The Trigger by Daniel J. Patinkin

Author:Daniel J. Patinkin
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781628729207
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Published: 2018-04-25T04:00:00+00:00

Marvin was sent back to the Bernalillo County jail, where he would stay for approximately six months. Twohig suggested that they immediately begin an appeals process. He would bring on three additional lawyers and begin sifting through every piece of evidence that had been presented, every word that had been uttered at trial. It would cost $10,000, and, he warned, if there were a positive outcome, it would not happen overnight. He encouraged his client to settle in, spiritually and logistically, for the long haul.

Marvin was assigned to the F-8 pod, which, like E-6, contained a bevy of violent offenders. The Los Padillas gang, a local outfit headed by the powerful Padillas family, ran the show here. It was an unpleasant place to be. The facilities were stark, oppressive, and scant. The limited outdoor space was bordered by high concrete walls that afforded a view of nothing more than the sky directly overhead. Inmates were not allowed to interact with visitors face-to-face. Even though a loved one may have traveled a long distance to the jail, the prisoner was required to sit in a separate room and conduct the visit via teleconference.

Marvin was constantly checking his blind spots, expecting to be accosted by one of the many hustlers who were working angles on new blood. And, indeed, just a few weeks into his sentence, he ran into trouble. He had a cellmate, a strange white guy named Henry, who he generally did not get along with. The friction they experienced was compounded by the fact that the toilet in their cell repeatedly clogged. One day, as Marvin watched the communal television from the mezzanine walkway outside of the cell, Henry angrily confronted him about the plumbing situation. Marvin, tired of his roommate’s complaints, snapped back. The disagreement rapidly escalated to the point that they were gripping each other by the shirt collars and shouting into each other’s faces.

Noticing the fracas, one of the senior Los Padillas members came over and ordered Marvin and Henry to confine their belligerence to the inside of their cell. Fighting out in the open was a no-no. A small scrap could spread, incorporating additional participants, until it became a major disruption. When that happened, the entire pod would bear the wrath of the correctional officers. Furthermore, guys who fought in front of officers or security cameras were likely to be transferred into protective custody. Often, such a move was a strategic, deliberate action by a prisoner who felt threatened for one reason or another. It had a nickname; to employ this tactic was to “PC” oneself. The Los Padillas crew did not like when guys pulled this move. It meant one less inmate to take advantage of. Also, in most cases, the Los Padillas were the ones creating the threatening situation, and therefore were likely to feel some heat from the authorities in the aftermath.

Back in their cell, Henry and Marvin stared at each other.

“Do you want to do this?” Marvin asked.

Henry threw up his hands.

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