“My title isSenator.” Burrows spoke through gritted teeth, but failed to answer the question before him.
“Ah, you’re going to play that game, are you?” Jason asked with a smirk as he turned back to histable, set the papers he held down, and took the ones Ilsa handed him. Instead of holding onto them, he passed them out.
“Defense exhibit A, your honor. These are papers to prove thatMr.Burrows had been stripped of his title of Senator six years ago.” He passed them out and watched as the bailiff held them up so Burrows could read them.
“Now, I’ll ask you again,Mr. Burrows, and remember you’re still under oath here, when didyouissue the government grant to the professors?” Jason walked back to his table to pick up his original papers and passed them out. “Defense exhibit B.” He stepped back as the bailiff allowed Burrows to read.
“So, let me ask you again,Mr.Burrows, when did you issue the government veterans’ grant to Professors Denike, Ralph, Striker, and Madden.” Jason didn’t give him time to answer. “The first paper I passed out was the actual contract thatI,Jason Black, lawyer for the DOD, legal ear to the President, issued the grant to Dr. Staci Hardttwenty-one months ago.” Again, he paused long enough to draw in a deep breath. “So, I ask you again,Mr.Burrows, how could you issue the grant in question to the aforementioned professors three years ago when you were incarcerated six years ago after attacking and threatening a member of our military in a drunken rage? All that was after you were stripped of your status of a senator, lost everything you owned in your divorce, not that it was yours to begin with, andwere taken to court by the United States Military for coercion, blackmail, and threats, all because you couldn’t handle your entitled son, and you wanted him to stay in the military after they wanted to kick him out.” He waved his hand toward his table, and looked at the lawyers for the plaintiffs. “I can go on if you want, but I would like an answer to my question.”
Everyone stared in shock when Burrows swore profusely, ripped the microphone off his shirt, stood so hard and fast they heard the chair hit the ground, and suddenly two armed guards came into the shot, and handcuffed him when he started swinging at them. As soon as the Zoom meeting was shut off, Jason turned to the judge and only held out his hands in a shrug, and wore a confused expression.
“Where do we go from here, Your Honor? It was my understanding that Mr. Burrows held the new information for this case. I just submitted two pieces of already documented evidence that Mr. Burrows isn’t as important as these plaintiffs make him out to be.”
“Good question, Mr. Black,” the judge said and looked over at the plaintiff table. They were hunched into a circle and whispering furiously.
“Counselors, can you answer Mr. Black’s question.”
The lead counselor stood and blurted out, “Request for a recess.”
“I’ll do one better, we’ll quit for the day and reconvene at nine o’clock in the morning.” He banged the gavel, stood, and left. The defendants quickly gathered their papers and beat feet out of there, not even waiting for the people still gathering their papers.
Jason looked at the people on his side and grinned. “What do you think?”
“You just made this case go FUBAR,” Maria said. She, Lloyd, Tony, Jake, Jason, and Hank all laughed.
“What’s that?” Paula asked.
“It’s a military term which means ‘Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.’”
“Yeah, this case is now FUBAR.” They laughed as they gathered their own papers and slowly made their way out of the court house. As they walked, they discussed what was in the area for dinner, and Kevin invited everyone back to his house. On the way to Kevin’s house, Caleb called his favorite pizza place and told the others once they arrived. People had time to change, and forty minutes later the food arrived and they made it into a party. By eight that night, everyone had gone to their room, or back to their hotel. Jason sat around and relaxed in the living room, reflecting on what he had accomplished in court that day. It all took less than an hour to debunk the plaintiffs’ case. He couldn’t wait to see what the next day would bring.
Everyone meton the other side of the security station at the court house the next day and went to their assigned court room. Jason, Paula, and Ilsa set up, after ten minutes, Staci spoke into the silence.
“Something doesn’t feel right.” Her comment had everyone looking around the room, and in less than thirty seconds, the bailiff told them to rise. They did, and Jason stared over at the empty plaintiff table with raised brows. The judge entered, took his seat, and told them to sit down. He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked at them.
“Early this morning, like at five thirty-seven this morning to be exact, I received a phone call from the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs’. Due to your questioning their star witness yesterday, they withdrew their petition to take Dr. Hardt to court for this matter that was before us. When I asked if they reached out to you, they denied they did and promised the professors would slip into the background and not hassle Dr. Hardt again.”
“Your honor,” Paula said as she stood and stared at the man on the bench. “Though I’m glad they bowed out, but I’m at a loss of words right now. So much so that I can’t think of the legalize that I need to say right now.”
“What are you asking for, Ms. Carson?”
“I would like it entered on record in this case thatif any of the professors, their family, or colleagues come after my client, Dr. Staci Hardt, ever again in regard to this matter, then we have the right to sue them for misrepresentation and seek monetary damages from their actions.”
“Duly noted, and I agree.” The judge looked at the court reporter and nodded. Then he continued. “After the evidence presented yesterday, I spent most of the night researching the information that you, Mr. Black, presented. I regret that I didn’t do my own due diligence before this trial even began. If I had known that their witness was incarcerated years before Dr. Hardt had even started working with them, I never would have allowed this case to go forward, for that, I am terribly sorry.” He shook his head, picked up his gavel, and looked directly at Staci.
“I wish you luck with your endeavors, Dr. Hardt. I hope you can help the people that need it. I mean no offense by this next statement, but I hope I never see you in my court again.” He banged the gavel, stood, and walked away.
No one said anything for at least a minute after the judge disappeared through the door behind his bench and it was Tony who broke the silence. “What the fuck just happened?”
Jason turned to them with a gigantic grin. “They,” he pointed to the empty table where the professors and their lawyers should have been sitting. “Knew, without a shadow of a doubt that they lied, and theirinformation was flawed. I don’t know whether they knew it, or if the evidence I presented yesterday was the first time they heard about it. I’m assuming here, but I’m assuming they reamed the professors out after court was dismissed last night. They must have realized they didn’t have a leg to stand on, especially sinceIwas the one that issued the grant that Staci received. By going to the judge outside of court, they did it to save face and not be humiliated in front of us.”
“What was that about what Paula said?”
“I had it put into this case that if Denike, Ralph, Striker, or Madden, any of their family, or colleagues try to sue Staci ever again about the government grant, or any of her work, for that matter, then we can go after them.”
“Got it.” Tony nodded, then walked up to Staci and wrapped his arms around her. Before he kissed her, he whispered, “I am so glad that this is all over for you.” They kissed, and when he broke it off, he laid his head on her forehead. “Now, we can get on with our lives.”
“Yes, we can,” she whispered back to him. With their arms around one another they walked out of the courtroom with their heads held high. As soon as the others joined them, someone called her name. The entire group turned as one and Staci froze.
