay said the very same thing." said Beverly..

''So I'm here to tell you that first off...I'm dropping the Accessory to Murder charges....They are ridiculous and Lt. Tragg as usual made a groundless arrest...He was just piling on a charge to make it worse..But I'm afraid I can't ignore the fact that she allowed a felon to escape arrest, She willingly aided and abetted that escape...I don't want to but I have Lt. Tragg and all of those cops he brought...That's 11 eyewitnesses Liv..I mean come on.."said Gerri.

''What happens if she's convicted?"asked Josie..

"I seriously doubt that she'll get any jail time although she could get up to two years or probation , but she'll most certainly be disbarred. The end of a brilliant legal career..I would hate to be a part of that."said Gerri.

''What do you propose?" asked Olivia..

"I don't know...If you find a loophole let me know...I'm open to any offer....I just want you to know that I feel horrible about this...but I'm left with not much of a choice... See you in court guys."said Gerri Williams. She got up and left..

"You think she's on the up or she was feeling us out?" I asked.

 "No..this time I think she was sincere...I mean she dropped the most serious charge ,Accessory to Murder.That means a lot....A number of ADA's wouldn't have done that! "said Olivia.

"That charge was ridiculous from the beginning...I was planning to fight that. I know I could've gotten that dropped."said Nelson..

"She knew it too...She knew it was baseless...She's smart...she wasn't going to walk in court with a loser charge like that."said Beverly..

"But how do you fight the testimony of a Police Lieutenant and 10 cops who were on the scene? " I asked.

"We can't even ask Molly Chambers...She's fled the city, possibly the state...There is an FBI Most wanted poster out with her and Dr. Cornbluth on it."said Josie.

"Dr. Cornbluth isn't our concern...Just Molly Chambers..We need her to testify as to whether she was told to escape or whether she just took advantage of the situation...Maybe she misunderstood...But she is key to our defense....Other than that....I just don't know."said Olivia.

For Beverly, Nelson, Josie and myself.. Hearing Olivia say she didn't know  didn't sound too cool.


(TO BE CONTINUED)