The Paige Regan Trial
Chapter 8
The downtown Los Angeles Courthouse was a major example of Art moderne architecture. Dark gray granite steps with pick swirls were used for the steps, retaining walls and walkway borders. The seventeen story-high building had five entrance doorways consisting of a pair of bronze doors capped by a projecting curved hood bearing a stylized eagle.
Mike took the elevator to the second floor as he entered the room where the trial would be held. All furnishings inside were finished in light walnut with a high plaster ceiling. Large vertical strip window openings allowed in the bright southern California sunshine. Thus the courtroom seemed lighter and brighter than in New York.
Paige's direct would be the first business in court.
She was already seated at the prosecution table when he arrived. Mike gave her a reassuring nod before he took his seat. He also noted the defense lawyer, Stanford Bennett, and the two accused were also present at their table.
The door from the Judge's chambers opened as Judge Sonya Cruz walked to the bench. Everyone stood upon the bailiff's announcement and sat down again once the Judge had settled in.
The Judge announced, "Call your first witness."
Mike stood up.
"The People call Paige Regan to the stand."
Paige had reverted back to her real name; her hiding days were behind her. Today she was dressed on the conservative side, yet not enough so that everyone in the courtroom couldn't tell she was from the streets. Her dress displayed her obvious curves and the skirt was a bit higher than a professional length.
Mike gave her a confident nod before she walked to the witness stand.
Paige held her head up high. She stated her name and swore on the Bible. When she sat down, her eyes focused immediately on Mike. She was ready.
Mike walked up to her, and she comfortably greeted him back.
"Miss Regan," Mike began right away, "you're a stripper, right?"
Audible gasps could be heard from the gallery.
The bluntness of the statement caught everyone by surprise. Paige blinked faster than usual.
"Um...Y-yes, that's right."
Mike furrowed his forehead slightly. She sounded too hesitant. To give her more time to adjust to her surroundings, he took his time walking away from the witness stand.
Mike then continued.
"And Miss Regan, your job requires you to take off your clothes for money, am I right?"
He had turned to face her again. With his eyes, he willed her to remember what they had discussed yesterday. Luckily, with the added time, Paige had calmed her nerves, and this time, she was prepared.
"Yes."
Good, nodded Mike appreciatively, no uncertainty this time. Concise, too.
"Do you strip in a club or at private parties?" Mike asked.
"Both."
Her voice never wavered. Much better. Mike nodded approvingly.
"And Miss Regan, how long have you been stripping?"
"A year and a half."
She looked so much more relax than when she had started. Her answers were short with no hesitancy. She got it now.
He was trying to show how straight forward a witness she was, and Paige realized that as she sat up. She would show them all she was ready to tell the truth!
Mike looked over at the defense table. Defense attorney Stanford Bennett was looking at Mike as though he were crazy with his line of questioning.
Bennett's two clients, defendants Patrick Martin and Edward North sat expressionless. Not a sign of smugness or overconfidence at all. Bennett had advised them well on how to conduct themselves in court.
Mike turned back to Paige. He wasn't going easy on her, yet she now looked as if she was wanted to hear the next question. He was pleased.
"Do you have fun stripping, Miss Regan?" Mike continued on.
Paige opened her mouth to reply, but Bennett was on his feet.
"Objection, your Honor!" he looked indignant, "the question is totally irrelevant. Who cares if she likes stripping or not?"
The judge turned to Mike, "Well, Mr. Cutter?"
Mike addressed his opponent.
"Tell you what, Mr. Bennett," Mike proposed, "I won't ask her about her stripping if you don't."
"W-what? Objection!" sputtered a surprised Bennett.
The judge seemed perturbed by the early interruption from the flow of testimony, "So, Mr. Bennett, you are objecting to your own objection?"
Bennett nervously licked his lips as he looked over to the jurists.
They peered back at him, some with unhappy expressions. He knew Cutter's questions were intriguing and entertaining. Everyone wanted to hear what the stripper had to say. Therefore, if he kept interrupting, he would come off as a whiney kid. Bennett wasn't winning any favors from the jury. He needed to pick his battles carefully.
The defense lawyer wisely lowered himself back down again.
Mike knew Bennett would try to make Paige's profession sound as sleazy as possible. That was why Mike wanted to bring it to the forefront now, where he could spin it to make it sound less salacious.
"You weren't stripping the night you were raped, were you?" Mike asked.
"Objection!"
Bennett shot up again. Dammit! That blasted Cutter was forcing him to object so soon after the last objection! He looked over at the unhappy jury box and cringed.
Mike immediately put up a finger, as though he had accidentally made a slight error in his questioning.
"Excuse me," he corrected himself, "You weren't stripping on the night you were allegedly raped were you?"
Bennett was quiet and sat down again.
"No," Paige testified, "I was invited."
"So, you were invited to the residence where Mr. Martin and Mr. North lived?" Mike asked.
"Yes."
"An apartment?"
"A big, fancy beach-house."
Mike nodded. The answer would make the defendants sound even more privileged.
"Did either one of them invite you?"
"No."
"Who then?"
"The third roommate, Larry Cantrell."
"How do even know Mr. Cantrell, Miss Regan?" asked Mike, "I assume you two do not travel in the same social circles..."
"I worked there the week before."
"When you say you worked there before…"
"…I stripped for them at a previous party." Paige answered evenly.
Mike nodded. They were getting in a rhythm now.
"So, is it safe to say, you were impressed with these young men at their beach-house?"
"Yes, of course."
"...And...this was due to their money and what it represented to you, right?"
"Yes."
Mike was liking her honesty.
"So, Miss Regan," said Mike, as he slowly paced the witness stand, "Regarding that first encounter the previous week with Mr. Cantrell, when you had to work by stripping... Did you perform any other services for the men at that party?"
Mike had stopped pacing and stood close to her, looking her straight in the eyes. He could see her take a deep swallow. She answered without hesitancy.
"Yes."
"Were these services of a sexual nature?"
"Yes."
She dropped her eyes.
Mike paused before he spoke again.
"Miss Regan," softened Mike, "Don't be ashamed. You needed the money."
Bennett almost objected, until he saw the jurors.
Paige quickly answered, "Yes."
"We all do what we need to do to put food on our tables." Mike commented to no one in particular, as he looked around the courtroom. He then pointed directly at the defendants, "But then….What was their excuse that fateful night?"
That's it! Bennett was in a rage.
"Objection!"
"Sustained."
But defense lawyer Bennett wasn't done, "Your honor, that was outrageous!"
"I agree," stated Mike, "That WAS outrageous and you should chastise your clients immediately."
Murmurings could be heard in the courtroom as Stanford Bennett blustered about.
"Move to STRIKE! " insisted Bennett, pointing at Mike, "Rep-re-hen-si-ble! A mockery of the court! Highly defamatory! Your honor, I must insist on meeting in chambers! Immediately!"
The Judge responded drolly. "I gather you found the statement slightly appalling, Mr. Bennett."
Sighing, the Judge then addressed Mike, "Unfortunately, I must side this time with Mr. Bennett... Mr. Cutter, I allowed you a bit of leeway in your line of questioning, but obviously, we need to set some ground rules. Therefore, my chambers now, counsellors... Court will adjourn until tomorrow at 10 am."
The judge pounded her gavel as Mike smiled over at Paige, who had managed to hold it together on the stand.
He was so proud of her.
Mike gathered his papers together, a satisfied grin on his face. He may get a slap on the wrist from the judge for his tactics, but whatever the consequences, it would be worth it. Paige was coming off as a credible witness and the defense would not be putting into play the sleaziness of her occupation.
Mike's prosecution was unconventional, but Paige deserved justice.
And Round One was theirs.
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Jerry Hardin was in his office with DDA Connie Rubirosa, asking her how hers and Dekker's trial against Avery Cooper went this afternoon.
"Fine," was Connie's only reply, not wanting him to know hers and Dekker's differences on court strategy.
As Hardin leaned back comfortably in his chair, he had been fingering his pencil. He now placed it on his desk as he focused on Connie.
"Heard Joe was pretty hard on the defense's star witness, who was only a kid," he stated.
Connie's lips thinned. She obviously didn't want to be put in the middle.
"Jerry, is this the reason why you called me in here?"
Hardin gazed at Connie from across his desk, thinking how lucky his office was to have such a beautiful, intelligent and hardworking individual in his office.
"No, of course not, Connie, " he assured her, "I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am with your performance here in this office. I really think there is a bright future for you here."
The praise came from out of nowhere. Connie wondered where this conversation was leading.
From outside, there was the hum of fax machines and the movement of office workers. However, a sudden hush seemed to pervade the main room, making Hardin look out the window.
Connie also viewed outside, just in time to see Mike saunter by. As he walked in long strides down the aisle of the office, she noted heads turning and coworkers softly talking among themselves.
Mike seemed oblivious to all the whispery attention he was generating as he went to his desk, sat down and picked up his phone to make a call.
She, like everyone else, had heard about his success in court today against a case that was slated for a defense win.
A sense of pride coursed throughout her body. She had seen Mike in action in court and knew him to be relentless and clever with his questioning, but now people here in LA could also see how truly brilliant he was.
Hardin could see Connie's attention drifting away, despite them discussing an important topic, her possible promotion to first chair.
"So you've also heard how lucky Cutter was in court today," Hardin stated.
Connie turned back around, slightly embarrassed to be caught by another person observing Mike. She recovered enough to give Hardin a hard stare.
"You couldn't give him more credit than that, Jerry?" she pointed out, "He's working pro bono for a case that you wanted to toss aside. It's costing this office nothing, yet if he wins, it will be a major win for your office."
Hardin shrugged. She had a point, but it bothered him that she defended Cutter so quickly and thoroughly.
"Fair enough," remarked Hardin, "I had heard of his reputation as a good prosecutor, but I must say that so far, he has exceeded my expectations…"
Connie smiled as she adjusted herself comfortably in her chair. To her, a victory for Mike meant a victory for her. Of course, it wouldn't mean that now, but still...
Connie was glad for this opportunity with Jerry Hardin. She had been wanting to talk to him ever since she finished up court with Dekker this afternoon. As she watched the clock on the wall, it was almost five o'clock and Hardin would soon be leaving.
It was now or never.
Connie leaned forward to make a point.
"Jerry," she proposed, "I want back on the Paige Regan case."
Hardin thought he heard wrong, "What? The Regan case? Cutter's case?"
"My case originally, remember? You yourself said it's now turning into a winnable case. Besides, my involvement in the Cooper case is basically over. Tomorrow Joe will be presenting closing arguments and then we'll be handing the case to the jury."
Even to her ears, she was babbling. Must not sound so desperate, she reminded herself.
Hardin eyed her speculatively, "Connie, perhaps I did not make it clear. I am proposing putting you as first chair on future cases and even before I complete my proposal, you are already making demands on me. Let me be blunt and tell you that it is highly irregular for any of my people to be talking to me this way!"
Connie would not be dissuaded.
"Jerry, I have given my all for each and every case. I have worked late every night, I have worked weekends. Never once have I complained, have I?…so I don't understand why this one request is so difficult for you to approve."
"It's Cutter, isn't it?" Jerry bluntly asked.
A blush rose to Connie's cheeks, "I don't know what you are implying, Jerry. I have always maintained a professional relationship with Mike…uh, Cutter…"
"Always?" He looked doubtful.
Internally, Connie was fuming. She did not owe him any explanation.
"So what is your decision?" Connie was determined to keep it at a business level.
Jerry Hardin looked back outside at Cutter who just got off the phone. Damn, he was right when he said Cutter would ruin the efficiency of his office.
Yet Hardin did want that win, he needed that win.
"What about Joe Dekker?" he asked.
Connie had not realized she had been holding her breath. Thank goodness Lizbeth had kept her abreast of office gossip.
"I heard through the grapevine that DDA Lauren Stanton will be coming back from her stint in Washington DC," suggested Connie, regarding Joe Dekker's previous partner.
Hardin subconsciously ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't like putting the New York partnership back together, but he was also smart enough to know that as a boss, he needed to keep his employees happy.
Anything to keep her here. He would just keep a sharp eye out between those two.
"All I can say is that you better put this in the win column for me," he warned as Connie worked at not letting her elation show.
She couldn't remember a time since she had been in Los Angeles when she had felt so exuberant over a case.
"Thank you, " Connie simply stated.
"I've always prided myself on professionalism in this office," announced Hardin in no-uncertain terms.
"Of course, Jerry," Connie said, trying to keep her voice steady.
The day could not end fast enough for her. Tomorrow she would be working on the Paige Regan case! She was more determined than ever to keep her mind on the case, despite what her yearning heart might be saying otherwise.
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