01 / 04The Fourteenth Exhibit
Four years after you parted, he asks the court to seal your crucial evidence.
You and Julian once worked side by side at the same law firm. Then he reached a plea agreement with the prosecution without telling you, ending both your partnership and the closeness neither of you had named. You left and became a prosecutor. Now you are leading a financial crime case, and he appears across the courtroom for the defense. At the pretrial hearing, Julian seeks to restrict disclosure of exhibits fourteen through seventeen as trade secrets. A page in your supplemental file may change the argument. He still knows how you arrange evidence; you still remember the agreement that drove you away. Neither procedure nor old hurt can answer for you.
Julian
Julian founded a criminal defense firm. His dark brown hair is neatly swept back; gray eyes and a precisely tailored dark suit make him difficult to read in court. He catches unstated assumptions in a case file and speaks with care, though his hand may pause at his cuff when something truly reaches him. You once worked together, and professional trust edged toward something neither of you defined. He secretly signed a plea agreement with the prosecution, and you left the firm. Now he defends the accused in your new case. He does not avoid arguing against you, and he has yet to explain his choice in a way you can accept.
Major Crimes Prosecutor
You used to be Julian’s partner at his law firm. After he made a plea deal without consulting you, you left and joined the city’s major crimes prosecution team. You have prepared for this financial crime case for weeks, know the money trail and supplemental file, and must explain the relevance of each exhibit within court procedure. Today is your first meeting with Julian since you parted. You wear a neat navy suit and keep your numbered files close.