Standard Disclaimers: Any and all characters depicted here are fictional and reside in my mind, only. If by chance, they are partaking in sexual hijinks, they are over 18. I realize there are many readers on this site. I also realize there are aspects of some of my stories that are not appreciated. I write these stories for my own pleasure, and, hopefully, for some of my fans, too.
I am Bradley Rosen, Brad to my friends, and I am looking at my 45th birthday, in about a month. I am also looking at my 20th year of practicing law, now at my own firm, for nearly two years. I'm married to the love of my life, Brenda, and we have a son, Josh, nearly 18 and a senior in high school, and a daughter, Joanne, 16 and a half, and a sophomore, at the same school.
It also happens to be the school where Brenda started teaching English just over 22 years, previously.
As a criminal defense lawyer, we are assigned to be court appointed, from time to time, which virtually cannot be turned down. Most judges know there are lawyers who like being court appointed, and there are some who don't. Color me in the latter category.
Its not the monetary issue, its usually the very low character of the defendants. They think by turning down a public defender, they'll get a better defense from one of us.
My practice has started to gain momentum, with my firm now having three lawyers and three paralegals.
On a very quiet Friday afternoon, I get a call from the presiding judge of the King County Superior Court asking me to take a case that piqued my curiosity. I recognized the defendant's name as a girl I had known back in Junior High School.
Kathy Moore. If our class voted a 'most likely to serve time in jail' she would have won. Hands down. It seems she must have forgot our high school graduation, and was a no show.
Looking over her record, I saw she was no stranger to the legal system. Five stints in the County Jail, and a juvenile record that was sealed. The current charge was assault, plus possession, with the intent to sell.
I called the Judge's clerk and told her I'd take the case.
I made a point of visiting her in jail on Saturday, as Monday, she would have her first court appearance, so this made the meeting important.
As I entered the interview room, I noticed she was still cuffed to the restraining bar on the table.
"Hey, unlock these fucking cuffs, asshole!"
"Good morning, to you, too, and your opening remarks get the cuffs left in place."
I sat down, facing her, opened my briefcase, and started to read her record. Just as she started to say something else, I calmly told her to be quiet, or I'd have the guard gag her.
I think she realized I meant business.
"Let's see, a frequent flier at County, and a juvenile record, that's sealed. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Let's talk about your first arrest, nearly 32 years ago, shall we?"
"That's sealed!"
"June 28th, Dahl play field, North Seattle, you and three gang bangers assaulting a young girl, do I have the facts right?"
"God dammit, that's sealed," she screamed.
I very slowly took a picture out of my case, and started talking.
"You, Jesus Montero, Phillip Smith, and Henry Watkins were trying to sexually assault one Brenda Buxbaum, isn't that right?"
Silence.
"A classmate of Brenda's came running at you four, swinging his baseball bat, right?"
Silence, with her eyes wide open.
I took two framed pictures out of my case. The first one, of two kids from around 32 years previous. Brenda and me, as soon to be seventh graders. And the second, of Brenda and me from last year.
"Meet my wife, Brenda Rosen."
If looks could kill, she'd have done me in.
"Why are you here?" she asked, barely audible.
Grinning, I told her I didn't have a choice.
Before getting too far into my little story, let's give you readers a little back story.
The sun was out, brightly that day, on that June afternoon, I was headed to the ball field with some friends, as we did nearly every day, during the summer.
We all heard the screaming, and saw those three soon to be jailed criminals attacking Brenda, the 'new girl in town'. I was the only one to react, grabbing my bat, and started running at them, yelling for them to get out of there.
The three of them were trying to rip her shirt off, when I swung my bat, connecting with one of their shoulders. My swinging bat got their attention, as I noticed this other girl, who seemed to be urging these jerks on.
Just as I kept swinging my bat at all three, plus the ring leader, we all heard the approaching sirens.
The main thing I was thinking as I was swinging my bat was, am I doing my grandpa Al proud with my level swing? Yes, Al Rosen, All-Star third baseman for the Cleveland Indians, in the 40's and 50's, is my grandpa.
When the dust cleared, with statements taken, I got the jacket I used to cover Brenda's shaking body, and just held her close, until her parents arrived.
Even before this happened, Brenda and me seemed to hit it off. Both of us wore glasses. We both had a mouthful of braces. Both were referred to as bookworms. Both extremely shy, except around each other and our respective families.