RAT by BRIAN R. LUNDIN (13 ebook reader TXT) 📖

/> Cotton thanked Prentiss and his wife.
“In the next couple of days the sheriff will bring you a subpoena.”
Robert Wilson tavern the Sports Bar and Grill was across the street from Prentiss’s and much larger and nicer. It had a long deep mahogany bar that seated at least twenty people and had two big screens television behind the bar and three big screens of the walls. It was 2:00 pm but the bar was full of men and women some dancing other talking and drinking. Wilson was a frail man in his sixties with grey hair and beard. Cotton identified himself and Robert led him into his office.
“Whatsup sarge, I’ve paid my dues for the month.”
“I’m not here to collect any dues Robert, I’m here to tell you that the sergeant who’s been extorting you have been arrested and on trial in a federal court. I need you to testify against him so we can stop these crooked hunkies and put their white asses in jail where they belong. With you and other bar owners help we can rid our community of these parasites that feed on our people. By the way how much were you being shook down for?”
“Five hundred a month, but I could afford it I’m doing pretty well here!”
“Maybe you are but what about Richard across the street or other bar owners in your association that are not doing as well as you?”
Robert poured a shot Jack Daniels.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Come to court and testify!”
“Let me know when and where.”
“Thank you.”
The men shook hands. Cotton’s next stop was Juanita’s Lounge located at 4305 South Prairie Avenue. Juanita Johns was a big, light brown skinned woman who lived upstairs over the bar and had owned the bar for twenty years. She told Cotton how Sergeant Novakski had solicited a four hundred dollar a month payment for the Commander’s Club and when she refused vice officers from the district began harassing her and her customers. She agreed to the pay-off after she was set-up by the sergeant who sent a young black woman who looked to be about twenty-five into her tavern. She found later that she was really seventeen. Moments after the young woman left the sergeant two of his men and the young woman came in and she identified herself as being a high school junior. The sergeant took her to the station and threatens to lock her up for serving a minor and notify the State and City License Bureau of the violation so I payed him off. Juanita agreed to testify but owners Claude Forman owned the Inn located on 59th Street and Betty Willson who owner Betty’s Joint on east 55th and Tommy Wilson that owned Tommy’s refused to testify they were too scared of police repercussions. Cotton told Watson and Luden about the new witnesses against Ronald Prentiss and Richardo Ricks involvement with Sergeant Romano.

The following morning court resumed and Luden called Ronald Prentiss to the stand and het answered all the preliminary questions.
“Mr. Prentiss did you have a conversation with a police sergeant in your place of business?”
“Y es!”
“Do you know that sergeant’s name and is he in court today?”
Prentiss looked and pointed at the defense table to Sergeant Novakski who was smirking.
“His name is Sergeant Novakski!”
“What was the conversation about?”
“He told me if I wanted to avoid problems with the police it would cost me two hundred dollars a month! I told him that I had COPD and my wife had heart problems that didn’t matter to him all he wanted was the money.”
“Did you pay him that?”
“Yes, for seven months I paid him and it nearly put me out of business, but I know the trouble the police can cause with your liquor licenses.”
Was anyone else privy to these pay-offs?
“Yes, my wife Jean.”
“Thank you Mr. Prentiss.
Jean Prentiss took the stand and corroborated her husband’s testimony. Sergeant Novakski attorney had no questions. Luden next witness was Robert Wilson.
“Mr. Wilson do you own the Sports Bar and Grill located at 445 East 61st Street?”
“Yes sir!”
“Do you recognize anyone in this court room that demanded money from you?”
“Yes!”
“Can you point him out?”
“Yes!”
Wilson pointed to Sergeant Novakski.
“That’s him!”
“Mr. Wilson will you explain to the jury your conversations with Sergeant Novakski?”
“The sergeant and two other officers came into my joint one afternoon sat at the bar and ordered drinks. We exchanged greetings and he identified himself and asked me if I had any problems. I told him I had a 4:00 P.M. and after the other taverns closed at 2:00 P.M. I got the overflow and because of the limited parking on the street my people had to park in a no parking spot and they were getting ticketed by the beat cop. Also I was having a slight problem with the youngsters who were always standing around. Plus the beat officers was always coming in usually on week-ends when it was busy accusing me of being opened after hours which I wasn’t, I would give them a few bucks and they would leave. Sergeant Novakski told me that he could take care of all these problems for five hundred a month.”
“Did you agree?”
“Yes, I paid him for a year!”
“Did he take care of the problem?”
“Heck no, my people were still being ticketed, the hoodlums still hung in front of my joint and the beat officers were still harassing me about running after-hours. I didn’t get nothing for the money I was paying!”
Your witness Luden said to Novakski lawyer. He had no questions. The judge recessed the trial for lunch and Luden, White and Watson went to his office.
“I’ve got two more witnesses to call; Juanita Johns and Debbie Stewart the young girl he sent in to set up Juanita.
Court resumed at 1:00 P.M. and Luden and the defense attorney’s were summoned into the judge’s chambers.
“Mr. Luden, attorneys for Beat Sergeants Hollis, Tykes, Williamson, Louis, Ryan and Hill have withdrawn their plea of not guilty and have entered a guilty plea, these defendants will be eliminated from the proceedings.”
Watson watched with sadness as the sergeants were removed from the court in handcuffs by United States Marshalls and he watched their weeping relatives and friends, what a shame he said to himself. Their attorneys gathered their belonging and left the court room and the attorneys for the other defendant took their seats, informed their clients what had happened and the judge took the bench. The Court Security Officer called the court to order.
“Is the prosecution ready to call its next witness?”
“Yes your honor the prosecution calls Juanita Johns!”
Juanita entered the court room wearing a black business pants suit was sworn and took a seat.
“Mrs. Johns do you own Juanita’s Lounge on south Prairie Avenue?”
“Yes, I do! Do you recall an incident when you were arrested by Sergeant Novakski?”
“Will you tell the court about the circumstances leading to your arrest?”
Juanita sat back in the chair and took a sip of water.
“On several occasions the sergeant had approached me about joining a club he called the Commander’s Club that would prevent any problems with the police and I had any problems that could endanger my liquor licenses he could take care of it and it would only cost me four hundred dollars a month. I told him that firstly I ran a clean join and was worried about my liquor licenses so I refused but every month he kept coming around asking if I had changed my mind when I told him no I didn’t hear from his for a couple of weeks. It was a busy night had a lot of customers, people were dancing, drinking and having a good time I was working the bar. A young attractive woman came in, sat at the bar and ordered a rum and coke which I served her. She was nicely dresses and look to be about twenty-five. After she finished her drink she paid me and left. Ten minutes later Novakski entered with three uniformed police officers, the young woman and told me she was seventeen and I was arrested for serving alcohol to a minor. He ordered everyone out and arrested and handcuffed me behind my back. They put the cuffs on too tight and they really hurt. Anyway the sergeant took my keys, turned out the lights, locked my joint up, put me in his car and drove me to the police station.”
“What happened at the police station?
“He removed the handcuffs and said he was sorry about them being put on too tight and took me into an empty room and told me that serving liquor to minors was a serious offense and I would be probably receive a heavy fine and could have my liquor licenses suspended or revoked but he said he could make all that go away if I joined the club, so I did and he drove me back to my joint and I gave him five hundred bucks and I have been paying him that for over a year, he s a dirty mu…………
Luden cut her off before she could say anything else.
“Thank you Mrs. Johns, your witness!”
Again there were no questions from Novakski lawyer. As Juanita left the stand she gave Novakski a dirty look and the finger.
“Next witness!”
“Debbie Stewart!”

Watson and White looked at the sergeant who was squirming in his seat and whispering to his lawyer. Debbie Stewart definitely looked like a fully grown woman, she was well developed with a large bust. She was sworn in and took the stand.
“Ms. Stewart how old is you?”
“I just turned nineteen.”
“Calling your attention back a couple of years ago where you approached by a police officer and told you to go into Juanita’s Lounge and order a drink?”
“Yes.”
“Can you identify the police officer who told you to do that?”
“Yes, he’s sitting over there at that table.”
“Let the record reflect your honor that the witness has identified Sergeant Novakski.”
“So noted!” the judge said.
“Tell the court how you met Sergeant Novakski.”
“Me, my two girl friends and a couple of guys were in Washington Park just hanging out. We had a couple of six-packs of beer and we were smoking a joint when all of a sudden two plainclothes officers busted us. They told us to stay in the car and in a few minutes this other officer drove up and identified himself as Sergeant Novakski. We were all scared shitless when he told us he was going to lock our asses up. All of a sudden he looked at me for a long time, I was getting scared I had heard how some officers forced girls to have sex to avoid getting arrested I thought he was some of sex freak especially when he told me to get into his car.”
“What happened after you got into the car?”
“He asked me how old I was and I told him I was seventeen. He said you look a lot older than seventeen. I showed my Student card from DuSable High School that had my date of birth. He then asked me if I wanted to help myself and my friends and I said sure what did I have to do and he told me that all I had to do was go into this bar, order a drink, pay for it and leave and afterwards me and my friends would be cut loose. So I agreed, the officer drove me to the bar gave me five dollars and I went in and did as he