Consent of the Governed Ch. 06

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9:00am, Wednesday, November 4th. Town & County District Attorney Miriam Walters exited Paulina's office and went next door to the Main Conference Room. Already in the room were ADA Savannah Fineman, Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle, and Police Chief Sean Moynahan.

I'd been in MCD, congratulating Senior Detective Theo Washington upon his brother Franklin's win of the Superior Court judicial seat. And everyone in the room knew that it was more, much more, than just Franklin winning... the odious Harry R. Nance would no longer be able to help and coddle criminals and harm the Police with his Radical and Activist rulings.

"Oops, I'm being called in by the Chief." I said when my iPhone chimed with a text. I hurried out the door and across the back hallway to the Main Conference Room. The Chief had me take my place to his left, with Teresa on my left side, and Miriam across from me.

Miriam looked tired. Savannah looked as exhausted as I felt. Miriam said "I'll just get right to things. There's good news and bad news in what happened at the Election Center last night"

Miriam: "State Law is fairly clear on the sanctity of the ballot counting areas. The Poll Watchers could be barricaded, and the Election Board Chairwoman was not legally wrong to move the tables away from the Watchers so that they could not see the counting very well. Yes, that violates the spirit of the law, but you know as well as I do that the spirit of the law is worth exactly the amount of the paper it's printed on." We all nodded.

Miriam: "What is not nearly as clear is the status of Law Enforcement Officers with respect to Election counting places. Deputy Sheriffs are normally allowed within the security zone, but it's more blurred with regard to Police Officers. What would you say to that, Commander Troy?"

I replied "We've had that issue with regard to the University campus, as well. The Sheriff has jurisdiction over every inch of this County, but we're told the TCPD does not have jurisdiction because they have a Campus Police. We've countered that since the Sheriff is our boss and the supreme Law Enforcement Officer in the County, the TCPD are also deputies of the Sheriff, and therefore we have law enforcement power on Campus. And that's been generally accepted. I would say the same of the Election Center: as duly deputized Agent of the Law under Sheriff Griswold, I have law enforcement power over every inch of this County, including inside the so-called 'security zone' of the Election Center."

Miriam: "That sounds like something we can reasonably say in your defense. And someone will be saying it. I'll say it when I refuse to prosecute you nor any TCPD Officer. The City Attorney will be saying it when the County is sued by Eldrick X. Weaver, which I expect will happen within two hours. And we'll be saying it to the Federal Courts as well as the U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division. Ava Hinds has already formally notified the Sheriff that the Civil Rights Division will be coming in to formally investigate the TCPD for (air quotes) 'suppressing the voting rights of People of Color by intimidating vote counters'."

"Bring it on." I said.

"Don't underestimate the seriousness of that threat, Commander." Miriam said. "If they're out for blood, they'll bring the full power, resources, and Government Guns of the Federal Government to bear on the TCPD, with the full intent to destroy it. And they will never stop until they succeed, no matter how long it takes nor what they have to do to get it done."

"I say again: bring it on." I replied. "I am not only ready, but eager to engage the USDOJ in this. If they want open warfare, I will give it to them."

"That's a stupid attitude to take." Savannah Fineman interjected. That earned her a hostile look from me, and worse, a 'Teresa Cunt' look from the Iron Wolf. The Chief also looked at her balefully, and Miriam looked displeased that Savannah had said it.

I said "I guess you think it was stupid of Davy Crockett and his Tennessee Volunteers... the real, original Tennessee Volunteers... to not only go to The Alamo, but to fight against the overwhelming odds and die for the Cause. Fortunately for you, Ms. Fineman, there are people better than you willing to fight for your freedom and the Constitution."

"You sound like it's some kind of holy war." Savannah said, practically hissing the words.

"Isn't it?" I fired back. Savannah's head snapped back, a physical recoil in reaction to my words.

"Okay, let's get back on subject." said the Chief, a worried look on his face as he glanced in my general direction. "Ms. Walters?"

"Yes, Chief, thank you." D.A. Walters said. "The next issue is the arrests you made last night. That poll worker that ran that ballot through the machine multiple times? You've got her on tape, dead to rights. We're filing full felony charges, and I've given Paulina that case, so I doubt she'll be offering much in the way of deals."

"There's a 'but' coming here." Teresa 'warned me'. I nodded.

"Yes." Miriam said, giving Teresa a sideways glance of anger. "First of all, how can you charge her with conspiracy to commit voter fraud?"

I said "We found several unapproved, unofficial ballot boxes at the scene. And she's the leader, she's in charge as the Chairwoman."

Miriam had a glint in her eyes as she said "By that logic, Chief Moynahan should've been charged with conspiracy to commit murder when Sergeant McCombs tried to kill that unarmed black man."

"That's not the same thing." Teresa said angrily.

"But I get the point." I said. "Unless we can show she actually did conspire with the worker that ran that ballot ten times, or prove that she personally had those bad ballots brought to the workers and told them to run the ballots, they don't have enough to prosecute."

"That's right." Savannah said, getting in a little dig at me.

Teresa wasn't willing to give it up. She said "Well, that bitch was yelling racist things at Don, and he didn't goad her into them. And I'll testify to what she said to and about him in her office. Why don't you charge her for a hate crime in association with assault on Police Officers?"

"Because we'll never get a conviction for it." Savannah said, seeming to enjoy taking her shots at us.

Miriam rescued Savannah by saying "It's going to be tough enough trying to convict her for the assault on Police Officers charges------"

"Are you kidding?" Teresa said strongly, getting obviously frustrated. "Did you not see what was on our Officer-cams? And the hate speech she was using? That's on the Officer-cams, too!"

"And yours was conveeeeeniently turned off when you were in the office alone with her." Savannah shot back.

Miriam again rescued her puppy: "Sparks has already hired a lawyer, and she's already out there getting the poll watchers for the Democrats's statements. They're saying you and Commander Troy did goad her. They're also saying what her lawyer was saying, that she was only doing her job, and trying to stop Commander Troy's lawbreaking breach of the security fence."

Savannah: "She also says that Commander Troy assaulted her in the office. I asked if she had proof or witnesses of that, and she doesn't. But it's going to be an ugly prosecution."

"So you're not even going to try?" I said angrily, my tiredness leading to a quick fuse. After all, I'm a redhead, dontcha know.

"What, do you want more riots?" Savannah cried out. "Do you not understand that Blacks are already bitter about Allgood winning again, even though it's definitely legitimate this time? Do you not understand the Press is ginning up the anger in the Black Community over what you did at the Election Center?"

"So you're saying I should have allowed the fraud to happen, and keep on happening?" I fired back.

"Yes!" Savannah shouted. "That's why we have Courts! To arbitrate those disputes."

I stared right through her and said "I sure hope to hell that the Courts would do the right thing... after the fact. But what if the whole system was rigged, and for right or wrong just didn't intervene during actual fraud happening? And what if that election was not a local one... but for President of the United States?"

Savannah: "Come on, that's ridiculous!"

"Is it?" I replied.

Savannah: "And the Press would expose that if it were ever tried."

"Oh geez." Teresa said, her face a mix of amusement and disgust. At least one convert to my holy war Cause against the Press, I had.

"Sooooo," I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice, "I heard Gil Krasney won the State A.G. position. Are you going to take a job with him, Savannah?"

"Why should I?" Savannah snarled.

"Ohhhh," I said, "I remember how we'd bust our asses to arrest criminals and give the D.A.'s Office airtight cases, and Krasney would just drop them and let the perps go. And you're doing the same lazy-ass thing, Savannah. So I figured you'd be very happy in State A.G. Krasney's shop."

"How dare you!" Miriam Walters shouted, her face having become beet red with anger.

"I dare," I said as I stood up, "because it's true, and I can. Just like I dared to stop the fraud last night and arrest the perp... because it was true, and I could. I'll show myself out, Chief."

"Yezzz, I'll talk to you lay-terrrr." drawled the Chief. "You can go toooo, Ms. Croyle." Teresa did not need to be told twice, and hastened to exit the room behind me.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Savannah spat furiously.

"He thinks that he is a man who has earned not one but two Medals of Valor serving and protecting the good citizens of this County." the Chief said, the tone of his voice arresting the attention of the two women. "And that young lady next to him has earned six... SIX!... Purple Orders on behalf if those citizens. They've given their bodies and risked their lives for this County, only to have lazy DAs and ADAs not even make an effort to prosecute the cases on mere whims."

Neither Miriam nor Savannah said a word. The Chief got up and said "I'll have the Duty Desk Officer come and escort you out..."

Part 38 - Please To Remember

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I know of no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,'twas his intent.
To blow up King and Parli'ment.
Three score barrels of powder below.
To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's Providence he was catch'd,
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, let the bells ring
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, God save the King!"

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!' shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Thursday, November 5th, from the roof of the building at Riverside and College, with City Hall in the background behind her.. "No justice for People of Color where Donald Troy is concerned!"

After the hard charging intro music, Bettina began: "Judge Rodney K. Watts of the State Superior Court dismissed several lawsuits with prejudice, pun not intended. Among them was a lawsuit by Eldrick X. Weaver, demanding the County pay for and conduct a total recount of the ballots with no TCPD Officers allowed in the Election Center where they would be counted. Mr. Weaver lost to Daniel Allgood 52-48%, a margin that shocked political experts."

Bettina: "Bruce Finneran, who lost in his bid for the Inspector General post that would have given him power to rein in Commander Donald Troy's reign of terror and Police Brutality against People of Color, joined Mr. Weaver's lawsuit, as did losing candidate for Solicitor, Savannah Fineman."

Bettina: "In his ruling, Judge Watts stated that Police Commander Donald Troy did not break the law in breaching a barricade separating vote counters from Poll Watchers observing the count. Judge Watts said that Commander Troy also acted correctly to arrest a poll worker when 'indisputable video evidence' showed the worker ran a ballot through the counting machine multiple times. The judge also stated that if Eldrick Weaver wanted a recount, he would have to pay for it, as it did not meet the half-percent threshold for County-paid recounts, and the election results had been certified as valid."

Bettina: "The poll worker who was arrested pleaded 'not guilty' to the felony charges against her after Prosecutor Paulina Patterson said that she was not offering any plea deals and was going for the maximum sentence. However, ADA Savannah Fineman announced that the charges against Elections Board Chairman Rosa Sparks were being dropped for lack of conclusive evidence that Ms. Sparks committed any criminal offenses. And now let's go to Carl Lemay for more on the Statewide races. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the handsome black reporter Carl Lemay in his well-fitting suit, reporting from that same rooftop with the State Office Building in the background behind him. "The State Elections Board certified the results of Tuesday's elections yesterday, despite reports of massive voter fraud in the City."

Lemay: "Republicans had filed multiple lawsuits based upon mail-in ballots from dropboxes, which the City said would be counted as valid. However, most of those lawsuits were either dropped or dismissed after the State results showed that none of the Statewide races would be materially affected nor the results changed."

Lemay: "Sharon Marshall defeated Hoyt Stenson with a margin that political experts called 'surprising', but Democrats conceded that Mr. Stenson's health issues combined with a large turnout of fierce Val Jared supporters turning up to vote contributed to Ms. Marshall's success. But Corey Coons easily crushed Establishment Republican Ruby Russell, daughter of the late U.S. Senator Samuel Russell. Lorraine McGill, appointed to fill the unexpired term of Senator Russell, won the election to remain in the Senate."

Lemay: "In the 1st District, former Town Mayor Larry P. Vaughan defeated incumbent Congressman Condor to flip a U.S. House seat to the Republicans. And the State Legislature will undergo changes as the State House has flipped back to the Republicans after two years in Democrat hands. The State Senate remains Republican, but Lt. Governor-elect Corey Coons will be running the Senate and appointing the Committee Chairpersons..."

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*CLICK!*

"I'm tired of hearing political shit." I said as I expertly used the remote to shut off the television monitor in my office. Teresa and Tanya were in the room with me, and they applauded my action. Captain of Detectives Claire Michaels had also joined us, and wasn't used to us enough to applaud. We returned to drinking coffee.

"Where is everyone?" Tanya asked.

"All the important people are here." Teresa quipped.

I chuckled, then said "The Sheriff is having his own coffee klatch of his four Chiefs, including the Public Health Officer, at City Hall." I replied. "And Paulina is at Miriam Walters's 'all hands on deck' meeting."

"Is that an 'all hands on deck' meeting?" Tanya asked with a wicked grin, "Or a 'come to Jesus' meeting?"

"I don't think it's gotten to that point yet." I said. "But Miriam is now faced with her nightmare scenario. Savannah lost the Solicitor election, and Miriam has to find a place for her. Franklin Washington will be 'Superior Court Judge Franklin Washington' and Hannah Doss will be 'Magistrate Judge Hannah Doss' come January, so there are holes to fill"

"That's not my nightmare scenario." said Teresa. "Having Judge Doss to go to for warrants makes my life a whole lot easier, and having Franklin instead of that turd Nance is manna from Heaven."

Claire said "How is that going to work out? And how integrated are the ADAs with the Detectives in our investigations?"

"That... is the $64,000 question." I replied. "In an ideal world... meaning if I had my own way about it... Paulina would the the Major Crimes ADA and Savannah Fineman would be the Vice ADA now that Franklin is leaving to be a judge. But Miriam doesn't seem to care about what's best for Town & County Law & Order; she prefers cronyism and being in-your-face in her assignment choices. By the way, Claire, have you met Savannah Fineman?"

"Yes, briefly." said Claire. "She introduced herself after the ceremonies on Monday, but we didn't get a chance to talk."

"Then I'll refrain from saying too much,' I said, "so that you can form your own opinion of her. Ditto that for Miriam Walters. And may I suggest you invite them and Paulina to lunch, to get to know them all."

Claire smiled. "I already have. The four of us are having lunch tomorrow. Any restaurant suggestions?" I suggested Laura's favorite Soup & Salad place or The Cattleman's Club...

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At 2:00pm, FBI Special Agent Tracy Stone came to my office. With her was Special Agent in Charge Clark Webster. I had Captain Claire Michaels come in to be introduced to them, and had her remain for the conversation to follow.

"So." I said. "Did Martin Nash come in and try to make your life a living hell?"

"No sir." Tracy Stone said with a smile. "They backed off, at least for now. They know they can never prove anything. And that bitch Savannah Fineman got her ass whipped in the Election Tuesday. So her gambit failed."

"Yes. Yes it did." I said. "So what can I do for you, Mr. Webster?"

"I just came by to keep you in the loop on Tamara's disappearance." said Webster. "I know you've been fighting people in the Federal Government that you and Jack Muscone call the 'Swamp Frogs'. Since those two rogue SEALs that tried to attack your home were identified, we've been looking into possible connections. And we may have found something."

"Good. What did your get?" I asked.

Clark Webster gathered his wits, then said "You know some of Lieutenant Jeff Bayport's team liked to rape women and their daughters in front of their husbands and fathers in Afghanistan and Iraq, then just kill the whole families?"

I nodded and Webster said "Well, we're finding that more recently, Bayport may be behind a pipeline where white women and girls are kidnapped and sold into a white slavery ring. They usually kidnap at-risk girls from bigger cities, but we get the occasional disappearances from various colleges."

"Uh oh." I said.

"Yes, Don." said Clark Webster. "We think these Swamp Frogs may have taken advantage of an opportunity, and kidnapped Tamara and put her in a white slavery ring..."

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7:00pm, Thursday, November 5th. The previous day, November 4th, had been Todd's (and Melina's) son Doug Burke's seventh birthday. Today was my son Ross's sixth birthday. We'd had a small party for Doug at Todd and Teresa's home, and were now having Ross's party at The Cabin.

Ross got a good haul of gifts, including an Airborne School 'black hat' from his dad, by request. And a couple of people that had not been at Doug's party had brought gifts for him, too. And then the cake and ice cream was assaulted. An investigation by Police Dog Bowser revealed that the culprit that made a lot of the ice cream disappear bore the patriotic name 'Betsy Ross'...

Part 39 - Epilogue

After the kids's party was over, Teresa joined me on the back deck for a dram of Scotch whisky. The fire in the fire pot was going, and she sat on the metal mesh loveseat with me instead of a separate chair, for more warmth from the nighttime chill.

"Good election results." Teresa said.

"This time." I replied. "But the Enemy will only regroup, and try even harder next time. They are relentless and will not stop until they've destroyed the Constitution and imposed Socialism upon us, and ultimately a Totalitarian Dictatorship."