Advantage Disadvantage by Yale Jaffe Page A

You’ll get some really phat
Kerbe clothes and shoes, and I know you’ve got game, but Battle
will help you improve. Here’s the deal: After a month, if you still
don’t like being on the team, we can quit.”
    He was physically tired from practice and mentally
worn down. He finally gave in and told his dad, “ we will try
it for a month”.

Chapter Seven. The Legal Strategy

    Jon Handelair retained expensive downtown attorneys
for business as usual at the Board of Trade. He used his leverage
as President and CEO of the Board of Trade to lean on one of the
firms to represent Marcus in resolving the legal mess associated
with his gun incident at O’Hare Airport. The DA secured an order to
temporarily pull Marcus Imari’s Illinois concealed gun permit until
this matter was resolved. This order made Marcus frustrated because
for all practical purposes, he could not perform his work duties
unarmed.
    Jon arranged a meeting to discuss Marcus’ legal
predicament. It began after-hours in the executive conference room
at the Board of Trade. Jon Handelair, Marcus, Elizabeth and several
attorneys participated in the strategy session. The legal team
presented a complicated strategy to fight the prosecution.
    The attorneys would file intricate motions to delay
the trial. Then the lawyers would ask the judge to recues himself
because of some obscure conflict of interest claim. When the new
judge resumed the preliminary motions, the legal team would ask for
a series of continuances. Ultimately, they would ask for a change
of venue away from the pool of Chicago jurors to, maybe, Peoria.
All of this would hopefully wear the prosecutors down and force
them to drop the entire matter.
    Marcus listened intently and felt pushed around by
the attorneys and his father-in-law. He felt intimidated by the
well-educated crowd. The attorneys were collecting documents and
saying goodbye to everybody. Marcus had many questions and
concerns.
    Sensing her apprehensive husband, Elizabeth
slowed-down the proceeding. “Gentleman, this stalling strategy may
ultimately be the way to go but I am really at fault here, not
Marcus. I should have been punished for this, if anyone. Your
solution doesn’t help him at all.”
    “What do you mean?” cracked one of the
attorneys.
    “This all seems normal to you, but he will be out of
work indefinitely because of prolonging the court proceedings. It
is just not fair. He can’t carry his gun, he can’t work …” she
stopped as she broke out crying. “It’s entirely my fault”.
    Marcus reached over and hugged his wife. He felt
worse about her guilty feelings than the consequences of his
in-limbo status.
    Mustering up his courage he said, “Look here, Jon.
My firearms license has been pulled. I cannot go back to work
unless my situation is resolved. This plan could take years. Beside
the loss of income, if it ultimately does not go my way, I’ll be a
convicted felon. And another thing, how much do these guys charge
for cases like this – I can’t pay much.”
    Jonathon replied, “As far as missing work, consider
it a vacation. Elizabeth and Marcus, I can personally front you the
lost income. Consider it a series of loans. You can pay it back
when you are able. Marcus, you can take time to relax, work around
the house and get more involved with Jamal’s school and sports.” He
continued, “As for the legal fees, the lawyers are on retainer to
the Board already. Their fees are covered.”
    Jonathon turned to the lawyers and said, “He’s right
about the timeframe. Is there any other legal strategy that
shortens the resolution time?”
    “Sure,” one of them said smugly, “you can plead this
out on Monday, but they are insisting on a Class 3 felony
conviction. After 9/11 the heat’s on at airports around the
country. They want to show that they are able to intercept
terrorists. They know you had no ill intentions, but they want to
make an example out of you. They cannot let you go scot-free