Page 106 of Dirty Judge

I was Liam Ashton.

They put me in private school and set me a new trajectory, helping me recreate a new day of life for every day I left behind.

To their credit, they never accepted any money from Trevor Jenkins on my behalf, and they did their best to raise me as their only son.

I kept up with Little Ryan’s journey through social media; he’d been paired with an influencer couple who shared everything, so it wasn’t that difficult.

College was a breeze.

Law school was even easier.

After working at my foster father’s firm and then transitioning to Hamilton & Associates, I was appointed to the bench.

I couldn’t deny I was overly harsh on anyone who broke traffic laws—completely unrelenting when it came to drunkdriving—but one September morning, the fates tested my fucking patience.

Grant Jenkins, the son of Trevor Jenkins, was standing before me for a case of drunk driving.

I should’ve recused myself right then and there. Should’ve made the strings of our connection known, but I waited for his million-dollar lawyers to do it for me.

They never did…

What they did do, however, is make a mockery of my fucking courtroom. They paid off police officers to recant statements, hired hackers to redo and undo official blood and hospital records, and offered to pay the five victims’ families off just like Trevor had once offered to pay me.

If I’d been a juror during his trial, I might’ve erred on the side of “reasonable doubt,” might’ve considered that this was a simple “young guy making a mistake” who could still be of use to society.

But I knew that wasn’t true.

This was a monster, raised by another monster, and he didn’t think the rules applied to him.

And I was willing to risk everything—every. fucking. thing.—to take everything from them, like they’d taken everything from me…

REDIRECT (N.):

A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONING A WITNESS BY THE LAWYER WHO FIRST CALLED THEM, HAPPENING RIGHT AFTER THE OPPOSING LAWYER FINISHES CROSS-EXAMINATION.

OLIVIA

Jury Selection to Begin in Grant Jenkins’ Trial

Will Judge Ashton Apologize for Harsh Sentencing if Verdict is Different?

Previous Jurors Did Not Receive Payment; Adamant Votes Were Always “Guilty”

Banned Reddit User Arrested for Stalking Judge Ashton

RECIPROCAL DISCOVERY (N.):

THE EXCHANGE OF DOCUMENTS, LISTS OF WITNESSES, AND OTHER INFORMATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES OF A LAWSUIT OR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION BEFORE TRIAL.

OLIVIA

Iclicked through this morning’s headlines, still feeling a heaviness in my chest at the loss of Liam.

At the idea of him.

Still in denial about him being the worst type of judge—the worst type of man—I’d reread every line in Max’s bank account findings, scoured the original Jenkins’ transcripts, and yet…

The truth remained the same.