Instead of letting me individually protest each one, he made a long list, finally concluding, “We’re all here today because Miss June Clawson has accused Miss Ashley Butler of harassing her. I see the defendant came with counsel, which is her right, but I also have to tell you that Miss Clawson not only provided the court with witnesses, but she came with convincing proof of these charges.”
This was already nothing like the cases I’d sat in on before. I didn’t think I could chalk it up to a southern good-old-boy mentality. This just felt weird.
There wasn’t time to mull it over because the judge started to present June’s evidence. He held up a picture of Ashley, seemingly close to tears, throwing some flowers in June’s direction, but they didn’t even come close to hitting the old lady.
This was ridiculous. I tried to protest. “My client hasn’t––”
But the judge wasn’t having it. He seemed to have his own agenda and was intent on not being interrupted. He barely acknowledged me.
“Also, Miss Cindy Carter and Miss Doris Clawson gave testimony saying that, not one, but both of them saw the aforementioned Miss Butler yelling at Miss June on several occasions, saying that Miss Butler was the aggressor each time, greatly upsetting her. There were also accusations of trespassing on Miss June’s property to egregiously vandalize it.”
Another picture was held up, this time showing the words ‘Die Bitch’ scrawled in red paint on the back of June’s house.
So much information had been thrown our way that it was getting hard to sift through it. The hearing had gone off the rails at this point and not because of anything on our side. The judge wasn’t giving us the chance to plead our case. He can’t really do that for no reason. But he should have known that. Everyone knows that.
I was stunned and at a loss for words. There were many unpleasant implications to what was happening here. Too many to process here and now.
I know I’m a better lawyer than this, I thought, but the moment was showing otherwise.
Ashley, completing my humiliation, felt forced to defend herself, denying everything. “Judge Houston, I didn’t write anything on Miss June’s house. And I admit we’ve both yelled at each other, but that’s because she’s parked her car on my property and she uprooted my flowers and maybe I shouldn’t have thrown one at her, but I never hurt her or her property in any way! I would never do anything on purpose to hurt anyone!”
My first case was totally blowing up.
“Your Honor,” I protested, his honorific tasting bitter on my tongue, “I think we both know this is highly—”
The crack of Houston’s gavel interrupted me.
“Counsellor, I am not interested in what you think we both know,” he said acidly. “You’re wasting the court’s time and I’m inching closer to holding you in contempt of it. Is that what you would like, Miss Jacobs?”
This old man’s flagrant abuse of power enflamed the sense of justice that led me to practice law. And, to be quite honest, it frightened me a little.
So, at the cost of some of my pride, I merely said, “No, Your Honor.”
Judge Houston turned to Ashley. “Well, Miss Butler, you have no evidence to prove your innocence, so I am going to enforce the order. You are now required by law to stay one hundred feet away from Miss June Clawson at all times. If you go against this order at any time, you will be arrested and charged with violation of a protective decree.”
He banged his gavel and with that it was over. I still couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to do and Ashley was far from accepting any of it.
“What am I supposed to do now? I can’t go home. We’re next-door neighbors. Where am I supposed to go?”
The judge shrugged and said with zero sympathy, “That is your personal problem, Miss Butler. I don’t solve personal problems. I just try the cases.”
Chapter Four
July 13th 2:05pm
The bailiff promptly swept us out of the courtroom like dust off the kitchen floor.
Once the doors closed, Ashley was a mess. I couldn’t blame her. I’d been making promises for the past few days and had come through on none of them. In one day, her situation was worse than either of us could’ve imagined.
The law had basically banned her from her own home and I’d done nothing to show Ashley that I could get her back into it. I’d failed, but that wasn’t going to stop me from getting justice for my client. Assuming she even wanted to keep me on.
I was doing my best to keep her calm as we headed out of the courthouse, but she was livid. I was surprised to see none of it aimed at me. Everything was directed toward Miss June.
“I can’t believe that woman has gone so far just to move her property line. Who does she think she is? What does she think she’s doing? God, I just want to ask her why she is doing this to me.”
All she talked about was confronting the old woman, going on about the manipulated evidence.
What June did was reprehensible, and she couldn’t be allowed to keep doing it. But the one thing Ashley could not do now was interact in any way, shape or form with June Carter Clawson. I knew that any contact would be disastrous for her. Even if the order was given under false pretenses, for now, it was a legal restraining order and she should under no circumstances break it.
It might be an uphill battle getting the order reversed, but it would be a thousand times more difficult to help her if she did something illegal.
I felt I needed to stress the importance of taking the straight and narrow approach, so I explained: “We can fight this. It may not go as quickly as we would like, but if we can get evidence to prove that Miss June is lying, the court will have to throw out the order. We might even be able to take legal action against her.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “Really? Nasty as she is, I don’t want see the old lady imprisoned over this.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much but falsifying evidence is a felony and so is harassment. After this is over, you may never have to speak to her again because she’ll be the one with a restraining order on her.”
Ashley took a second to digest my words. She had at least stopped going on about wanting to challenge June. That was what I really wanted.
But it wasn’t like she was calm. A quick conversation wouldn’t make her feel better. She needed some time away from the situation, to take a step back. I took my keys from my pocket and handed them over.
She took them with some hesitancy as I suggested, “Why don’t you go to my apartment, relax, get your head back on straight. All this stress and tension isn’t good for you. What you need is some tranquility. If you give me your keys, I can pack you a suitcase, get you some toiletries, whatever you want me to grab. I’ll get it for you. We’ll start by taking small steps to make this better.”
She was understandably still uneasy. “I really want to go home. I don’t know how long this will go on. I could spend God knows how much time outside of my own house. I mean, what’s the point, if I lose it anyway? It seems Miss June always gets what she wants. I greatly misunderstood that until now.”
The distress in her voice was evident, but she was slowly coming around to my way of thinking. All she needed was one more push.
“I understand how you’re feeling, but this is the right thing to do at this moment. You worry about you and I’ll worry about all the rest.”
She nodded, finally fully agreeing. She gave me her keys along with her address and I turned her towards my apartment. She texted me a list of stuff that she wanted.
“If you think of anything else, just text me,” I said, almost recovering my air of competence, when I remembered something kind of important. “Um, do you like dogs, Ashley?”
“Love ’em. My granddaddy was a breeder in his spare time. You got one?”
“Yeah, a Great Dane puppy. Got him as a surprise gift a few days ago. My first dog. Ever.”
“Your first dog? A Great Dane puppy? Sweetheart, you got your work cut out for you.”
&nb
sp; I laughed weakly. “Tell me about it. I was actually supposed to go to my apartment after the hearing and, uh…”
“Kari, honey, I’ll take the little biter for a walk and clean up any messes he might’ve deposited while you were representing me. Does the sweetie have a name?”
“Shortbread,” I chuckled. “And he is a sweetie. I think you two will hit it off nicely. You’re really saving my a—ah, butt today, Ashley.”
“I know this isn’t easy for you, either,” she said with a compassion that floored me. “Tammy told me this was your first case. We should be helping each other out.”
And then, Ashley did something else I didn’t expect and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back, knowing she also needed comfort.
While I didn’t really want her, as my client, catching on to my feelings of profound uncertainty, the fact the she cared about my emotional state even when her life was spiraling really spoke to her character. I could see us being friends.
I headed over to Ashley’s place, thinking about the judge’s ruling. I wouldn’t say his demeanor was anything new. I’d dealt with plenty of judges who were cold, sneering and seemingly unfeeling. I’m sure it was tiring, having to listen to case after case. And any judge knows they must be dispassionate or else risk being emotionally drained every day.
But I had to wonder, was something else going on?
The evidence was flimsy at best and he hadn’t even let me argue our side. That was just shady. He was basically unwilling to give us a fair shot. I couldn’t even tell he had registered my presence outside of mentioning that I was physically there. Could something be going on between Houston and June, something coloring his decision?
Pulling up to Ashley’s house, I threw those thoughts out of my head and got focused. They were baseless accusations, coming from nowhere. All I had was my gut, but that wouldn’t get Ashley back her house.
I saw June’s Buick in the driveway and the disturbed dirt where Ashley’s tulips used to be. If the judge had given us the chance to present all these actions, maybe he would have seen that June wasn’t totally innocent. If he had just let me speak, everything would have been illuminated.
I went inside the house and saw it was nice and neat. It didn’t take me long to gather up the clothes, toiletries, and everything else Ashley had asked for. I was on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. I’d assumed Ashley was innocent, but I should cover all my bases.
Nothing on the surface suggested that Ashley was anything but the well-mannered school teacher she professed to be. If she had been bullying or even purposefully annoying her elderly neighbor, there was no indication of such behavior in the dainty decorations.
I trusted Ashley enough not to poke through her cupboards and drawers, but I did make a point of checking the garage. No red paint cans or any red paint drips on the walls or floors. If Ashley had committed that crime, she had thoroughly covered her tracks.
Next, I headed out the back door to get a peek over the fence dividing the backyards. I wondered who had put these up. If Miss June had, or if a prior neighbor did it but June hadn’t protested, that would be one more point for our side.
I peeked over the fence. The vile phrase from the pictures was still emblazoned on the back of the house in that lurid red paint. I snapped a pic for our records using my phone, but what I really wanted to do was snoop around June’s house and see if the paint was in there.
With that lady nothing would surprise me. I’ll never understand what lengths people will go to for a patch of dirt.
As I was thinking, June’s back door opened, and I ducked. I could still see a little between the planks of the fence. All three women from the hearing were there: June, Doris, and Cindy. She was chewing Doris out, berating her about her testimony today. I wondered, not for the first time, why they would lie for June, when she was so mean to them?
I started recording immediately, hoping to get some evidence that would help.
Miss June continued complaining, “If we don’t get that order, it’ll be all your fault, Doris. You better know that. Why couldn’t you be more convincing? I know you like to lie, you did it to my brother plenty.”
Doris mumbled an apology, “I’m sorry, June. I’ll do better next time, if you need me to.”
“I’ll try not to need you for anything. Something like this always happens.”
They were clearly unaware of Houston’s ruling, but I was sure that even with that news, Miss June wouldn’t let up on her friends. Ashley had explained to me how the three ‘blue-hairs’ knew each other: Doris was June’s sister-in-law and Cindy, her daughter. So, family really did stick together.
Cindy was getting annoyed and she let her mother know. “Lay off, mother. We’ll get the order. Stop worrying so much. You’re getting worked up for no reason.”
An assessment of June’s face showed that she really did look worried. Why would she be afraid they didn’t convince the judge? Another point in our favor, but not nearly enough to get the order thrown out. Everything so far had been insinuations. I needed more.
Cindy kept talking, “The paint job is sure to get you that order.”
I held my breath, praying that this would be the smoking gun. I could see Ashley’s victory in the distance.
But, once again, the easy way had been denied me as my phone decided to bleat right then and I had to dash inside to avoid being seen. It hadn’t occurred to me to turn it off. I was upset about that missed opportunity, but what upset me the most was the fact that I couldn’t get Ashley her home back sooner.
Chapter Five
July 13th & 14th
I answered the call once I got back in the house.
It was Ashley. She was at the grocery store picking up a few things and she wanted to know if I needed her to grab anything.
“Since I’ll be all up in your space for an undetermined amount of time, using an undetermined amount of your resources.”
Hearing the sadness in Ashley’s voice made me feel even worse for not catching June in her lies a few moments ago.
“No, I don’t need anything, but thanks for the offer. How was Shortbread?”
“An absolute angel,” she cooed. “He’s with me now. But don’t you worry, Kari, I’m watching him like a hawk. He’s so adorable, someone’s libel to try and steal him.”
“Well, I know you’ll bring him home safe. I’m finishing up at your house and I’ll be heading home too. I’ll meet you at my apartment.”
We exchanged a quick goodbye and hung up.
I sighed, taking a long look around the room I was standing in. It was a very quaint little house and I’m sure Ashley imagined being very happy here when she bought it. What a shame she had such a despicable neighbor. I loaded up my car and went home.
When I got to my place, Ashley was already there, feeding Shortbread some kind of bacon flavored puppy treats. He pranced delightedly toward me, tripping over his huge paws only twice along the way. I picked him up and let him lick my face.
“Well, I’m happy you’re still glad to see me after being spoiled so by Ashley,” I joked.
“I was in a vulnerable place,” Ashley said with a fake pout, “and that little heartbreaker took advantage.”
We took him out to the parking lot and got the rest of her stuff from the car. I told her all about what I saw and heard at June’s house.
“I was taking pictures of everything just so we had our own evidence, when the coven of blue hairs exited their nest.” Ashley laughed at my adaptation of her nickname and I kept going. “They were talking about the hearing, obviously not knowing the ruling. Doris and Cindy said things that hinted at the paint job being fake, but no one outright said it. So even though I have it recorded, it wouldn’t hold up in court anyway. She was getting close, but my phone went off and had to run inside before being seen. Sorry,” I said ruefully.
“You got nothing to apologize for. It’s not your fault they’re all horrible people.”
Ashley’s tempera
ment fascinated me. Her anger only ever seemed to be provoked by Miss June and her meanness. I’d never done anything to intentionally aggravate her, but I hadn’t been doing what I’d promised as her attorney. Yet she’d never snapped at me. I would’ve snapped at me, at the very least, after that display in the courtroom.
Ashley continued talking against June, invigorated by this new development. “Of course, June painted it herself. There’s no way she would trust anyone else to do her dirty work. Plus, she likes causing people pain herself whenever she can. I can’t believe she has a restraining order against me that an actual court issued. It’s ridiculous. Our judicial system is ridiculous.”
I could only agree. There were some cracks in our legal system, especially out here in the boonies. Still, something was particularly off about this case, but I couldn’t quite make out what.
Taking a break from worrying about the case, we took some time to make dinner and just talked like two women hanging out.
“I’m not the most skilled cooked, but there are a few things I can make.”
“I hate to be presumptuous, Kari, but tonight I’m making you my mama’s baked fried chicken. And mashed potatoes. And steamed fresh green beans. I thought we both deserved some comfort food after today.”
I opened the fridge. Ashley had stocked my whole kitchen with at least a week’s worth of groceries, but my eye settled on the double sized bottle of rosé chilling in the door. I grabbed it and began fumbling through the drawer for the corkscrew.
“You’ve totally convinced me,” I said as the cork squeaked out of the bottle. “Anything I can do?”
“Pour me a glass of that wine and we’ll take it from there,” she said breezily. The mood was already improving. “I wasn’t sure if you knew anything about real Southern cooking.”
“Well, I’ve been to KFC like five times.”
Ashley took out a bowl with a kitchen towel draped over it. “Lesson one, straight from mama. Soak your chicken in buttermilk for at least an hour before cooking.”
Miss June's Judgement Page 3
