I took a deep breath. His mere presence affected me in a way I hadn’t experienced before. Trying to remember why we were here, I took a look at my file to gather my bearings. After a quick review, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “So what happened?”
“I will testify that Melissa Koon was belligerent. She led my officers on a high-speed chase for thirty minutes, throwing baggies out of the window. She was combative when we finally got her to pull her car over, cussing out my guys…”
“So she was cooperative then?” I asked with a grimace. I really hated cases when the defendant was uncooperative with cops. It made my job an uphill battle.
He looked down at me with an intensity that made me shift on my heels, but didn’t answer, and I hoped he knew I’d been sarcastic with my prior comment. Not everyone got my sarcastic humor.
“All right, thanks for the heads up. I better talk to the state’s attorney before the judge comes out.” I said it with a smile and turned quickly to get out of his proximity. I needed to focus on my case and his presence made it difficult.
I glanced back over my shoulder. Luke hadn’t moved, but his lips tilted up in amusement as if he knew he affected me.
I approached the attorney at the trial table. He was tall and lean with blond hair, and when he lifted his head up I noticed his beautiful light blue eyes. “Hey, are you checking in?”
“Yes, I’m representing Melissa Koon.”
He looked down at his docket list and pulled a file out of his pile. “I’m Logan Gray, by the way.”
“Emma Ryan,” I answered, offering my hand for him to shake.
He glanced down at his notes on the front of his file and shook his head. “Whew, this one. I know it’s her first offense but it’s a doozy since she led police on a high-speed chase. The official charges are possession of CDS, fleeing, and eluding arrest, reckless and negligent driving, and resisting arrest. I can agree to drop the resisting arrest and reckless driving charges, and I will recommend ninety days to the judge. We both know I don’t have a case for resisting arrest.” He looked at me with regret. “I have Luke breathing down my neck on the fleeing and eluding.”
I sighed in understanding. “I get it. Let me explain the plea deal to my client and see if she will agree.” High-speed chases place everyone at risk.
“Nice to meet you, Emma. I look forward to working with you,” he said with a friendly smile as I braced myself for my client’s reaction.
I just shook my head at him, a smile playing on my lips despite myself. He was charming, but my mind was still on Luke Hudson.
I explained to Missy that the judge would not buy her explanation when there were several officers willing to testify to her speeding and general combativeness. Leading officers on a high speed chase was frowned on by judges. Throwing drugs out of the car was the nail in her coffin. She was lucky. The amount of drugs the police had recovered didn’t warrant a distribution charge.
“State vs. Melissa Koon,” Logan called out to the gallery.
As we walked to the front of the courtroom, I veered over to Logan and whispered our assent to his plea offer. He nodded and I turned back toward the defense table. Logan read the facts of the case into the record.
“Counsel, is Ms. Koon in agreement?” Judge Norris asked.
“Yes, your honor,” I answered, and then led my client through the litany for a plea agreement. I felt the usual sick feeling watching my client being led out of the courtroom in cuffs.
As I left the courtroom, I saw a movement from my left, someone grabbed my arm and I teetered on my heels. “What the hell? Missy didn’t do nothin’ wrong.” Spit hit my face with every word that Missy’s boyfriend spoke.
I flinched and tried to pull my arm back. His grip only tightened, causing pain. “Let me go!” I exclaimed. I looked around frantically for a bailiff or anyone to intervene. Court was in session so the hallway was deserted.
“I can’t believe Missy hired you. Everyone knows public defenders aren’t real attorneys.”
I swallowed so loud I was pretty sure he could hear it. “Listen, you can’t run from the police when they try to pull you over. It looks bad. Judges hate that.”
“That’s not what happened and you know it,” he answered squeezing my arm even tighter.
“It’s her word against the testimony of several police officers,” I tried to explain.
A commanding voice came from over my right shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on here?”
I sighed in relief, still struggling to free my arm. Before I could register whose voice it was, the hand was forcibly removed from my arm and the boyfriend’s arms were behind his back and cuffed. I rubbed my arm at the pain.
“What happened?” Luke asked me, holding Missy’s boyfriend by his cuffed arms. More people were starting to crowd into the hallway now to see what the commotion was about.
“I just came out here and he grabbed my arm. He’s unhappy about his girlfriend’s case.”
“She’s a fuckin’ bitch! She got my girl locked up and for nothing!” Missy’s boyfriend yelled at me and his voice echoed off the walls.
It was then that Luke realized who he was holding. His eyes narrowed and he nodded at another officer, “Take him to lock-up downstairs until he settles down.”
“Sure thing, boss,”
