Law or Justice, Pt. 02

Lots of folks were not happy with the ending of "Law or Justice" especially if it meant the cheating wife got off the hook. So, here is my attempt to FTDS. This tale, like part one, is completely fictitious. Conversations about sex in this story, but no specific sexual content. These made-up conversations discuss sex between fictitious consenting adults.

"Some debts are fun when you are acquiring them, but none are fun when you set about retiring them." Ogden Nash

Carl Danvers closed his burner phone after receiving the message, "Trash taken out." He'd be sitting in his office waiting for word that Nick Carlson, the piece of shit who'd fucked his wife was dead. Carl handed his phone to one of his assistants who was working later than he wanted but knew his boss would take good care of him.

"Destroy this Ed, and then head home to your family. Give your wife my love and take tomorrow off to make it up to her."

"No sweat boss, she understand things crop up from time to time, She's good."

Carl handed Ed an envelope with two tickets to a private tour of Van Gogh exhibit that was opening that weekend at DMA. "I know Cathy loves art, so you two have a fun day on me tomorrow. I'll see you on Monday."

Ed Tanner turned and left smiling at how lucky he was to have been found and employed by Carl Danvers. He knew Cathy would be thrilled which meant he better call his mom and ask if they could keep the kids tomorrow night. He knew his wife would show her man her appreciation and he wanted her attentions to be uninterrupted.

Carl Danvers was a child prodigy. In high school his IQ was tested and scored at 166. Albert Einstein had an IQ of 160. Danvers was brilliant and his parents taught him to be a hard worker. The combination opened door after door for Danvers, while it caused fits to anyone who went up against him.

When he was twelve his parents sat him down and explained to him how gifted he really was. It didn't surprise him or make him cocky. He'd always known his brain was exceptional and he just took it as part of who he was. Nothing to brag about and nothing to apologize for since he did nothing to earn it. He was simply born that way.

During the conversation his parents stressed the importance of being responsible for the gift he had been given. Their words included a demand that he remain humble and kind. His father stressed fidelity and trustworthiness while his mom drilled down on kindness and ethics. Both agreed emphatically on one thing. Be mild. By this they meant, "Strength under control" not weakness.

His dad put it this way. "Son, be the guy who takes care of the people around him, but also be the guy who demands fidelity of himself as well as family and close friends. Never tolerate betrayal or deceit. Being played a fool is a sign of weakness so never go looking for trouble, but never allow anyone to take advantage of you or wrong you without setting things right."

Carl Danvers had taken this lesson to heart. He'd lost a few fist fights along the way when he stood up for himself. He wasn't some big bad mother fucker who could crush anyone in his path, but he was a guy who would fight ferociously and get back up no matter how many times he got knocked down. By the time he was a freshman in high school even the local young thugs respected him enough to leave him alone.

But Danvers had always enjoyed using his mind more than his fists. He could out debate anyone including most of his teachers. He was in AP calculous class his senior year at a prestigious private boy's school, when the teacher made a serious mistake on a problem he was teaching. Carl saw it right off but didn't say anything until after class.

"Excuse me Dr. Simms, but could you spare a moment?"

"Sure Carl, what can I do for you?"

Carl went to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk. After about ten minutes the teacher gasped. "Well, well Mr. Danvers, you've caught my mistake and corrected it. But why didn't you speak up in class?"

"I've always been taught respect and kindness Dr. Simms. You are consistently more than fair with me, so I want to treat you in kind. I had no interest in disrespecting you in front of the class and I knew once you saw it, you'd recognize it right off."

From that day forward Carl and Dr. Simms were livelong friends. And that was how Carl lived his life. He accumulated a wide range of associates and friends who respected and appreciated him. He went to Princeton on a full ride and graduated in 2.5 years with dual degrees in history and finance. During this time, he found he enjoyed the mental challenge of ideas more than math or science so upon graduation he headed back to Texas and attended UT-Austin Law School. Again, on a full ride.

UT wasn't in the top ten law schools. It ranked # 15 in the country. However, Danvers knew he wanted to practice criminal law in Texas. It was never too early to begin making connections and networking. He finished number one in his class and had no fewer than twenty law firms around the country offering him the moon to join their firm.

He turned them all down except one. Martin and Millner of Dallas. They were known to be some of the toughest criminal defense attorneys in the country. M & M's as they jokingly called themselves were not the largest firm in town. Total staff was comprised of only 57 souls. There were six senior partners including the founders, Thomas "Buddy" Martin, and Travis Milner, both born and raised, proud, gun toting fourth generation Texicans.

The other four partners were Miguel Fernandez, Hannah Procter, Jud Chandler, and Mia Carlson. The rest of the crew consisted of four junior partners, twenty law associates, nine paralegals six research techs and twelve admin assistants. Ninety percent of their workload was criminal defense with the other ten going to various pet projects of the senior partners.

In January of 2005 the senior leadership gathered around their conference table for what most thought would be a long grueling selection process with each senior partner tossing in their candidates for the three new associate positions that would open in the spring. Everyone was surprised when managing partner Milner walked in and dropped the bomb.

"Everyone put away your candidate files and listen very closely to me." Eyeballs darted around the room. Everyone knew Travis was not only one tough SOB, but he was also the smartest person on the team... by a long shot... which was saying something since Buddy had finished # 1 at Yale Law back in the day.

He flopped one file down on the table. "No matter what else happens this spring there is only one thing of paramount importance. By May 15 the young man in this folder must be in the M & M stable. To that end, we're not hiring three new associates, we're hiring one but paying him the total of all three combined." Heads began to wag, and tongues began to mutter.

"I know what you're thinking, nobody could be that good and it would set a terrible precedent with our current and future staff. Well, let me tell you something. This kid is a fucking savant. He most definitely is that smart and he intends to practice criminal law in Texas. I was in the Corps with his old man back in the day and we reconnected about six years ago. I've been following this young man and I can tell you one thing for certain. We don't ever want to be sitting on the other side of the table from him... EVER."

At this point Buddy chimed in. "Travis is right folks. All of you will get a copy of his candidate file." At this point he turned in his chair and motioned to his executive assistant, Martha Collins, who was more like the firm's matriarch than admin. "Martha, if you would be so kind." As Martha handed each partner their folder Buddy continued. "Please don't open them quite yet, this next part is important.

"Carl Danvers is going to be one of the top five lawyers in the country within ten years. He's had offers from every serious firm in the USA, six from England, two from Germany and one very, very lucrative Swiss offer. Put quite simply, this kid can name his price and work wherever the fuck he wants too... I'm sorry Martha, please forgive my French... We can't compete with any of these other offers except for one thing. Carl Danvers fully intends to practice criminal law in his home state, the great state of Texas, and, for some reason known only to God, his old man thinks the world of Travis and has encouraged his kid to join up with little ol us."

"So" Travis concluded, "Buddy and I are calling an audible this year. We hope you will read this file tonight, come back in tomorrow and vote that we offer Carl Danvers exactly what is in this contract proposal. But whether you vote yes or no, he's our guy and we're going to do everything humanly possible to land him."

Fernandez looked up at this last comment he expression a combination of surprise and frustration. "Esta diciendo qui los socios principals no tienen voto en esto?"

"Yes and no my friend. We most certainly want your support in this... all of you. But at the end of the day Buddy and I are agreed, this kid is worth more than we can begin to put down on paper or discuss around this table."

At this point Hannah chimed in. "So, we vote yes or...what?"

Travis respected everyone around the table. He thought more highly of them than just about anybody else he knew, but he was a no-nonsense kind of guy. "Hannah, and all of you; we highly value each of you and see you as peers. All of you have been here for eight years or more and you know this has never happened before. It likely will never happen again. But this young man is a Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods kind of talent. He will probably end up re-writing the handbook on criminal defense tort."

"Also, we know if each of you trusts us on this, two things will happen. First, within an hour of meeting him you will be as impressed as Buddy and I. Secondly, you will thank us profusely for landing him since his work will have a dramatic impact on the prestige and earning ability of every partner in this firm."

"So, bottom line, we emphatically want your yes vote. But if for some reason, by this time tomorrow we don't have it... there is the door."

And that was how Carl Danvers ended up becoming an M & M in the spring of 2005. At first the partners had huffed a bit on their way out the door with their files. After reading them that evening, they were convinced Buddy and Travis were spot on. After their initial hour with Carl the next afternoon, Travis's two-part prophesy had come true. The 6-0 vote was the biggest no-brainer in the history of M & M.

Danvers attacked his role as an associate with an intelligence and intensity befitting his reputation. Many of his co-workers were skeptical at first, but by the end of the summer of 2005 everyone from the top of the firm to the bottom had been enthusiastically won over.

Danvers saw inconsistencies others missed. He could read a jury as easily as a comic book. His work in jury selection alone in his first year with the firm accounted for acquittals in three huge cases that netted M & M over 2.5 million dollars. His understanding of legal precedence and courtroom maneuvering was uncanny. His thirst for legal knowledge never seemed to be quenched and folks would often see him in the law library late in the evening or early in the morning. Prosecutors came to loathe him but every client in the greater Dallas -- Fort Worth area who ran afoul of the law wanted him. By the time the dust settled at the end of his third year M & M's earnings were up over 50%.

But what seemed most uncanny to his fellow M & Mer's was his humility and kindness. He always had a moment to help a colleague and he never boasted even when it was clear his work had won the case. He was firm in his convictions and fiercely loyal to his tribe, but nobody ever heard him rant or tear into a colleague. He wasn't perfect, he could become frustrated if others couldn't quite keep up with his thinking and he had to learn not to assume everyone understood what he was saying. But M & M was on the map and this young superstar had put them there.

His sixth year with the firm, his first as a full partner, something extraordinary happened. A Fort Worth cop, a detective named Sid Moncrief, was arrested for murdering his wife. Everyone in and around law enforcement in North Texas was shocked.

Moncrief had a stellar reputation on the force with several citations and one medal of honor for taking down three rough hombres in a bank heist gone bad. Detective Moncrief had been in the bank when the robbery occurred. Sid shot one and apprehended the other two without any civilian casualties. Some of his buddies started calling him Dirty Harry, but Moncrief just brushed it off as being lucky to have been there to help. He was a cops cop.

Sid and his wife Abby had been married for sixteen years and from what everyone saw the relationship was on very solid ground. This being highly unusual for marriages for cops made it stand out to everyone. Abby was a high school principal and well liked in the district and community.

One spring afternoon Abby went missing. Being the wife of a popular detective, her disappearance garnered immediate attention. Bolos went out all over the state and it seemed every cop, DEA, FBI, Texas Ranger and good old boy with a shotgun was helping look for Abby. There was huge grief in the entire community when her body was found in her car off an obscure road outside the small town of Cooper, Texas in the Cooper State Park about 90 minutes northeast of Dallas.

It was even more shocking to the greater DFW area when detective Sid Moncrief was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife Abby. Nobody could believe it, but the TBI (Texas Bureau of Investigation) appeared to have iron clad evidence.

This is where the story got interesting. Moncrief had respect but no love for Carl Danvers. Danvers had beaten the Fort Worth DA on several cases in which Moncrief was the lead investigator. He'd never seen anyone like Danvers in all his years on the force. It was clear he was always two steps ahead of everyone else in the courtroom including the judge.

Moncrief knew he was innocent and 99.9% of the force agreed. But the TBI had strong forensic and DNA evidence along with a couple of eyewitnesses that placed the detective in the car with his wife only an hour before her disappearance. It was also discovered that Moncrief's family owned property in that area as far back as the late 1800's. It was determined that the murder was committed on that property and then the car was driven to the remote area and abandoned.

Moncrief was being held in county lock up while awaiting a bond hearing. He was in solitary away from the gen pop for his own safety. Two hours before his bail hearing the detective was sitting in his cell trying to figure out how to afford a decent lawyer when one of the guards came to collect him. "It's not time for my hearing Mike, what's up?" Sid asked. Mike Kelley just smiled, "Hey con, just shut up and follow me." "WTF" thought Moncrief.

When he entered the interrogation room, he was greeted by none other than Carl Danvers, who stood and held out his hand. "Sid I'm very sorry to see you under the circumstances but hope that I might have a few minutes of your time."

Moncrief was too shocked to speak, he just sat down, finally managing, "Sure counselor."

Danvers jumped in. "Sid, I don't know if you have counsel or not, but I'd like to represent you in this case. My guess is, you tolerate guys like me, but don't like us much, since most of the time were on opposite sides of the table. But thanks to a friend who will remain nameless I've seen the evidence and have come to two conclusions."

Moncrief didn't interrupt.

"First, you didn't murder Abby. By the way, I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine what you're going through on that front. And secondly, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt if I don't represent you, you'll go to prison for the rest of your life. So, I'd like to take your case."

Sid was completely dumbfounded. "Mr. Danvers, thank you for your condolences and your offer. But I could never afford you to even represent me at the arraignment, much less the trial. Could I ask why you've concluded I didn't kill my wife?"

"Sid, if you can scrape together ten grand, I'll take your case. That way both of us can hold up our heads. You won't be taking charity and I'll have the honor of safe-guarding one of the best cops in our town. As far as how I know this it is simple. You murdering your wife doesn't make any sense. Our firm has an extensive investigation crew and in the last forty-eight hours I had them do some very specific digging. You had a good marriage, no fooling around, two people who'd been in love since high school.

"You and I both know detective that when something doesn't make sense, there is a rat somewhere. But we also know when two and two add up to four, there is no point in trying to disprove something that is obviously true. It is obvious to me, there is no way in hell you murdered Abby. So, Sid, can you dig up ten grand in the next three months?"

Right then and there one of the oddest partnerships in the history of Texas criminal justice began. Two hours later Judge Hector Sanchez was a bit flummoxed with the bailiff announced the people vs. Sid Moncrief on the charge of murder in the first degree and from the back of the courtroom a strong voice rang out, "Carl Danvers for the defense your honor."

Every cop in the area was shocked to learn Danvers was representing one of their own. But when they learned their brother needed help with half of the 10K fee the kitty was filled before the end of the day's shift. To say their investment was well spent would be the understatement of the decade.

Nine months later when Sid Moncrief went on trial for murder one in the death of his wife Carl Danvers became the Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Peyton Manning of the courtroom all rolled up into one.

For the first part of the trial the prosecution, led by young hotshot Tyson Goddard, trotted what witnesses they had, which were few. Most of their evidence was circumstantial but some of it was pretty damning. For his part Danvers sat jotting down a few notes here and there but for most of the time he simply seemed disinterested. He would ask the occasional question on cross, or object now and then but rarely did he even pay serious attention to anything any of the witnesses shared.

The lone exception was Captain Paul Brennan. An old school Irish cop Brennan was no nonsense. He said he hated that a man as good as Moncrief could have been driven to murder his wife. He insisted Sid was a good cop and a better man. It appeared he hated testifying for the prosecution and did so reluctantly.

On cross Danvers seemed very interested on Brennan's interaction with Moncrief on the day of the killing. Did he talk to the detective that morning before or after roll call? Was he giving Sid any direction on any of the cases on which he and his partner were working? Had he seen Detective Moncrief at the end of his sift? It turned out the captain had taken a sick day that day for a doctor's appointment and had no idea of Moncrief's actions or whereabouts.

As it turned out Danvers had good reason for bringing up the captain's absence that day. Once the defense began Carl was focused, succinct and on the attack. Witness after witness, expert after expert, cops, firemen, neighbors, and other associates were called on to demonstrate that it was both physically and emotionally impossible for Moncrief to kill his wife.

Once he'd set that table, he began to feast on the true order of events as he understood them. He was like a starving dog on a bone. He put each building block of his argument together meticulously piece by piece. At one point Sid looked over at the jury box and would later describe what he saw as twelve men and women "mesmerized by brilliance."