Fatal Convictions

45

The meeting with Khalid and Nara started heading downhill from the moment Nara opened her mouth.

She was upset about the coverage of Khalid’s case she had seen on the news that morning. The ties with Hezbollah had been exaggerated. Plus, the media kept associating her father with the California case when there was absolutely no evidence he was involved. “How can they get away with that?” she asked.

Alex loved her commitment to the case, but she didn’t know the first thing about the American legal system. Shannon gave Alex one of those Who invited her? looks.

“We’ll have a chance to make our case in court,” Alex reminded her. “There’s no sense even watching the news coverage right now.”

He could tell from the volcanic look in Nara’s eyes that he was wasting his breath. She had her hair pulled up today, emphasizing her long neck and sharp cheekbones. She looked every bit as striking as the first time Alex laid eyes on her, but her exotic Middle Eastern appearance was decidedly less enchanting today. In fact, Alex would have traded her in a second for a mundane-looking daughter who was ten times less intense.

But intensity was part of her DNA and her culture. She emphasized the consonants when she spoke in a way that made her speech seem hard-edged-almost guttural. She couldn’t hide a disapproving frown when somebody said something she didn’t like. She seemed to speak her mind without filtering her thoughts, and she evidently expected others to be equally blunt with her.

In order to pacify Nara, Alex suggested that the firm issue a statement condemning the rush to judgment by the press and denying that Khalid had anything to do with any honor killings. But Nara wanted more. “This is racial profiling,” she pressed. “Sensationalism. They make it sound like all Muslims are the same. We need to show them that my father is a reformer. He’s a sworn enemy of the radicals. He’s being set up by the fundamentalists.”

Shannon had heard enough. “We’re not a PR firm,” she said. “We’re lawyers. And we’re good at what we do.”

Not surprisingly, Nara frowned. Shannon turned to Khalid. If anyone had earned credibility with Khalid, it was Shannon. “You’ve got to trust us, Khalid. If you don’t, then get somebody you do trust.”

Khalid glanced down at the table for a second and then at his daughter. When he turned back to the lawyers, Alex knew bad news was coming.

“I do trust you,” Khalid said, his voice measured yet firm. “But I’ve been thinking about the wisdom of having the same firm represent both myself and Ghaniyah.

“I am innocent. I detest the notion of violence in the name of religion, and I especially abhor the concept of honor killings. Nara is right-I’ve been set up by some very powerful enemies. But I also realize I could easily lose this case and spend the rest of my life in jail.” Khalid looked haggard, and Alex knew that this infighting wasn’t helping. He felt a little ashamed that he hadn’t provided better leadership.

“If that happens, I’ll need money to hire someone to look after Ghaniyah. I do not want Nara to sacrifice her work in Lebanon to come back and spend the rest of her life as an unpaid nurse for her mother.”

“I disagree with my father on that,” said Nara. “I see it as my duty to do so, and I would gladly fulfill it.”

“Nevertheless,” Khalid continued, his eyes becoming a little moist, “I’m very concerned about the impact on Ghaniyah’s case if the same firm that represents me also represents her. That firm could become demonized before my case is over. And that could certainly hurt Ghaniyah’s case.”

Khalid took a deep breath before continuing. “It seems this case has made me a bit of a celebrity in the Muslim world. There are two Muslim law firms in Detroit that are willing to represent me-how do you say it?-pro bono. Nara has talked to the firms… They actually contacted her, right after her appearance on national television. They’ve been pleading with us to turn both cases over to them.”

“I have nothing against your firm,” Nara quickly interjected. She was looking decidedly less attractive to Alex right now. Perhaps the nose was a little too sharp after all. “I can only assume that you are both gifted lawyers. But these other firms have more experience in high-profile criminal cases. And they are willing to launch a defense that will capitalize on my father’s reformist tendencies.”

“It’s a mistake to use out-of-town lawyers,” Alex insisted. Especially Muslim ones. “We need to focus on the evidence in this case-not turn this into a referendum on Muslim theology.”

“I disagree,” Nara said, as if she were an experienced criminal defense attorney. “This is not a gang killing; it’s an alleged honor killing. We can’t avoid the religious issues.”

“I’m not saying we avoid them,” Alex protested.

“Please,” interrupted Khalid. “May I finish?”

Alex bit his tongue and quickly analyzed his own emotions. Until now, when he realized he might get fired from the case, Alex had not appreciated how much he wanted to stay in it. Yes, he hated the publicity. And yes, his client’s uppity daughter was going to be a pain. But Alex’s grandfather had been right. Something about defending an accused man when the whole world wanted to string him up made Alex feel noble.

“I understand Nara’s misgivings with regard to your experience,” Khalid continued. “But I personally have great faith in your legal skills and think I would be well-served to be represented by both of you. And forgive me, Ms. Reese, for being so blunt. But neither one of these Muslim firms has a strong female attorney who could help try the case, and I believe that’s an important consideration.

“But I need to ask you both a question, and you don’t have to answer it right now. In fact, I would like you to take the night to consider this.”

Alex and Shannon were on the edge of their seats. Alex had never had a client quite like Khalid. “If I determine, in my capacity as guardian for my wife, that I should have a different law firm handle her case than the firm that represents me, which of the two cases would you prefer to handle?”

“If we could only pick one?” Alex asked.

“If you could only pick one.”***

After Khalid and Nara left, Alex listed all the reasons he and Shannon should take Ghaniyah’s case. There was serious money to be made in the personal-injury suit. On Khalid’s case, they would get paid by the hour, if they were lucky, and they would have to endure the constant second-guessing of Nara Mobassar. Plus, Alex pointed out, civil cases were their specialty. They knew how to strong-arm insurance companies into big settlements. What’s more, if they dropped Khalid’s case, Alex’s problems with his church would be over.

Shannon sat there frowning as Alex laid out his arguments.

“I’ll take your silence as agreement,” Alex said.

She shrugged. “I just think Khalid would be making a big mistake by going with a Muslim firm on his case. He’d be playing right into the prosecution’s stereotypes. Even if we get Ghaniyah a million dollars, what good will it do her if Khalid’s in jail?”

“Are you saying we should take Khalid’s case and dump Ghaniyah’s?”

“No. I’m just saying that Khalid is making a big mistake.”

They decided to wait until the morning so it would seem like they had given it a great amount of thought. In truth, they both knew where the decision was headed.

“You’re sure about this?” Shannon asked.

Alex was surprised to feel a tinge of regret. How often do you get to try a case where you can really make a difference? But that regret was nothing compared to the burden that would be lifted from his shoulders.

“I’m sure,” Alex said.

“One hundred percent?”

He hesitated. “A good ninety-nine.”