Guilty As Charged

Chapter 1

Valentina Back Story/Prologue

My name is Valentina Jackson. I'm 24 years old and I am going to be working on my first actual court case.

I live in New York city, Manhattan to be exact. My grandmother took care of me and my younger brother throughout our teenage years.

I barely have information on my parents, all I know is my mom passed away giving birth to my baby brother whom I love so much and my father being heartbroken by his loss put the blame on my young brother.

Throughout the years he began to treat us worse and worse as he saw the physical similarities between my brother and my mom. Eventually we were removed from his custody after my best friend Kylie reported him to child protected services.

I felt both relieved and angry as I was conflicted with betrayal upon hearing what my best friend had done, so I ghosted her not knowing how to deal with my internal conflicting feelings about her. As of right now I am living alone in my own apartment. ...Studio actually because housing in Manhattan is extremely expensive.

I managed to find my brother a scholarship to finish his high school in a elite boarding school in DC. Our relationship was very strong so it hurt him to be separated from me but he never understood the importance of his education.

I put myself through educational hell in law school but I managed to pass my bar exam which is why I am here today.

My first court case about a gang called the Dolores Posse.

Ajani Badrick/Backstory

My name is Ajani but my homeboys call me AJ. Ajani meaning "He who wins the struggle" tracing back to my Jamaican and Nigerian roots.

I am 25 years old, the youngest out of my three brothers. I have a large family thats very tight knitted but for business reasons. Illegal business reasons.

Me and my brothers Jacko and Akin have been running a huge business since we were young.

We lived in a very hard area of the Bronx and there was inadequate housing and few jobs available around our neighborhood. My oldest brother quickly saw the shift in the people around him and how they turned to crime just for survival.

Unfortunately we were just like those people.

Our parents weren't able to find work and my father was an illegal undocumented immigrant from Jamaica which made it even harder for him to acquire a decent job.

So we decided to take it upon our own hands.
Our street called Dolores street became the Dolores gang, led by my oldest brother.

By selling stolen property he forged a name for himself. On every corner all anyone heard was Akin and the Dolores, as he brought money into the community.

Eventually because of my love for music I suggested we invest into building a recording studio. My idea was a success.

Boys and girls all over the neighborhood flooded the studio as they were eager to release their pent up anger from their hardships and their beautiful creativity from their hopeful hearts.

My studios multiplied around the city and I now oversee three locations that we use as pit stops to launder some of Akins illegal weapons and drugs to maintain the gang in itself.

I have never liked Akins method of illegal activities but I never question his orders because he is the reason I am what I am. Without him I wouldn't be in this studio or have money or any girls hitting on me wherever I go. I would be nothing at all. So is it right to question him?
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Chapter One