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Battle peered over at Jack and DuBose. “I assume by now you’ve had a chance to review the prosecution’s case?”
“You covered a lot of ground in a short period of time,” conceded DuBose.
“Well, it’s an important case.”
“Yes it is, but for whom?” said DuBose, glancing sharply at Pickett as he walked out of the courtroom.
Battle picked up his briefcase and left without responding.
A Black woman around Jack’s age walked up to DuBose and him. “Miss DuBose?”
DuBose turned. “Yes?”
“I’m Cheryl Miller, with the local CBS affiliate.” Miller eyed Jack and said, “Hey, Jack.”
He closed up his briefcase and came over to join them. “Hey, Cheryl.”
“You two know each other?” asked DuBose.
“Cheryl’s dad works with my father at Old Dixie Transport.”
Miller said, “I have a cameraman outside. It won’t take long. Would you mind doing an interview?”
Jack began, “I’m sorry, Cheryl, I don’t like to litigate cases in the—”
“I would be delighted,” interrupted DuBose.
In an alleyway between the courthouse and another building they set up the shot.
Jack whispered to DuBose. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I am not ceding the airwaves to the likes of that man,” she said, indicating Howard Pickett, who was talking to a group of eager reporters at the next corner, while a cameraman filmed it. “And if used properly and judiciously, the press can be a valuable part of a sound defense.”
“And it can also piss off the judge.”
“I’m willing to risk it. And Ambrose seems fairer than I thought he would be.”
“We’re ready,” said Miller.
On camera Miller introduced both Jack and DuBose, then asked DuBose some preliminary questions about her career and past cases. Then she turned to Jack. “And what is your opinion so far on how the case is proceeding, Mr. Lee?”
“It’s moving along. We’ll see how it goes,” he said curtly.
DuBose stepped back into the shot. “I think the fact that we have the Virginia attorney general coming all the way here from Richmond to try the case speaks for itself. I’m afraid they are using this tragic event to advance a national political agenda.”
Miller said, “Mr. Lee? Your thoughts on that?”
“Look, I just want folks to know that Jerome and Pearl Washington deserve the same presumption of innocence as any other defendant.” He glanced at DuBose. “I’ll leave the politics and rest of the country to my co-counsel.”
DuBose’s smile tightened at his words.
Miller said, “Miss DuBose, you have a sterling reputation as an advocate for racial justice in this country. What do you hope to accomplish with this case?”
DuBose glanced at Jack before saying, “To be clear, my focus is the successful legal defense of Jerome and Pearl Washington. No one should want to see an innocent husband and wife railroaded to a date with the electric chair, a punishment that was brought back in this case clearly to intimidate an entire race of people. After we prevail in this case the fight will go on, until Jim Crow is no more, and equal justice and opportunity actually applies to all, which is the real dream of this country.”
They wrapped up the shot and Miller thanked them both.
“How do you really feel about the case, off the record?” she asked.
