Private Practice Ch. 02

Claire said "Sir, I believe Lieutenant Warner's complaint is partly that she can't help the other side---"

I held up my hand. "First of all, I never said she nor any of you could not talk to nor help D.A. Walters or the other ADAs. My orders were specifically about the corrupt ADA Savannah Fineman, and it pertains not only to the Locklear case but any and every case Fineman may be working on. So tell me, did or does Lieutenant Warner have any specific new information about the Locklear case?"

"Not to my knowledge, sir." Jerome Davis said with alacrity.

"No sir." Claire Michaels conceded. "She's unhappy about the disparity, though."

"If she has information that affects the case," I said, "she is to bring it through her chain of command up to me. And her first link in that chain is Lieutenant Davis, Captain, not you." I handed Jerome the file folder and said "I'll let you discuss with Lieutenant Warner the merits of withdrawing the complaint."

"Sir," said Claire, "what about her complaint about Coleman? I really do believe that that has merit, and Lieutenant Warner wants Coleman transferred out of MCD."

"Lieutenant Davis," I said, "are you aware of the situation between Lieutenant Warner and Detective Coleman?"

Jerome said: "I'm aware they don't like each other very much, and they are at opposite poles on the Locklear case. But neither has complained to me about the other, and until this report was made, again which I did not see until you showed it to me just now, sir, I have not seen nor heard any actual insubordination nor unprofessional conduct---"

"You need to open your eyes, then." Claire sniped at Jerome. "I'm seeing it all over the place. And so have the other Detectives."

"Watch yourself, Captain." I admonished, glaring at Claire. "Lieutenant Davis, what do you consider Detective Coleman's best attributes to be? What does he do best?"

Davis: "He's good at processing crime scenes, sir, and making observations and deductions from the data he finds. I believe he's good at interviews, and would like to give him more opportunities in doing those. And in our roundtable discussions, he puts good ideas out there. He's not perfect, but even if his ideas don't pan out, the truth that we find from investigating the ideas often advances our cases."

"And his leadership qualities?" I asked.

Jerome said "That's a mixed bag, sir. I think he could be put in charge of a crime scene as far as gathering evidence, and tell CSI's and Officers what to mark, what to bag, et cetera. But maybe not so much in placing Officers around a perimeter, stuff the Incident Commander would be expected to know and do."

I said "And what would you say his negatives are?"

Davis: "His interpersonal skills. He can be abrasive, and he doesn't realize he's being abrasive. He gets zoned in on a case or ideas, and he forgets he's working with other people that have ideas and their own jobs to do. He also doesn't like doing the routine, mundane things, like researching data, poring for hours over data, sitting at his desk calling people, stuff like that."

I said "And what are Lieutenant Warner's best attributes?"

Jerome replied: "She's good at gathering data and interpreting it. She's observant, and she has good insights. And you might not believe I'm saying this, sir, but she's good at interrogations..."

Claire made like an owl as her head whirled around sharply to peer at Jerome. I also was looking askance at him.

"...as the (air quotes) 'bad cop', sir." Jerome finished. "She's terrible at initial interrogations of suspects, questioning people to get information without leading them or giving something away. But if she finds an anomaly, a contradiction, she can rip a suspect to shreds. You yourself, sir, usually close out interrogations, but if you weren't there, I'd send her in as my 'closer'."

I nodded. "That's a good point, and a good observation. Keep going."

Jerome: "She can be good at comforting witnesses, like Dr. Frost's assistant Denise the other day. And she can take charge of a crime scene that is quiet and static, but not so much a chaotic one."

"Okay." I said, then sat up straight and said "Folks, we have a problem within our Detective Corps, and I am expecting you two to fix it. I want you to remember that one of the most important quality of leaders is to put people where their best qualities are enhanced and work best to fulfill the mission, and to try to not put them in positions where their worst qualities hurt the team effort."

Me: "Jerome, discuss Joanne's concerns with her. Don't tell her to withdraw her complaint, but see if you can persuade her to see the value in doing so. If she doesn't, she gets to speak to me about it, and believe you me, she does not want that. You can go."

After Jerome exited, I said to Claire: "And what I said about leadership applies doubly to you. Let Jerome lead his team. And you and I will discuss where best to place people throughout the Detective Corps to enhance their good, minimize their bad, and improve the overall quality of this Team..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cindy came into her office in City Hall, where Teresa was sitting in a chair in front of Cindy's desk, doing work on her Police iPad. She looked up and peered at Cindy as the Green Crowbar walked around her desk and sat down heavily in her chair.

"When, oh when, will I ever learn." Cindy said forlornly, her head bowed. "Don was right about Miriam."

"What happened?" Teresa asked. "I thought you were making some headway with her."

Cindy was staring at her desk, seemingly a million miles away as she said " She's... I really thought Miriam was a better person than that, but she's not. She looked me right in the eye and said she was okay with Stanley Locklear being put to death if he was found guilty."

"Wow." Teresa said. "But don't feel bad. She had me fooled, too. And a lot of other people. Maybe even Don himself."

Cindy said "So now I have to apologize to Don, and make amends with him for being a stupid idiot and thinking I could make things better."

"Ah, that'll be easy to do." Teresa said. "All you have to do is---"

*BUZZ!* *BUZZ!* *BUZZ!*

Cindy punched the button and said "Yes, Lauren?"

Her assistant Lauren Wilcox said "District Attorney Walters is here, and would like to talk to you, ma'am."

"I'm in a meeting. I've got company." Cindy said, then disconnected.

Teresa said "Maybe she saw the error of her ways, and wants to make amends?"

"Doesn't matter now." Cindy said. "I'm done with her... you don't have to go."

Teresa had gotten up. She said "I've got to get back, anyway. I'll talk to you later."

She exited the office into the anteroom, and saw Miriam Walters standing there. "Thou fool." Teresa said. "She was trying to help you... to save you... and you showed your ass and spit in her face."

"I didn't ask you." Miriam Walters said levelly.

"No, and you didn't need to." Teresa said. "See ya, and I wouldn't wanna be ya." And with that, the Iron Wolf exited the room.

A moment later, Cindy's intercom buzzed again. Lauren said "Ma'am, D.A. Walters is still here."

"I don't have time for her." Cindy said. "And hold all my calls..."

Part 10 - The Party Never Stops...

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, August 25th, from the anchor desk of KXTC studios. "The U.S. DOJ serves notice to the Town & County Council!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "Under the enlightened leadership of Attorney General Derrick B. Harland, the U.S. DOJ served the Mayor and the Town & County Council formal notice that the disproportionate composition of the Council violates civil rights laws and disenfranchises People of Color! Let's go to trusted political reporter Carl Lemay for more on this important, breaking story. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the slender Reporter of Color, who was on the roof of the building at Riverside and College, with the Federal Building across Courthouse Square in his background. "The Council was served with a notice at their meeting last night that the U.S. DOJ is opening a formal inquiry into the composition of the Town & County Council."

Lemay: "When the Town and County merged their governments a decade and a half ago, the Council was composed of five Town representatives and five County representatives. The DOJ at that time approved the Merger, but required an equal-representation body with exclusive power of taxation and spending, and the Town Assembly was formed to comply with that requirement."

Lemay: "The Charter was recently rewritten and approved by a plebiscite, but it is not clear if the U.S. DOJ approved the new Charter, nor if they needed to since the basic structures of the Council and Assembly were not changed. Local civil rights leaders, including Eldrick X. Weaver, Councilman Edgar Silas, and former Councilman Reginald B.F. Lewis say approval was needed but not obtained, while Charter Commission member Dr. Joseph E. Williams and current Sheriff Antonio Griswold confirmed to Channel Two News that the DOJ approval was obtained."

Lemay: "The notice was delivered by U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division leader Ava Hinds. She gave this statement exclusively to Channel Two News. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Ava Hinds speaking to Carl Lemay at City Hall during or after the Council meeting. "The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. DOJ has received complaints about the composition of the Town & County Council, and that it discriminates against People of Color and disenfranchises Minorities. We are investigating these complaints and reviewing the Town & County Charter, and we expect the full cooperation of the Town & County's Mayor, Council, Assembly, and all County Public Service officials!"

Lemay: "Ms. Hinds, does this mean the U.S. DOJ will rescind its previous approval of the Charter and the current structure?"

Ava Hinds: "It depends upon our findings, but if we find disenfranchisement of People of Color, we can and will sue to force changes in the name of Diversity."

Back to Lemay live: "Mayor Daniel Allgood and the Republican Council Members refused to talk to Channel Two News reporters after the Council meeting last night. Back to you, Bettina."

"Thank you, Carl!" Bettina said as the feed came back to her. "That was trusted reporter Carl Lemay with that important story. And Commander Donald Troy, Chairman of the Charter Commission that rewrote the Charter, has not responded to repeated requests by KXTC Channel Two News for comment."

Bettina: "And what could be a nationally historic trial is set to begin on Monday, as Stanley Locklear is put on trial in a Death Penalty case! Let's go to trusted reporter Amber Harris for more. Amber!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the height-challenged, athletic blonde as she stood on the roof of the building at Riverside and College, with the Courthouse in her distant background. "Stanley Locklear's trial for two counts of murder in the first degree begins Monday in the Courtroom of Superior Court Judge Patrick R. Folsom!"

Amber: "Locklear's murder trial was upgraded to a death penalty case by the District Attorney's Office due to the special circumstances that he murdered two men, that he used a gun to murder the unarmed men, and that he did not attempt to flee to safety when it was possible for him to do so."

Amber: "Locklear is being defended by Michael Thomas McGill of the Madison & Ives Law Firm. McGill is on a list of attorneys approved by the National Rifle Association, the NRA, to defend persons using guns to kill other human beings. And Channel Two News has learned that McGill and Locklear are using other NRA-approved lawyers to aid the Defense in beating the charges against Locklear. Additionally, the Prosecution will show that Locklear took NRA courses to enhance his skills at using guns in personal combat situations!..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"My God." Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle muttered as she, Sheriff Griswold, Myself, Chief Sean Moynahan, and Deputy Chief Tanya P. Muscone watched the propaganda-cast and drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. Teresa continued: "They're not the 'Drive-By Media', as the great Rush Limbaugh called them. They're the 'stop, park, and lob grenades' Media."

I wasn't listening. I was furiously typing on my personal iPhone to my attorney Mike G. Todd, also of the Madison & Ives Law Firm. When I became aware that I was being watched, I said "I'm texting my attorney, and having him add this morning's broadcast to the libel lawsuit. No one at all has attempted to contact me for comment. Just another log to throw on the proverbial bonfire to burn Bettina and KXTC at the proverbial stake."

I typed some more, then raised my head and looked around. "Where's Cindy?" I asked.

Sheriff Griswold said "I had her go have coffee with the EMS leadership this morning in my place. And by the way, Crowbar, she acknowledged you were right about Miriam Walters."

"As if there was any doubt." I said, admittedly snarkily. I quickly added: "But I'm not mad at Cindy. She was trying. Miriam... not so much. Oh!... that's what was bugging me about Amber's propaganda: she just referred to the District Attorney's Office... not Savannah Fineman specifically."

"And that means?" Teresa asked.

I replied "I've always been thinking that Fineman was doing this for her own aggrandizement, and to make political points, aided and abetted by the biased, dishonest, and corrupt Media. But that's not what Amber did this morning! And that causes me to wonder..." I went into a reverie.

Tanya said "Speaking of lawsuits, how is Dr. Cordell's lawsuit against the State Medical Board going?"

Teresa said "They can't get a hearing scheduled. Dr. Cordell filed the initial lawsuit here in this County, and it was assigned to Judge Franklin Washington. But the State Medical Board, aided and abetted by the raw political power of BigBenefitInsurance, appealed, saying that Dr. Cordell would have to sue in Midtown, where the State Government is seated."

"Ahhh." said the Sheriff. "So he filed the lawsuit in Midtown, and they said it had to be filed up here, in our Town & County."

"Not much gets past you, Sheriff." Teresa said. "Yes, that's what happened. That's being worked out now, but it appears that the Appeals Court is in no hurry to bring it up and decide on it."

"They're going to slow-walk that until Dr. Cordell dies of old age." growled the Sheriff.

"Sheriff, Don," Teresa asked, "how serious is this business of the U.S. DOJ coming down on the Town & County?"

Sheriff Griswold growled "It's serious. I have meetings with the Mayor and the City Attorney today about it. I would ask Crowbar to attend, but I suspect he's going to be busy with the Frost murder case today."

"I hope I'm busy with that today." I said. "Father Romano sent his first report to Judge Folsom last night. He listed 12 files he thought that the Chief and I should be allowed to read. Father Romano also stated his belief that the Frost murder and attempt on himself was more likely than not related to the Locklear case, and Romano has asked that We the Police be allowed access to those files, even if they're not allowed to be used in the Locklear trial."

"They'll fight that like helllll." Chief Moynahan.

"Vee shall see, Chief." I said in my 'German' accent. "Also, Sheriff, you can tell the others in your meeting that I submitted the new Charter to the U.S. DOJ for review, and they came back with an approval, as long as the Council and Assembly structures remained the same, and that only the Assembly have tax and spend power. That's one reason the Assembly has the school tax power instead of the School Board. And I have that in writing, Sheriff, on DOJ letterhead stationary, all official and everything."

"Good. We'll need it." the Sheriff growled.

"Why is the DOJ playing these games with us?" Teresa asked.

I said "Some if it is the dishonesty and pure corruption of AG Derrick B. Harland. He is weaponizing the DOJ and the FBI as agents of Totalitarian Government control over all of us. And some of it is groundwork to help the coming lawsuit by the so-called civil rights leaders, aided and abetted by what the great Rush Limbaugh called the Drive-By Media, which I call the Biased, Dishonest, and Corrupt Media."

I said "My belief, and this is just wild-ass speculation without much data, is that the US DOJ is helping Eldrick X. Weaver and Stacy Jacobs find a way to pack the Council with more Democrats, but without the referendum required by the Charter if the structure changes."

Me: "It was written into the new Charter I helped write that if the structure changes, the Town and the County get to separately vote to re-separate into pre-merger entities, and if either the Town or County votes for separation, then the separation happens. Weaver, Jacobs, and Lionel Carmela would rather have the same structure, but with an 8-5 or 12-8 Town majority on the Council. The Town's current representation on the Council is 80% Democrat, while the County's is 80% Republican. You can do the math on what that will mean."

"And what will happen to this Police Force when they force their 'woke' agenda on it." growled the Sheriff..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Hello and welcome, to Fox University Sunrise!" said Catrina Pierce at 8:00am sharp from the KFXU studios. "I'm Catrina Pierce, and with me is Priya Ajmani. Good morning, Priya."

"Good morning, Catrina. Good morning, everyone." said the lovely Indian reporterette. "Here's what's in the news. The U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division has served a notice to the Town & County Council that they are investigating the current structure of the Council, to determine if it discriminates against People of Color and disenfranchises Minorities."

Catrina: "A spokesperson for the DOJ stated that they had received complaints from Social Justice groups led by activist Stacy Jacobs, as well as twice-failed Mayoral candidate Eldrick X. Weaver. Fox Eight News has learned that they hope to change the structure of the Council without triggering an automatic vote to re-separate the County from the Town."

Priya: "The structure was approved by the US DOJ when the Town & County merged their governments well over a decade ago, but the Social Justice groups say that the new Charter written by the Charter Commission led by Donald Troy was not approved. Reached for comment, Commander Troy said in a statement exclusively to Fox Eight News that the Commission did submit the new Charter for approval, and obtained that approval in writing."

Catrina: "Our State's United States Senator, Richard 'Bill' Nunn, excoriated U.S. Attorney General Derrick B. Harland. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Senator Nunn saying "Derrick B. Harland has weaponized the FBI into an American Gestapo, and now he is meddling in our local and State business with this sham investigation of the approved Town & County Council structure! I call upon Derrick B. Harland to resign, and if he won't do the right thing, I call upon both Houses of Congress to investigate him, impeach him, convict him and remove him for his crimes!"

Back to Priya live: "And in other news, the capital murder case of Stanley Locklear is set to begin next Monday. Mr. Locklear is accused of the first degree murder of two men that broke into his home, tied him up, and raped his wife in front of him. Only after he was able to free himself and shoot the intruders was it found out that they and his wife were doing a roleplay scene."

Catrina: "Police Chief Sean Moynahan and Commander Donald Troy both stated to Fox Eight News that the Police investigation of the case was not finished, but District Attorney Miriam Walters apparently allowed ADA Savannah Fineman to go to the Grand Jury and obtain a premature indictment."