defender said a few words in hushed tones.
“Are you ready to proceed, counselor?” the judge asked.
The middle-aged suit continued whispering to the guy, who didn’t seem to care or understand a word of what was being told to him. Finally, the middle-aged suit said, “Sorry, Your Honor. Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.”
“Good. Let’s move this along.”
I heard the door open to my left, and I looked over. Ski Cap Guy walked in and sat down next to me. The door opened again, and Broad Shoulder Guy walked in. He stepped over Ski Cap Guy and planted himself in the tiny opening between us. I slid to my right. So did he.
“Sean O’Donnell,” the court clerk called.
“Yes,” I said and I stood. “That’s me.”
I looked to my left, but Broad Shoulder Guy wasn’t moving. I lifted my leg up and shimmied over the wooden bench, then I walked quickly to the middle-aged suit.
“Mr. O’Donnell,” he said in a whisper while staring down at some paperwork. “You are charged with grand larceny.” He flipped through the papers. “The state is going to request bail. Can you post bail?”
“I don’t really know. How much?”
“I’d guess ten thousand.”
In back of me, I heard Ski Cap Guy and Broad Shoulder Guy laughing.
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Counselor,” the judge said in a long, drawn-out tone. “Can we get going here, please? I’d like to finish before next Tuesday.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Sitting at the table across from mine was a younger guy in a younger suit. His blond hair was parted to the side and he wore stylish prescription glasses. You could just tell he was fresh out of law school. “Your Honor,” he said with an energy level that doubled anyone else in the room, “The people request bail in this case to be set at...” He stopped mid-sentence as the doors opened and Owens and Gambini walked quickly down the aisle. “I’m sorry, Your Honor. Just a moment please.”
“Make it snappy,” she said.
The young suit conferred with Owens and Gambini, then he said loudly, “Your Honor, the people request bail to be set at twenty-five thousand.”
“Oh, come on!” the middle-aged suit snapped. “This is just a kid, here. With no criminal record.”
“Your Honor, we have evidence that demonstrates this man has ties to organized crime. He is clearly a flight risk.”
The judge looked down, then at me, then back down. “Granted. Bail is set at twenty-five thousand.”
The judge smacked a gavel against the bench and immediately turned a page in the notebook in front of her. The suits at each table, young and middle-aged, turned their pages, too. Gambini pumped his fist and Owens shook his head, then they both turned and walked out of the courtroom.
A guard walked over to me and touched my shoulder. “Let’s go, buddy.” He reached around my back and snapped on handcuffs.
He pushed me ahead towards the door. I kept my eyes looking straight ahead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ski Cap Guy slap Broad Shoulder Guy’s thigh while smiling and pointing at me with his other hand. Broad Shoulder Guy puckered his lips at me as I walked past.
“You got a bail bondsman?” the guard asked.
“No.”
“You wanna call one?”
“Okay.”
The guard took me into a small room where I called my mother. She promised to try and raise my bail money. We both knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
The guard said, “If you can’t post bail, then we have to send you to Rikers.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Well, you’ll have to work on it at Rikers.”
The guard led me down a new dark corridor, which let out into an alley behind the courthouse. There was a van with its back doors open and two uniformed cops standing beside it.
“Go on,” the guard said, gesturing towards the van.
I walked towards the back of the van, and one of the other guards grabbed my
“Are you ready to proceed, counselor?” the judge asked.
The middle-aged suit continued whispering to the guy, who didn’t seem to care or understand a word of what was being told to him. Finally, the middle-aged suit said, “Sorry, Your Honor. Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.”
“Good. Let’s move this along.”
I heard the door open to my left, and I looked over. Ski Cap Guy walked in and sat down next to me. The door opened again, and Broad Shoulder Guy walked in. He stepped over Ski Cap Guy and planted himself in the tiny opening between us. I slid to my right. So did he.
“Sean O’Donnell,” the court clerk called.
“Yes,” I said and I stood. “That’s me.”
I looked to my left, but Broad Shoulder Guy wasn’t moving. I lifted my leg up and shimmied over the wooden bench, then I walked quickly to the middle-aged suit.
“Mr. O’Donnell,” he said in a whisper while staring down at some paperwork. “You are charged with grand larceny.” He flipped through the papers. “The state is going to request bail. Can you post bail?”
“I don’t really know. How much?”
“I’d guess ten thousand.”
In back of me, I heard Ski Cap Guy and Broad Shoulder Guy laughing.
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Counselor,” the judge said in a long, drawn-out tone. “Can we get going here, please? I’d like to finish before next Tuesday.”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
Sitting at the table across from mine was a younger guy in a younger suit. His blond hair was parted to the side and he wore stylish prescription glasses. You could just tell he was fresh out of law school. “Your Honor,” he said with an energy level that doubled anyone else in the room, “The people request bail in this case to be set at...” He stopped mid-sentence as the doors opened and Owens and Gambini walked quickly down the aisle. “I’m sorry, Your Honor. Just a moment please.”
“Make it snappy,” she said.
The young suit conferred with Owens and Gambini, then he said loudly, “Your Honor, the people request bail to be set at twenty-five thousand.”
“Oh, come on!” the middle-aged suit snapped. “This is just a kid, here. With no criminal record.”
“Your Honor, we have evidence that demonstrates this man has ties to organized crime. He is clearly a flight risk.”
The judge looked down, then at me, then back down. “Granted. Bail is set at twenty-five thousand.”
The judge smacked a gavel against the bench and immediately turned a page in the notebook in front of her. The suits at each table, young and middle-aged, turned their pages, too. Gambini pumped his fist and Owens shook his head, then they both turned and walked out of the courtroom.
A guard walked over to me and touched my shoulder. “Let’s go, buddy.” He reached around my back and snapped on handcuffs.
He pushed me ahead towards the door. I kept my eyes looking straight ahead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ski Cap Guy slap Broad Shoulder Guy’s thigh while smiling and pointing at me with his other hand. Broad Shoulder Guy puckered his lips at me as I walked past.
“You got a bail bondsman?” the guard asked.
“No.”
“You wanna call one?”
“Okay.”
The guard took me into a small room where I called my mother. She promised to try and raise my bail money. We both knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
The guard said, “If you can’t post bail, then we have to send you to Rikers.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Well, you’ll have to work on it at Rikers.”
The guard led me down a new dark corridor, which let out into an alley behind the courthouse. There was a van with its back doors open and two uniformed cops standing beside it.
“Go on,” the guard said, gesturing towards the van.
I walked towards the back of the van, and one of the other guards grabbed my
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