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“Then if a person deserves to be murdered, there should be no penalty,” Finley challenged, holding her breath as she waited for the prestigious professor’s response.
Michaels smiled. “The circumstances make all the difference. Is it justice when a man’s child has been killed by a drunk driver and he spends hours or days deliberating how to have his vengeance, eventually shooting the driver and killing him? Perhaps not. Is it justice if the same man’s child is killed by a drunk driver and after months of waiting for a trial, he learns a mere technicality has caused the driver to receive only a slap on the wrist, and this man takes a gun to the driver’s home, shoots and kills him? Both instances are premeditated. However, the first man refused to wait for the law to do the right thing; instead he took matters into his own hands. The second waited, gave the law time to do the right thing. When it did not, he lost control and took his vengeance.
“The answer is in the details,” Michaels explained. “The killer’s frame of mind, the circumstances surrounding the event. There is no one size fits all in justice, despite the way the law is written.”
“But murder is murder,” Finley countered.
“Are we talking about a particular case?”
Of course she would ask. “You’re aware my husband was murdered.”
The professor nodded. “I am. You’ll forgive me if I don’t recall all the details; the chemo sometimes affects my memory.”
So there was a medical issue going on.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re having health problems,” Finley offered.
Michaels shrugged. “Too many years of smoking pot after class.”
The professor laughed, the sound self-deprecating. Finley did the same, no matter that she couldn’t help feeling the loss already. This woman—this incredible professor full of wisdom—would be gone.
Michaels said, “Your husband’s case remains unsolved.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re thinking of taking care of the perpetrators yourself.”
Finley rode out the shock her words prompted. “No, of course not.” Two were out of the way already. She blinked away the thought.
The professor smiled. “It was a reasonable question in light of the circumstances.”
Finley gave a nod. “It was.”
“You’re working with Jack Finnegan since you left the DA’s office.”
Anyone who didn’t live under a rock had probably seen coverage of Finley’s fall from grace. “I am.”
Michaels laughed again. This time the sound was deeper, richer ... real. “That Jack. He’s a pistol. Brilliant, but he had a weakness. The alcohol.”
“He’s been sober awhile now,” Finley said, pride filling her. “And you’re right. He is brilliant.”
“Perhaps your research,” Michaels said, shifting the subject from Jack, “is about your newest client.”
“Perhaps,” Finley allowed. Michaels was in ill health, but she was still on her toes, it seemed.
“Your client made a good decision. Jack is the best criminal defense attorney I know, and believe me, I know a few,” Michaels said.
Finley wholeheartedly agreed. “I’m sure Jack will appreciate the compliment.”
Michaels gave her a nod. “No one will ever accuse me of being anything less than blunt. I say what I think.” She paused before going on. “If the research that brought you to me is related to your new client, what I would tell you to consider is that the cases I mentioned in the review were repeat offenders who got away with their evil deeds time and time again. Until someone—a victim, I suspect—caught on and decided to lure each one into a trap,” Michaels explained. “Perhaps using the abuser’s own selfish techniques against him.”
“It’s the perfect ending, some would say,” Finley suggested. “The true victims are vindicated and the perpetrator is punished, all without costing taxpayers a dime or draining important public-safety resources.”
“In my humble opinion, yes,” Michaels agreed. “But each of us has to come to terms with what we believe to be justice. As attorneys, we are not bound by the same specificity in the law as judges are. We have some amount of leeway.”
Finley couldn’t argue the point. “The system never has and never will be perfect.”
“This is, sadly, true.” Michaels studied her for a long moment. “The downside, however, is that we must live with our choices.”
