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“Do you mind if we sit?” Zane asked as he motioned to the kitchen table. I only had the two chairs, but when I looked at Seth, he motioned me to the table and then leaned back against the arm of the couch.
“Seth was telling me about your case and I wanted to let you know what your options are. As one of Henry’s only remaining living relatives, you have the right to seek custody of him.”
“But…but I’m not qualified. I was in prison.”
“I’ll get to that in just a second,” Zane said, though I had no clue what he meant. “In custody cases, the family court judge’s job is to do what is best for the child. The fact that you are Henry’s blood is a big benefit. But more importantly, you’ve been acting as Henry’s father from the time he was born, both financially and emotionally. You have been the one constant in his life and the judge will take that into consideration, more so than just about anything else. You have a stable job with health insurance and you’ve made sure Henry’s medical needs have been met…I’ve already confirmed that with his doctor. As for your felony conviction, there are a couple of things that have come to my attention.”
Hope began to bloom in my chest the more this man spoke, but I tried to tamp it down because I wouldn’t survive getting my hopes up only to have them dashed again.
“I checked out your case after Phoenix told me that the drugs were for your brother. Your court-appointed attorney pushed you towards a guilty plea when he shouldn’t have. Not only was it your first offense, but they never did a drug test. Your attorney should have had a hair follicle drug test done to prove you hadn’t used drugs in the previous ninety days. I’ve checked with the State and it turns out your lawyer is currently under investigation for a slew of infractions. That, plus the lack of a drug test, means your conviction will likely be overturned. If you’re open to it, I’d like to take on your case. I’ll have a colleague handle the family court case so there isn’t a conflict of interest. With the new facts about your lawyer and the lack of proof that you used drugs, the prosecutor will likely knock the charge down to a misdemeanor, if he doesn’t drop the case altogether. No matter which route he takes, the family court judge will likely rule in your favor once he sees the evidence.”
I was completely overwhelmed by what he was telling me. “I…I can’t afford to pay for a lawyer,” I said as I cuddled Henry against my chest, afraid that they’d suddenly snatch him from me just because I didn’t have the money all this would cost. “But I can get it…I can make payments,” I added quickly.
“We’d be handling your cases pro bono,” Zane said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means there’s no charge.”
I felt incredibly stupid because I still couldn’t make sense of what he was telling me. “What, like it would be free?”
“Yes.”
“But why?” I asked and then I looked at Seth. “Why would you do that for me?”
“It’s not just for you, Levi,” Seth said. “It’s for Henry. He should be with his father.”
A whole new round of tears began to fall.
“Are you okay with Zane taking on your case?” Seth asked. I was surprised to find he’d moved next to me and he was patting me on the shoulder. There was still a little bit of lingering pain from when the pipe had hit me, but I didn’t care.
I nodded.
“Good,” Zane said. “I’ve gotten the court to grant you temporary custody,” he continued. “So if you’re up to it, Henry will stay with you going forward.”
I wanted to say yes, but reality came crashing down. I couldn’t stay in this apartment a moment longer. I could maybe afford a hotel for a few days, but I’d already quit my job. My dreams were being snuffed out one by one as I considered all the obstacles in my way.
“I don’t have a place to stay and I quit my job already,” I whispered.
“I’ve spoken to Betty Carlisle and she says your job is ready and waiting if you want it back. There won’t be any lapse in your employment,” Zane said.
“Really?”
“And we’ll help you figure out something with finding a place to stay,” Seth said.
“Thank you,” I managed to croak out.
“There’s one more thing I want to talk to you about. Your friend Hank,” Zane said.
“What about him?”
“Phoenix told us how important he is to you and what he did for you in prison. He also told us about what put him there,” Seth said.
“I’ve contacted Hank and offered to represent him in his appeal. Like with you, I found some issues with how his plea deal was handled. I can’t guarantee anything, but there’s a chance we can get him a new trial. We’ve also managed to have Hank moved to a different prison…one in Monroe which is about thirty minutes north of the city. He’d be allowed contact visits,” Zane said.
