Giovanni was squat, flabby, and balding. He had a U-shaped fringe of dark brown hair, cut short. He was wearing a tight-fitting, buttoned, camel-hair sports jacket and blue wool pants, wrinkled at the crotch.
Babbage was not impressed. He shook Giovanni’s cold hand and sat down in a soft chair in front of the desk.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Giovanni asked.
“No thanks.”
Giovanni took out a legal-sized manila folder and studied it carefully. Finally, he looked straight at Babbage. “Let me give you some background on how we’re going to proceed. You don’t mind if I call you Jake, do you?”
“Whatever you like.”
“To begin with, at this time, I’m not going to ask you any questions about the allegations, and I don’t want you to volunteer any information about these charges. Instead, I’m going to wait until I’ve read all the reports and done all the investigation of the case against you, and then I’ll question you in detail.” Giovanni tapped his fingertips together.
“When I question you,” Giovanni continued, “it is absolutely critical that you be completely open and honest with me. I tell you this because you need to know that I will not allow you to get on the witness stand and say anything that I know to be a lie.” Giovanni paused to let this information sink in. “Any questions so far?”
So far, this out-of-shape asshole sounds more like the prosecution than the defense. But Henderson said the guy was okay. Babbage would wait a little longer and see.
“If you’re not interested in my side of the story, what are we going to do today?”
“Today, we’re just going to discuss the case in general. I’ve read the reports and called the DA. I’m going to give you my appraisal of the case and suggest a strategy. Fair enough?”
“Go on,” Babbage said.
“All right. Here’s what’s happened so far. This woman, Erin Collins, alleges that you stopped her and threatened to arrest her for DUI and an outstanding warrant, unless she gave you a blowjob. She claims that because she was afraid and thought she had no choice, she complied with your demand, and you let her go. She’s filed a complaint against you with Internal Affairs, filed a police report, and cooperated with the investigators by telephoning to get incriminating statements from you.”
“She didn’t get shit,” Babbage said.
“I told you not to volunteer any information,” Giovanni said. “Goddammit, Babbage, there’s a reason for everything I do. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by ignoring me. Please keep quiet until I’m done.”
Anger flared inside Babbage, and his hands clenched into fists. Nobody talked to him like that. These fucking defense lawyers all thought they knew everything, and that everyone else was as stupid as their gang-banging clients. Giovanni would find out soon enough that he was dealing with someone who knew which way the wind blew. Too bad he didn’t meet this shithead lawyer on the street. That’s where people found out what happens when you mouth off to Jake Babbage. But back to the present—he needed the fucker for the time being.
“Here’s the bottom line, Jake. You’re charged with oral sex under color of authority. In this state, that carries the same penalty as rape—three, six, or eight years with no probation possible.”
Babbage leaned forward, focusing his eyes on the lawyer.
“In order to beat this, you’ve got to either prove it didn’t happen, or admit it happened and prove consent. I can’t advise you about your case until I know what they’ve got. If they’ve got evidence that establishes this woman gave you a blowjob—such as DNA from semen swabbed from her mouth—then I’ll investigate the consent issue. Only after I know all these facts, and after I bring you up to date on what I know, will I question you. Now do you understand why I need for you to keep your mouth shut?”
Babbage was beginning to understand. Maybe this lawyer was
Babbage was not impressed. He shook Giovanni’s cold hand and sat down in a soft chair in front of the desk.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Giovanni asked.
“No thanks.”
Giovanni took out a legal-sized manila folder and studied it carefully. Finally, he looked straight at Babbage. “Let me give you some background on how we’re going to proceed. You don’t mind if I call you Jake, do you?”
“Whatever you like.”
“To begin with, at this time, I’m not going to ask you any questions about the allegations, and I don’t want you to volunteer any information about these charges. Instead, I’m going to wait until I’ve read all the reports and done all the investigation of the case against you, and then I’ll question you in detail.” Giovanni tapped his fingertips together.
“When I question you,” Giovanni continued, “it is absolutely critical that you be completely open and honest with me. I tell you this because you need to know that I will not allow you to get on the witness stand and say anything that I know to be a lie.” Giovanni paused to let this information sink in. “Any questions so far?”
So far, this out-of-shape asshole sounds more like the prosecution than the defense. But Henderson said the guy was okay. Babbage would wait a little longer and see.
“If you’re not interested in my side of the story, what are we going to do today?”
“Today, we’re just going to discuss the case in general. I’ve read the reports and called the DA. I’m going to give you my appraisal of the case and suggest a strategy. Fair enough?”
“Go on,” Babbage said.
“All right. Here’s what’s happened so far. This woman, Erin Collins, alleges that you stopped her and threatened to arrest her for DUI and an outstanding warrant, unless she gave you a blowjob. She claims that because she was afraid and thought she had no choice, she complied with your demand, and you let her go. She’s filed a complaint against you with Internal Affairs, filed a police report, and cooperated with the investigators by telephoning to get incriminating statements from you.”
“She didn’t get shit,” Babbage said.
“I told you not to volunteer any information,” Giovanni said. “Goddammit, Babbage, there’s a reason for everything I do. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by ignoring me. Please keep quiet until I’m done.”
Anger flared inside Babbage, and his hands clenched into fists. Nobody talked to him like that. These fucking defense lawyers all thought they knew everything, and that everyone else was as stupid as their gang-banging clients. Giovanni would find out soon enough that he was dealing with someone who knew which way the wind blew. Too bad he didn’t meet this shithead lawyer on the street. That’s where people found out what happens when you mouth off to Jake Babbage. But back to the present—he needed the fucker for the time being.
“Here’s the bottom line, Jake. You’re charged with oral sex under color of authority. In this state, that carries the same penalty as rape—three, six, or eight years with no probation possible.”
Babbage leaned forward, focusing his eyes on the lawyer.
“In order to beat this, you’ve got to either prove it didn’t happen, or admit it happened and prove consent. I can’t advise you about your case until I know what they’ve got. If they’ve got evidence that establishes this woman gave you a blowjob—such as DNA from semen swabbed from her mouth—then I’ll investigate the consent issue. Only after I know all these facts, and after I bring you up to date on what I know, will I question you. Now do you understand why I need for you to keep your mouth shut?”
Babbage was beginning to understand. Maybe this lawyer was
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