Justice
Okay. He admitted it. He deserved this crummy assignment after taking a month-long emergency leave of absence. MacGyver leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands trying to get the sight of the mountains of paperwork surrounding him out of his mind if only for a few minutes. If he never saw another manila file for the rest of his life it would be too soon!
"Was it worth it?" Mike Harlow asked, leaning casually against the doorjamb.
Mac straightened up and opened his eyes to glare at his co-worker.
"I'm beginning to wonder," he grumbled.
After his weekend at Harry's cabin, he had flown back to Los Angeles, hired a temporary pilot until Jack was fully healed, borrowed Jack a down payment and co-signed a loan for another plane, and then drove two thousand miles back to Milwaukee. Back home.
"Jack must be a pretty special friend," Mike observed.
"Oh, he's special all right," Mac confirmed cynically.
Before MacGyver could elaborate, Joanna poked her head into the office. Her friendly smile turned to a frown when she saw the piles of paperwork Carlos Hernandez had given to Mac.
"Hey!" she greeted him. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be at the courthouse the rest of the day. A couple clients' divorce cases are being heard and they insisted I be there for moral support." She pulled a face as she explained and MacGyver couldn't help but chuckle.
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It was late afternoon by the time Joanna emerged from the courtroom. The clients had appreciated her presence, but the heavy cloak of negativity that surrounded the proceedings had started to depress her. Not anxious to go out into the cold February weather, Jo decided to stroll around the old courthouse and admire the art and architecture she usually never had time to notice. She was walking down a long, ornate corridor when the doors to a court room burst open, causing her to stop in her tracks. A surly Hispanic teenager stalked out flanked by a petite Hispanic woman Jo assumed to be his mother and a burly, white, middle-aged man who must be his lawyer.
"I ain't gonna plead guilty for somethin' I didn't do!" the boy spat at the man.
"Mijo!" the woman exclaimed, reaching out to grab her son's arm which he promptly pulled away.
"Listen, kid," the burly man snarled. "Just take the plea deal and make it easy on everyone. No jury in the world is gonna believe you anyway." And with that the man walked away.
The teen spun around to stare out the window while his mother silently wrung her hands. Joanna swallowed hard. She knew the scene that had just played out in front of her happened all too often. The public defender too lazy to actually work a case so he coerced his clients into false confessions and plea deals. But she had never actually seen it happen. It made her blood boil. But it wasn't any of her business. She put her head down and slipped quietly past the little family, but then jerked around when the woman called out to her.
"Ms. Joanna?!"
She hadn't been called that since her days at Challengers Academy.
"Yes?"
"Oh, it is you," the Hispanic woman said in a relieved voice.
"I'm sorry…I don't…"
"Oh, of course you don't remember me!" the woman apologized. "I'm Rosie Garcia and that's my son, Raul. He attended Challengers."
Joanna smiled and shook Rosie's hand. She remembered Raul well. He had been a small, shy boy, but he had grown like a weed since she last saw him.
"Raul," Rosie called in a commanding tone. "Come say hello to Ms. Joanna!"
The teen turned around, eyes wide with surprise, but remained silent.
"Hi Raul," Jo said before turning back to Rosie.
"I couldn't help but overhear what happened just now. Can I ask what's going on?"
"I didn't do it!" Raul proclaimed defensively as he came to stand beside his mother.
Rosie sighed. "Raul has just been charged with vehicular vandalism, attempted auto theft, and party to a crime."
"I wasn't even there!" the teen interjected.
"How about we all go to the cafeteria, get something to drink, and you can tell me all about it," Joanna suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation somewhat.
Thirty minutes and several cups of hot cocoa later, Joanna learned that local gang members had vandalized a car parked at a gas station. The incident had been caught on grainy surveillance tape. The leader of the gang, who had been arrested in the process, quickly identified the member swinging the baseball bat at the windshield as Raul Garcia. Raul was later arrested at his home where he claimed he had been all night. He also claimed he was not involved with the gang and that the leader had lied to punish him for not joining.
"I suppose you don't believe me, either," Raul moaned when he had finished his story.
"I believe you," Jo assured him. "In fact, I might be able to help. I work for a law firm now. Let me talk to my boss tomorrow and see if we can get a real lawyer on this case."
Rosie shook her head dejectedly. "That's very kind of you, Ms. Joanna, but we can't afford some fancy lawyer."
"Don't worry about the cost," Jo said gently. "I'm sure we can work something out."
After exchanging contact information and promises to keep in touch, Rosie and Raul left the building. Joanna quickly dug in her purse for her cell phone. She had to talk to someone. Scratch that. She had to talk to Mac. When she called his office, home, and cell phone and he didn't answer any of them, she decided to take the long way home and see if he was at the hockey rink.
Having seen his Jeep in the parking lot, Joanna now made her way down the bleacher steps to the home team's bench. She sat down and watched the lone figure in front of her glide across the ice with a unique combination of grace and power, a sight she was sure she would never grow tired of.
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MacGyver was just finishing his final warm-up lap when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He skidded to a stop and found Joanna seated on the home team's bench. He acknowledged her with a wave of his bulky hockey glove before skimming across the ice to join her.
"Hey," he said breathlessly before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and sitting down beside her. "How did you know I'd be here?"
Joanna smiled. "I'd like to say it was due to my finely honed detective skills…"
"But…?" he prodded teasingly.
"But you weren't at work and you weren't at home so I figured where else could you be?"
"Aw man, you mean I'm that predictable?" MacGyver slouched against the bench, removing his gloves and helmet. His sweaty hair plastered to his head.
"Trust me. You will never be predictable," she reassured him as she reached over and brushed his dripping bangs out of his eyes. "Let's just say I know you better than most people, okay?"
"Okay," Mac replied with a cheeky grin. "We'll go with that. Now, what brings you down here anyway?"
"I ran into a mutual acquaintance of ours today."
"Really? Who?" he asked absently as he began unlacing his skates.
"Remember Raul Garcia from Challengers Academy?"
"Yeah. Nice kid. He was turning into quite a hockey player."
"Well, I ran into him and his mom at the courthouse today."
"The courthouse? What was he doing there?" MacGyver's curiosity was sufficiently piqued, but he was afraid to hear the answer.
Joanna turned so she was facing him and launched into the details of her encounter earlier that day, as well as her plans to help Raul.
"So what do you say? Will you help me?" she asked, an expectant look on her face.
XXXXX
The following morning MacGyver stood next to Joanna in Carlos Hernandez's office. When she had asked him for help the day before, her liquid brown eyes, like melted chocolate, had warmed his heart and he was helpless to refuse. Besides, if even part of what she had said was true, Raul was getting a raw deal.
"Pro bono?!" Hernandez bellowed when Jo had finished laying out her plans causing both her and Mac to wince.
"Let me get this straight," their boss continued in a low growl. "You want me to assign one of my lawyers to defend some punk street kid for free when everyone is up to their eyeballs in billable cases?!"
"Look," MacGyver tried to explain. "Raul isn't a punk. He's a good kid with a lot of potential who's found himself in a bad situation through no fault of his own. It's just him and his mom and they can't afford to seek the justice he deserves."
Hernandez blew out a breath. "I'll tell you what. If you can find one of my lawyers who's willing to take the case without pay and on their own time you can go right ahead. But, if I notice even a fraction of decrease in said lawyer's performance, they're off the case! Understand?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," Mac replied with a nod, saving his satisfied grin for when he and Jo left the office.
Later that afternoon, MacGyver poked his head into Joanna's office, clearing his throat loudly to announce his presence. She turned away from her computer with a frown, no doubt not pleased with the interruption, but that would soon change. He hoped. He motioned a fifty-something man of Asian descent ahead of him before entering the office himself and firmly closing the door. Jo's eyebrows shot up and she tilted her head in a questioning gesture.
"Joanna, this is Lee Vang, a criminal defense lawyer from downstairs. He's agreed to take Raul's case," Mac announced.
A look of disbelief flitted across her face before she pasted her most professional smile in place and stood to shake the man's hand.
"It's good to meet you," she said warmly. "Did MacGyver explain the details and stipulations of the case?"
"Yes, Ms. Fairfax. He did."
"And you're still willing to take it?"
"Indeed. I began my career as a public defender and saw similar injustices carried out far too often. It's been an issue close to my heart all these years, and my caseload is relatively light at the moment. It would be my honor to defend this young man MacGyver speaks of so highly."
Mac watched as Jo's professional veneer slipped just a bit.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Joanna replied. "I'll get you the Garcia's contact information, and please let Mac or me know if we can help in any way."
"Thank you, Ms. Fairfax. I look forward to working with both of you."
"Please, call me Joanna," she said as she once again shook the lawyer's hand before he headed back to his office.
"Wow," she turned to MacGyver. "You work fast!"
"Let's just say I can be very persuasive when I want to be," he said, grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary while Joanna quirked an eyebrow.
Three days later, Lee Vang summoned Mac and Joanna to his office. The frown on the attorney's face caused MacGyver's stomach to dip. There was a problem.
"Please, have a seat," Vang invited them to sit across from him.
"What's up?" Mac asked, trying to sound casual even as he felt the concern emanating from Jo.
"I'm afraid this case might be more difficult to defend than I first anticipated," Vang confessed as his two co-workers remained silent awaiting further explanation.
"The only hard evidence we have is an inconclusive surveillance video and testimony of a gang leader."
"Exactly!" Mac exclaimed. "What jury is gonna believe a gang banger?! And whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?! If the tape is inconclusive, then there isn't any proof!" Mac slammed his hand down hard on Vang's desk before standing up to pace the small room.
Vang remained calm, apparently used to outbursts from his clients. "If we take this case to trial, the best we can hope for is a sympathetic jury willing to consider the lack of evidence and testimony of character witnesses."
"What do you mean 'if'?" Mac turned to glare at the lawyer.
"I hate to admit it, but perhaps agreeing to a plea deal in this case would be the best course of action."
MacGyver could feel his blood turn cold even as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
"No!" he barked. "Raul wasn't even there!"
"So he says," the attorney replied softly.
"You don't even believe your own client?" Mac asked incredulously.
"Perhaps you could show us the video?" Joanna asked calmly in an obvious attempt to diffuse the conversation.
"Of course," the lawyer agreed and went over to a small cabinet which he opened to reveal a small television set and VCR. He replayed the tape a couple of times while MacGyver stood on the other side of the room trying to regain his composure.
"Mac, come over and look at this," Joanna implored. "Maybe you can see something we can't."
MacGyver stared intently at the screen as the crime played out before him over and over. All he could see were four figures, assumed to be gang members, wreaking havoc on a parked car. Oh, how he longed for access to Phoenix technology that could enhance this grainy video!
"I don't suppose there are any ways to clean up this tape?" he asked.
Silence was his answer.
He had seen enough and was ready to walk away when he thought he might have found a clue.
"Play this back one more time," he requested.
This time his gaze stayed focused on the figure with the baseball bat.
"I think I found something," he announced as he turned to leave the office.
"What is it?" Joanna asked, hurrying after him.
"Where are you going?" she demanded when her question went unanswered.
"Back to my place. I need to check something out. Wanna come?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed, tight on his heels.
MacGyver quickly unlocked his front door and hurried to his video collection, scanning the titles until he found the cassette he wanted. He turned on the television, shoved the tape into the VCR, and waited impatiently for it to begin.
"What are we watching?" Joanna asked.
"A tape of one of the Challengers ice hockey games. A parent had given me a copy."
"What are we looking for?" she asked again as the tape began to play.
"Raul," Mac replied evenly.
They watched the game for several minutes before MacGyver pointed to the screen.
"There he is…number nine."
Mac kept his eyes glued to the screen, waiting. Eventually the puck was passed to Raul who wound up and took a shot on goal that went incredibly wide.
"I knew it!" MacGyver exclaimed, turning off the tape and grabbing it as soon as it ejected as if it was the Stanley Cup.
"Knew what?" Joanna asked, clearly not understanding his discovery.
"Raul is left-handed! That slap shot proves it!"
"So?"
MacGyver took a breath. "So, Raul is supposedly the one swinging the baseball bat on the surveillance tape, right?"
"Yeah."
"Whoever swung that bat was right handed and therefore not Raul!"
A week later, at Raul's preliminary hearing, Joanna and MacGyver spoke out as character witnesses for the boy. Once they had given their testimony, they sat on a cold, hard bench in the gallery with a nervous Rosie Garcia between them. Joanna patted the woman's hand soothingly and MacGyver offered encouraging smiles while the judge watched the two video tapes that were the basis of Raul's defense. Once the official was satisfied with what he saw, Lee Vang began a well-rehearsed closing statement ending with a motion for the court to dismiss the case against his client due to lack of evidence. The judge called for a quick recess in order to consider the request while ordering all parties to remain in the courtroom. Rosie Garcia took this opportunity to lock hands with Joanna and MacGyver.
"No matter what the judge decides, I want to thank you both for believing in my Raul and going out of your way to help us. I have never been more grateful to anyone," she said as tears welled in her eyes.
"Hey, even if we don't get the case dismissed, there's still a long way to go and we'll all be with you and Raul every step of the way," MacGyver assured her.
"You and Ms. Joanna and Mr. Vang have been such a blessing. How will I ever repay you?"
"You won't," MacGyver said firmly but with a warm smile.
"Unless you want to make us a batch of your homemade tamales Raul has been telling me about," Lee Vang offered, turning from where he was seated with his client.
"Consider it done," Rosie promised with a watery smiled that was wiped from her face seconds later when the judge reentered the courtroom. Once settled in his chair, he asked Raul to rise before addressing him.
"Young man," he began. "It appears the court owes you an apology. In our rush to judgement, we often see what is not there and hear what is not true. I applaud you and those who supported you in your quest for justice. Therefore, due to the overwhelming lack of evidence and to keep your record unblemished, this case is undeniably dismissed."
There was a collective sigh as the judge banged his gavel and returned to his chambers. Raul turned to Joanna and MacGyver.
"Thank you so much for believing in me," he said fervently.
"Not a problem," MacGyver answered with a smile as Joanna beamed beside him.
"Come, mijo, we must go home," Rosie ordered. "I have tamales to make," she said with a wink to Mr. Vang.
"I wish all cases were so easily resolved," the lawyer sighed as the Garcias left the courtroom. "What is the world coming to when the justice system continually fails our youngest citizens? If it wasn't for you two, Raul could have very well ended up being another sad statistic."
"We're just glad we could help," MacGyver replied, rocking back on his heels.
"Unfortunately you can't help them all," Vang said dejectedly. "And just today the city shut down yet another youth program which means there will be more kids out on the street."
"What happened?" Mac asked.
"What do you think?" Vang countered. "Money, Mr. MacGyver, or lack thereof. It's always all about money."
Mac watched as the lawyer hung his head and left the room before staring unseeingly at the large, wood double doors.
"You're thinking about something. I can see it." Jo's voice cut into his thoughts. "What is it, Mac?"
"I think I might have an idea."