A Courtroom Massacre

by Mark Porto

  The large figure turns to an upright position laughing. “Yeah, you’d better not be so polite in prison.”

  Johnny’s lips straighten. “Yeah, I may be a newcomer, but looks can be deceiving.”

  He attempts to crack a smile without much success.

  As the burly man rises cracking his knuckles, “Yeah, man, you’re the fish.”

  “What the hell did you call me?” Johnny crosses his arms.

  The man’s voice mellows in the hollow cell, extending his hand. “I’m Manny.” Manny’s full name was Julian Manfred, a large black man who stood six feet three inches tall, with a receding hairline, a straight stature and a heavy build.

  Johnny moves closer to sit on the lower bunk asking why he was in prison.

  Manny killed the ex-boyfriend of his pregnant sister. She had to break it off with him, because of his abusive nature, but didn’t find out until she was pregnant. They had a fight, because he wanted her to have an abortion and she refused. He had been beating her with a two by four and he took a loaded shotgun and killed him. When Johnny asked how he got in jail, Manny told him he was tried in Tappan County, his lawyer was Fredrick Menden. “He made a half-hearted effort to defend me, after I refuse a couple of plea deals, I was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 4 ½ to 12 years in prison. I’ve been in this damn hellhole for the past six months!” He pauses. “I’ll give you some advice; don’t ask the other inmates why they’re in prison. It was okay with me, but most of them will take offense.”

  Johnny thanks him for his advice. After telling Manny his story, he asked if he was from New York. “I’m from Black Meadows about fifty miles from here.”

  Manny said he was from Gary, Indiana. “I was laid off at a job here and thought I’d try my luck in New York, isn’t interesting how things turned out.”

  Johnny couldn’t disagree.

  At lunchtime, they are marched into a cafeteria accompanied by guards armed with loaded shotguns.

  During the meal, Manny introduces Johnny to two other inmates: Li Chang, he was a martial arts instructor who accompanied his paraplegic mother, who was injured in an auto accident, to the bank to cash a disability check. Suddenly, a robber approached them, they surrendered the money, but the robber wasn’t satisfied and attacked them. Li Chang killed the robber, but was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The prosecutor, Muir justified it by saying Mr. Li used excessive force, because he felt the robber didn’t set out to kill her.

  The other one, Kim Sing, whose family emigrated from South Korea, during the war, was a successful businessman who was convicted of aggravated assault, even though there wasn’t evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. He got into a row with a man who threatened him with a crowbar and Kim struck him. Judge Lexington felt since Kim had “words” with the “victim”, that it was sufficient cause for sending him to prison. Incidentally, both men were defended by Fredrick Menden.

  Li asked Johnny if he knew martial arts and he said he used them in the Naval Reserves. Li told him he’d teach him more moves, since it would be very useful in prison.

  Manny didn’t introduce him to Lorenzo, because he was in the infirmary for getting into a scuffle with some rough inmates. Anastanzio Lorenzo was a gas station attendant, working his way through college when he was convicted of raping a woman, even though she later recanted her story claiming to have said she was raped in order to get back at her boyfriend.

  However, Lorenzo’s conviction was never overturned, because the defense attorney, Fredrick Menden took a job as a part-time assistant district attorney for Tappan County and he couldn’t find another lawyer. The public defender’s office told him to plead on the mercy of the court, but Lorenzo fired him and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

  Johnny remarks that everyone here had been wrongly convicted, it has to be more of a coincidence that all of them had the same defense attorney.

  Manny put his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. He mentioned Senator Croydon that brought a shock wave through Johnny. Manny explains the renovations throughout the prison were courtesy of the senator in order to get reelected. Then, he points to a man on the other end of the cafeteria. “You see him?” Manny’s voice was stern.

  Johnny turned around seeing the man; Manny was referring to, “What about him?”

  “His name is ‘Wild Wily’ Dickenson, that dude is bad news.” Manny sternly warned Johnny to keep away from him, because he was bad news. “That guy eats up the fish and spits them out, if you know what I mean.”

  Johnny nods continuing to eat the prison slop. “How do you know so much about what goes on around here?”

  “I read a lot and observe. I also spend most of my time in the prison library where I work as an assistant librarian. I also know Senator Croydon wants to get Judge Lexington elevated to the state supreme court to replace Judge Roy.”

  Johnny’s blood ran cold. “He’s the judge who sent me up the river, are you saying he did this, because I killed his nephew?”

  “I know about your trial. In the report, I read in a magazine, Governor Marin persuaded Senator Croydon not to run for governor this year in a deal in allowing Judge Lexington to be appointed to the state judgeship until the next election. As far as sending you, I think killing his nephew, even though he threatened your family was a ruse, I think there’s more to it, that’s my opinion.”

  As the men continue eating, Manny points to three other men seated at a table across the room, Johnny saw them. Manny warns him they were the meanest dudes in prison.

  Johnny wanted to know if they were on their cellblock. “Those look like they mean business, if you know what I mean.”

  “They’re not and I want to keep it that way.”

  Afterward, they headed back to their cells.

  Several days later, the prisoners are led by a group of guards from their enclosure to the visiting halls. The inmates sat at a table, in which they and their visitor(s) were separated by glass. Johnny’s parents visited him on a regular basis. Today’s visitor was his attorney, Frederick Menden. His valise is placed beside him in case he needed it.

  Mr. Menden asks Johnny how he was doing, when Johnny told him about the lack of sleep and the wretched food, the attorney said he needed time to adjust.

  Johnny sits back with his arms crossed. “You don’t understand, I shouldn’t be here and unless you’ve got good news, I’ll spend my time climbing the damn walls!”

  Menden is clearly nervous when he continually drops his pen on the floor. “I realize you’re angry, believe me, have a right to be. Nevertheless, I have been busting my hump trying to get you out on bail pending an appeal!” He wipes his face with a handkerchief he takes out of his breast pocket.

  Johnny sits motionless. “It’s obvious you haven’t been successful.”

  Menden moans. “That’s not fair, look you don’t realize how many stumbling blocks I’ve encountered.” He explains State Supreme Court justice Roy reaffirms his conviction. Johnny retorts that the judicial panel is probably friendly with Senator Croydon. “When are you going to stop thinking there’s a conspiracy against you.” He lowers his voice. “Don’t you realize maybe the district attorney changed his mind in light of new evidence?”

  Johnny moves forward gripping the receiver; he explains Judge Lexington is going to be promoted to the state supreme court. “Does this strike you as odd that suddenly the current judge, Ronald Roy just suddenly decided to retire?”

  Menden shrugs his shoulders telling him that judges retired all the time; he didn’t see what difference it made concerning his case.

  Johnny may have an explanation; his parents gave him a subscription to the Tappan County Solicitor. “I found out that the son of the jury forewoman was caught with an underage girl, mysteriously got a suspended sentence even though he was caught with them numerous times. The prosecutor in Londonderry County said he had an airtight case, now, what do you suppose happened?”

  Menden sweats profusely. “Look, this may be grounds
for an appeal, but I can’t make any promises.” He reiterates that he shouldn’t look too much into these things. “The best thing is to stay out of trouble.” Johnny’s face at this point is wretched with detention.

  When Johnny is being escorted back to his cell, a guard crudely remarks. “You think your lawyer is going to get you out?” He laughs. “It’ll be a cold day in hell.”

  Johnny sits in his cell with Manny, who asking him if he remembered when they were in the cafeteria; he was talking about those guys who were sitting at the other table.

  Johnny said he remembered and remarked that he obvious knew more about them.

  Manny explains, “Wild Willy” Dickenson and Tommy “The Lookout” Richards, Carl “The Screw Loose” Lucero and Troy “The Captor” Grayson. “They’re known as the ‘Juice in the Joint’; they can get away with anything in this place.”

  Wilson “Wild Willy” Dickenson was a black man who began his criminal career stealing cars. However, he eventually made his imprint on the criminal profession by robbing banks with Tommy Richards. “Wild Willy” got his jollies by holding pregnant women hostage during some of the robberies, if they were there.

  One day, “Wild Willy” and Richards got caught, despite him being the lookout. George Palazzo was a police officer in Knickerbocker, witnessed one of their capers and pursued them while he was wounded by them, but managed to call for back up. When he arrived, the pair drew their guns as they ran making a blast of gunfire that showered the street with bullets.

  Upon apprehension, they were charged with armed robbery and several counts of attempted murder. They didn’t enter federal prison, due to a clerical error. They were defended by Odell Muir when he was a defense attorney; Judge Lexington presided over the trial, which sentenced them to five years in prison, instead of the recommended ten years by the prosecutor.

  Carl, “The Screw Loose” Lucero and his lackey, Troy Grayson, were career rapists who preyed on elderly and young women in their early 20’s. Their incarceration was a result of a hostage standoff at a sorority house near Knickerbocker. One of the hostages managed to escape and told the police. When they arrived, the rapist held knives to the throats of their victims as warned the police not to intervene.

  However, when Lucero appeared in the window to make demands, a sharpshooter from a SWAT team shot him in the shoulder. The officers rushed in hereby capturing the pair.

  Judge Lexington was again the judge in the case. He sentenced the pair to three years in prison, however, the Court of Appeals considered the sentences too lenient, in a brief filed by Attorney General Jacobson. He managed to obtain a writ of certiorari which sent the cases back to the county court, but under a difference judge. The pair had to be resentenced, but it was much more than originally, to six to eight years in prison over the objections of their defense attorney, Odell Muir.

  As Manny was talking, a large paunchy guard appears in silhouette enmeshed with the bars. Johnny sees his betty-eyes that were incinerated with hate, staring at them. The guard roars. “Get up, this isn’t a welfare hotel!”

  “Excuse me, we’re not doing anything, what exactly do you want us to do?”

  The guard’s face turns a crimson red. “Shut up!” He opened the door ordering them to get out of the cell.

  Johnny is puzzled while at the same time; shivers trickle down his spine watching the guards opening the doors. Swarms of prisoners are escorted by heavily armed guards into various parts of the prison.

  The prisoners are congregated in the hall, standing in line as the assistant warden issues job assignments. Johnny, Manny, Kim, Chang and Anastanzio are selected for the works.

  The works were located in gray colored rooms with machines that were supposed to be run simultaneously where mounds of clothes were piled near the machines. After being given their instructions by a designee, the assistant warden yells to all. “Get to work!” During their time there, guards are posted sporadically around the facility.

  All five of them took large loads of laundry to put them in the machines, during that time, one of the machines broke down, Kim and Chang went to find the designee, while Manny and Anastanzio had to leave in order to pass water.

  While they were away, Johnny is placing clothes from the machines into a separate pile, when a group of inmates lead by Lucero walked in, strutting up to Johnny with an arrogant gait, lascivious leer and a goofy, but roguish smile while shouting. “Hey, you I’m talking to you, you the fish!”

  Johnny looks at him with a scathing repugnance. “Yeah, I’m the new guy, so what?” He continued to load another set of clothes while turning on the machine.

  Lucero’s leer became a shadow of murkiness, remarking. “We really like you –“He put his hand on Johnny’s left shoulder. He, in turn, removes the filthy hand, but maintains eye contact. “Playing hard to get, huh?” Lucero was twirling a shiv as Johnny walked up to him to stand toe to toe.

  “Get the hell out of my face!” Johnny utters shouting an obscenity. “Your breath stinks!” He spit in his face as the other inmates were laughing at Lucero causing him to grit his teeth while his face turns color pointing the shiv at his face.

  Lucero grabs his arm. “You better go along or face the consequences!”

  Suddenly, Johnny looks into his eyes, laughing at him. “There isn’t a woman in her right mind who would give you the time of day, maybe that’s the reason you’re trying guys.”

  Lucero’s incendiary eyes flare with his lips gyrating as sweat pours down his face like a gusher. He takes the shiv to stab Johnny in a straightforward motion, but Johnny takes his foot to give him a swift kick in the genitals. Lucero holds his hands on his groin unable to yell in the excruciating pain.

  Troy charges Johnny with a homemade knife; he takes Troy’s arm twisting it, compelling him to drop the weapon. But he takes a swing at Johnny who uses a karate chop to block it. He kicks Troy in the groin making him scream aloud. Johnny uses a judo maneuver to flip him over a table.

  The other men charged at him, but Johnny uses various karate moves to stop them. During the fracas, Kim and Chang enter the fray. In the end, about sixteen guys were knocked to the ground. Chang asks Johnny if he knew Jerry Bellow. “Yes, he’s my cousin.”

  Chang said a gang was trying to harm him in hard time.

  In the garage, a gang led by “Wild Willy” and Richards flock around a young inmate. When Jerry Bellow won’t do what they want, “Wild Willy” and Richards periodically shove him into the side of the bus, despite Jerry’s attempts to reason with them.

  However, he gets disorientated, due to repeated blows to his face. Jerry continues to resist until Johnny, who led a charge with his group by kicking in one of the doors.

  “Wild Willy’s” leer gleams. “Well, Jerry, boy, look who’s coming—the cavalry, How did you know about us?”

  Johnny picks up a wrench demanding he let go of his cousin.

  “Ohhh, prison has made you tough.” He then said. “Oh, yeah, fish, who and what army is going to make us?” He yells to Manny. “Hey, you, what are doing with those guys instead of your own people?!” When Manny said he was with his own people, “Wild Willy” refers to him as a racial slur.

  Manny’s eyes blaze like wildfire storming toward him. “Who do you think you’re talking to chump?!” He was going to take a swing at him, but Chang stops him.

  Chang said. “Don’t waste your time, we’ll fix him.”

  Kim chimes in. “Don’t worry, this jerk is going to get his butt kicked, it’s not a question of if, but when.”

  “Wild Willy’s” eyebrows descend. “Oh, yeah, who’s going to do it?” He made a racial slur at Kim, along with slapping his hand across his forehead.

  Johnny, Chang and Kim mostly karate and judo kick the group of marauders until Manny, who had knocked “Wild Willy” into next week, began whistling, Strangers in the Night. Johnny wanted to know why he was whistling the song after decking another inmate. Manny said heard a couple of guards walking around.
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  After the fracas, Johnny took his cousin aside wondering how he got into prison.

  Jerry cries silently, “Please, Johnny, I didn’t know the used car and radio were stolen.”

  He spoke one notch above a whisper telling his cousin he was only seventeen. “What did he need with a car? Are you trying to impress a girl?”

  “No.” Jerry explains it was last year when he purchases a used car, with his parents’ consent, from Tommy Grant, because he didn’t want it anymore. When he took the car to a mechanic, he told him the car needed lots of repairs. “I sold it to Jeff Knapp, he fixed it and I got arrested for driving a stolen car. In order to save his own hide, he claimed I sold him a hot car.”

  “Let me guess, the police didn’t buy your story, you were defended by Mr. Menden, but you got convicted. You were sentenced to ten years in state prison by Judge Lexington.”

  Jerry’s jaw drops. “Yeah, but it’s only five years, how did you know?”

  “Let’s just say there’s a lot I know, now why was Tommy not arrested. I would think with the bill of sale along with the title from the DMV, they would know where you’d got the car.”

  Jerry said Tommy was never arrested primarily, since they ran an illegal chop shop, and would buy off some crooked cops. “I feel like I was singled out.”

  “You were, from now on, stay with me and my ‘gang’. I’m going to get you out of this hellhole. I don’t care whose toes I step.”

  As they took Jerry back to his cell, after refusing treatment, a guard remarked what they were doing there.

  Johnny explains he was introducing Jerry to his friends, but the guard orders them back to work. He wanted to punch him, despite the guard’s baton, but Chang held him back.

  As Johnny and the other inmates were going back to the works, there was one guard who ordered them to put their hands on the walls. He began by striking them across the legs. Johnny removed his hands from the wall, clenches his fist to fight it out with two guards, shouting. “What the hell is your problem?”