Maya didn't even turn her head. "Did you attach the body camera footage from Officer Harper and the HRT entry log?"
"I attached both, along with your official incident report detailing the exact timestamps of the breach," Sterling replied with a low grin. "Judge Miller dismissed their motion in chambers five minutes ago without even calling a hearing. He called their argument 'frivolous at best.'"
At that moment, the heavy double doors at the back of the courtroom creaked open.
Lieutenant Joseph Vance walked in, wearing his full dress uniform, crisp white gloves tucked neatly beneath his left epaulet. Beside him walked Officer Miller, the young patrol officer who had recorded the incident on Elmwood Avenue. Both men looked tense, walking down the center aisle with measured, quiet steps.
Vance gestured for Miller to wait in the gallery row while he approached the prosecution bar.
"Agent Lin," Vance said softly, bowing his head in respect. "Attorney Sterling."
"Lieutenant," Maya acknowledged, offering a brief nod. "Thank you for coming on short notice."
"I brought Officer Miller's phone," Vance said, reaching into a leather briefcase and extracting a sealed anti-static evidence bag containing the smartphone. "Our digital forensics unit completed the audit late last night. The video recorded by Officer Miller was contained entirely within local storage. It was not uploaded to any cloud server, social media platform, or external messaging application. We have verified the chain of custody."
Sterling took the evidence bag, inspecting the tamper-evident seal before signing the receipt clipboard Vance provided. "Thank you, Lieutenant. This will be preserved as part of the official administrative record regarding former Sergeant Reyes's disciplinary proceedings."
Vance exhaled a heavy breath, looking at Maya with an expression of genuine professional regret. "Donald Reyes submitted his formal retirement papers early this morning, Agent Lin. Rather than face the internal affairs board and the civil rights review, he chose to resign from the force effective immediately."
Maya listened quietly, her face showing neither triumph nor malice. "It saves the department a lengthy administrative battle, Lieutenant."
"It does," Vance agreed. "But it doesn't change the stain he left on our reputation yesterday. I wanted to personally assure you that our precinct is implementing mandatory retraining on multi-agency operational protocols and federal credential verification starting next week."
"That is a constructive step forward, Lieutenant Vance," Maya said smoothly, standing up and offering her hand. "The integrity of the law depends entirely on the discipline of those who enforce it. I appreciate your prompt handling of the matter."
Vance took her hand, shaking it with firm, respectful pressure. "Good luck with the grand jury, Agent Lin."
As Vance turned and walked back down the aisle, young Officer Miller paused near the courtroom doors. He looked back at Maya, offered a quick, nervous nod of respect, and followed his commander out into the corridor.
"Well," Sterling said, closing his folder with a sharp snap as the courtroom bailiff stepped up to the bench microphone. "It looks like the perimeter is finally cleared, Maya."
"It was cleared the moment we executed the warrant, Richard," Maya replied, picking up her primary case binder and standing straight as the courtroom doors locked from the inside. "Now let's finish the job."
The bailiff struck the gavel twice, his voice echoing through the lofty room: "All rise. The United States District Court for the Eastern District is now in session. The Honorable Judge Thomas Miller presiding."
Maya Lin stood tall at the center of the courtroom, her posture unshakeable, her focus entirely locked on the scales of justice she had dedicated her life to uphold.