Official Misconduct （n.） – Olivia
OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT (N.):
IMPROPER AND/OR ILLEGAL ACTS BY A PUBLIC OFFICIAL WHICH VIOLATE HIS/HER DUTY TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND ACT ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC GOOD.
OLIVIA
Later that afternoon
“The list of defendants’ charges and arraignments trickle in from three different departments every night.” Mara ushered me into a room full of large printers.
“Your job is to organize each one as its own separate docket and enter them into the system at least two hours before I arrive for the next morning. Got it?”
I nodded even though I was barely following.
“Monday will be your busiest day because it includes the charges from Friday night through Sunday night.”
“So, we’re off on Saturdays and Sundays?”
“No, Miss Spencer,” she said. “You’ll be working on something else on those days. You won’t enjoy your first day off until you work here for at least three months.”
“Wait, what?”
“Didn’t you read your contract before signing it?”
Nope. “I’ll take another look at it.”
“Please do.” She smiled. “Anyway, Judge Ashton will usually give you a list of unique things to research on the weekends. It’s typically notes for upcoming cases that help him with rulings.”
“Why doesn’t he just let the lawyers state their case and rule from there?” I asked. “From what I remember, criminal judges aren’t required to do deep dives with so many cases…”
“Because this is New York, Miss Spencer.” She looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “Lawyers are professional liars in suits, clients are sinful witnesses, and Judge Ashton is one of the most honest and non-dirty judges that we have left.”
So, she’s his personal sycophant…
“You’re going to learn a lot from him while you’re here.” She smiled. “And if you do a good job and decide to pursue law again, I’m sure he’ll write you one hell of a recommendation letter.”
I wouldn’t dare ask. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Pay close attention to how I organize a docket,” she said. “I’ll walk you through the first ten, and then you’ll do the next fifty on your own.”
Mara
Good job on your first day, law clerks!
You all are free to go home now. See you tomorrow!
I looked at the time and groaned.
Eleven thirty p.m.
I shook my head. I hadn’t worked a fourteen-hour shift in years, and I knew this would take a long time—a ton of coffee—to fully adjust to.
Stuffing my new guides and folders into a bag, I turned off the lamp at my desk and headed for the parking lot.
“Miss Spencer?” Judge Ashton called out to me as I was rummaging for my keys.
“Yes?” I turned around to face him.
“How was your first day?”
“Long,” I said. “But very fulfilling.”
“I asked about your day, Miss Spencer, not your fantasies of me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I wanted to catch up with you about your real schedule while you’re here,” he said. “It’s important that you follow it as of tomorrow.”
“Can you rewind back to that previous sentence you said?”
“I don’t remember it.” The look in his eyes made it clear that he did. “Anyway, from here on out, you need to arrive here and clock in at five thirty.”
“A.m.?”
“It wouldn’t be p.m., Miss Spencer.”
“Are the other clerks expected to come in at that time?”
“The other clerks aren’t criminals who owe me.”
“What?” I arched a brow. “What did you just say?”
“Every clerk in my chambers serves a different function,” he said instead. “Yours requires you to be here at five thirty. Every morning. No exceptions.”
I bit my tongue.
“This is the part where you ask me why, Miss Spencer.”
“I think it’s best for me to say as little as possible to you right now.”
“Good point.” He nodded. “You also need to get the coffee and breakfast orders for my support staff, and you’ll need to make sure the bailiff is briefed on my red flag dockets.”
“What’s a red flag docket?”
“Figure it out.” He paused, and I figured his list of demands was over, but then he stepped closer.
“You’ll also need to make sure that my courtroom is spotless. My janitorial engineer is feeling ill, so I figured I’d give him a break for a few weeks and let you handle it.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just hire a temp until he gets back?”
“No.” He clenched his jaw. “It would be easier for you to just follow my instructions and not question them.”
So, this is why they made me sign that six-month promise…
“Make sure you finish reading my guidebook as soon as possible, Miss Spencer,” he said. “I’m assuming you haven’t finished it, since you’re doing a lot of talking back.”
A sarcastic rebuttal was begging to escape my lips, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Anything else you want to say?” He looked as if he could read my mind. “You don’t have much time to rest before you’ll have to return…”
“I’m really looking forward to working under you, Judge Ashton.” I forced myself to be professional. “I have a very good feeling about it.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He stepped back. “I can assure you that we’re going to have a lot of fun together…”