AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After I sit, our receptionist escorts the District Attorney, Aaron Rodriguez, in and then shuts the door behind her.
“What’s this about?” Lance asks nervously as soon as the man sits.
“We wanted to offer you a plea deal,” Aaron starts.
“You already did that,” Melinda says. “We aren’t pleading guilty.”
“I understand, but you realize you’re facing twenty years, right, Mr. Johnson?” he asks, straightening his black and silver tie, and he honestly looks nervous.
Aaron Rodriguez doesn’t look like he’s older than forty, in fact, he’s probably not older than thirty-five, but he was a public defender, apparently, and then was promoted to DA after only a couple of years. He’s tough, I’ll give him that, and I appreciate what he’s done as far as not putting up with the amount of crime the last one did, but he’s wrong in this case. I can feel it.
“I’m not pleading guilty to something I didn’t do!” Lance blurts, clearly frustrated and stressed.
“Did you not view the Ring doorbell camera footage, and read the reports from the company? Zero activity except a food delivery that night, where you can clearly see my client opens the door, accepts the food, and signs the driver’s tablet.”
“That doesn’t negate the fact that he could have snuck out after that, perhaps through a back door.”
Melinda scoffs. “You’re implying that after eating, he changed into all-black clothing, snuck out his back balcony, jumped down three stories, and went to commit a home invasion robbery, then came back, climbed three stories, then went to bed, and got up and put on a suit and tie and went to work the next morning like nothing happened?” She shakes her head.
Rodriguez stares at Johnson. “It’s possible, but I do agree that’s a bit far-fetched.”
“You guys tossed my house and didn’t find shit. Where’s all this stuff I allegedly stole?”
“Most thieves tend to get rid of the merchandise immediately, on the street or in pawn shops,” he answers.
Melinda huffs. “Which all have cameras. You don’t have my client anywhere. This case is dead in the water, and you know it. Please use your time and energy to find out who actually did it. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Rodriguez. I don’t think you want a wrongful conviction as one of your first big cases as DA. Prosecute the other two, and press them until they give you a name. All you have is the eyewitness of an elderly man who was clearly traumatized and mistakenly picked out my client from a photo lineup. That’s it, and it’s not enough, and you know it.”
He glances around the table at all of us, and I smile smugly at him when he stares at me, then looks back down at the case file. He flips through it again, while we all wait in uncomfortable silence.
He huffs. “Fine. You’re right. There’s nothing here except the eyewitness. You’ve given me a solid alibi, so I have no choice but to drop the charges.”
“Thank fuck,” Johnson mutters.
“Yay,” I clap, totally unprofessional but I don’t care.
Melinda chuckles at me, and then we all stand. She puts her hand out to the DA and he shakes it.
“A paralegal will have the paperwork drawn up and filed with a judge by close of business tomorrow. Apologies for all of this,” he says to Johnson, who refuses Rodriguez’s proffered hand and instead turns around and walks out.
Can’t say I blame him. I’d be livid as hell if I was in his shoes.
Lance makes his final payment to us, and then he leaves, and I go into Melinda’s office.
“That was awesome, we rock!” I say, beaming.
She nods. “I agree. And I felt so bad for the guy, that I only charged him five grand. Imagine using your whole savings just to stay out of jail based on someone’s mistaken identity. It sucks, but it happens, but I want the guy to be able to be successful. Thank God he didn’t lose his job.”
“If he had, we could have taken his case again for wrongful termination,” I quip.
She grins. “True.”
“I hope they catch the guy who actually did it. Give Mr. and Mrs. Larsen some closure.”
“I agree,” she says. “Now, next case.”
She begins to tell me about a new client who’s been charged with distributing fentanyl, a nurse at a small hospital in Aurora, and after I read the case file, the guy is for sure guilty. Why waste money on a lawyer when you were literally caught on camera swiping from the medicine cabinet? What an idiot.
***
