Chapter 35 - Art VI
My lawyer did indeed put on her show she promised. She politely but firmly objected to taking my cell phone and laptop as evidence. She admitted to me privately that one of her supposed reasons, was wholly made up and crafted to sound as legitimate as possible.
The evidence hearing on the cell phone and the laptop, did indeed go how she had predicted. It formed her legal questions. The items together, the cell phone and the laptop. Why was the cell phone considered automatic, and above an evidence hearing. Why did they have a lower bar for the cell phone, and a higher bar for the laptop.
As it came out, it was deemed appropriate to seize the laptop, simply because it was one of the physical things in the general area, easily observed, at a crime scene. Had it not been left behind, though. It was doubtful to see a court order to produce it. Likewise, the papers in a man's briefcase were considered much the same.
The other side argued, that the phone was a lower bar and the laptop went along with it somehow.
Her opinion was that the items were thoroughly similar. Both deserved the same height of bar to be seized. When they tried splitting the evidence into two hearings, she called another hearing to fight splitting. In the end of her little legal dance, however... the court simply issued two court orders. One for the cell phone, and like there was much doubt about that one. And the laptop.
And with most physical objects, that would suffice. You want time to examine object X, and to have experts at their leisure look as well. The court order, issued and upheld? Grants you time with object X.
My laptop was true to my word, however. They came back and had to admit they couldn't get anywhere with it. My lawyer was ready for this, and we had an informal sit down. We had a small back side room at a local Chinese buffet restaurant.
"Well? I fail to see how its my problem. Or, my client's problem."
I piped up, beaming with pride.
"I thought those crack state police crime scene techs, why, they were just going to whip out an app, bypass my password, and just go prancing around on my laptop. What happened to all that... bravado I heard."
I got something mumbled.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that. Are you admitting... what. Defeat."
He sighed, but kept his composure.
"I already have the item in question, with a valid court order. I can keep it as long as the investigation is open. I'll simply ask the FBI for their help. Pretty sure, they have more resources than I do, at the lowly state police."
I chuckled.
"Hmm. Well, you let me know how those federal boys do."
"You know, the DA was talking. About, simply getting another court order. Compelling you, to open the laptop up."
She giggled.
"See, that's murky territory. All the evidence rules? Are geared towards you, getting the item. You got the item. Compelling my client to help you, though. That has decisions both ways, more than once. Not to mention? My client might still refuse."
"Then he'd be in contempt of court."
"I guess he would. Let me ask you a question, though."
"Sure."
"Contempt, is no murder charge. Its not even a criminal act, in so far as its not technically part of the penal code in this state. Its legally just a civil regulation and remedy of last resort. What is it you think happens, Bob. Life in jail, until he cracks and tells you how to open the laptop up? Hate to break it to you, Bob. Its three, maybe six months. And six months? Is... tops."
He just looked at her.
"You thought this through."
She shrugged, and ate some more Chinese off her plate.
"Do you guys... just kind of, what. Wing it, every day? Yeah, I think things through."
"Help me understand, would you?"
She grinned.
"I'll try."
"All right. No charges on your client. No one even thinks that. He freely gives up the cell phone, he goes nuts about the laptop. Now, off the record. Maybe, not saying, just supposing. Maybe, someone had something... they felt was embarrassing on the laptop. Hell. Some people like to look at... then, there's the internet... I mean, we all know what's out there. Not saying, just an example. Gay porn? Just an example. Trust me here, we seen it all. We're not allowed to legally raise a fuss over your internet porn, either. Maybe the client likes something that's illegal in this country, but legal in some other country. Girls pooping on each other, whatever and god bless. I can promise you, a sort of immunity? For anything but evidence of actual crimes."
I set my chopsticks down. People do remark all the time, about me and my chopsticks. I can eat even rice dishes with the things. A Chinese lady who owned the sushi joint I was in at the moment... once joked I was better than her at chopsticks.
"Or? I can do nothing. And I don't think you can get past it anyways. The law is very clear, that you can have my object. I'll be damned if anyone's 100 percent sure about compelling me to help you. The cell phones? I know there's internet searches for all the functions undocumented on any phone. I know you can bypass the security anyways. That's why I unlocked it for you. No point. Your search? Would have been trivial."
"You think your laptop isn't... trivial."
"Oh. That. I don't think. I know. I hesitate to call it that, but... the word... impenetrable, keeps coming to mind. I'm amused."
"The techs? Have copies of the hard drive."
"Good for them."
Of all of my many coming and going hobbies, some are at any one point in time, my favorites. Ever since my troubles began, I find anything that keeps my hands busy is generally a great idea. I had been reading about knives, and knife making. I was imagining beating on glowing metal, with a hammer and sparks flying. Kind of dramatic. I found out, most people don't do that. The most popular style of knife making, is the stock removal method.
You take a piece of metal that you think its suitable knife blade material. You cut or grind or file it out to rough shape. Its a flat blank, like a blank metal key now. A 4" by 36" belt sander was about a hundred bucks, brand new. The rolls of sandpaper available on the shelves at the hardware store? Is unimpressive. Online, however. I can get literally any grit I can imagine. Once I get the outline of the knife, I hold it by hand and by eye, to make the sharp blade part.
I've been at this a while, and have naturally some really cool examples of broken knives and knife-like objects, that I saved and cut out and sharpened knives out of them. I'm particularly fond of circular saw blades. The metal is just hardened enough its very useful. Not so damn hard its not easy to sharpen and put a real edge to it. A cheap Chinese machete broken off? It got mangled in a chipper shredder. I cut off the broken end, and ended up with a big and wide but thin and lightweight... Bowie knife.
What I wasn't good at, was the art and industry of all the many ins and outs of handle making. If I like the outline and feel of some knife, any knife. I can trace it out, and cut out a duplicate from a saw blade. I sharpen the edge on the belt sander, after cutting and grinding and filing it into shape. I learned how to wrap a handle, with cordage. It started out as a stopgap to me learning proper handle construction. I can wrap hard enough it feels like wood. If I ever want or need to? I can wrap a handle again. I even have planned wrapped handles, over slabs of wood or even metal.
Sheath making though, I wasn't planning on trying to be some overnight leather worker. I wrap strips of leather together, though. It creates a leather knife sheath, and if my cord is a leather cord then so much the better. I've been making a small pile of throwing knives, and have been shaping them and honing the design over time. I recently had a breakthrough.
I took two pieces of plastic, and wrapped them tight. I was able to throw the knife, by holding the sheath to deliver the throw. It made my release the same every single time. I was able to drop a small stack one by one into the loose "throwing sheath", and pepper a target with them at a couple yards distance. I was starting to throw these things HARD out of my new throwing sheath. I was seeing how loose and thereby now in need of a new wrapping for the sheath. I shook it out, and it flew. I started sticking it, throwing it from the sheath. Then, I made a better sheath thrower. But, it was an accident that worked out well. I don't know of anyone else, that uses a device to throw the knife other then their hand and how they hold it.
Everything I do, just about, has to have some surprise twist to it.
Often enough times, the twist is surprisingly simple.