Friday was the day in the office to catch up on paperwork, close case files, file the reports demanded by the wallahs in Santa Fe to justify our princely salaries. I was on my second cup of coffee, staring mournfully at the pile of cases I had to close, wondering if I could persuade, cajole, bribe, one of our support staff to do it for me, strictly against regs but everyone did it, when MaryAnn burst into the office. MaryAnn was our client services rep and unofficial news agency. She had an unerring ear for gossip and could be relied upon to keep us informed of any rumors that could be helpful, interesting or fun. She was also rather excitable and tended to enter any room like a bazooka.
"Les. They need an attorney at the Magistrate Court. Really urgent."
"What about Morgan. Or Douglas.Or Larry. No. Not Larry. Ray?"
"Morgan and Douglas say they're busy and Ray said to speak to you. They need an attorney."
"I'm going to need one when I've murdered those three. What's the panic?"
"Judge Charley is going to send someone to jail."
"She does that."
"He's hearing impaired and can't speak. She say's he is being disrespectful and is going to lock him up."
Fucking Wilma! God, how I loathed that woman.
"Is he one of ours?"
"No."
"What's his name?"
"Romeo Willie".
"Tell me your joking."
"No. Romeo Willie. He's a Navajo."
Jesus. Mr. Willie on a Friday morning.
"What's he charged with?"
"Possession."
"Of what?"
"Drugs."
"No shit. What drugs?'
"Marijuana."
"OK. Get the basic details and open a file. We can fill in the blanks later."
"OK. Thanks."
I put on my jacket and walked over to the Magistrate courthouse, just across the parking lot. 8.30 am and already as hot as hell. I wasn't happy.
I walked into the courtroom and Wilma was at the bench, looking like a hungover gargoyle. She was probably hung over anyway. Sitting at the front were a New Mexico state trooper, a young lady and a confused looking native american.
I approached the bench. "I'm entering my appearance in this matter Judge."
"On behalf of the Public Defender's Office? I don't have that here."
"Our client services representative will be here with the file in ten minutes Judge. Until then, to meet procedure, I can act as a Friend of the Court."
"Friend of the Court?" There was a phrase she hadn't heard before.
"Ten minutes?"
"Yes Judge. I would like that time to confer with my client."
"Yes. Tell him I do not tolerate disrespect in my court."
"He is hearing and speech impaired Judge. Hardly disrespectful."
"I don't think so. You have ten minutes."
She left for her chambers, probably to take an aspirin. I turned to the three others.
"Er, Mr. Willie...?"
"That is Mr. Willie." The young lady pointed to the Navajo. "I'm Cindy Morris, his sign interpreter."
I looked at the state trooper.
"Henry Gallegos. New Mexico State Police."
"OK. What happened?"
Mr. Willie started moving his hands. Ms. Morris made a sign that seemed to me to mean "Stop!"
Ms. Morris glanced at the trooper. "The officer was sent up from Santa Fe to take Mr. Willie to Santa Fe for trial."
I asked the trooper "What trouble is he in in Santa Fe?"
"Possession with intent."
"Meth? Coke?"
"Marijuana."
"What's he doing here?"
"He was arrested last night and I was sent to get him. Seems like a wasted trip."
Mr. Willie was signing vigorously. Ms. Morris signed him to stop again. She looked at me "When he was brought here they found some pot in his sock."
"Didn't they search him last night?"
"No."
Mr. Willie moved his hands about again. Wilma came in just as MaryAnn bustled in with a sheet of paper in a folder. I glanced at it. It would do. I passed it to Wilma.
Wilma took her seat. "Well?"
"Still confering Judge. Mr. Willie is hearing and speech impaired and I have to go through an interpreter."
"I'm not convinced. How do I know what he is saying?"
"Ms. Morris will go under oath, Judge."
"We'll see. Hurry up."
Mr. Willie was gesticulating like a deranged tick-tack men as I led my group to the back of the courtroom.
"Where are you going Mr. Currie?"
"Confering with my client requires confidentiality Judge."
She muttered something under her breath as we huddled in a corner.
Ms. Morris waved Mr. Willie to stop signing. "She said she is going to send him to jail for a week for possession and a week for contempt of court."
I turned to the trooper "is he going to be placed on remand in Santa Fe?"
"Yeah. His trial is not got six weeks."
"Hm. Ms. Morris. I propose that we ask the Judge to dismiss the contempt and release Mr. Willie to the custody of Trooper Gallegos to serve his sentence concurrently with his remand. Please ask Mr. Willie if he is OK with that."
Ms. Morris started to sign to Mr. Willie who kept his hands still and nodded. I didn't need that translating.
As I led them up to the front Mr. Willie started signing in a quite agitated manner. I began to think that Wilma had a point. Mr. Willie seemed to know exactly what was going on.
Wilma looked more like a pissed off gargoyle than ever. "Well Mr. Currie. Done confering?"
"Yes Judge. I propose that the contempt charge be dismissed and that Mr. Willie be released to the custody of Trooper Gallegos to serve his sentence concurrently with his remand for trial in Santa Fe."
Mr. Willie and Ms.Morris were conversing intently. I continued.
"That way Trooper Gallegos journey will not have been a waste of state resources and the county will not have to provide room and board for Mr. Willie."
Wilma thought for a moment. "Alright. Translate this for Mr. Willie. I'm releasing you to Officer Gallegos for transport to Santa Fe where you will serve your sentence concurrently with your remand. The contempt charge is dismissed."
Mr. Willie was signing in an agitated manner.
Wilma looked suspicious. "What is he saying?"
Ms.Morris was quick. "He is agreeing and saying thank you Judge."
"Good. We are done."
We exited into the courthouse lobby where Trooper Gallegos cuffed Mr. Willie.
Ms. Morris shook my hand. "Thanks. My parents adopted him as a baby. I've been watching for him all my life."
"You travelling with them?"
"No. I'll meet them there."
"Anyway, it's over now. What was he saying?"
"He said she was an ugly, mean spirited, frustrated old cunt who would be better for a good fucking if there was a blind imbecile who would do it,"
"Les. They need an attorney at the Magistrate Court. Really urgent."
"What about Morgan. Or Douglas.Or Larry. No. Not Larry. Ray?"
"Morgan and Douglas say they're busy and Ray said to speak to you. They need an attorney."
"I'm going to need one when I've murdered those three. What's the panic?"
"Judge Charley is going to send someone to jail."
"She does that."
"He's hearing impaired and can't speak. She say's he is being disrespectful and is going to lock him up."
Fucking Wilma! God, how I loathed that woman.
"Is he one of ours?"
"No."
"What's his name?"
"Romeo Willie".
"Tell me your joking."
"No. Romeo Willie. He's a Navajo."
Jesus. Mr. Willie on a Friday morning.
"What's he charged with?"
"Possession."
"Of what?"
"Drugs."
"No shit. What drugs?'
"Marijuana."
"OK. Get the basic details and open a file. We can fill in the blanks later."
"OK. Thanks."
I put on my jacket and walked over to the Magistrate courthouse, just across the parking lot. 8.30 am and already as hot as hell. I wasn't happy.
I walked into the courtroom and Wilma was at the bench, looking like a hungover gargoyle. She was probably hung over anyway. Sitting at the front were a New Mexico state trooper, a young lady and a confused looking native american.
I approached the bench. "I'm entering my appearance in this matter Judge."
"On behalf of the Public Defender's Office? I don't have that here."
"Our client services representative will be here with the file in ten minutes Judge. Until then, to meet procedure, I can act as a Friend of the Court."
"Friend of the Court?" There was a phrase she hadn't heard before.
"Ten minutes?"
"Yes Judge. I would like that time to confer with my client."
"Yes. Tell him I do not tolerate disrespect in my court."
"He is hearing and speech impaired Judge. Hardly disrespectful."
"I don't think so. You have ten minutes."
She left for her chambers, probably to take an aspirin. I turned to the three others.
"Er, Mr. Willie...?"
"That is Mr. Willie." The young lady pointed to the Navajo. "I'm Cindy Morris, his sign interpreter."
I looked at the state trooper.
"Henry Gallegos. New Mexico State Police."
"OK. What happened?"
Mr. Willie started moving his hands. Ms. Morris made a sign that seemed to me to mean "Stop!"
Ms. Morris glanced at the trooper. "The officer was sent up from Santa Fe to take Mr. Willie to Santa Fe for trial."
I asked the trooper "What trouble is he in in Santa Fe?"
"Possession with intent."
"Meth? Coke?"
"Marijuana."
"What's he doing here?"
"He was arrested last night and I was sent to get him. Seems like a wasted trip."
Mr. Willie was signing vigorously. Ms. Morris signed him to stop again. She looked at me "When he was brought here they found some pot in his sock."
"Didn't they search him last night?"
"No."
Mr. Willie moved his hands about again. Wilma came in just as MaryAnn bustled in with a sheet of paper in a folder. I glanced at it. It would do. I passed it to Wilma.
Wilma took her seat. "Well?"
"Still confering Judge. Mr. Willie is hearing and speech impaired and I have to go through an interpreter."
"I'm not convinced. How do I know what he is saying?"
"Ms. Morris will go under oath, Judge."
"We'll see. Hurry up."
Mr. Willie was gesticulating like a deranged tick-tack men as I led my group to the back of the courtroom.
"Where are you going Mr. Currie?"
"Confering with my client requires confidentiality Judge."
She muttered something under her breath as we huddled in a corner.
Ms. Morris waved Mr. Willie to stop signing. "She said she is going to send him to jail for a week for possession and a week for contempt of court."
I turned to the trooper "is he going to be placed on remand in Santa Fe?"
"Yeah. His trial is not got six weeks."
"Hm. Ms. Morris. I propose that we ask the Judge to dismiss the contempt and release Mr. Willie to the custody of Trooper Gallegos to serve his sentence concurrently with his remand. Please ask Mr. Willie if he is OK with that."
Ms. Morris started to sign to Mr. Willie who kept his hands still and nodded. I didn't need that translating.
As I led them up to the front Mr. Willie started signing in a quite agitated manner. I began to think that Wilma had a point. Mr. Willie seemed to know exactly what was going on.
Wilma looked more like a pissed off gargoyle than ever. "Well Mr. Currie. Done confering?"
"Yes Judge. I propose that the contempt charge be dismissed and that Mr. Willie be released to the custody of Trooper Gallegos to serve his sentence concurrently with his remand for trial in Santa Fe."
Mr. Willie and Ms.Morris were conversing intently. I continued.
"That way Trooper Gallegos journey will not have been a waste of state resources and the county will not have to provide room and board for Mr. Willie."
Wilma thought for a moment. "Alright. Translate this for Mr. Willie. I'm releasing you to Officer Gallegos for transport to Santa Fe where you will serve your sentence concurrently with your remand. The contempt charge is dismissed."
Mr. Willie was signing in an agitated manner.
Wilma looked suspicious. "What is he saying?"
Ms.Morris was quick. "He is agreeing and saying thank you Judge."
"Good. We are done."
We exited into the courthouse lobby where Trooper Gallegos cuffed Mr. Willie.
Ms. Morris shook my hand. "Thanks. My parents adopted him as a baby. I've been watching for him all my life."
"You travelling with them?"
"No. I'll meet them there."
"Anyway, it's over now. What was he saying?"
"He said she was an ugly, mean spirited, frustrated old cunt who would be better for a good fucking if there was a blind imbecile who would do it,"
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