Criminal Defense

by Alice J. Harris-Wood

"‘Lola, I am going back to AA, and this time I plan to live up to my commitment to stay sober. I feel good when I am sober. I cannot blame my alcohol condition on anyone but myself. It might have started with Mom but it has to end with me. From this day on, I want to be called by my birth name Kevin. Kevin sounds like a name for a nice young man who wants something in life,’ said Demo.

  "Like my parents, I liked the power and the ability to control others. It was totally a gene thing. That summer was the beginning of a new life for me. Kevin was still my partner but in name only. I was always out and he stuck around the house, working in the garden and helping anywhere there was a need.

  "My focus was mainly on the business and getting organized the way I had dreamed. I was proud of being a young entrepreneur. Kevin was at the point where he wanted to stay away from any place that involved alcohol. I had also stopped drinking but still loved the business.

  "I added a few improvements. We now had a menu that included chicken wings, hot dogs, chilly, chips, non-alcoholic drinks, and moonshine. I hired a few waitresses who wore uniforms that looked like swimsuits. They included a cook, a bouncer,

  a bartender, a girl to run the Gentlemen’s Basement, and poker dealers who worked Friday evenings until 3:00 a.m., Saturdays from 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., and Sundays 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. We were closed from Monday to Thursday. I wanted the students to study on those days and go to classes.

  “That summer business got so busy that we had to issue membership cards. The cards cost $5.00. It was good until we finished college. I also had a couple of parking lot attendants. The cars were directed into the woods. I now employed about twenty young people,” said Lola.

  "Things were going great until I caught Leroy selling dope in the parking lot of the club.

  "‘Leroy, you agreed not to sell here at the club. This is my business. That dope is your business. Sell it on the streets or anywhere but not here!’ I yelled.

  "Leroy took one look at me and said, ‘I will sell at any fucking place I want to sell, madam.’

  "I had my bouncer with me and he had a gun. ‘Look here, dirtbag. You heard Lola. Stop selling and leave and do not return,’ said my bouncer.

  "‘Our business relationship is over. Don’t come around anymore,’ I said.

  “It was a few days before we started college. My uncle and aunt wanted to take Kevin and me out for dinner to celebrate our departure for college. My uncle was very proud of us because Kevin was in AA and I did not appear to be getting into any trouble all summer. My uncle thought that both of us had been reborn and were now honest adults,” said Lola.

  "‘I have something to tell you, Lola. I want you to understand that I love you but I will be going to a different college. This way, we will learn to be independent. I have been accepted into UCLA and will be leaving tomorrow. I need my space. I need to find out if I have what it takes to be my own person. I hope you understand,’ said Kevin.

  "It was hard at first not having Kevin around but after a few weeks at the local university, I was back to my old self. That is, studying and managing the Off Campus Club.

  “I decided to major in business because it would fit right in with my club. In school, I met Ricky and we started hanging out together. He was also a business major. At first, I did not want to let him know that I was the owner of Off Campus Club because I felt it would ruin our relationship. Ricky already knew, for he was a steady customer of Kevin in high school, even though he went to a different school. Ricky said he never met my brother but would buy his moonshine, cigarettes, and dope from Leroy,” said Lola.

  “Ricky was very handsome and fun to be around. We were spending a great deal of time together. Therefore, I decided to move out of my uncle’s home and move into the club. My uncle did not know this rented house was a college nightclub. My uncle and aunt were busy traveling and enjoying themselves now that we were grown. They believed it was their time,” said Lola.

  "I did not see or hear from Kevin until Thanksgiving. He told the family he needed time to develop a new life. My uncle invited many family members, mostly on my grandmother’s side. As I told you before, my great-grandmother was black and, while performing in France, fell in love with a Frenchman and married him.

  "The ballroom was full and my cousins were happy to be invited for dinner. We have never tried to keep it a secret that our family was of mixed heritage. Most people in the area knew it. It was never an issue with my uncle and aunt or our friends or in their professional life.

  “Ricky entered the ballroom with me and it was decorated beyond belief. A perfect Christmas tree, red and white poinsettias inside and out, and all five tables set like something from better homes and gardens. Ricky was totally impressed. As he looked around, he noticed that the blacks outnumbered the white guests. At that point, he did not say anything. Kevin had not arrived yet. As we were escorted to our table, I could see from the look on his face that something was wrong. But I could not figure it out. Our family had many black and white friends. The color of their skin was not important; it was what was in their heart,” said Lola.

  “At our table was my uncle and aunt, Mr. Stevenson and his girlfriend, Uncle Nick’s first cousin and her husband, and Ricky and me, and a seat reserved for Kevin. Kevin was coming in from California and was expected to be a little late. When Kevin walked into the ballroom, everyone stood up and clapped. He was still very handsome. His skin was a little tan from the California sun. He was slim, tall, and had a great smile. I grabbed him and took him to our table,” said Lola.

  “Ricky, this is my twin brother, Kevin,” I said with a big, proud smile on my face.

  "Ricky stood up and said, ‘This is a black family and all these black people are your relatives. I have been dating a black girl. I will be a laughing stock among all my friends.’

  “He left and just walked out of my life that day and even transferred to another university outstate the next semester. I never saw or heard from him again,” said Lola.

  "With or without Ricky, we had a great dinner and evening. After dinner, Kevin got on the baby grand piano and sang and played some popular songs. Many of the cousins were very talented and wanted to play their instruments or sing or dance. My aunt decided that we would have talent night. She made up a list of the guests that wanted to perform and she introduced them. There were solos, family groups, musicians, and dancers. It was a lot of fun.

  “Even though most of guests were drinking wine or beer, Kevin only had ice tea. I followed his lead and drank ice tea all night,” said Lola.

  “What a Thanksgiving! How did you feel about Ricky after he exposed his racism?” asked Ted.

  “I was very hurt. He was my very first boyfriend. I had dreamed it would be like my grandmother and grandfather, the way they felt the first time they set eyes on each other,” said Lola.

  “Kevin was going to leave on Sunday night to go back to school. Therefore, my uncle wanted to have a private talk with the two of us. Kevin and I did not know what the talk was going to be about, but we knew it would be serious,” said Lola.

  “’Your grandparents were loving people who believed in taking care of their children and families. Before you were born, they set up a trust fund for their grandchildren. It was to be divided equally among all the grandchildren and dispersed at age twenty-two. Eva and I have not been blessed with any children and you two are the only grandchildren from Redd and Nina. When you graduate from college, an account will set up in each of your names. It is a large sum. Please use it wisely and for a good cause,” said Nick.

  "With Ricky gone from my life, I was depressed for about a week, until I met up with my older cousin Belle who was about sixty-five. ‘Let’s go to lunch and catch up on old times,’ I said.

  "‘Without Ricky, I feel lost. I just want to turn over and die,’ I told my cousin.

  "‘Girl, you better straighten up and fly straight. That situation is a dead cat on a line. If my grandmother was alive, she would say, ’Let the hair go wit
h the hide. You can’t put your life in the hands of a man. You need to put your hands in the hands of the man who parted the sea. He will take care of you. Come to church on Sunday and let Him help,’ said my Cousin Belle.

  “As I lay in bed, I remembered my parents and how in love they were in the early years. What happened to them that made them two lost souls? Maybe if God had been invited into their lives, things would have turned out very differently. I hope wherever they are, they are happy and healthy. May God bless them and keep them safe until they return to us! This was my prayer that night,” said Lola.

  "My cousin was right. I needed to stop feeling depressed and get back into the swing of things again. I decided not to fall in love with anyone unless I interviewed them first. I would tell them that I was black. If they got through that comment, then we could go on with getting more involved.

  "Back in school, I got deeply involved with the schoolwork and the Off Campus Café. I decided it needed a new look and a new owner. I was then twenty-one, and next year my trust fund was to come. I decided to buy the Café house. It looked rundown on the outside but was nice on the inside. I had done a lot of work that the owner did not know about. The owner lived out of state and never bothered to check on his investment. I never asked him to fix anything. My offer was to buy the house as it was. I had money saved from all the years from being in business. I put the money in a hidden safe in a false wall in my bedroom. Kevin had given me his share before he went off to college.

  “For a few weeks, I sat down and jotted down some ideas. I wanted to expand and included more services. The bank was my little pet project. I made a contract for my clients. If they fell behind in their loan payments and were unable to catch up, they would have to work it off at the Off Campus Café until the debt was paid. If they did not pay or work off the debt, my debt collector would visit the client. I used an old friend of my grandparents’ name, Bruce from New Orleans, who was good at scaring and collecting. Bruce was expensive and wanted to be paid monthly even if he did not have to collect. Bruce had his own organization. I informed Bruce that I could not have students borrowing from the bank and not planning on paying the bank back. He had my approval to do whatever it took to get justice but not to kill anyone or mane them for life. He agreed,” said Lola.

  "I purchased the house and my uncle and aunt were very proud of me. I told them that I was starting an Off Campus Café for college students and needed trust fund monies to make the necessary improvements. I said to them that I would be acquiring all the necessary license and permits in order to operate a restaurant, a dance hall, and over twenty-one bars that served beer and wine only. I got the permits for the improvements and necessary license for the restaurant and dance hall. I had no plans on giving up the Gentlemen’s Basement, gambling, the bank, or serving moonshine. It was too profitable.

  “My improvements included an addition to the building which would be my living space, new siding, a swimming pool with cabanas, and a complete renovation of the gambling room, restaurant, kitchen, dance hall, and Gentlemen’s Basement,” said Lola.

  “My uncle loaned me the money until my trust fund kicked in. Everything was going great. The students were having fun and it was the place to go to on the weekends. I graduated from college as a business major and Kevin graduated too. My graduation was first, so my uncle and aunt came to my graduation. We flew out to UCLA for Kevin’s graduation. He was the valedictorian of his class with a major in theology. It was announced that Kevin would be entering into advance training to become a catholic priest. Boy, I was shocked and my uncle was completely overcome with joy. I looked at him and I could see tears flowing from his eyes. Eva was crying like a newborn baby. I could not help from crying. Kevin was born a criminal and alcoholic. I believed it was AA and my uncle and aunt’s love that helped turn his life around. He was a good example for the whole family as to how a person can change his life if given a little help and lots of love,” said Lola.

  “If I get out of this mess, I will promise God I will change my life. How do you think my chances are after hearing the family story?” asked Lola.

  “Well, young lady, your legal team is the best and I think your chances are very good. We are going to put in a plea of not-guilty by mental disease and mental defect. Your trial will start in thirty days. Remember, I am now the assistant to the lead attorney. The lead attorney is an old friend of your father. He was informed about the situation and has agreed to represent you. He has said that you should have a chance for a new beginning. He believes that your family history has set you up for a life in crime. He will be flying in within a few days. He has a lot of work to do and will need you and your uncle’s help,” said Ted.

  “Let’s take a break and go out for dinner?” asked Ted.

  “Okay, if you don’t mind eating with a colored girl. Give me a few minutes to take a shower and change my clothes,” said Lola.

  ‘Ted might be the man of my dreams. It took me all these years and all the things that I have done to find him. I wonder if he feels the same way about me. If I get out of this mess, I will devote my life to living clean. I would like to find my parents and pray that they are okay,’ thought Lola as she took a hot shower.

  “I am in love with Lola,” said Ted to himself. ‘She deserves a second chance for happiness. I have loved her from the first time I set eyes on her in that jail cell. She was gorgeous then and she is more gorgeous now. I feel like Redd when he first set eyes on Nina. I understand Redd’s feelings that evening. I would like to state the same words to Lola that Redd said to Nina. That is: I want to marry you someday,’ thought Ted.

  As Ted was looking around the room, he saw a picture of Nina and Redd on their wedding day. He was surprised to see that Lola looked just like Nina. Both were beautiful and at that moment, Ted knew that fate had brought the two of them together. After the trial, he decided that he would ask Lola to marry him.

  “I am ready,” said Lola.

  “Let’s drive to New Orleans and have some real fun. On the way, you can tell me how you ended up in a holding cell in jail,” said Ted.

  “Remember Leroy? The gang leader that I caught selling dope at the club and I had my bouncer put him out? He turned me in for a lesser charge of manslaughter. Leroy killed a man and before he went to court, he wanted to plea down to a lesser charge. Leroy said he killed the man in self-defense. The prosecutor said ‘no.’ Leroy told him that he could give him some information about an organization called Redd’s Club that was doing illegal business in all areas, selling and dealing with kids and underage college students. Therefore, the prosecutor went for the deal. It was a Saturday night and the club was jammed. All the gambling tables were full. The liquor was flowing and the music was going strong. The Gentlemen’s Basement had a waiting list. In walked ten police officers and shut us down and asked for me by name. I did not want any extra trouble, so I came forward. I had just come out of the shower and had to put on some clothes. My hair was a mess but at that point, I did not care. I just did not want anyone to get hurt,” said Lola.

  “They had an arrest warrant and they read me my rights. Sitting on the floor of the cell, I began to wonder how I developed this lifestyle of being a criminal. Then it came to me that I was born into a family of criminals and it was in my genes. Then you walked in and I took one look at you and I knew I was going to have a second chance at a new life like Kevin,” said Lola.

  That night in New Orleans, Lola and Ted had dinner and went dancing at a jazz club. It got late and they decided to spend the night. As they were booking a room at the hotel, Ted said, “One room with a king-size bed and we are Ted Burch and Lola Burch.”

  That night, they made love and Lola was finally happy even if it was going to be for a short time. She now had the love of a man who loved her and not for the color of her skin.

  The next day after breakfast, they drove back home, and Lola and Ted were ready to finalize Lola’s criminal defense. Within a short period of time while arri
ving home, Nick pulled up and a second car followed him.

  “This is Mr. Robert Wright. He will be the lead attorney on your case. He understands the situation. He was the state district attorney for Louisiana for many years. He has the experience and the knowledge and has influence to win your case,” said Nick.

  "Your criminal defense is: not-guilty because of mental disease and mental defect. This was caused by growing up in a family that used criminal activity as a way to make a living. That environment caused you to become a criminal. As a young child, you were an alcoholic and once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. You attended AA for juveniles. You had multiples relapses and had to return to AA. We have the documentation from AA.

  “You and your brother made and sold moonshine in high school and college. As a young child, you developed an organizational system that helped to run the organization from day to day. Leroy, who is a witness for the prosecutor, will help us. He will be asked to describe how well-organized the Redd gang was functioning. Without knowing it, he will help win our case. The jurors will fall in love with this beautiful young girl who was abused and raised in such a deep-rooted criminal family,” said Mr. Wright.

  “Next, I will need to make a list of the entire living family members who were involved in criminal activities. They will be on the witness list,” said Mr. Wright.

  “I have a few smoking guns. Most defense lawyers normally only have one but we have several. We need to locate your mother and father. I have their social security numbers. I will have them run to see if they have worked or filed taxes. We should be able to locate them that way. If not, we will go to your mother’s aunt in Alabama and interview her to see if she can help us. We will find them. They owe it to you to return in response to your criminal defense,” said Mr. Wright.

  “I have the Harrison family’s information – Redd’s notes, Nina’s diary, financial records, list of all murders, list all names of law enforcement officers that were on the payroll. We also have Zola’s family’s financial records and history which was compiled by the FBI,” said Nick.