“Look, it says that the hearing is today at four o’clock in Animal Court in the courthouse.” Theo knew he had little time to prepare. He also knew what Roger was about to ask.
“Will you take the case, Theo? Everyone says you’re the best in Animal Court. They say you’ve never lost a case there.”
Theo’s chest swelled with pride. The truth was that his record in Animal Court was six wins and no losses, though no one was keeping score but him. He certainly couldn’t brag about it because none of his friends would understand. Few of them had ever heard of Animal Court.
It was impossible to say no. His parents believed that a big part of being a lawyer was using your position to help those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. At the age of thirteen, and still without a license, Theo couldn’t exactly charge for his services, so he never worried about the fee part. It would be cruel to leave poor Rufus detained by Animal Control while Roger and his family worried themselves sick over their beloved rabbit.
He gritted his teeth, looked Roger squarely in the eyes, put a hand on his shoulder, and said, “Okay, I’ll do it. See you there at four o’clock.”
Theo entered the courthouse basement room reserved for Animal Court at ten minutes before four p.m., and found a sparse gathering, which was a relief. In the past some of his cases had attracted big crowds and that added pressure. As much as he dreamed of the courtroom, when the trials actually arrived he always preferred smaller crowds. He had a knot in his stomach, as always. He’d once heard an old lawyer say: “If you’re not nervous in a courtroom, then you’re in the wrong place.”
The courtroom was divided in half by a center aisle, with rows of folding chairs on both sides. In the front row, Theo saw Roger and went to greet him. Roger was with his mother, a nervous-looking woman with short blond hair in a weird green T-shirt.
They were relieved to see Theo. Roger said, “This is my mother, Alice Kerr.” She squeezed Theo’s hand as if she were drowning and said, “Theo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Roger says Rufus is in good hands.”
“Thanks. I’ll do my best.”
“They won’t...” She placed her hands rather awkwardly over Roger’s ears and continued, “Put him to sleep, will they?” Roger squirmed and hissed, “Mom! Come on!”
“It’s unlikely,” Theo said in a low voice as he tried to ignore the little drama. “I’ve never seen it happen. The judge has to find that the animal is a persistent and continuing threat to the public and that nothing else can be done.”
As he talked, he noticed a young curly-haired woman walking down the aisle with a stack of folders under her arm. She was dressed professionally and had an important air about her. Theo had seen her a couple of times around the courthouse and figured she was the newest hire in the District Attorney’s office. Jack Hogan usually sent his rookies all the way down to Animal Court to get their feet wet with easy trial work. She set her stack of paperwork down on the flimsy table used by the prosecution and opened a file as if preparing for major litigation.
Theo nodded and Roger and Alice stepped forward with him to the defense table. The rookie walked over, stuck out her hand, offered a big smile, and said, “I’m Brittany Collins, with the DA’s office.”
Theo shook her hand and said, “I’m Theodore Boone, for the defense.”
She was amused by the size and age of her opponent, but kept smiling. She was very cute and Theo liked her immediately. “And you represent who?” she asked.
“Rufus the rabbit. The first case on the docket.”
“Ah, of course. This little guy has caused quite a stir in town.” Brittany turned and nodded toward the spectators. An impressive crowd was suddenly gathering in the seats behind the prosecution’s table. Whatever Rufus had been doing had evidently ticked off a lot of people. And they were still filing in.
Great, thought Theo. The whole courtroom was against him.
It suddenly hit Theo that he was completely unprepared, a cardinal sin for a trial lawyer. He had not had the time during the day to meet with his client and gather evidence. On top of that, Animal Court did not permit discovery and was often a trial by ambush. Often there were no lawyers at all, just parties representing themselves as they argued over barking dogs and stray cows.
Brittany flashed another cute smile and said, “Take it easy on me today, Theo.”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
“I hear you’re a killer in Animal Court.” She winked and flitted away, and Theo couldn’t think of anything to say. He glanced again at the crowd and noticed that most were well-dressed. Animal Court often attracted a lower end crowd, rougher folks who didn’t hire lawyers and had more problems with their animals.
Theo swallowed hard and wondered what he’d gotten himself into. Rufus seemed like a run-of-the-mill Animal Court case. He’d tried a half dozen of them, but now he had a case he hadn’t prepared for and he was dealing with a cute assistant DA who made him nervous. Theo had learned from his parents not to trust the pleasant chatter of lawyers before the real action, whether in trial or in negotiation. Every lawyer has a job to do, and just because one is chatty beforehand doesn’t mean he or she will not pull every trick possible to prevail. Brittany’s charm worried Theo. She would no doubt catch the eye of Judge Yeck.
Theo returned to his seat next to Roger and his mother and whispered, “Any idea why all of these people are here? Tell me now so I won’t get blindsided.”
Alice shook her head. No.
Roger said, “Not really. All we know is that Rufus is always sound asleep when we go to bed, but in the mornings he comes in covered with dirt and briars. I have to bathe him every morning. He goes roaming at night, but we have no idea where.”
“Great,” Theo mumbled.
An Animal Control officer standing by the bench yelled, “Keep your seats. Animal Court is now in session. The Honorable Sergio Yeck presiding.”
Judge Yeck ambled through a side door and took his seat behind the rickety bench. As always, he wore jeans and cowboy boots, no robe whatsoever. He was a local lawyer with a colorful history and the only lawyer in town who had agreed to serve as a part-time judge in Animal Court. He liked to grumble about the job, but his friends knew that he secretly enjoyed it.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Collins,” he said with a wide smile.
“Good afternoon, Judge,” she replied. It was immediately obvious to Theo that these two had met before. He knew from experience that Judge Yeck had an eye for pretty ladies.
“And always good to see you, Theo,” he said.
“Thanks, Judge. Always nice to be here.”
His Honor looked at his docket and said, “So our first matter is the detention of Mr. Rufus the Rabbit. Theo, I assume you are representing the Kerr family, the owners of Rufus.”
Without standing, Theo nodded and said, “Yes, sir.”
“All right, Ms. Collins, you get to go first. Let’s hear it and please keep it brief.”
Brittany stood rather professionally with a yellow legal pad, though standing was not required. She began, “Well, Your Honor, there are numerous complaining parties. It seems as though every night for the past two weeks the entire neighborhood along Oakleaf and Market Streets comes to life with a loud and prolonged chorus of barking dogs. House dogs, yard dogs, stray dogs, all dogs become extremely agitated and bark and howl for hours, as if on cue. The racket goes on and on and no one is getting any sleep. These people, many of whom are here in the courtroom, are exhausted, and they are fed up.”
Theo glanced over his shoulder, a mistake. The courtroom was packed with folks who looked tired and fed up.
“About what time does this show begin each night?” Judge Yeck asked.