Pardon for missing March. Real Life took precedent.
Friday morning,
"A meeting of the minds," Bogo spoke from the podium. "Without it, we say, there can be no contract. But is that so? Is that what we truly believe today about this crucial legal phrase?" The Cape Buffalo looked at his watch and noticed the time. "We shall continue this discussion when we next meet. For now, I will leave you with this. What you believe the qualifications for this phrase may or may not be true. Good day."
As the students gathered their belongings and exited the room, Judy, Nick, Jack, and Skye approached the professor.
Judy took the task of broaching the subject. "Professor Bogo?"
The Cape Buffalo paused and turned to see the four students before him. "Yes, what is it?"
The doe continued. "Sir, we want to inform you that we could miss a few classes next week."
Bogo held his books and seating chart in one arm. "Is that so? And what is the reason?"
"We are volunteering for the Prison Assistance Program. They haven't assigned us yet, but we'll let you know when."
Bogo nodded. "I see. Thank you for informing me of this."
Satisfied, the four turned to leave when the professor halted them.
"Miss Hopps. Mr. Wilde. Mr. Savage. Miss Frost."
Confused, they turned back to Bogo.
"While I am grateful for the information, I want to make it clear that I am unalterably opposed to the Prison Assistance Program."
Hearing this surprised the four, with Skye the first to object.
"But sir!"
Bogo did not hesitate to overrule. "Do not interrupt me, Miss Frost! If you had let me finish, you would have heard me say that my opposition is in regards to first-year students."
Though it did quell the objections, questions remained.
Bogo took their silence as compliance and continued. "While the program is voluntary and an indulgence, it is also an invitation to catastrophe for first-year students. My concern is in regards to incompetence and that it will take your time away from essential studies, including Contract Law. Be warned. If this activity proves to be disruptive to my class, it will not be tolerated."
"Sir," Nick said. "Should we not be taking advantage of opportunities to gain experience?"
"Yes, but one must be versed in the knowledge of theory to practice. Theories that you are currently and woefully ignorant of. Having evolved from generations of mammal interaction. Without the knowledge of what is right, you are unable to deal with what is wrong, and that can be both murderous and suicidal to you and to your client."
His words made the four pause, but they had no time to ponder before Bogo interrupted their thinking.
"Is there anything else you need from me?"
Jack shook his head. "No, Professor. Thank you for your input, and we promise to not let the program interfere with our classes."
Bogo nodded and took his leave. Judy, Nick, Jack, and Skye felt relieved at the compromise and joined Ben and Fru Fru outside, and the group proceeded to Criminal Law.
"How did it go?" The arctic shrew asked.
"As well as you expect Bogo to respond," Nick said.
"Is that good or bad?" Ben asked.
"He thinks volunteering for the program will interfere with our studies," Judy said.
Skye huffed. "I believe he's wrong to assume that."
"To be fair," Jack said. "Bogo only said that about 1L's. He may have seen past students be overwhelmed by the workload." The buck directed his attention to Ben and Fru. "You two will have to outline Contracts if Judy misses class."
"No problem!" Fru Fru exclaimed. "It's only fair since she's been doing most of the work."
But Clawhauser seemed reluctant. "I don't know. It's a lot of work outlining for two classes."
"It's only until the hearing, Ben." Judy assured. "You heard Professor Humphrey."
"Yeah," Nick concurred. "You just need to use part of your devotion to Property in Contracts. After all, what happens if we have to outline Property if you get sick or have to go away?"
The thought made Clawhauser stop, leading the others to do the same and stand around the cheetah. They were lucky to have been walking to the side, or else students would have been bumping into them.
Meanwhile, the cheetah pondered Nick's words. Indeed either scenario could happen in the first year. They couldn't stop studying Property just because their expert was temporarily out of commission. He would want their best, and right now, they wanted the same from him for their respective courses.
"Alright, you made your point. Besides, I wouldn't expect the rest of you to outline my Property as I do."
"Ignoring that jab," Skye said. "Thank you, Ben. We trust that you will do a good job."
"While I'm glad we solved Contracts," Jack interjected. "There's still Constitutional Law, Torts, and Civil Procedure."
Nick waved his paw. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Criminal Law proceeded as usual. Professor Humphrey didn't mention the Prison Assistance Program until near the end of class. A student asked the camel about the concerns from other professors about first-year students volunteering for the program.
Humphrey sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I know what the professors have said." The camel shook his head with his arms at his hips. "I've heard it time and time again. I'm sorry, and each year I try to do something about it!" Humphrey took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. "Now, I want to get into something important before we conclude for today. The prime obligation of the criminal attorney to his or her client."
Judy raised her paw.
Humphrey nodded to the rabbit. "Hopps."
"To get to the truth."
The camel shook his head which caused Judy to become confused and her ears to fall. Humphrey turned to see Skye with her paw raised. "Frost."
"To be an advocate. To fight for the client."
The camel nodded. "And what happens to the truth?"
Skye continued. "It comes out in a conflict between the prosecutor and the defense."
"What if it doesn't?" Humphrey pressed.
"Then as an attorney, I have to act for the client and not the abstraction,"
Judy interjected with a question. "But what if your client is guilty and you have the evidence? Do you suppress it?"
"Yes," Skye affirmed. "You have to."
Happy with the discussion, the camel raised another question for the class. "Now, suppose you are the DA, and the police have set up phony evidence."
"That's different," Skye answered. "Then I will expose everything."
A confused Judy looked back and forth between her friend and the professor. "But why is that different?"
"Because, and I say this for the entire class," Humphrey noted. "There is a difference between a prosecutor and a defense attorney. One has the duty to reveal. The other not to reveal. Of course, if it's a question of troubled conscience, the defense attorney has the right to withdraw." The camel saw the time on the clock at the back of the room. "Alright, class dismissed."
The students began to pack their belongings and leave when Humphrey had one last announcement.
"Oh, I would like for those who signed up for the Prison Assistance Program to stay behind and come down to the front."
Hearing that, Judy, Nick, Jack, and Skye quickly said goodbye Ben and Fru Fru before going to the front of the classroom. Taking their seats, they saw the others who volunteered: a pig, a sheep, a zebra, a hippo, a hyena, a raccoon, a brown bear, a cougar. The students waited until the professor was ready to speak. They also noticed a male moose speaking with the camel and were unsure of the mammal's identity.
"Everyone, can I please have your attention?"
At the sound of Humphrey's voice, the students ceased their discussions and gave Humphrey and the moose their undivided attention.
"Than you. I like to begin by introducing a long-time friend and colleague of mine. He is also the seasoned attorney whom you will be assisting in the Prison Assistance Program. Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Clement Alces."
The students applauded as Humphrey stepped to the side, and Alces stepped forward.
"Thank you, Professor. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I will assume my friend has already explained the program, so I will explain the procedure and give some words of advice."
The moose paused a moment to allow the students to prepare for any notes.
"On Monday, you will be visiting the City Prison. Before leaving, we will be meeting here to take your photos and fingerprints for the ID's. As a reminder, because of the distance, you must allow yourselves half a day to a full day when visiting your," Alces raised his hooves. "Clients." He resumed a professional stance. "I use that word with reservation because," His face became serious. "Again, I cannot stress strongly enough that you have no legal status. Technically, you are assisting me but nothing more. The prison has granted us the privilege. Do not ruin it." The moose paused for a moment to let his words settle before resuming. "And never move around the facility without a guard. Breaking this rule will lead to your immediate removal from the program. Do I make myself clear?"
The volunteers nodded and continued to listen to the moose before the questions started.
Monday morning, City Prison,
When the elevator doors opened, Clement stepped out and directed the law students to a tiger and a rhino guard.
"Alright, stay together and remember. It is up to the prisoners to decide."
The two large mammals proceeded to escort the group to the conference room, where they will be meeting the prisoners.
Judy could barely keep her professional appearance. After receiving their ID's, the group boarded a train that would take them to the prison.
She and Jack decided to pair up because of a special request. The prisoner was a gopher named Giovanni Meyers, convicted of armed robbery and up for a parole hearing. Nick and Skye did the same. The mammal was a badger named Randall Badgerson, convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and set to appear before the disciplinary board. The four were required to choose an alternative but felt the chances of getting their first choice were high.
The grey rabbit spent much of her free time preparing for the visit. Seeing this raised concerns from Jack. He had to remind her that it all depended on the prisoner, and they could be rejected and reassigned. Then there was the worst-case scenario that no one would accept them. Those scenarios nearly killed Judy's excitement and led to worrying thoughts. But after some encouragement and reassurance from her friends, she came to accept the possible outcomes. After all, in the future, she or her clients could end the relationship for various reasons.
The group soon arrived at a conference room where a large table awaited them. As the students took their seats, Clement signaled to the guards, and the tiger radioed to send in the prisoners.
"Easy Carrots," Nick said. "Don't want to look weak when meeting prisoners."
Judy took a deep breath, stopping her twitching nose. "I'm not weak. I'm trying to keep calm."
Jack helped by raising a question. "I wonder why this particular one asked for rabbits only. He can't possibly think we're dumb bunnies and trick us."
"Probably the same reason our client asked for foxes only," Skye said. "Thinking our cleverness will help in the hearing."
"Regardless," Nick said. "The most important thing is that we watch our backs. From my experience, anything can happen."
The sound of doors opening reached their ears, and they and the rest of the students turned to see a boar in an orange jumpsuit enter followed by a rhino guard. The former wore pawcuffs and shackles and had its horns filed down. The mammal's demeanor radiated with apathy.
"Hugo Optat." The boar spoke.
The team of the pig and the zebra stood up and approached the boar.
"Hello Mr. Optat," The pig greeted. "My name is Pearl Swinton."
"And I'm Ezekiel Equus." The male zebra greeted. "We've volunteered to represent you in your hearing."
Hugo looked at the smiling mammals, and his eyes fell on Pearl before addressing her. "How old are you? 22? 23?"
Swinton's smile gave away to confusion. "Uh, why?"
A smirk appeared on the boar's face. "Cause I got a granddaughter about your age back in the metro. I used to babysit her." Hugo shook his head. "Her parents won't let her visit me." He gave an apologetic look to Swinton. "I'm sorry. You remind me too much of her, and I wouldn't be able to stay serious before the parole board." Hugo then pointed with his thumb behind him, signaling that he wishes to return to his cell.
The rhino guard obliged, leaving a shocked Pear and Zeke behind. The two quickly recovered and approached Clement.
"Mr. Alces!" Swinton pleaded.
The moose could only shrug his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but that's his privilege. I'll have your replacement sent in."
The rabbits and the foxes watched as the dejected pig and zebra returned to their seats.
"Yikes," Skye whispered. "Fingers crossed that our clients are more friendly."
Judy whined as her nose twitched. "I hate that uncertainty!"
Jack kept with the whispers. "We just have to keep our fingers crossed."
"We should have a good chance when they see us," Nick said.
The four waited as more prisoners arrived, and the volunteers approached their respective clients. The team of Pearl and Zeke weren't the only ones to be rejected, and it only fed into their concerns that one or both could be going home. Those rejected then met with their second choice, and so far, no one had to return empty. When accepted, Clement gave the students the room information, and the guard escorted them and their prisoner to their destination.
The next prisoner brought in was a gopher.
"Giovanni Meyers."
Upon hearing the name and seeing the mammal, Judy and Jack gathered their papers and approached the prisoner.
"Hello, Mr. Meyers," Judy opened. "My name is Judy Hopps."
"I'm Jack Savage," The buck greeted. "We understand that you requested rabbits to represent you in your hearing?"
Giovanni looked between Judy and Jack, scrutinizing the two further despite his request being honored. On the surface, the rabbits appeared professional, and their enthusiasm seemed genuine. He could only hope that their knowledge matched those qualities in their conversations.
Satisfied with the assessment, Giovanni nodded. "Yes. If you want to know the reason, we can discuss it privately before diving into my hearing."
Hearing his acceptance nearly broke Judy's professionalism. She nodded emphatically and thanked the gopher. "Thank you for accepting us, Mr. Meyers! Mr. Savage and I won't let you down."
"Let us know of any issues, and we'll do our best to address them," Jack added. "If you feel that we fail to meet your standards, don't hesitate to tell us."
Giovanni smirked. "We'll see."
The ram guard interjected by motioning the three to move. "Alright. Move along. You can continue in another room."
As the ram escorted Giovanni, Judy and Jack looked to Nick and Skye, silently wishing them good luck with their client. The foxes returned the silent acknowledgement and watched their friends gather the information and leave. The group arrived within a a few minutes, and the ram began loosening some of Meyers' restraints. In the meantime, the rabbits took a moment to inspect the room, ensuring it was safe to their satisfaction. The walls were white and tables and chairs were set in the middle of the room. The top corners held cameras to monitor the occupants. The door had a single window to allow mammals to observe inside.
"This will work." Judy said. "Thank you."
"I will be outside," The ram said. "Knock if you need me."
The ram closed the door, the rabbits took their seats. Giovanni sat down once the restraints were loosened.
The gopher had remained silent since they left the conference room and it was when Judy and Jack were preparing the material that he spoke again.
"Are you curious as to why I requested rabbits?"
The rabbits halted in their preparation and looked at the gopher.
"It's crossed our minds." Jack said.
Giovanni chuckled. "Honestly, it was a short in the dark asking for rabbits, and I would have been fine with any other mammal. The request was out of curiosity. I'm aware that rabbits are emotional and fragile, but I also know that you are smart. I hope you two prove the latter and not reinforce the former."
His words caused Judy to beam with joy from knowing that one mammal saw her more than a token bunny. Jack simply nodded in appreciation.
"Thank you for the kinds words and giving us a chance."
The gopher nodded in acknowledgement and the three mammals got to work.
Back in the conference room, Nick, Skye, and one other team consisting of the raccoon and cougar have yet to meet their clients. Everyone else was successful with their originals or replacements. The doors opened again, and a coyote entered. The raccoon and cougar recognized the prisoner as their client and promptly went to speak with the predator.
"Leonard Sanchez," The wolf guard announced. "He's the last one for today."
Upon hearing this, Nick and Skye became confused, and the latter raised the question.
"What about Randall Badgerson?"
"Badgerson? He's in solitary." The wolf answered.
The two foxes gasped and looked at each other from hearing the recent development.
The arctic vixen pressed the issue. "But he's our client! You can't bar a mammal from speaking to his attorneys!"
"You're not an attorney, Ma'am. The prison rules state no visitors in solitary," The wolf then addressed Clement. "Sorry, Mr. Alces."
The moose nodded. "He's right. You still have your replacement."
"What about his disciplinary board hearing in a few days? Badgerson still has the right to see us and make his decision."
"We're here on sufferance, Miss Frost." The moose reminded. "The prison makes the rules. They have that right."
That didn't deter the vixen. "And we have the right to protest, which I'm doing right now."
"Miss Frost, the prison has regulations!" The moose objected. "We don't just barge in and—"
Nick quickly interjected. "Mr. Alces, is there any reason why we can't speak to the warden?"
The moose looked to the wolf, who then pointed to the telephone on the table. "1.1.1."
"Thank you." Nick grabbed the headpiece and dialed the number. After a few seconds, the fox heard a voice on the other line. "Is this warden?...Oh, can I speak to him please?...Thank you." The fox waited a few seconds until he was connected. "Hello Warden?...This is Nicholas Wilde from the LAP program. My colleague and I have a client that we are unable to see because he's in solitary...I understand, sir. But we're only law students and can only visit during certain times. If he's unavailable to us at those times, then he's being deprived of his constitutional rights…Thank you, sir." Nick returned the headpiece and turned to the mammals.
Skye had a hopeful look. "What did he say?"
Nick let out a sigh. "He'll see what he can do."
While not the answer she hoped for, it was good regardless. "It's better than nothing."
"We're going to get you out of here."
The ongoing conversation behind them attracted their attention. Everyone else turned to see the raccoon and cougar trying to speak with the coyote, but the latter ignored them. The two students were beginning to show signs of frustration: the cougar crossing his arms and the raccoon nearly bearing his teeth. Nick and Skye had just noticed Leonard's bandaged left arm.
"What happened to your arm?" The raccoon pressed. "Don't you understand? We're your lawyers!" The student turned to Clement. "Mr. Alces, this mammal won't answer us."
The wolf addressed their concerns. "That's because he doesn't understand Anglo." He raised his voice. "Right, Sanchez? No Anglo."
The prisoner turned around and meekly nodded. "Sí, no Anglo."
The raccoon and the cougar were exasperated.
"Why did no one tell us this?!" The cougar cried. "How can we work on his case if we can't understand each other?"
Recognizing the language, Nick got out of his seat. "I can help with that."
The others watched as he approached the prisoner.
"Hola, señor Sánchez. Mi nombre es Nicholas Wilde, y somos del programa de asistencia del Colegio de Derecho. Su nombre estaba en la lista de los prisioneros que desean ser representados por estudiantes de Derecho." He pointed to the raccoon and the cougar, and Leonard looked at the mammals. "Estos mamíferos se han ofrecido voluntarios amablemente para asistirle en las audiencias, y estoy más que encantado de ser su traductor. En cualquier caso, usted tiene el derecho de decir no."
Leonard shook his head. "No, no quiero hablar con nadie. No quiero ayuda."
"What's he saying, Wilde?" Clement asked.
The fox turned back with a confused look. "He doesn't want to talk to us." Nick wanted to make sure he understood Sanchez correctly. "¿Está seguro? ¿Puede decirnos por qué?"
Sanchez immediately became agitated and fully faced Nick. "¡No! ¡He cambiado de idea! ¡Tan sólo quiero volver!"
His emotional response was enough to convince Nick. The fox nodded and motioned for the wolf. "He just wants to go back. That's all."
The coyote quietly joined the wolf and was returned to his cell as Nick rejoined Skye.
Clement went to address the raccoon and the cougar. "I'll have them send your alternative."
The two mammals nodded and sat back down as Clement joined the foxes.
"That's Spania," The moose noted. "That could be useful. If Sanchez hadn't rejected, I would have asked you to switch clients."
Nick chuckled and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I can get rejected in two languages."
Clement chuckled at the joke. "Funny. Where did you learn?"
"My dad had to hire a translator for some of his clients, and I ended up getting secondhand lessons. It helped when taking care of kits."
While intrigued at the revelation of Nick's skill, Skye brought the conversation back to the issue with their client. "Is there a reason why Badgerson is in solitary?"
"There was a stabbing," Clement said, pointing towards the door. "Sanchez, the one with the bandaged arm. He and Badgerson were involved in a dispute that got violent."
"Is that what his hearing is about? Do they think he did it?"
The moose nodded. "But none of the prisoners admit anything other than the two were involved in the incident. Other mammals may have been involved, but we don't know for certain."
At that moment, the door opened, and a panda bear entered. The predator wore a uniform that signified his position and bore scars on his face, likely from altercations with prisoners. The panda directed a glare at the sitting foxes.
"Are you the ones asking for Badgerson?!" His voice blared.
Skye nodded. "Yes, are you the warden?"
"Captain Altum," The panda bear stated. "Now what is going on here? Why do I have law students demanding I break prison protocol?"
"Because you're violating Badgerson's civil rights, Captain."
Still fuming, Altum then turned his attention to Nick. "Are you Mr. Wilde?"
The tod nodded. "Yes. Captain, we know we're just law students and may be out of our depths. We don't want to cause any trouble, but how can our client work with us if we're not allowed to see him?"
"That's your issue."
"True, Captain," Skye interjected. "But what if Badgerson finds out that he was denied seeing his counsel? He could bring a lawsuit against the prison and make it a bigger problem than it should be. It's only until his hearing, and then we'll be out of here."
The panda grumbled but realized the foxes had a point. "Alright, I'll let you see Badgerson on supervised visits. Make sure you notify the prison before your arrival." Altum took his leave but not before the mammals could hear his mumble. "Not that it will make much difference anyhow."
Once the door closed and the Captain was far enough away, Clement made his remark. "I must say. You two are either brilliant or lucky,"
Nick sat up proudly. "I like to think both."
Skye could only shake her head.
While waiting for Badgerson, the alternative prisoner for the raccoon and the cougar arrived. The prisoner, a maned wolf, did speak Anglo and happily accepted their assistance, leaving only Nick and Skye. As the foxes waited, they made notes for their work, i.e. the altercation between him and Sanchez, tasks to complete and days to visit. In the midst of their work, the doors opened, and a lion entered with a badger.
"Here's Badgerson." The feline said.
Nick and Skye stood and went to greet their client.
The badger smiled upon seeing the foxes. "I see the prison has honored my request. Good. I'm Randall Badgerson." He extended his paws, and the foxes took turns shaking both.
"Skye Frost."
"Nick Wilde."
The badger nodded. "Yeah, please excuse my appearance. The guards brought me right out of solitary."
"The prison rough you up?" Nick asked.
Randall nodded his head. "The inmates and, in my opinion, the system. Not just solitary confinement. It's part of the plot. Sometimes they uh…throw in…cleverly worked out torture. It's because I stand for individual rights and it's going to be that way too." The badger closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry, rambling there. Did they give you any trouble letting me out?"
"Yes," Skye said. "But we convinced the prison to allow visits until the hearing."
The badger smiled. "I knew I was right to ask for foxes."
"Pardon the interruption," Clement interjected. "I wanted to remind Mr. Wilde and Miss Frost that the prison has rooms more appropriate for such discussions."
"Yes, sorry Mr. Alces." Nick said.
"Sorry, Badgerson," Skye said. "We can resume once we're alone."
"It's alright. Better for us so we can keep the attorney-client confidentiality."
Clement headed for the door and the other mammals prepared for the transport. "I'll be back to check on you later. If you need anything, let the guard know. Best of luck."
Nick and Skye thanked the moose and finished gathering their material before following the lion as the guard transported Badgerson to their room. Upon their arrival, the foxes began preparing the work while the lion loosened Badgerson's restraints.
"There are cameras in the room, and I will be right outside." The lion said before leaving the room and closing the door.
"Alright," Nick said. "We have a lot of work to do before the hearing."
"Sure, but first," Randall said. "I want to thank the both of you."
His words elicited different reactions from the foxes. Skye beamed with joy and pride at the opportunity to help a mammal. She was filled with excitement to be able to practice working as a lawyer. But Nick remained cautious and skeptical and displayed a smiling mask. His father's wisdom and warning at the front of his mind.
Skye turned to her friend with a smile. "We're going to do great, Nick. I know it."
Much thanks to the folks at ZAA for their assistance, especially for the Spanish dialogue.
