Chapter 22
Trill-Land High Court of Justice
I was sittin’ at the defense table, facin’ the judge while my lawyer Kade and Roderick Lennox went back and forth like two niggas tryna out-talk each other in front of the whole damn courtroom.
I ain’t say shit though. I just stood there listenin’, watchin’ how this whole shit was playin’ out while my family sat behind me.
I was two months out on bond, and this was the first real hearin’ since all this shit started, so the courtroom was packed like people had bought tickets to a show.
Reporters sat along the side walls with their notebooks ready, whisperin’ and watchin’ every move like they was waitin’ on somebody to crash out.
The Lennox side sat on the other half of the gallery dressed in black like they was still attendin’ them niggas’ funeral.
On our side though, my people sat behind me and ain’t sayin’ much, just watchin’ the Lennox side like they was waitin’ on somebody to try the wrong thing.
Auntie Abeni sat closest to the aisle, with her legs crossed with her hands folded in her lap while she watched the courtroom with that calm look she always wore when she was studyin’ everybody in the room.
My mama sat a couple seats down from her lookin’ beautiful her posture straight and her eyes locked on the back of my head like she was silently tellin’ me she had my back no matter what came out the judge’s mouth.
My pops was there too, sittin’ a few seats away from her.
That alone said a lot…
They had been married for decades but lately shit between them had been strained and everybody knew it now.
Pressure and Renza sat behind them watchin’ the courtroom like they was waitin’ on somebody to get bold. Pressure leaned back with his arms folded while Renza sat with his head tilted, lookin’ like he was already amused by the whole situation.
Toni and Pluto sat between them.
Toni had one hand resting over her belly and the other clutchin’ the purse in her lap while she watched the courtroom quietly.
My daughter was growin’ inside her, and even though she tried to stay calm for me, I could tell she hated seein’ me standin’ here like this.
Pluto sat beside her whisperin’ somethin’ every now and then, probably tellin’ her to breathe and keep it together.
Roderick ol’ hoe ass stood at the prosecution table with his team like he owned the whole damn courthouse, talkin’ like he already had the verdict in his pocket.
I kept my face straight while he ran his mouth to the judge, but inside I was already irritated. The nigga had been talkin’ the same way since day one, like he wasn’t just some angry father tryna bury me under the law.
“Your Honor,” he said in that fake calm voice he liked to use, “the state has already provided the surveillance footage that clearly shows the defendant firing multiple rounds into two unarmed men. The additional material the defense claims exists is irrelevant to the facts of this case.”
Kade let out a breath beside me and stood up smooth like he had been waitin’ for Roderick to finish embarrassin’ himself.
“With respect, Your Honor, that statement is misleading,” Kade said.
“The footage provided by the state is incomplete. My client’s business had multiple cameras and audio recording capability.
The entire system was seized during the investigation, yet only a portion of that footage has been turned over. ”
The judge leaned forward, studyin’ both of them like she was weighin’ how much bullshit she was about to tolerate.
“Mr. Lennox,” she said real calm, “is the defense correct in stating that the entire surveillance system from Mr. Mensah’s business was taken into evidence?”
Roderick clasped his hands in front of him like this was just another Tuesday.
“Yes, Your Honor,” he said smoothly. “Investigators collected the system, and everything recoverable from it has already been submitted to the court.”
Kade stood there quiet for half a second like he was letting that sit in the air. Then he spoke.
“With respect, Your Honor, that statement is exactly the problem.”
He slid a folder across the defense table and looked straight at the judge.
“The system seized from Mr. Mensah’s business contained multiple camera angles and full audio recording capability. Yet the footage the state has provided only contains partial video and no audio whatsoever.”
He paused for a minute then kept talkin’. “And according to the state, that is all that exists.”
Roderick’s expression ain’t change, but I could see the irritation flicker in his eyes.
Kade continued. “The defense finds that extremely difficult to believe.”
Then, he turned toward the prosecution table. “Especially when investigators took the entire surveillance system from my client’s shop.”
Roderick straightened a lil. “The implication that the state tampered with evidence is ridiculous,” he said coolly.
Kade ain’t back down. “Then perhaps the Attorney General can explain why the only footage provided conveniently begins moments before the shooting and ends immediately afterward.”
That one landed, and a few heads in the courtroom turned toward Roderick.
Kade kept going. “No audio. No lead-up conversation. No context. Just the portion that benefits the prosecution.”
Roderick’s voice hardened. “The footage clearly shows the defendant firing multiple rounds into two unarmed men. That fact is not in dispute.”
“What’s in dispute is what led up to it,” he said. “And right now the state is asking this court to believe that every camera in that building just happened to miss that part.”
He turned toward the judge again. “Your Honor, the defense believes the remainder of that surveillance system was either corrupted, removed, or intentionally withheld.”
I could feel the shift behind me even without turning.
Roderick looked straight at Kade. “The state has provided every piece of usable evidence recovered from that location. The defense is attempting to create conspiracy where none exists.”
Kade shook his head slightly. “No, Mr. Lennox. The defense is attempting to locate evidence that appears to have vanished.”
That one had a few people in the gallery murmurin’. The judge tapped her pen against the desk once while she looked between both of them.
“Gentlemen,” she said evenly, “this court will not entertain accusations without proof.”
Kade nodded respectfully. “Understood, Your Honor. That is precisely why we are requesting that the remaining storage units seized from Mr. Mensah’s shop be independently examined.”
Roderick spoke immediately. “The state objects. The defense has no evidence those files even exist.”
Kade looked right at him. “They existed when your investigators took the system.”
Silence settled over the room. The judge leaned back in her chair.
“Mr. Lennox,” she said, “is there any reason the remaining storage units cannot be reviewed?”
Roderick held her gaze for a moment before answering. “The state maintains that the material provided is complete.”
The judge studied him for a long second, like she understood how stupid the state sounded.
Then she spoke. “The defense’s request is reasonable.”
Roderick’s jaw tightened. He ain’t like that shit at all, and you could see it in his face even though he tried to hide it.
My lawyer stayed calm but I could see the satisfaction in his eyes.
“This case will proceed to trial once discovery is complete,” the judge added. “A new date will be scheduled.”
She tapped the gavel. “This hearing is concluded.”
Kade leaned toward me. “That could’ve gone a lot worse,” he said under his breath.
I gave a small nod while I looked across the room at Roderick.
That nigga knew exactly what he was doing with that footage, and the way Kade had just pressed him in front of everybody had me feelin’ like a proud man.
Behind me, my people started standin’ up, and when I turned, Toni was already reachin’ for my hand. I laced my fingers with hers while we walked toward the doors with the rest of my family around us.
The hallway outside the courtroom felt tense as hell ‘cause everybody knew both families was about to cross paths.
We stepped toward the elevators, and I could already feel somebody starin’ at the back of my head before I even heard her voice.
“You think this is funny?” A woman’s voice cut through the hallway sharp enough to make people stop walkin’.
I turned and saw her stormin’ toward us with rage written all over her face.
I had seen her sittin’ on the Lennox side inside the courtroom, so I already knew who she had to be.
She was most likely that nigga Roderick’s wife.
And right behind her was the nigga who had been runnin’ his fuckin’ mouth online like the internet was gon’ protect him.
He was lucky I was tryna keep shit cool, ‘cause if a nigga wasn’t facin’ trial, I would’ve clapped his ass by now.
She stopped right in front of me and jabbed a finger toward my chest. “You murdered my sons!” she shouted, her voice shakin’. “I hope you rot in hell.”
Toni smacked her lips beside me. “Lady,” she said real flat, “if you don’t get the fuck on.”
The lady’s face twisted with anger, and she lifted her hand like she was about to swing on me.
I caught her wrist before it landed. Say! You better chill,” I told her.
But before I could even finish sayin’ anything else, my mama moved. She stepped forward and slapped the shit out that bitch so hard the sound cracked through the hallway. “Bitch, how dare you!”
The lady stumbled back and swung at her, and the next thing I knew both of ‘em was grabbin’ at each other while people around us started shoutin’.
“Treasure!” my pops barked.
Uncle Kojo rushed forward with him and grabbed my mama around the arms, pullin’ her back while the woman staggered, tryna fix her hair. That’s when that nigga tried to step in.