The Murder of Sara Barton (Atlanta Murder Squad Book 1) by Lance McMillian (top 20 books to read TXT) 📕

I make the mandated disclosure to the defense team and report 219 names as potential witnesses—the most I’ve ever listed. Ninety percent of these names are decoys. I name every adult and child who lives in the vicinity of the murder, every member of Miller’s gang, every criminal informant from the area. I disclose Tasha and Belinda Favors as required, but breezing over their names in a list of 219 people is easy. Or so I hope.

***

The pre-trial conference takes place a few days before the scheduled trial date. Outside the judge’s chambers, I shake hands with Miller’s counsel, Joe Parks. I like Joe. He falls into that great sea of mediocre trial lawyers. No shame exists in being average, and Joe seems content with being who he is and nothing more. We go in to meet the judge.

Judge MacDonald Ross sits before us behind a massive desk, a bored expression dominating his ruddy face. A court reporter sits to the side, her machine ready. Ross wears his robe in chambers, one of the few judges to do so. The conceit is telling. Just like lawyers, judges come in all shapes of good, bad, and mediocre. Ross is a bad judge. He’s just not that smart, and I question how he ever passed the bar exam. But he’s reliably pro-prosecution, so I live with his shortcomings without much fuss.

The first issue Joe raises is the size of my witness list. Ross’ face jumps from boredom to horror when he hears the 219 number. I doubt he can even count that high, much less competently handle a case with that many people testifying. He looks to me for an explanation, plainly hoping I will make the problem go away. I reassure him.

“Obviously, Your Honor, we’re not going to call 219 witnesses. But this case is complicated with a lot of moving parts, involving a gang that calls itself the Rattlesnakes. Defendant Corey Miller is the gang’s leader, and he murdered a police informant in front of a large crowd of people to teach the neighborhood about what happens when they cross the Rattlesnakes.”

I pause here to build drama for the next point—my ace in the hole that I doubt even Joe knows about.

“People are scared out of their minds down there, Judge. And they have reason to be. One of the people on the witness list, Tavon Munson, was shot and killed on Sunday. I turned the list over to Mr. Parks on Friday.”

The judge turns his head to look at poor Joe, who based on his reaction had no idea about Munson’s murder.

Joe responds, “Well, I didn’t kill him.”

Ross pivots to me for help.

I ask Joe, “Did you show your client the list?”

“Maybe.”

The response earns a dubious look from Ross. I press forward with my argument.

“And since Miller has already shown a violent disregard for the workings of the criminal justice system, I would ask for extra security in the courtroom and around the jury.” I hesitate before adding, “And courtroom staff.” I throw my best somber face at Ross and hope he catches my meaning that Miller might very well kill him, too. He answers me with an acknowledging nod. He’s not that dumb.

Joe chimes in, “He can still narrow his list down some out of fairness to the defendant.”

I counter, “The case law supports our position, Your Honor. The appellate courts have upheld witness lists of this size. Everyone we’re going to call to the stand is on that list, and everyone on that list possesses relevant information. Many on that list frankly refuse to testify because they fear ending up like DeShawn Carter and Tavon Munson. We’re hoping to change their minds between now and trial.”

Ross has never been reversed on appeal when ruling in my favor. He may not know much about the law, but he knows his reversal stats and that I’ve always done right by him on that score. He’s going to side with me on this one.

Ross says, “The witness list is fine. Let’s move on to other things.”

The rest of the conference bogs down in the standard stuff. The judge loses interest in most of it. Joe and I do what we need to do, and everything is pronounced ready. The trial starts Monday.

***

Over the weekend, we employ other last-minute measures to keep Tasha safe. Scott floods the neighborhood with law enforcement personnel asking questions of everyone. Police huddle with any members of the Rattlesnakes they can round up, hoping to sow distrust in the gang. Uniform officers make a big show of going to Belinda Favors’ front door to ask questions. Belinda emphatically refuses to talk to them, shakes her head back and forth, and slams the door in their faces.

Tasha moved out some time ago to live with an aunt in neighboring Clayton County. Belinda wanted to make the move with her daughter, but we prevailed upon her that moving now would raise too much of a red flag. So she stays put, sweating out the time until Miller is convicted. No one seems to notice that Tasha doesn’t live there anymore. I take that as a good sign.

The recently deceased Tavon Munson lived one street over from where Corey Miller murdered DeShawn Carter. No evidence suggests that Munson witnessed the murder or had any other knowledge about the case. I put him on the witness list because he lived in the area. Now he’s dead. Did he die because of my strategy to cast a wide net of suspicion over everybody in the neighborhood? I push the question aside. The danger to Tasha leaves me with nothing but bad choices. I do the best I can and live with the consequences. If Miller did order Munson murdered, making sure Miller never walks the street again is the best medicine.

***

The day before the trial finds me at the condo with Lara. I try to savor the moment, knowing that