I paused.
“Yes and no.”
“Explain.”
“I regret being struck.”
“Obviously.”
“But I do not believe a citizen must produce professional credentials beyond legally required identification merely to be treated lawfully.”
“Were you legally required to identify?”
“In courthouse context after detention, perhaps eventually.”
“But officer did not articulate lawful basis.”
Laura nodded.
“Did you knock his hand away?”
“Yes.”
“Could that be interpreted as physical resistance?”
“It could.”
“Was force necessary?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I was not attempting escape from lawful custody and had repeatedly told him to stop touching me.”
“Did you raise your voice?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“After he grabbed me second time.”
“Use profanity?”
“No.”
“Threaten your judicial position?”
“No.”
“Say anything like ‘You’ll regret this’?”
“I said after slap, ‘You have absolutely no idea what you’ve just done.’”
Laura looked up.
“Could that be perceived as threat based on position?”
“At that moment he did not know position.”
“True.”
She made note.
“What did you mean?”
“That witnesses and cameras existed.”
“Not that you would punish him?”
“No.”
“Would you?”
“No.”
“I cannot.”
“You could influence careers informally.”
I stared.
She held gaze.
Good.
She was pushing.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“That is why I have recused from administrative decisions involving him.”
“Have you contacted court administration?”
“Only regarding my own schedule and preservation obligations.”
“Discussed prior complaints?”
“Chief Judge mentioned existence before investigation began.”
“Did she provide details?”
“Two.”
“Have you discussed with witnesses?”
“No.”
“Bailiff Gallagher?”
“He came to chambers.”
“What did he tell you?”
I told her.
Thomas’s prior incident.
My instruction that he report independently.
Laura nodded.
“You understand that conversation could still affect memories.”
“Yes.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Yes.”
Denise looked at me.
I ignored her.
Truth.
Laura closed notebook.
“One more question.”
“Okay.”
“Do you believe Officer Miller struck you because you're Black?”
I took a long breath.
“I don't know what was inside his head.”
“That is careful.”
“It is accurate.”
“What do you believe?”
I looked at her.
“I believe race affected his initial assumption.”
“Based on?”
“The defendant he claimed to confuse me with differed materially in age, height, hair, clothing, and custody status.”
“The strongest shared characteristics were Black and female.”
“And?”
“His prior complaint pattern matters.”
“Anything else?”
“The phrase ‘you people always think you can argue your way out of everything.’”
“Could refer to defendants.”
“Yes.”
“Could refer to lawyers.”
“Yes.”