Abuse of Discretion by Pamela Samuels Young

Abuse of Discretion by Pamela Samuels Young

Author:Pamela Samuels Young
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Published: 2017-06-29T14:14:00+00:00


CHAPTER 44

Angela

As soon as we’re behind closed doors, Gus explodes. “What the hell is wrong with you? You have no idea what you’re doing!”

Graylin slouches down further in his chair, his hands clasped, staring at the wall.

“Sit up and look at me!” Gus yells.

Graylin takes his time sitting up. His eyes remain focused on the wall, not his dad.

“Please lower your voice,” Jenny warns him. “We don’t want one of the deputies coming in here. And it’s not helping things when you yell at him. We need to talk this out.”

Gus whirls around to face Jenny. “Lady, there ain’t nothing for us to talk about. My son is black. He don’t get the same chances a white kid might get. I’m handling this my way, not yours. And he’s gonna do what I tell him to do. Even if I have to beat his ass to make him do it.”

“But I can get a jury in adult court,” Graylin pleads, “Little Slice said—”

“I don’t care what that fool said. Do you understand that you’re facing felony charges? You’re gonna go back into that courtroom and act like you got some home training. I didn’t raise you this way.”

Graylin flies out of his chair and stands chest-to-chest with his father. Both of their faces are distorted with rage.

“This ain’t your life! It’s my life!” Graylin’s eyes are glassy with tears. “That judge is going to lock me up for something I didn’t do. I want a jury trial. At least that way I’ll have a chance to show them I’m innocent. I don’t have a chance in here. You’re always telling me to man up. Well, that’s what I’m doing. I’m being a man. And a man makes his own decisions.”

Gus is momentarily stunned into silence by his son’s defiance. Before he can respond, I step between them.

“Let’s all calm down.” I grab Graylin by the arm and pull him away. “I’m going to ask for a continuance.”

Graylin jerks his arm away from me. “I don’t want a continuance. I’m not going to change my mind and nobody in this room can make me.”

Gus reaches around me and tries to grab his son, but Graylin jumps back out of his reach. “Boy, are you—”

“Both of you cut it out!” Jenny yells. “Let’s give Graylin a few minutes alone to think about what he’s about to do.”

I pull Gus toward the door and Jenny follows. We walk a few feet down the hallway, away from the clusters of parents and kids waiting for their cases to be heard. “When we go back into court,” I say, “we need to press the judge hard for her help. Maybe she’ll do the right thing despite Graylin’s behavior.”

Jenny exhales. “But that’s not what Graylin wants.”

“Screw what Graylin wants!” Gus says. “What are you going to say to me when my fourteen-year-old son gets locked up?”

Everyone in the hallway is staring at us now. I’m surprised that one of the sheriff’s deputies hasn’t come over.

“If you’re



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