Page 51 of Dirty Judge

The courtroom fell eerily silent, but the memories in my head became louder.

There was blood on the street, dead bodies strewn on the pavement, and the sick scent of death hanging in the air.

“Your car will be fitted with a speed limiting device for the next ninety days,” I said once my vision cleared. “You’ll pay all court costs and fines, and you’ll be forced to submit to random drug testing for twelve months, as I refuse to believe you were sober. If you fail to adhere to any of this, you’ll serve sixty days at Rikers Island Jail.”

There was a collective gasp in the courtroom, but I ignored it.

As usual.

“Next case!”

OBJECTION (N.):

A LAWYER'S PROTEST ABOUT THE LEGAL PROPRIETY OF A QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN ASKED OF A WITNESS BY THE OPPOSING ATTORNEY, WITH THE PURPOSE OF MAKING THE TRIAL JUDGE DECIDE IF THE QUESTION CAN BE ASKED.

OLIVIA

My heart hung heavy in my chest after the final arraignment of the day.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on my work, I couldn’t stop thinking about how harshly he’d sentenced Nathaniel Garrison.

During a coffee break, I’d slipped down to the records department and pulled his file—to see if maybe, just maybe, this was his fourth or fifth offense.

It wasn’t, though.

It was his very first.

The man didn’t even have a single parking ticket on his record.

“You can bring me the next set of dockets, Miss Spencer.” Judge Ashton’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I picked up a stack and carried them to his desk. I slammed them down as hard as I could, hoping he would look up at me.

He didn’t.

He continued writing in his notebook, so I picked up the files again and slammed them down even harder.

Still, nothing.

Fine. We’ll do it your way…

I crossed my arms and glared at him, waiting for him to notice.

“Do you have a staring problem, Miss Spencer?” He flipped a page.

“No.” I continued glaring at him. “I don’t.”

“Is there something wrong with your eyes?”

“There’s something wrong with my view.”

“Then feel free to step out of my office and change it.”

“You were dead wrong on that Garrison case this morning.” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Dead-ass wrong.”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion on it.”

“I’m giving it to you for free,” I said. “You were wrong, overtly cruel, and I’m not the only one in the courtroom who felt that way.”