Fake Friends In Freaky Low Places

“Close the door.”

“It’s already closed.”

“Then why does it feel like everyone’s yelling?”

“Because they are.”

“No, I mean before anyone speaks.”

“Jazz, you know this meeting is off the record, right?”

“Nothing is off the record anymore.”

“So let’s start with the obvious.”

“What is so obvious?”

“The judge is compromised.”

“Compromised how?”

“Financial ties. Family ties. Business connects…Everyone knows.”

“Everyone like who?”

“People who are paying attention.”

“That’s not a proper answer.”

“It’s the only answer you need or will get from me.”

“There is no evidence of judicial impropriety.”

“There’s evidence you refuse to see.”

“There’s allegations, that much is true.”

“Which becomes evidence once the system admits it’s corrupt.”

“That’s not how evidence works. Besides, why would the system admit to being corrupt when it’s not.”

“That’s how power works.”

“Hold up. Can we slow this down?”

“Why? So you can do what? Sanitize it? Come up with some alternative facts?”

“So we can define the terms.”

“The terms have been defined. This sounds more like a stall tactic.”

“Stalling is better than lying.”

“Truth doesn’t need permission. It tells on itself.”

“You’re doing the thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Where emotions replace proof.”

“You don’t have proof. What we have is courage. We’re not going to be cowards.”

“All things considered, that’s a strange word for you to use - courage. Let’s be clear.”

“I am being as clear as necessary.”

“No, you’re just being loud, trying to make us think the louder you are, the more convinced that we are that you’re not covering something up.”

“Volume is all you people hear.”

“There it is.”

“There’s what?”

“The contempt. You People.”

“Why are you being paranoid. Everything has to be about race for your people.”

“Now, did you hear me saying anything about race? I said you’re being contemptuous. Who, exactly, is You People, and why is it that you think all we hear is volume? And even if that is all we hear, it doesn’t give you the right to hold us back from the facts—if you think drawing this out by yelling and screaming is going to help you, you couldn’t be more wrong.”

“The filings were already reviewed.”

“By who?”

“By the larger committee.”

“What is the larger committee, and who are its members?”

“We use representative committees. That’s how institutions work.”

“That’s how drug and human trafficking cartels work.”

“You’re accusing a federal judge of treason because they told you that you can’t use evidence that has already been debunked and discarded.”

“I’m accusing the system of protecting its own.”

“That’s not what’s happening here, but even if it were, don’t you do the same thing?”

“What thing?”

“Protect your own. People are threatening court staff.”

“That has nothing to do with us. We didn’t give anyone orders to threaten anyone.”

“They are doing it because they’re being lied to.”

“Maybe it’s because they finally see the truth.”

“Truth doesn’t arrive via doxxing.”

“Says who?”

“Says civilization.”

“This is how it starts, and are you saying we are not civilized?”

“No, this is how it ends, and why are you so concerned about whether or not you’re considered civilized. Do your worst and let’s see where it goes.”

“You said that before.”

“Obviously, I was right.”

“That’s not so obvious. Nothing got resolved.”

“You’re right. Exactly.”

“Jazz, why don’t you chine in? Say something.”

“I’m just listening.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“It’s more than I need to do right now.”

“The judge’s spouse donated to a nonprofit.”

“Are you deflecting again?”

“No, I’m telling you they had an agenda.”

“What agenda are you talking about?”

“You know.”

“No, why don’t you tell me?”

“They’re globalists. Liberal. Socialist. Marxist.”

“So what?”

“People like that are always trying to make it seem like we’re in the wrong when we know we are not?”

“Magic social media Internet SEO keywords aren’t going to work here like they do online.”

“You’re dismissing legitimate concerns.”

“You’re inflating coincidence into conspiracy.”

“Coincidence is where corruption hides.”

“And paranoia is how truth suffocates.”

“This case should be dismissed.”

“Because of bad vibes?”

“Because of emotional bias without evidence or facts to back up what you’re saying.”

“Prove it.”

“You can’t prove a rigged game from inside the casino.”

“Then why are you still playing and twisting words? You were sued. Don’t come to us with excuses, countersue, and let’s move to discovery and let’s see what happens.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would we countersue when it’s so obvious you’re defaming our client?”

“Prove it. I’m okay with fairness.”

“Fairness won’t be enforced in a kangaroo court trial.”

“So, who’s the Kangaroo? Folks like you?”

“The Constitution provides remedies for us.”

“And for us, too, so where are we now?”

“Fix it.”

“Or burn it down.”

“Are you threatening violence?”

“I described inevitability, not violence.”

“That’s how threats sound.”

“That’s how history talks, so who’s threatening who.”

“This rhetoric is dangerous. I didn’t say I would let something burn down.”

“Neither did I. Either you fix it or you let it burn. That’s not a threat, that’s a fact of life.”

“People believe you.”

“Good.”

“They also believe the judge is illegitimate.”

“Then the judge should recuse. Let’s find another judge, but I can’t allow you to remove the case to a hand-picked one who is already on your side, no matter what we prove.”

“You don’t reward arsonists by handing them the matches.”

“Do you hear yourself?”

“I hear fear.”

“I hear recklessness.”

“I hear collapse.”

“You hear whatever you need to. We still oppose transferring the case to federal court and will file a motion stating such.”

“This conversation is spiraling. We’re not resolving anything.”

“You’re right. We’ve done our due diligence. You file your motions, we will file ours, and let’s see what the law says.”

“Jazz, take a position here.”

“My position is that I am here as a mediator, not a decider.”

“That’s a position.”

“No, that’s a refusal to make your decisions for you.”

“Say it plainly, Jazz.”

“I believe you might be mistaken.”

“And them?”

“I think they might be dangerously correct.”

“So you picked a side.”

“I pick staying. I wouldn’t change venues unless an appeal is needed later and it fits within federal guidelines to be heard.”

“The judge will rule or recuse, but it’s on you to make a statement about why the judge should recuse.”

“The judge is corrupt and lawless.”

“Then prove it.”

“We can’t function like this.”

“So what’s your solution?”

“There isn’t one you’ll accept. We want the case removed.”

“As I said, you file your motions, and we will file ours.”

“You’re protecting the system.”

“I’m protecting the fact that the system has to go by the rule of law, and if it happens to be something you don’t like, it's still the law.”

“That’s pathetic.”

“This ends badly.”

“It already has.”

“So, we just. did. … what?”

“I don’t trust the court.”

“I don’t trust the mob.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“I do trust this judge can decide the way the law should be interpreted.”

“You can’t make me change my mind.”

“Then do something about it. Say the judge is corrupt.”

“I did.”

“To her face.”

“I did, and all I can say now is that we are not going to bow down to this judge. We don’t have to do this—we’ll sue in the federal courts ourselves.”

“Not until you can get this case dismissed. For now, it’s still pending—and you’re on a deadline.”

“This goes to trial.”

“This goes to chaos.”

“That goes to appeal.”

“This goes to the streets.”

“You will be in the streets alone. We’re not going with you. We have no reason to be out there when we’re supposed to be in here.”

“Last chance.”

“For what?”

“To pick.”

“I pick not quitting.”

“That’s not a side.”

“It’s the only thing holding the room together.”

“…Are we done?”

“No.”

“Are we resolved?”

“No.”

“Then what did we accomplish?”

“Nothing that feels good.”

“And? Let’s close the book. Fuck the judge.”

“Bailiff, remove these folks from my courtroom before I lock them up for contempt of court.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I not only can, but I did. I will not recuse myself, and you should be forewarned that this doesn’t bode well for you in the future.”

“Is that a threat to take sides?”

“Either file the motion to remove, or let’s get on with discovery. Goodbye. I need to get out of here before I have you and your friends arrested.”