Page 64 of The Best Lawyer
“Your Honor,it has come to my attention that Ms. Leary has been giving interviews and inside knowledge of what’s going on during this trial to a true crime podcaster. She is trying to influence the outcome of this trial.”
I shook my head as if I needed to rattle something loose to make sure I heard him correctly.
“He has no idea what he’s talking about,” I said.
“There is a podcast calledTallon of Justice, hosted by a woman named Tallon Shipley,” Addison continued. “In the past week, that podcast has garnered thousands of downloads. In an episode, Ms. Shipley aired an interview with Ms. Leary in which she gave detailed opinions and outlined her personal knowledge of the victim in this case.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “I need to stop you right there. I didn’t give an interview to Tallon Shipley. She ambushed me at Tom Loomis’s graveside service. She recorded a private conversation I was having with someone else, without my knowledge. Myonly direct communication with her was me telling her no comment.”
“A convenient denial,” Quick said. “There is more than that though. Ms. Shipley has leaked information about Katy Loomis’s statement to the police. A statement Ms. Leary motioned this court to suppress. But Ms. Shipley has cherry-picked portions of the statement. Only those that might exonerate the accused. It didn’t come from my office. Nor the sheriff’s. I believe Ms. Leary herself is the leak. If she has been talking to a reporter or a podcaster and feeding Katy Loomis’s statements to her, then those statements should be admissible here and subject to cross-examination.”
“What statements?” I asked.
“I’d also like to know,” the judge said.
“The absurd story that Katy Loomis was too intoxicated to remember or know what she was doing the night of the murder. Ms. Shipley had access to Katy Loomis’s toxicology report.”
“Again, that didn’t come from me. If it’s true, I’m just as caught off guard as you are.”
“All right, all right,” Judge Castor said. “Ms. Leary, is it your position that you had no part in leaking any of your client’s statements to the press?”
“It is absolutely my position. Because it never happened.”
“Mr. Quick, do you have any proof that Ms. Leary did something wrong besides your own assumptions?”
“Well, I … that is … I just don’t see who else could have done it.”
“That’s not good enough,” Castor said. “I haven’t put a formal gag order in place. I’m doing that now. Neither of you are tospeak to the press or try to influence the jury in the media in any way. They’re admonished not to consume media on this case outside of trial anyway. But I am not going to hold anyone in contempt on the basis of assumptions. Got it?”
Quick grimaced, but seemed to acquiesce. I was fuming. He’d just attacked my character in front of the judge. At the same time, I needed to know what in the world Tallon Shipley said on that podcast.
“How much have you got left, Mr. Quick?” Castor asked.
“I have one more witness I’d like to get to today. Depending on how that goes, I may rest by the end of the day.”
“Who’s on deck?” the judge asked.
“Joe Leary,” Quick answered. I bristled. I knew he’d likely call my brother. I just hadn’t anticipated it would be today.
“He’s ready to take the stand?” Castor asked.
“He’s out in the hallway, yes,” Quick answered.
“All right, then, let’s get on with it. I’ll have the jury brought back in. Let’s try to wrap this portion of the trial today. Ms. Leary, be ready to present your defense first thing Monday morning. How long do you anticipate you’ll need?”
“You know I can’t say for sure. But I would think two trial days.”
Castor did some mental math. “All right. So let’s say we might actually have this to the jury by the end of day Wednesday, possibly Thursday morning?”
“Hopefully, yes,” Quick said.
“Then let’s get going.”
We went back to our tables.
“What’s going on?” Katy whispered.
“I don’t have time to get into it,” I said. I very much wanted to ask her if she’d been talking to Tallon Shipley or anyone else. But there wasn’t time. The jury was already filing back in.
