Little White Lies by Cole Riley

Author:Cole Riley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strebor Books

There was a mix-up about my transfer, for the prosecutors couldn’t decide whether I should be tried in Manhattan Criminal Court, so I stayed put. I was assigned a public defender, a Filipino guy right out of law school, and he explained to me that the other two dudes, Earl and DeCrispus, had long rap sheets. The court would try them as adults. It was later learned that Trey had indeed disappeared after the police had discovered he was the other assailant. The detective lied to me that Trey was not known to the investigators. But the DA could not make up his mind about my case, whether he should severely punish me for the rapes or be lenient, choosing to rehabilitate my stupid butt.

“With the rape charges, the legal system will take your age into account unlike your friends,” Mr. Pinoy, the public defender, said to me. “Your friends will be held responsible for their actions because they know right from wrong. You, on the other hand, are a juvenile in the process of maturation, developing an emotional and moral compass. This is lucky for you.”

“I did not rape those girls,” I said for the umpteenth time.

The lawyer rolled his eyes and produced a copy of the false confession. “Well, you signed this. You confessed to these charges, regardless of your innocence. Now, we have to overcome this obstacle.”

“Will the court give me some leeway?” I paid attention to this Asian fellow, who was short, with a long ponytail, and dressed in a canary yellow suit.

“Maybe.” Mr. Pinoy was paid by the state to represent the poor. He came highly recommended by a friend of a friend, who said the man was a star at Yale Law School. Word was that he didn’t shuck and jive.

“Where are you from?”

He grinned. “Manila. Do you know that part of the world?”

“Not really.” Geography was not one of my favorite subjects.

“How are they treating you around here?” He seemed genuinely concerned. The public didn’t want to know how being incarcerated warped the human soul.

“The thing I regret is being locked up like a stray dog,” I said. “The loss of my freedom is something I really took for granted. Jail is no joke. I hate being apart from my family and friends. It’s hell.”

Mr. Pinoy winked and smiled. “I know it’s tough. You screwed up and now you must pay. But we’re determined to get you a fair shake. That’s why you have the right to counsel so you can have your say in court.”

“I tried to call Moms but they were listening in on my phone call,” I griped. “Why in the hell do they do that?”

“Maybe they feel you’re a security threat.”

I laughed; they had nothing to fear from me. I was merely trying to survive in that crazy, mad place. “Do you know they open your letters too?”

“Again, the officials do that because gang members often send contraband to those locked up,” the lawyer said. “Expect anything you get by mail to be thoroughly checked and censored.

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