The Reluctant Mob Lawyer: A Broken Lawyer Novel (The Broken Lawyer Book 5) by DONALD L'ABBATE

Author:DONALD L'ABBATE [L'ABBATE, DONALD]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-04T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 36

After the meeting which, as usual, put my head back on straight, I had some good news for a change. There was a message on my cell phone from Mr. Silverman. The committee had reconsidered its position, and Devon’s project was not being disqualified; however, there was a catch. If the charges against Devon weren’t dismissed, he would be ineligible to receive the money. The message ended with Silverman saying a confirming letter would be forthcoming.

It certainly wasn’t a total victory, but it was still a win. It did, however, raise the stakes because now I had to have the case dismissed and not just bargained down to a misdemeanor.

I called Devon’s grandfather and gave him the good news. He said that he’d let Devon know as soon as he got home from school. Then he thanked me, saying he knew I had gone above and beyond what I was required to do, and he appreciated the effort. It’s not often that a client thanks me, which is understandable since the last time most of my clients see me is when they’re being hauled off to prison. At that point, the last thing on their mind is thanking their attorney.

Devon’s felony charge was scheduled to go to the Grand Jury in a few days. Being a one-sided affair, the Grand Jury rarely fails to return an indictment. Once the indictment was returned, I could start taking steps to have the case dismissed. It would require motions and time which wouldn’t play well with Mr. Silverman and his committee.

I felt more confident now that I knew Devon’s project wouldn’t be disqualified, but I still worried about the prize money if Devon’s team won. What would happen if I couldn’t get the case dismissed before the prize money was awarded? Could I force the committee to hold Devon’s share in escrow pending the outcome of his case? I didn’t know the answer to that question, so to be on the safe side, I had to assume I couldn’t.

After the indictment, it would take at least a month, maybe two, before I could have the case dismissed, and that was if things went well. Any complication at all could delay the case for months. The only way to ensure Devon got his share of the prize money if his team’s project won the contest was to have the case dismissed before it went to the Grand Jury.

I didn’t know who at the District Attorney’s Office was handling Devon’s case. I just hoped it wasn’t Assistant District Attorney Clark who handled the arraignment. Actually, it didn’t matter which assistant district attorney was on the case; none of them had the authority to dismiss a case before a Grand Jury hearing. That decision could only come from on high. Hopefully Sarah Washington had reached that level, and I could convince her to drop Devon’s case.

By cutting the deal with American Express, I eliminated the threat of a larceny charge, so the identity theft was the only remaining felony charge.

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