Queen of the South - My Season 6: Full Circle

Chapter 25, Pote Galvez

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_Gang

James was taken in custody after he was found to be the only person in the Studio where a homicide victim, reported by an anonymous caller, was also found. The crime weapon was recovered at the scene and was sent to forensics and ballistics.

The Studio swarm with uniformed policemen and detectives; yellow 'do not cross' tape marked the area of the murder; the red and blue lights of the cruisers kept lighting up the night for a long time.

James had not uttered a word apart from his name and that he was the owner of the Studio. His plan was to claim self-defense because in truth that was how the man had died, however neither the shot angle fit, nor did he know for sure if the boys had been able to erase the security system footage that was stored on his servers in the shooting range. He knew that the plainclothes inspector with a surly face which showed his indisposition to have had his Saturday evening ruined, would spot the security cameras, and would require the recordings. Claiming that all zones of the security system covering his two separate businesses located on the same property had been out of order was the position he was thinking of taking. However, he didn't intend to talk to anyone before someone from the family, preferably Kelly Anne, showed up with a criminal defense lawyer. The family still used the services of the legal firm renting space in one of their malls, however they did not specialize in criminal law and James knew it would take time before they could get him covered. So, when the door of the interrogation room opened and a serious Kelly Anne walked in, he exhaled a sigh of relief.

Kelly Anne imparted that everyone was crazy with worry and wanted to see him, however as the boys had followed his instructions to the letter, there was no trace of anything and he would have to manage one night in detention before his bail hearing the next morning, which the defense lawyer she had engaged, had been able to schedule. The lawyer, Mr. Marcus Anderson, had over 30 years of stellar criminal practice behind his back; charged an exorbitant fee; came highly recommended, and as the first proof of his worth had successfully fast tracked the bail hearing to 10 am the next morning with His Honor, Judge Sven Meyer, whose schedule apparently was never too busy for Mr. Anderson.

The detention cell was full to capacity, which was more than 15 men; the filth and stale air were suffocating. Sleep was almost impossible; there was nowhere to lie down, and it was dangerous despite the two armed officers who were stationed outside of the cell with loaded guns. During his military years, James had been able to doze off and actually sleep virtually anywhere. This skill came useful, and he was able to get some rest sitting with his back against the wall. He didn't feel rested but had caught some shut eye and couldn't hide his relief when Kelly Anne told him that the bail hearing had been fast tracked.

The charge was culpable homicide, which was the equivalent of manslaughter in the US. Anderson instructed him to plead self-defense which was a non-guilty plea but despite the convincing speech about his renowned status in the community and his family's huge contribution to the local economy, the fact that he was a dual citizen with means to disappear was not ignored; he was considered a flight risk and bail was denied, which fact shocked Anderson and Kelly Anne as they both had had a meeting with his Honor and had been assured that bail was possible despite the charges.

James sat dejectedly in his seat waiting to be processed for jail, where he would spend the time before his arraignment. Kelly Anne had gone to make arrangements for him to see his family before he would be transported, while Anderson had gone to 'deal' with the Judge whose sudden change of heart had messed up the plan. The judge was of paramount importance, Kelly Anne had advised, because in South Africa, there was no jury of equals if one ended up on trial, and the presiding Judge had discretion to appoint assessors or not. Even if assessors were appointed to assist the Judge, it was still his sole decision to deliver a verdict. James couldn't decide if this concentration of power was a benefit for someone with money and influence or an unfortunate circumstance that could make things more difficult.