Mari & Ilna-you're the best.
McRollers-thanks for reading.
This story is a follow up to one I wrote back in June called Following Through. This will make much more sense if you've already read that one.
Following Up (1/2)
"I appreciate you guys coming, but Clyde's answer is still no." Will Keaweamahi sighed with frustration. "I've done everything I can think of to convince him. He simply refuses to budge."
Steve and Danny were seated on a bench outside of Courtroom #2 at the First District Court. The cold, marble floorway spread out in front of them. The sound of footsteps moving hurriedly. Hushed conversations. The underlying tension that accompanied the high-stakes dealings that took place in the nearby courtrooms every day.
They'd both been in this imposing building more times than they could count. Testifying was an important aspect of their jobs. To be well prepared. To present the evidence that helped put guilty people behind bars. Often for decades.
But this time was different.
This time they wanted to help an admitted murderer.
A man whose guilt was not in question. A man who had calmly admitted his crime, plead guilty, and submitted himself to the court to accept whatever punishment they deemed appropriate.
The facts were not in dispute.
Clyde Martin walked into a local halfway house, cleared all innocent people out of the area, and shot Scotty Boyle four times, killing him instantly. He did it to keep a promise he had made to his daughter and grandchildren at their grave sites, and to his wife every day thereafter, until a broken heart finally took her from him.
His kind-hearted, beautiful daughter. Three grandchildren who were the light of his life. His soulmate Sarah. All gone at the hands of Scotty Boyle. A man who had simply decided he didn't want to be married anymore and didn't want the financial responsibility of a family.
In Clyde Martin's mind, thirteen years wasn't nearly enough punishment for the devastation and destruction his son-in-law had caused. So he took the law into his own hands. Just as he had always said he would. And he ended Scotty Boyle's life three hours after he was released from prison.
At his first meeting with his lawyer, just hours after he had been arrested, Clyde was very clear that he planned to plead guilty and accept his punishment. He believed in law and order. His dream from the time he was a little boy was to be a police officer. And he was living that dream until that one fateful night.
The night his entire world collapsed.
He would have much preferred the justice system take care of Scotty Boyle. Lock him up for the rest of his life. Cast him aside as callously as he did Carissa and the children.
But that didn't happen.
4703 days later he was released.
Not nearly enough punishment in Clyde's eyes.
"The PA's office indicated they were willing to work with us on both the charge and the sentence," Will told Steve and Danny. "But Clyde was having none of it. He doesn't even want me to present mitigating evidence. So I'm afraid you guys aren't gonna get a chance to testify."
"I'm not sure whether to shake his hand for being a real stand up guy or to try to shake some sense into him for refusing to let anyone help," Danny said.
"Obviously, none of us condone murder," Steve said. "But I think we all know why he did what he did. And I can't honestly say I wouldn't have done the same thing."
"I've been a criminal defense lawyer for a lot of years," Will said. "I've had plenty of clients who have plead guilty. For a whole variety of reasons. They're willing to admit what they've done, but at the same time they want me to negotiate the best deal I can for them. Minimize their punishment as much as possible. But not Clyde. He says he's at peace with whatever happens. Even if the judge imposes the maximum sentence."
"Catherine Rollins said she talked to you about the possibility of the governor commuting his sentence once it's handed down," Steve said. "Or possibly even issuing a pardon. Apparently her office has received hundreds of calls of support."
Will smiled. "Your wife is a force of nature. I've never had a client get a sentence commutation or a pardon before. She talked me through the whole process. The biggest problem I can see is that the initial application would have to come from Clyde himself. And so far that's a non-starter."
"Put him in a room with Catherine for a few minutes and he might change his mind," Danny said. "She can be very persuasive. Which is how I ended up agreeing to spend my Saturday helping chaperone an entire class of 7 and 8 year old gymnasts at a trampoline park. I'll be lucky if my nerves survive it."
"I can't complain about how the PA's office has handled this case. They've been willing to listen all along. Possibly even consider some kind of temporary insanity plea," Will said. "But so far Clyde hasn't been willing to even discuss it."
"I talk to people practically every day who bring up this case," Steve said. "And as much as they all agree murder is wrong, and we can't allow ourselves to turn into a vigilante society, 99% of them would love to see Clyde get the lightest sentence possible."
"If only Clyde didn't fit into that other 1% we'd be in business," Will said. "I'm throwing my last Hail Mary pass right now. If that doesn't work, I have no other tricks up my sleeve."
"What kind of Hail Mary?" Danny asked.
"Duke Lukela has been asking to talk to Clyde ever since he was formally charged. But Clyde has refused all visitors outside of me and people from my office," Will explained. "Sgt. Lukela has been very persistent and I finally promised Clyde that if he agreed to the sit down with Duke, I'd stop pressuring him to pursue any kind of mitigation defense."
"Do you really think Duke can change his mind?" Danny asked.
"It's my last chance," Will said. "I'm hoping against hope he can do something I haven't been able to do in three months. Convince Clyde to accept the help being offered. They're talking in the holding cell right now." He checked his watch. "We have 21 minutes to make magic happen."
TBC Monday
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