Anonymous Tip: The Beginning of the End

A Review Series of Anonymous Tip, by Michael Farris

Pp. 234-245

There’s a whole bunch of really boring stuff going on in this section, peppered with bits of interest, so we’re going to go quickly. It’s a Monday, now—remember that the section we’ve just finished involved Peter, Gwen, Gordon, and Casey’s Saturday—and we start out with Donna back in Blackburn’s office. Blackburn tells her that he was issued a “subpoena duces deuce.” According to Farris:

It commanded him to appear for a deposition to be taken at his own office, next Tuesday, June 28. Peter Barron had, of course, issued the subpoena. It also commanded him to produce for inspection the computer on which the records concerning the Landis case were kept.

I’m not sure whether “next Tuesday” means the next day or the following week, because I’ve lost track of the timeline vis a vis the date. Either way, Blackburn doesn’t know that Aaron the computer whiz can see if a file has been changed, so he and Donna conclude instead that “they suspect that the records we gave them aren’t accurate.” Blackburn has Donna pull the records up and show him every mention of the Landis case to make sure nothing is amiss.

Blackburn scrolled through the record. He read. He nodded. He grunted. And then he would repeat the process—reading, nodding, and grunting this way through six pages on the computer screen.

Blackburn is appeased and his ever-present Chinese worry balls slow.

“But can he do this?” Corliss asked. “We wouldn’t want someone in our computers in any case, not just a Code B case. An attorney could come into our files and find out the names of confidential informants and other confidential information. Shouldn’t we stop him so that he doesn’t start a bad precedent—even if we’re clear on this one?”

“I knew I liked you for a good reason. You think a lot like me,” Blackburn said, smiling. “I’ve already called Willet and told her precisely the same thing. She is preparing a motion to stop Barron’s effort to look in our computers. I just wanted to test your thoroughness in case she’s unsuccessful with the motion.”

It seems the deposition was set for a week out, and not the next day, because we next learn that Peter calls Gwen on Wednesday. Does she actually work? She’s ostensibly a nurse at the hospital, but she seems to be constantly available to take Peter’s calls. Anyway, Peter tell Gwen that Willet has filed a motion to block subpoena. He says it’s what he expected, and that there’s a hearing before the judge at 11:45 the next morning. Gwen asks if she needs to be there, and Peter says “you don’t have to—but you should if you can.” Gwen says she’ll be there, and once again I’m left wondering about her job.

As he hung up the phone, it occurred to Peter, once again, that he was treating Gwen differently than just any client. He prided himself on keeping his clients well-informed on the progress of their case. But Gwen had to have set a record—he never had called a client this quickly or this often. It was a thought he wouldn’t share with Aaron.

If this is keeping a client “well-informed,” I’d like to see what the alternative looks like! Peter has spent the entire time he’s been Gwen’s lawyer telling her what to do rather than giving her options and letting her decide, and he’s sometimes flat-out told her that the legal stuff is too confusing for her to understand when it’s really not that complicated.

Peter and Gwen met Aaron at Peter’s office the next morning and walked the eight blocks “down Riverside to the federal building.”

The nine-story federal courthouse was much newer than the castle-like Spokane County courthouse. It was a modern design of light red brick. The courtrooms were on the top floor.

Lynn and her two oldest sons met the trio at the courthouse. Farris tells us that Lynn “thought it would make an excellent homeschooling field trip.” Maybe it’s just me, but don’t field trips to a courthouse usually involve someone doing some talking and explaining and tour-giving? The six of them wait for the previous case to be done and then head into Courtroom No. 2 to see Judge Stokes.

There are several visitors Gwen isn’t happy to see. First there are Donna and Blackburn—Gwen asks what they’re doing there and Peter says “You sued them. Remember?”—and then there is Gordon, slipping into the back of the courtroom. I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I’m glad Gordon is keeping himself informed of the proceedings when no one else is. On the other hand, after the last weekend’s happenings it now feels more like he’s jealous of Peter and angry at Gwen than it does like he’s a concerned father.

And there’s this bit after Peter points Gordon out to Gwen:

“What is he—”

Peter put his hand on his arm and gently squeezed. “We’ll talk later.”

Hands off, Peter. Hands off.

Judge Stokes asks Peter why he wants to look at the computer, and Peter explains his reasons for thinking the records may have been changed—he says Gwen was given two different accounts of when the call came in, and that the police officer who was there with Donna and Rita said he hadn’t thought there were any bruises. At one point he explains that this is “discovery” and what that means, presumably for the benefit of the reader, and the judge steps in and says “I think we all know this is discovery, Mr. Barron.” Awkward.

After looking at a transcript of the hearing, with sections highlighted by Peter, the judge is ready to move on to the technical details of what looking at the computer would entail, but Willet interjects that she’d like to speak to the first issue first. Judge Stokes is nonplussed.

“All in good time, counsel. I don’t believe you’ve been in my courtroom before, have you? Everyone gets a chance. I just run things the way that seems to get the point most expeditiously in each case. Sometimes that’s the traditional back-and-forth method. And sometimes, like today, I like to get straight to my questions. Be assured you’ll get a chance to talk. And if you’d like, you might even get to join the exclusive club of lawyers who have made speeches that have convinced me to change rulings that I intended to make in favor of their clients.”

Is everyone in this book mean and snippy?

Anyway, Judge Stokes wants Peter to tell him what he thinks he can find, and how, and they swear Aaron in and have him answer a series of questions about his credentials and about how he would determine if the files had been tampered with. In the process, Aaron mentions that he works on some accounts with the defense department, and can’t give greater detail on those because it’s classified. He also spends a whole very long paragraph explaining what happens when someone chances or erases files, how the codes reveal what was changed, etc. The judge is impressed and says he’ll have to remember this for future cases.

Next it’s Willet’s turn. She asks Aaron a couple of questions that reveal that he would have access to all of CPS’s confidential files and information if the computer were turned over to him for inspection. In the back of the room, Gordon turns white. Willet then explains to Judge Stokes that “state and federal law require that we protect the confidentiality of our informants” and that if it got out that a lawyer could get into their computers and find out who made what report, it could deter reporting and leave children in danger.

Peter stood to speak.

“Mr. Barron, please sit down, unless you want to lose,” the judge said without a smile.

Peter sat and smiled.

What, Peter thinks the judge’s curtness is cute or something?

Anyway, Judge Stokes decides as follows:

“I am going to look at your computer records. I am going to make Mr. Roberts here an expert under the control and supervision of this court. He is going to perform his programs under my supervision.”

Judge Stokes says he’ll swear Aaron to confidentiality, and it’s all decided that on Monday at 4pm he and Aaron will examine the computer. Willet accepts this ruling, saying that “it was just the one issue.” Gwen decides Judge Stokes is amazing and Peter tells him that “whenever you are in his courtroom, there is no doubt as to who is in charge.” Then there’s this exchange, in which Gwen asks Peter why Gordon was there:

“Why in the world was Gordon here? Did you call him and tell him to be here?”

“No way. I had no idea that he even knew this case had been filed, much less that we had a hearing today.”

So ethical, Peter, so ethical. And Gwen—awesome mom, not even letting your ex know that you’ve filed a lawsuit in a case that involves your daughter’s traumatic CPS strip-search. Nice communication skills you’ve got there.

Blackburn grabbed Corliss’s hand when the judge was making his ruling and squeezed hard—a maneuver clearly intended to inflict pain and instill panic. His move had its intended effect—Corliss had never been more scared in her entire life. “You’re coming with me,” he whispered in a menacing voice. Corliss had no choice but to go with him. To this point she had been worried that he might get mad and fire her. For the first time she genuinely became afraid for her own life.

Hang on to your hats, all! This is about to turn into a Bond movie!

To be continued . . .