“Who wore it?” he asked the judge, pointing to the frame.
“Ted Williams. My wife bought it for me a couple of years ago.”
On the front corner of the judge’s desk, Mike saw one of the judge’s trial notebooks containing his personal analyses of the decisions by the appellate courts. Many times during a trial or a motion hearing, Mike had seen the judge reach for one of his notebooks, flip to a handwritten notation, and issue a ruling from which he wouldn’t retreat.
There were three chairs positioned in front of the judge’s desk.
“Ken,” the judge said, “do you remember the Debary case? You tried it.”
“How long ago and what was the charge?”
“Eighteen years ago, an assault and battery by a stepfather against his six-year-old daughter.”
“Yes, sir. The little girl suffered a broken arm when the man hit her. A lawyer came all the way from Charlotte to defend it and went back with his tail between his legs.”
“As he should have. During a pretrial hearing, I asked if any neighbors were going to testify.”
“I don’t recall that coming up.”
“Well, it did. And I suggested that someone should interview a man named Hopkins who had moved to Missouri after the charges were filed. I even mentioned the town where Mr. Hopkins lived. The defense lawyer wanted to object but didn’t know what to say. After all, it’s the duty of the Court to determine the truth. When the case came to trial, the little girl was unable to testify, but the Hopkins fellow saw exactly what happened.”
“Yes, sir. It’s coming back to me.”
The judge sat back in his chair. “Sam Miller wrote me a letter about the Debary case. He’d read about the charges in the paper, told me the name and address of Mr. Hopkins, and claimed Hopkins was an eyewitness.”
“What was Miller’s connection?” West asked.
Mike wasn’t surprised by the judge’s answer.
“None. He didn’t know anyone. He claimed he got the information in a dream and wrote it down.”
West was silent for a moment before he spoke. Mike was almost surprised Ken West hadn’t received a letter from Sam. The DA’s ego would have been wounded if he realized he’d not been included in the group with the president of the United States, Judge Coberg, Jack Hatcher, and Peg Andrews.
West spoke.
“That’s odd, but it could have been a way for Miller to tell what he knew without admitting personal knowledge.”
“I would agree, except that it’s happened more than once. On three other occasions, Miller has either written or called me with information about a case. What he passes along is sometimes hard to interpret, but in every instance, it’s proven reliable.”
“Did he give you any information about the charges against him in this case?” West asked sharply.
“No,” the judge responded dryly. “If that had happened, I would already have recused myself, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. He’s cut my grass a few times, and I buy vegetables from him in the summer, but I have no personal relationship with him. However, I believe the unique aspect of some of our previous interaction should be disclosed.”
West glanced at Melissa Hall. “What do you think? You’re the one who is going to try this case.”
Hall turned toward Mike. “Are you going to waive a jury trial?”
“I’m considering all options,” he replied.
Hall faced the judge. “Your Honor, if Mr. Andrews requests a bench trial, I would ask you to recuse yourself; however, if a jury will determine the facts and credibility of the witnesses, I have no objection to your continued involvement.”
“How about you, Mr. West?” the judge asked. “I’d like to hear from you, too.”
West grunted. “Miller’s crystal ball must have gotten a bit cloudy if he thought he could get away with embezzling a hundred thousand dollars from a church. However, just because he claims to be psychic doesn’t mean you can’t preside in the case. I agree with Ms. Hall, and as a safeguard, I would ask Mr. Andrews to instruct his client not to attempt to contact the Court about his case or any other matter while the charges are pending.”
“That’s appropriate,” Mike responded.
“Does your client object to me presiding in the case?” the judge asked Mike.
“I haven’t asked him,” Mike answered.
“Do so. Then decide whether you want a jury trial and notify Ms. Hall and me.”
“Yes, sir.”
The judge shuffled through the papers on his desk. “Mr. Andrews has filed several motions. Any need to have a court reporter present to record testimony for or against his requests?”