Chapter 15 -- The punishment of Officer Malka Chorno
Vladim Dukov and his client Kimberly Lee went to his office very early Friday morning. The chief police doctor was waiting for them, to examine Kim and clear her for attending the hearings that would determine the course of Officer Malka Chorno's future. As the doctor's assistant had predicted, Kim's bottom was well on its way to healing. He removed the bandages and was quite satisfied with the condition of Kim's injuries. "We may even avoid the scar on your thigh. Anyhow, if you have it, it won't be noticeable unless you're looking for it. That pretty brown bottom of yours will be back to normal in another week."
Kim cringed with dislike as the old doctor studied her bottom. The doctor was the same man who had given Prisoner # 98945 the drug test the year before and whose students delighted in sexually humiliating criminals. Kim would have expected the doctor and his staff to oppose Spokesman Dukov and his proposed reforms. However, on the question of injuries, the police doctors fully agreed with Dukov. Under no circumstances was it appropriate to actually injure a criminal. The doctors' objections to some of the more severe beatings that had recently taken place took priority over the head doctor's belief that there was nothing wrong with the sexual humiliations. The medical staff had become reluctant supporters of portions of Dukov's reforms. As for Criminal # 98945, the head doctor was every bit as concerned as was her Spokesman that she recover as completely as possible.
Before going to Malka Chorno's hearing, Kim had to go to the booking room of the Central Police Station to have her second mugshot taken. Throughout their sentences, Danubian criminals had to have their files updated each year, which included new yearly mugshots. Criminal # 98945 looked quietly into the camera as the flash went off. Later, when Vladim Dukov added the second mugshot to his client's file, he had a chance to compare it to the picture taken immediately after her arrest. The contrast was so startling that it was hard to believe that the two pictures were of the same person. The difference went way beyond Kim's changed hairstyle. Her entire expression was different; the very inner working of her soul was different. When Dukov compared the two photos, he realized how much Kim truly had changed and matured during the first year of her sentence.
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Dukov escorted his client across the Central Plaza to the Central Courthouse. They entered the ornate building and the courtroom where Criminal # 98945 went on trial the year before. Dukov explained to Kim that today was one day she was not to kneel in the presence of the public officials running the hearing. Kim was the aggrieved party in this case and was due an official apology. She would attend the hearing standing, although because she was still a criminal, she could not salute. Criminal # 98945 and Spokesman Vladim Dukov walked to the witness area immediately to the right and slightly behind the judge's desk. They stood together, as several cameras focused on them.
The courtroom was packed, filled with police officers, all of Danube City's Spokespersons, many law students and professors, and even some human rights activists. A number of criminals who had been punished by Officer Chorno also were present, eager to see the demise of her career.
The case would be a sensation, by far the most exciting trial of the year. Prosecutions against police officers were rare, so when they happened they always drew a great deal of public interest. Criminal # 98945 was relatively well-known and well-liked throughout Upper Danubia because of her singing. She was a familiar sight around Danube City on her bicycle and a fixture at the information counter at the city's main music store. Officer Malka Chorno also was well-known, especially as a result of the fire-fight in which she coolly shot four bank robbers with her service revolver as their automatic weapons sprayed bullets all around her. Finally, Spokesman Vladim Dukov was the most recognized of Danube City's 20 Spokespersons because of his success in representing criminals and because of the controversy surrounding his legislation pending in Parliament. It was for sure the entire incident, from Kim's switching and Officer Chorno's attack against the Spokesman, to the dismissal and prosecution of the policewoman, would be televised. Probably it would crowd out the transmissions of any other trials and punishments for that Sunday evening and be discussed for weeks.
Officer Malka Chorno quietly entered the courtroom in her uniform, accompanied by her partner. She had taken special care that her uniform look its best; her boots were thoroughly shined, her badge and buttons had been polished, her police tunic was crisply pressed and ironed. Officer Chrono knew this was the last time in her life she would have the right to wear her policewoman's uniform. She wanted to treat her outfit with special respect and care before she had to surrender it. Kim noticed one detail indicating the direction of Malka Chorno's future. There was no pistol in her holster. Her service weapon already had been taken away from her.
Malka and her partner silently stepped into the middle of the courtroom. They quietly stood on the empty floor, facing the judge's desk. Both the prisoner's stand and the punishment bench had been removed, because during a police disciplinary hearing neither was used. Errant police officers were harshly disciplined in Upper Danubia, but protocol prohibited them from being disciplined in the same manner as common criminals. It was partly for that reason Officer Chorno entered the courtroom still dressed in her uniform. The official stripping of her uniform would signal the beginning of her punishment.
From her spot in the witness area Criminal # 98945 looked at her nemesis. Officer Chorno looked neither broken nor defiant. She really did not even look sad. She looked...empty, as though the life force had been taken out of her soul. As Kim studied the officer's attractive face and immaculate uniform, she knew that Malka Chorno had changed. No longer was she the same person who had tormented Kim in the park nor the one who so had viciously beaten her a few days ago. Suddenly she felt somewhat sorry for the disgraced cop.
There were no such thoughts of pity from Vladim Dukov. He was determined to destroy Officer Chorno to the point she never could be a danger to anyone again. That cop was out of control and needed to be removed as a threat to the judicial system. She had violated the spirit of the 1780 judicial code continuously since the beginning of last year. She had shown absolute cruelty against anyone unfortunate enough to fall under her discipline. She held the city's Spokespersons for the Criminals in total contempt. Last year she had come very close to murdering Kimberly Lee. Her charisma made her dangerous because of the bad influence she had on other police officers. On top of everything else was the kick to his stomach. That kick was unprecedented. None of Dukov's co-workers ever had remembered a police officer striking a Spokesperson, and certainly never in court. Dukov would have had a hard time admitting it, but for the first time in his life he had developed a deep personal hatred and thirst for revenge.
"DOC-DOC DANUBE!"
The entire room stood up and saluted, including Malka's partner. She did not salute. She simply remained quietly standing at attention. Kim, her brain conditioned to dropping on her knees every time she heard the official salute, struggled to remember that she was not to kneel in court.
The person entering the judge's chair was not a judge at all, but the Chief of the Danube City Division of the National Police. Most of the other presiding officials were wearing police uniforms as well. There was an arraignment panel, but all three of them were senior police officers. The first hearing was not about the criminal charges pending against Officer Chorno, but instead her violations of the National Police Code of Conduct. The criminal charges would come after Officer Chorno's status as a police officer was settled.
The Chief of Police spoke from the judge's chair.
"Officer Malka Chorno. You will remove your badge and your hat. Place your badge inside your hat. Place your hat at the foot of my desk. Once you have done that, you will return to where you are standing."
Malka's partner un-pinned her badge and handed it to her. She took off her hat and, following the chief's instructions, placed it upside down at the foot of the judge's desk. She returned to her position standing next to her partner.
"You're responsibilities as a uniformed officer are suspended from this moment, pending the outcome of this hearing. That suspension will become permanent should this proceeding determine you are guilty of the violations of the National Police Code of Conduct pending against you. Do you understand the violations pending against you?"
"Yes, Chief of Police, I understand the violations of the Code of Conduct."
"You will state, in your own words, the first violation pending against you."
"I am charged with violation of Article 3 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780. Specifically that means, during the course of punishing Criminal # 98945, I struck her to the point of bleeding, in clear violation of Article 3 of Item 18."
"You will state, in your own words, the second charge pending against you."
"I am charged with violation of Article 4 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780. Specifically that means, during the course of punishing Criminal # 98945, I ignored my responsibility to stop striking that criminal when her Spokesman raised his hand to make me pause for medical evaluation of her injuries."
