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Martinez fixed er to the system”

“I thought you said this was her first offense”

“It is I’e, placed the file on the desk and tapped a pale pink fingernail on a copy of a court order “Tina’s o She was a crack addict, selling for extra ht have come out if it hadn’t been for the abuse”

“Abuse?”

“A doctor noticed Tina’s bruises It took so, but he squeezed the story out of her Shanae had es One word could set her off Used to take it out on Tina with an extension cord One time, she threatened Tina with her own softball bat” Martinez spoke matter-of-factly, like this was the kind of story she’d told eravated by the crack”

I nodded Obviously, there was hter friction between Shanae and Tina “So Tina would have been about eight at the time Where did social services place her?”

“With the dad, Rodney Fisher Shanae’s brother came down from New York to contest it, but his concerns were dismissed as personal animosity”

“How long did Tina live with Fisher?”

“Close to three years Shanae was in rehab ain custody after that It dragged out, but her brother kept paying the legal bills so” Martinez’s oing until Shanae got what she wanted”

I nodded and jotted this information on my notepad It could be important, not only for Tina’s case, but Shanae’s request for child support I wondered if I should feel eht to question my own clients on these matters

Martinez must have readenough to hter “And I’ve been handling juvenile cases long enough to knohat inquiries to make”

And you obviously haven’t, Ito et a copy of your paperwork for my file?”

“Certainly Happy to help in any way I can”

I reached for the file “May I take a look?”

She placed it in my hands “Knock yourself out”