Friday, Hearing Day

Giovanni's hearing was scheduled for the morning. So when the train arrived, Judy and Jack wasted no time meeting with the gopher, having already submitted the packet and other paperwork to the panel the day before. Giovanni and a goat guard were already in their assigned room, waiting to be transferred to the hearing room. He took note of the rabbits' appearance upon their entrance.

"Well, you two are certainly dressed for the occasion."

Judy accepted the compliment. Along with the brown dress, the doe had a combination of perfume, eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick. "Thank you. Normally, I don't like wearing makeup, but I'm willing to bite my tongue if it means being more presentable before the board."

Jack wore a simple black 3-piece suit and a blue tie with a fixed fur appearance. "Are you ready, Mr. Meyers?"

Giovanni nodded. "Ready. It will just be us and the panel, so there won't be any distractions."

The goat lifted the gopher by the arm and escorted him and the rabbits to the parole hearing.

As Giovanni said, it was just them, the panel, and a few security mammals. At the panel, three mammals sat: a male tiger, a female camel, and a male squirrel. They recognized them as the ones leading the hearing. A few guards stood to the side as a precaution should Giovanni elicit a strong reaction in response to the outcome.

The panel acknowledged their presence with smiles and nods and waited for them to get ready. Giovanni, Jack, and Judy took their place in front of the bleachers. The gopher sat quietly while the rabbits prepared their material. Once the board saw their acknowledgement, the proceedings began.

The tiger led the introductions. "Mr. Savage. Miss Hopps. Mr. Meyers. Welcome. This is a parole hearing in regards to Giovanni Meyers. The purpose is to determine if the prisoner has demonstrated a change from the time he was incarcerated to the present day. At the end of the hearing, the board will deliberate and reach a decision on whether Giovanni Meyers should be granted parole."

"Thank you, sir," Judy said and, with the help of Jack, brought out a manila packet. "You all should have received a copy of Mr. Meyers' parole packet which contains relevant information to the hearing."

The panel revealed their copies to the rabbits and the gopher before emptying and organizing its contents.

While they were doing so, Judy continued. "We would like to begin by having our client read a statement. A copy of which is included in the packet."

The female camel brought her hoof forward. "Mr. Meyers."

The gopher stood and brought out the statement, revised with Judy and Jack's feedback. "I, Giovanni Meyers, admit to my crime and accept the appropriate punishment. During my time here, I reflected on my actions and came to a conclusion. I feel extreme remorse for my actions and have made the effort to reform myself into a better mammal. It is my hope that the panel will recognize my actions and grant parole. Thank you."

It was evident to the mammals in the room that the gopher sounded genuine when reading the statement but kept the remarks to themselves.

"Thank you, Mr. Meyers." The female camel said. "We would first wish to know the opinions of third parties regarding you."

As practiced and decided on, Judy took the lead. "Of course, we collected three letters of support from acquaintances of Meyers during his time incarcerated."

"Proceed." As she and the other mammals brought out their copies.

"Thank you. The first is from Mr. Rupert Sailire, his supervisor while employed in the prison commissary. The second is from Miss Lumi Frigus, his teacher while attending classes. Lastly, Mr. Cornelius Somnus, the prison librarian whom Meyers would have frequent conversations during his visits. As you can read, all three mammals have observed Mr. Meyers for a considerable amount of time and can conclude that he has shown the desire to reform and shown no troublesome behavior."

The male squirrel acknowledged her statement. "Thank you, Miss Hopps. That will be all for this matter. Now, the second item the board wishes to know is Meyers' plan of action should he be granted parole."

Judy sat down as Jack took over for her. "If you would kindly look in the packets, you will find statements and letters from his family and future employment. Even before requesting representation, Mr. Meyers has taken steps to ensure that our assistance and your review can proceed with little hindrance. My colleague and I have also taken the liberty to verify the locations and collect their statements, all included in the packet."

The squirrel nodded. "Very impressive. The panel appreciated you and the inmate's effort in taking this process seriously. However, this is the most important step in the hearing. The panel wishes to hear from the inmate himself."

"I understand, and I am prepared to answer your questions," Giovanni said.

The male tiger took over. "Good, let's begin then. You're in here on the charge of armed robbery and sentenced to twenty years in prison. Do you believe that the punishment is appropriate for the crime?"

"Yes, because I used a firearm and harmed an innocent in the process, and the mammal could have died were circumstances any different. I consider myself very fortunate that the mammal survived, but that doesn't take away the severity of my actions. The mammals should have never been harmed, and I should have never made the decision to steal."

The female camel asked the next question. "Do you feel remorse for your actions?"

"After I pulled the trigger and realized what I had done. Every day, from the trial to the years in prison, I ask myself why I did it. This led to asking why it got to that point and so on. Through that reflection, I realized if I wanted to have a second chance, it starts with myself making the decision to change."

The male squirrel asked the next one. "And why should this panel grant you parole?"

"I could give you many reasons why I should, but I will not. All I ask is that you take the time to review my actions and the work of my representatives before coming to a decision. And I will accept whatever the outcome is, even the possibility that I may need to remain here to serve more of my sentence. Being granted parole is a privilege, not a right."

From there, the panel continued to ask Giovanni questions about his actions during his sentence. As expected, there were some neither the gopher nor the rabbits could have prepared for. But thanks to Judy and Jack's coaching, Giovanni was able to give satisfying answers. The rabbits mainly sat back and only intervened when the panel asked Meyer irrelevant questions. The rest of the hearing lasted roughly forty minutes as the remaining questions were answered.

The male tiger gathered the documents into the packet. "I believe that is all we have time for this hearing. The panel will now deliberate on the decision. You can expect that to arrive within a week or two. Mr. Meyers. Mr. Savage. Miss Hopps. Thank you for your time. The matter of the hearing is adjourned."

Knowledge that they wouldn't announce a decision for some time didn't sit well with Judy. But for the sake of Giovanni, the rabbit withheld her tongue. She and Jack were allowed one last meeting with the gopher to wrap up any unfinished before departing for the final time.

It was there that Judy expressed her frustration. "I really wish they could tell us, but I understand such decisions shouldn't be made in haste."

"You were right to warn us, Giovanni," Jack said. "But it still doesn't change the fact it bothers us that we won't know the outcome."

Giovanni could only shrug. "It's how the system works, but I promise that once the decision arrives, whether approved or denied, I will write to you. I know the contact information of Mr. Alces." A smile then appeared on his face. "Who knows? Maybe those rabbit feet will be lucky?"

The rabbits chuckled, taking the joke in stride.

"Jack and I would love that," Judy said. "Before you go, we want to thank you for giving us the opportunity when you could have asked for a professional."

Giovanni smirked. "Being too poor to afford helps in the decision making," His look then softened. "But honestly, it's to help me build trust upon others when I finally get out. So thank you for your part as well."

His words brought a smile to Jack's face. "Very much appreciated, Giovanni."

A knock on the door signaled to the gopher that it was time to return to his cell.

Giovanni let out a deep sigh. "Guess that means time's up."

"I'm afraid so," Judy said. A little bit of sadness slipped into her tone. "If we don't hear from you, then we'll try to pay a visit."

The gopher winked. "I'll hold you to that." He stood from his seat and called out to the guard. "I'm ready now."

The correctional officer entered the room and prepped for the transfer.

"Goodbye, Judy. Goodbye, Jack. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you."

"The pleasure is all ours," Jack said. "Goodbye now."

"Hope to see you soon." Judy said.

With that, the correctional officer escorted Giovanni out of the room, leaving the rabbits alone. Jack began to gather his belongings in preparation for their leave when he noticed Judy sitting silently with her ears drooping.

"You alright?"

The doe closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Is it wrong of me to get emotional over a criminal?"

Jack could understand where she was coming from but knew the dangers of being emotional. "I think that depends on the criminal. In this case, Giovanni was cooperative the entire time. It wouldn't be unreasonable to hope for the best. I doubt any future clients will be like him. But it's good for us and the other volunteers to work on being professional around clients.

There was a brief pause before Judy answered. "You're right. It could be dangerous and unable to leave me unbiased. I should know better than to expect quick decisions, but I'll blame myself for being impatient."

"Oh yeah, you definitely need to work on that."

Feeling better after the talk, Judy joined Jack in gathering their belongings, and they waited for Mr. Alces to come and take them back to campus.


Randall said nothing while being escorted by a lion to meet with Nick and Skye, his mind focused on the disciplinary hearing in a few hours. The badger may have not succeeded in his plan but at least, to him, he hadn't burned the bridges. He reluctantly admitted that getting law students to go along was more difficult than a lawyer. Randall couldn't tell if the law students had more resolve or if his previous lawyer was weak. Either way, there was still a chance at the hearing.

Arriving at the room, the lion opened the door, and Randall was shocked to see Skye sitting alone at the table. He refrained from speaking until the lion left them alone.

"Where's Nick?" He tried not to sound panicked.

Skye took a deep breath. "I'm afraid your stunt was too much for him. He believes he can no longer be impartial in this case and has asked to leave. I agreed with him, and our superior granted Mr. Wilde permission to leave the case."

Her answer didn't ease his growing panic. "What about Sanchez? Who will translate for him?"

"Mr. Alces and I are working on that."

While the answer only slightly calmed him down, guilt over his actions finally overcame the badger. Realizing that there was such a thing as too strong and too fragile. "It's a shame your friend couldn't help, but why do you remain?"

"Truth be told, Randall. I can't in good conscience leave you out to dry, but importantly, I do want to see justice for you and Sanchez." Skye paused for a moment, and Randall could see her becoming flustered. "And in truth, I did read your letter."

A smile appeared on the badger's face. "Thank you, Skye. That means a lot to me."

Silence fell over the two as the moment that unfortunately had to be broken.

Skye took a deep breath before bringing up her bag. "Enough of that for now. Let's focus on your hearing. Do you remember what Nick and I told you yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because of my colleague's last-minute departure, we need to reorganize how the information will be presented."

While a sore topic after yesterday, with Nick no longer on the case, he had to raise the question. "I'm confident that you will succeed. But with Nick gone, are you sure you don't need my assistance with the legal stuff?"

Skye shook her head. "Thank you, but no thank you. We can't let my boss and the board mammals know that I'm taking legal advice from you." Skye brought out the statements from Randall's witnesses and testimonies from the security mammals. "Alright, let's do this."

The hours passed quickly, and the time for the hearing was soon approaching. Skye and Randall were escorted to the room for the disciplinary hearing. Inside were an otter operating a stenograph, Mr. Alces sitting at the table down in front and the three mammals for the board: a wildebeest, a cheetah, the panda warden Captain Altum. Most notably were the numerous lions, leopards, and hyenas around the room.

Skye and Randall said nothing as they took their seat by Mr. Alces. The badger assumed that the moose volunteered to assist Skye since her partner bailed out.

The moose leaned in to whisper. "Are you ready?"

Skye nodded, but Randall still had a concern.

"If Mr. Wilde's not here, who will translate for Leonard?"

"Did Miss Frost tell you?"

"Yes, but what is the solution mentioned?"

"Then you have no cause for worry. It will present itself."

Still frustrated at the non-answer from the vixen's boss, Randall stayed quiet.

With everyone ready, Altum began the hearing. "Good afternoon, mammals. This is a disciplinary hearing on whether the solitary confinement of Randall Bagderson as a result of the stabbing of Leonard Sanchez was justified. The board will now hear evidence against the justification."

Mr. Alces nodded to Skye, who then stood. "Thank you, Council. Based on the evidence collected during the investigation, while we cannot identify the mammal who stabbed Leonard Sanchez, we do have evidence that raises doubt that my client was the instigator." The arctic vixen picked up the documents. "These are copies of statements from witnesses and security mammals monitoring the cameras attesting that they did not see my client stabbing Mr. Sanchez at the time of the incident."

"May we see them?" The wildebeest asked.

"Absolutely." Skye approached the board and gave them the copies. "And we will bring in these mammals to verify their statements."

At that moment, the door opened, and the mammals turned to see who abruptly entered the hearing. It was Nick with Sanchez and a bear guard.

"Who are you?" The wildebeest asked.

Nick had a calm smile on his face. "Mr. Wilde. I apologize for being late. Mr. Sanchez has asked me to translate on his behalf, and last-minute preparations were made."

"You're just in time. We're about to begin with the witness statements." The horned mammal pointed to the witness stand. "Mr. Sanchez. Mr. Wilde."

The bear let Nick escort Leonard to the witness stand. When Skye returned to her seat and Nick passed by, his tail brushed up against her leg.

Once seated, the cheetah began with the testimony by raising one of the documents. "We have this original statement from Mr. Sanchez. It states that he couldn't identify the mammal who stabbed him." The feline placed the document down. "Was that translated to us correctly?"

Nick nodded. "Mr. Sanchez has asked me to say that his first statement was correctly translated, but he is now changing it." The fox turned to the coyote. "Leonard, who stabbed you?" He spoke in Anglo for the court reporter before asking the coyote in his native language. "¿Quién te apuñaló?"

The coyote didn't hesitate. "Badgerson."

The badger stood on his seat and slammed his paws on the table. "That's a lie!"

Leonard rapidly nodded his head. "Sí! Badgerson!"

Naturally, Randall went to defend himself. "I'm being railroaded because I bring the convicts together."

Altum didn't take too kindly to the outburst. "Sit down, Badgerson!"

"It was a political discussion that went sour, and somebody pulled a knife!"

Ignoring the badger, the cheetah pointed to Sanchez. "Ask him why Badgerson knifed him."

Nick nodded and turned to the coyote, again speaking in Anglo first before the native language. "Is there a reason why Badgerson stabbed you? ¿Tienes alguna idea de que razón pudo haber tenido para atacarte?"

After a moment of hesitation, he answered. "Bagderson me apuñaló por mi reloj de bolsillo. Le gustó y lo quería para si."

Nick looked between the panel and the tables where they waited in anticipation. "He knifed him over a pocket watch."

The cheetah's face contorted. "What?"

"Yes, that was translated correctly. Badgerson liked the watch and wanted it for himself."

Randall sat back down in disbelief. "He's crazy! The mammal's crazy!"

Leonard continued. "Badgerson se enojó porque accidentalmente derramé algo de comida sobre él ese día. Dijo que debía compensárselo y luego exigió mi reloj. Yo me negué, diciéndole que era importante para mí, pero no quiso escucharme. Luego trató de quitármelo, me defendí, ¡ahí fue cuando me apuñaló!"

"Badgerson was angry because Leonard spilled food on him during lunch. He said he owed him for that and demanded the pocket watch. Leonard refused and tried to explain, but Badgerson didn't understand and knifed him."

The accused mammal denied the accusation. "No!"

Leonard continued with his statement."¡Además, la mitad de los mamíferos aquí están aterrorizados de Badgerson!"

"Leonard also says that Badgerson has half the prison population terrified!"

Emboldened and feeling that he had gone too far to turn back, the coyote pointed with his thumb at the badger. "¡Él iba a matarme!"

"He said he was going to kill me!"

"¡Alguien tiene que hacerle frente!"

"Somebody has to stand up to him!"

"¡Y si pudieras garantizar que sacarías a Badgerson de esta prisión todos te dirían la verdad!"

"And if you were to remove Badgerson from this prison, everyone would tell you the truth!"

Randall stood on his chair again and bore his teeth. "You're lying, Leonard!"

The coyote bore his teeth as well. "Sí! Truth!" He turned to the board and pointed to the badger. "Badgerson!" He pointed to his wrist. "Reloj de bolsillo! No!" He made a stabbing motion on his bandaged arm and pointed at Bagdeson again. "Ta loco!"

Randall snarled and curled his paws into fists. "I should have ripped your throat out…"

Nick's eyes widened in horror when he saw Randall begin to move. "Run, Leonard!"

The coyote didn't need a translator to understand what was said and what was about to happen.

Skye and Mr. Alces saw the beginnings and tried to intervene, but Randall was too fast for the lawyer and the law student.

On instinct, Nick grabbed the coyote and used all his strength to pull him out of the chair. Both mammals fell to the ground and heard a WOOSH followed by a tussle of mammal and furniture. They braced themselves for the incoming attack…except it never came. After a few moments of hesitation, the two carefully opened their eyes and were met with a shocking sight.

On the ground, Randall was captured in a net, leading back to a lion holding a launcher. Also, on top of the badger, the leopards and hyenas each restrained a limb, the body, and the head. Randall continued to struggle, bite, and claw his way out, but the numbers were overwhelming. Finally, a lion approached the pile and brought out an injector pen. The feline stabbed the badger's neck, and the sedative quickly took effect. Despite his strength leaving him and not being an active threat, the guards kept Randall restrained.

Once the chaos receded, Altum huffed and stood up, along with the cheetah and the wildebeest. "I believe we are finished here. It is clear the prisoner has tried to intimidate and harm the victim into not speaking out. On top of attempted assault. Thus, the board affirms the decision to keep Randall Badgerson in solitary. The matter of this hearing is adjourned." The panda motioned with his head. "Take him back to where he belongs."

The cluster of mammals carefully raised Randall and escorted him out of the room, but not before the prisoner got some last words in. "This isn't over! I got a lot of friends here! They like me! They trust me! I'll get this place organized!"

The bear went to take Leonard back to his cell but not before giving a smile and nod, signaling his commendation for speaking the truth. Even with the language barrier, the coyote understood and returned the gesture.

All the while, once they recovered from the shock, Nick, Skye, and Mr. Alces quickly gathered their belongings and proceeded out of the room. The trio returned to the foxes' assigned room to assess the aftermath of the hearing.

Mr. Alces stood with his arms crossed before the two foxes sitting at the table, giving a stoic look. Nick and Skye remained silent and maintained their professional appearance.

Finally, the moose sighed and pinched his brow. "Well, I must admit. That was clever. Dangerous as it could have ended badly but clever nonetheless" He made eye contact with them again. "No offense, but you two lived up to the stereotype."

Nick waved a dismissive paw. "It has its advantages. Sorry we had to keep some things confidential. We didn't know how you would react."

"I don't blame you. Between the accusation and Badger's antics, you couldn't bail without bringing a lawsuit against us. So you two searched for every loophole possible. Just as I expect for the volunteers. For that, I commend you on a job well done. Now, this won't apply to this current group, but unfortunately, there will be changes going forward regarding procedures."

Skye was just happy that the situation worked itself out in the end. "Thank you, Mr. Alces."

The moose let out a deep sigh. "Thirty years…thirty years this program has been going on without an incident with the prisoners. It was bound to happen eventually, yet I am still shocked that it finally happened."

"For what it's worth, sir," Skye said. "Nick and I got valuable experience out of this. Even if it was baptism by fire."

Mr. Alces smiled and motioned with his head to the door. "A silver lining. Now let's get out of here. You two were the last ones for the day, and I'm feeling the need to hit the bottle tonight."

The foxes shared the moose's sentiments.


With the hearings taking all day, the volunteer groups did not finish until after five in the afternoon. Those who did finish early waited in the lobby but were barred from discussing the specifics of their case. Thirst and hunger had to be satisfied by the vending machine in the visitation rooms. After the last pair finished their hearing, Mr. Alces gathered the volunteers to congratulate them on their work.

"I want to begin by giving my congratulations. You remained professional and dedicated to your work and to your client. For that, the prison and I thank you. I see bright futures in every one of you. But I realize that not everyone will receive a favorable outcome. That is the reality in the world of law. To use a cliche, you win some, and you lose some. In the end, you all gained valuable experience. Now as the acronym goes, TGIF."

The volunteers shared his sentiment, and the exhausted group happily exited the prison and boarded the train.

Later that evening at Finnick's Tavern,

Nick, Judy, Jack, and Skye agreed to discuss the general aspects of their respective cases at dinner when they would be meeting with Clawhauser and Fru Fru. Their reasoning is so they could tell everyone at once and for the cheetah and the shrew to give them the work the rabbit and fox pair missed from their classes.

Since Nick and Judy didn't work that night, they made up for it by ordering more food to give their boss more sales. The group sat at their usual table while Troy stood off to the side. The folders with the makeup work sat in the middle of the table among the food and drinks.

After eating his fill, Ben placed his paws under his chin, and his tail swished excitedly, eager to hear any details. "Well, quit keeping Fru and me in the dark!"

Nick smiled and shook his head. "Ben, you know better than to ask us about that."

"Oh, you know what I mean. Was it fun? Was it hard? Favorite parts?"

"Was it fun? Certainly. Was it hard? Understatement. Favorite parts? I'll have to get back to you on that."

"It depends on the inmate's decision,' Skye added. "On this particular aspect, I can speak for Nick and me. We had…some cooperation issues. That's all we'll say."

Fru Fru then turned to Judy and Jack. "What about you two?"

"If we're comparing Nick and Skye's, Jack and I would say ours was more cooperative. Overall, I consider it a success."

Jack then addressed the cheetah and shrew's roles during their absence. "So, did you enjoy being our stenographers?"

Clawhauser groaned. "It was not easy, even after dividing the courses between Fru and me. Also, Bogo did not look happy having to see a few empty chairs in his class. It felt that he could have given the whole class extra assignments."

"Quit exaggerating, Ben. You know he wouldn't do that without getting in trouble with the school. It's a school activity." Fru Fru circled back to the original topic. "Anyways, Ben is right. It wasn't easy, but there is enough to fill in the blanks."

"It's a start," Judy assured. "We now have the groundwork for when one or more of us are absent for various reasons."

"And I'm sure there will be other activities besides the prison volunteer program that we can all get involved in." Skye said.

"It would be nice," Jack concurred. "We'll just have to wait and see. But as far as this semester goes, one is enough for me."

The others, including Judy, shared the sentiment.

"Going to be a fun weekend catching up," Nick said, tapping the folders before raising his mug. "But for now, a toast to a job well done to all of us. Let's enjoy the night."

The rest of the mammals did the same and spent the rest of the evening discussing anything except law.


Monday morning,

The rest of Friday and the weekend passed with relative peace. Aside from catching up on the school work, the study group mainly stuck to their rooms or respective recreational spots to rest up physically and mentally from the week. They met up twice on Saturday evening and Sunday evening to hang out and update on the progress. By the time of Bogo's Contracts, the group was ready to get back to learning theory.

Bogo closed the book and moved over to the seating chart. "And now, let us return to that much-abused phrase '"A meeting of the minds.'." He pointed to a name. "Mr. Delgato."

The lion stood up.

"What are the prerequisites for a meeting of the minds?"

Delgato put on a smile. "Well, first a couple of minds."

This drew small laughter from the classroom.

"And secondly, agreement."

"Wrong. Disagreement, Mr. Delgato."

Feeling no shame, the lion returned to his seat as Bogo continued with the explanation. "There is a meeting of the minds only across the gulf of need. A chasm of differences." He looked across the classroom. "Now, can someone else pursue this discussion?"

There was a silence among the students before a white vixen paw shot up.

"Miss Frost?"

Skye stood. "I believe it mainly has to do with communication."

"Quite right. Mammal relationships are a highly unreliable means of communication."

"I agree. I will also add that there are certain instances where the parties appear to be communicating when in fact, no communication is achieved at all. When that happens, one of the parties is hurt." The memories of her and Nick's interactions with Badgerson were still fresh on her mind. It was one of the main lessons Skye took out of the experience, so she easily drew upon it.

"Precisely, Miss Frost. That is why most of the best contracts are made with those who have the most differences. A contract is a bridge between differences. My contract with you and, hopefully, yours with me, can include and honor those differences."

"That is a beautiful concept. sir." A concept the vixen wished she was more versed in last week.

"Indeed, but the trick is to make it a reality."

Skye took a deep breath. "I hope you are right, Professor."

Bogo raised a curious eyebrow. "Am I not always right?"

The remark caused the room to erupt in laughter, including Skye, as Bogo moved back to the podium. One could have sworn they had seen a hint of a smile on the Cape Buffalo's face. It seemed the stoic professor did have a sense of humor after all.


Surprised that I haven't seen the net gun being used much in fics. Last fic I can recall is Water under the Bridge.