The Resurrection File Read Free Page B

about the suspenders, though?”
    â€œPerhaps.”
    â€œDo you have pictures in your file there that could refresh your recollection?”
    The prosecutor jumped to his feet.
    â€œYour Honor, I think we know where this is going. Mr. Chambers is trying to go on a fishing expedition here. He is using the preliminary hearing simply to get discovery about the prosecution’s case. He just wants a look at the police photos.”
    â€œOh, so you do have photos,” Will snapped at the prosecutor sarcastically.
    â€œWhere are you going, Mr. Chambers? You’re wasting our time,” the judge barked out.
    â€œYour Honor,” Will replied, “the federal rules of evidence permit me to have a witness refresh his recollection with anything that can revive his memory on a material point.”
    â€œHow is this ‘red suspenders’ thing material? I’m not going to let you endlessly test the credibility of the witness—that’s not what you do at a preliminary hearing.”
    â€œIt is material,” Will continued, “if we can show that a large man—and I think that we can all agree that Mr. Heftland is large—that a large man wearing red suspenders who was a private investigator and a process server—and who matches my client’s description—was not seated on the ground obstructing the clinic doors, but was in fact trying to get into the doors to serve lawsuit papers on one of the doctors when he was arrested.”
    Judge Ramington stared at Chambers. Then he pulled out the charging document from the court file and started reading out loud.
    â€œAlright. The violation here is that the act was done with obstruction… or that he intimidated or interfered with someone trying to get reproductive health services… because that person …who is obstructed is trying to get those services. In other words, a process server…may or may not be part of an obstruction—and I suppose he would not be there because people are trying to get in to get abortions done. He would be there for some other reason. Objection overruled. Officer, answer the question.”
    â€œYes, the police photos would probably refresh my memory.”
    The officer glanced through the pack of photos in his file.
    â€œI can’t tell.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause your client—Mr. Heftland—is not in any of these photos.”
    â€œYour Honor, I would like to see those photos.”
    The judge glanced over at the prosecutor.
    â€œAt this point I guess I don’t have an objection,” the prosecutor deadpanned, “if Mr. Chambers wants to help prove the government’s case by identifying his own client in the photographs and placing him at the scene of the offense.”
    Will took the pack of photos and quickly spread them out over the counsel’s table. He began staring at several of them, but none showed his client.
    â€œOkay, counsel, proceed,” the judge said.
    But one of the photos had caught Will’s eye, and he lifted it up to look at it more closely.
    â€œ Now, Mr. Chambers,” the judge said.
    Will did not flinch, but stared at the photo—transfixed by something he thought he saw.
    â€œI will be terminating your cross-examination, Mr. Chambers,” the judge said, his voice rising.
    Now Will was holding only one photograph in his hand as he turned to face the witness.
    He looked the officer directly in the eye. The officer shifted a little in the witness chair.
    â€œIs it a fact, officer, that my client—rather than sitting down in front of the doors of the clinic and obstructing patients from getting in—was actually standing up, in his bright-red suspenders, and waving the lawsuit papers that he was trying to serve on one of the doctors inside the clinic—in fact, waving those papers over his head?”
    â€œNo, I don’t believe so. I would have remembered.”
    â€œWould it