Presumption of Guilt Read Online Free PDF

face her, replacing the handset of the Dictaphone in its cradle.
    “What’s up?”
    “Molly Singer.”
    Dani saw a frown cross Bruce’s face before he caught himself. With his mouth set, he said, “I thought we already settled that. We’re not taking her case.”
    “I met with her over the weekend.” Dani waited for the expected explosion. They were rare with Bruce, but when pushed over the line, whether by an obstructionist warden, a reluctant court clerk, or one of his staff, he could erupt. Afterward, he inevitably described his outburst as a tactic, designed to keep the recipient in check, but Dani suspected otherwise. Bruce was simply human, and as such he occasionally lost control. Despite Dani’s fear that this would be one of those times, she was met with silence.
    “I think she was railroaded, Bruce. And whatever you think of her sister’s resources, they’re not available to Molly.”
    Bruce continued his silence. He picked up a pencil from his desk and fiddled with it between his fingers, all the while glaring at Molly.
    “Say something.”
    After what seemed like an interminable stretch of quiet, Bruce said, “There’s nothing to say. I’ve given you my decision.”
    Now it was Dani’s turn to glare silently. Finally, Bruce picked up the Dictaphone. “I have work to do. I assume you do as well.” He swung his chair around to once again face his window.
    Dani stood up to leave, then stopped. She was a fighter. She fought with judges and prosecutors for her clients’ freedom; she fought with school administrators to get Jonah the best teachers. She’d never fought with Bruce before—they were allies. But she wasn’t ready to walk away from Molly Singer. She sat down again.
    “You’re wrong.”
    Bruce swung his chair around. “Excuse me?”
    “You made a decision when you didn’t have all the facts. From the beginning, the one point you’ve drilled into me has been, ‘Dig for the facts.’ We’re supposed to make decisions based on the facts of the case, not some preconceived notion of a client. You based your decision on what you remembered reading about Molly’s case when it was first tried.”
    “You’re off base.”
    “I don’t think so. Melanie told me you turned it down because her parents were wealthy. But you didn’t know then that her inheritance was forfeited when she was convicted. And you didn’t know that her sister wouldn’t pay for her appeals.”
    “I also remembered that she confessed to the murders. What makes you think she’s innocent?”
    “I’m not sure. None of us are ever sure until we start digging into the case. All I’m asking is to start digging.”
    A smile slowly crept across Bruce’s face. “Okay. Go ahead.”
    “And also—wait. Did you just say we could take the case?”
    Bruce nodded, his smile broadening. “I just wanted to see how hard you would fight for it.”
    “You skunk. Why did you put me through that?”
    Bruce’s smile disappeared. “This isn’t a DNA case, Dani. You’ll have a tough challenge proving she’s innocent—if indeed she is. I needed to see if you were fully committed.”
    Dani walked back to her office, unsure if she had won a battle that she would come to regret.
    Settled in her chair, Dani began where she always did—with an Internet search of Molly’s conviction. She started with newspaper accounts.
    Hudson Valley Dispatch, September 24, 2000
    Molly Singer Guilty on Two Counts of Second-Degree Murder
    Byline: Shannon Evans
After three weeks of testimony, the jury took only four hours to return a guilty verdict for second-degree murder against 18-year-old Molly Singer, arrested five months ago for the murder of her parents, Joseph Singer, 48, and Sarah Singer, 46. Both were found dead in their Andersonville home on May 2 of this year.
The only solid evidence presented by the prosecution was her confession, recanted almost as soon as it was given. With a paucity of forensic evidence to back up the