John Grisham - The Activist

The exam room was dark and deserted; only Judge was there, still motionless on the table where he had been for so long. Theo turned on a light and hovered over his dog. “Hey buddy,” he said softly into his ear. “Got something for you.” Theo held the photo of Larry Samson close for Judge to see. “This is the outlaw who did this to you, Judge. His name is Larry, and right now Larry is sitting in jail. They’re gonna bust him, Judge, and make him pay. Look at him, Judge, big bad Larry, the guy with the stick who thought he was so tough, whipping a little dog, is now behind bars. We won, Judge, and we’re not finished.”

Theo held the photo, but Judge did not look. Theo fought back tears. The photo was shaking. Theo closed his eyes and asked God to look down on this poor little dog who’d never harmed anyone, who was the best friend in the world, who’d been badly injured trying to protect Theo. Please, God.

Minutes passed, and Theo was ready to give up.

There was a sound, sort of a weak grunt, as if Judge was trying to clear his throat. Theo opened his eyes, and at about the same time Judge opened his. Not wide, just two narrow slits, but Theo could see the dark brown irises of Judge’s eyes. “Judge, you’re awake!” he gushed, and leaned even lower so that his nose was about two inches from his dog’s.

Judge opened his eyes wider. He seemed to look at the photo of Larry Samson, to stare at it, then he opened his mouth and licked his lips. Theo placed the photo on a table, then with both hands began rubbing along Judge’s back, talking nonstop.

Dr. Kohl walked in and said, “Well, well, I guess Judge says he’s not ready to go.”

“Look at him!” Theo said. “He’s wide awake.”

“I see.” Dr. Kohl gently removed a tube and gently touched the swollen places. Judge was coming to life, whimpering and trying to wiggle around. The splint on his right front leg bothered him, and he couldn’t figure out why it was there. When Dr. Kohl touched it, Judge squealed and jerked away. “He’ll need a painkiller.”

“I bet he’s starving,” Theo said, unable to contain his excitement.

“No doubt, but let’s get him some water first.” Dr. Kohl slowly lifted Judge and held him as he tried to stand on the table. Theo grabbed a small metal bowl, ran some water in it, and offered it to Judge, who slurped it down as if he’d never seen water before. As he drank and made a mess, and while Dr. Kohl was still helping him stand, Theo stuck his head out the door and yelled, “Judge is awake!”

Within seconds the exam room was packed as the four Boones, Dr. Kohl, Captain Mulloy, and two vet technicians gathered around to watch Judge attack the water. Dr. Kohl finally released him, and there he was—Judge Boone, alive and standing alone on three good legs and one broken one. His head was swollen and shaved and he looked as though he’d been run over by a truck, but he was happy and grinning and wondering why all those humans were crying.

The Judge was back.

Chapter 17

Animal Court. In the basement of the old, majestic, and imposing Stratten County Courthouse, there was a dusty hallway with several neglected rooms off it. On the door of the largest of these rooms was a sign that said simply: animal court. Inside, the room was filled with the county’s leftovers—old folding chairs that were mismatched; an old battered table that the judge used as a bench; old semiretired bailiffs who drifted in from time to time; and an old grouchy clerk who was hard of hearing and despised her job. Much finer courtrooms existed on the floors above the basement, and Theo had spent time in all of them. His favorite was the main courtroom, where Judge Henry Gantry presided. He loved Animal Court, too, because you didn’t have to be a lawyer to argue your case. At the age of thirteen, Theo already had several impressive wins before Judge Yeck.

The dingy courtroom and its contents may have been old, but Judge Yeck certainly was not. He was about forty, with long hair and a beard, and he preferred blue jeans and combat boots to black robes and bow ties. He was hip and cool and Theo liked him a lot. It was only a part-time job— Judge Yeck was allowed to play judge four afternoons each week because no other lawyer in town wanted to. Animal Court was so low on the ladder no other lawyer wanted to get near it.

Theo stopped by all the time. Animal Court was open for business from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and the docket usually included an interesting case or two. Sometimes, though, business was slow, and on those occasions, Theo would pull up a chair and chat with Judge Yeck about the law, law school, other lawyers, the legal gossip around town, and especially about other trials. He sort of felt sorry for Judge Yeck because when he wasn’t presiding over Animal Court he worked in a small firm that was rumored to be somewhat less than successful.

Boa constrictors, biting dogs, spitting llamas, dive-bombing parrots, mail-order pythons, rabid cats, wayward monkeys, potbellied pigs, deadly spiders, de-scented skunks, wounded mountain lions, abandoned baby crocodiles, illegal fighting chickens, hungry bears, a demented moose—Animal Court and Judge Yeck had seen it all.

But he had never seen a crowd as large as this. At 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, his courtroom was packed, and the mood was tense. On one side there were the Boones—Mr. and Mrs. Boone, both fine lawyers in town—and between them sat young Theo. On the floor beside Theo was a familiar face, though the face, swollen and bandaged, looked a bit different. The mutt had been renamed Judge, in honor of Judge Yeck, according to Theo, though Judge Yeck had heard the gossip that young Theo had remarked to several other judges that he had named his dog in their honor. Directly behind Theo was Ike Boone, a once prominent lawyer in Strattenburg who had fallen hard years earlier.

Crowded together behind the Boones were a number of friends. Woody, his parents, and two of his older brothers. Hardie Quinn, his parents, his grandparents, and several of his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Several of Theo’s friends from school, including Chase and April, along with her crazy mother. Mr. Mount was there for support, along with Captain Mulloy. Dr. Kohl and Star were there, in case they needed to testify about Judge’s injuries. Elsa from the office sat next to Dr. Kohl. Along the back two rows were some of the courthouse regulars who tried not to miss a good fight.

On the other side of the courtroom, sitting shoulder to shoulder and offering frowns and scowls that left no doubt they hated where they were at that moment, were the four men who had been arrested Sunday morning. The four men from Strategic Surveys—Larry Samson, Lester Green, Willis Keeth, and Gino Gordon. Seated behind them were wives and girlfriends, family members and others. Seated in front of them was a hotshot lawyer named Mora Caffrey, also known in some places as More Caffeine, due to her aggressive nature, jerky actions, and quick tongue. Like most lawyers in town, she had no desire to be seen in Animal Court.

Placed between the two groups were two young deputies, armed and in uniform. Judge Yeck thought the case might get tense, and so he asked for more security.

Judge Yeck said, “All right, the next case involves some complicated issues. I think I understand the background facts and most of the charges. As of today, the four employees of Strategic Surveys—Samson, Green, Keeth, and Gordon—are facing criminal charges of assault, assault on a minor, and trespassing. These charges will be dealt with in Circuit Court, not here. I understand there is also a civil suit that was filed this morning by Mr. Silas Quinn against these four men and their employer. Again, that’s another fight for another day in another courtroom.”