Free Violent Crimes by Phillip Margolin

White acted as an informant?”
    â€œLet me see. I believe I arrested her for the first time nine or ten years ago, and she’s supplied me with information off and on since then.”
    â€œWhen does she do this?”
    â€œUsually after she’s been busted and needs a favor.”
    â€œAnd she’d been arrested recently?” Amanda asked.
    â€œYes, for possession, but she was out on bail.”
    â€œDid you contact Miss White about Mr. Beatty or did she come to you?”
    â€œShe called the station and told me she had read about Mr. Beatty’s arrest for assault and knew something about him I might find interesting. We arranged a meet.”
    â€œAnd it was during this meeting that she gave you the information you set out in your affidavit?”
    â€œCorrect.”
    â€œMiss White is a drug addict. Isn’t it true that drug addicts are untrustworthy?”
    â€œSome are and some aren’t. In my experience, Miss White has been truthful in her dealings with me.”
    â€œSo you took her word for what she told you?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid you check her story?”
    â€œAs much as I was able.”
    â€œMiss White said that another junkie told her that Mr. Beatty was a dealer?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid you talk to this junkie to see if that was true?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI did ask for a name but Miss White could only remember his first name—Frank—and her description was fairly general. She didn’t know how to contact Frank.”
    â€œHave you had any other person in law enforcement or any other informer tell you that Mr. Beatty was dealing heroin?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œSo the only evidence you had that Mr. Beatty was dealing drugs was the word of a drug addict who was desperate to work off a beef?”
    â€œMiss White described Mr. Beatty’s house accurately. The fact that she could tell me where he lived was important, because the house is not near the area where she says she bought from him on most occasions and it’s not in an area frequented by drug addicts.”
    â€œDid you try to see if you could find any witnesses who could back up Miss White’s claim that she bought drugs from Mr. Beatty?”
    â€œNo.”
    Amanda paused to consult her notes. “Did Alan Hotchkiss accompany you when you executed the warrant at Mr. Beatty’s home?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid he ride in your car with you?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid Detective Hotchkiss read the warrant and the affidavit?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhen was this?”
    â€œIn the car on the way to Mr. Beatty’s residence.”
    â€œSo after the warrant was issued but before the search?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDid Detective Hotchkiss make any comment about the affidavit before you entered the house?”
    Nowicki started to answer. Then he paused and frowned. “I . . . I don’t think so.”
    â€œWhat made you pause?”
    â€œHe never said anything when we were driving and I was trying to remember if he said anything after that. If he did, I probably didn’t pay attention because we were preparing to enter the house. Detective Hotchkiss told me that Mr. Beatty is an ex-soldier with a lot of combat experience. I was concentrating exclusively on how to enter in the least dangerous manner and I was preoccupied with keeping everyone safe.”
    â€œSo it’s possible Detective Hotchkiss made some comment about the facts in the affidavit after the two of you left your car?”
    â€œLike I said, if he did I don’t recall the comment.”
    â€œNothing further,” Amanda said.
    â€œMr. Frederick?” Judge Chang said.
    â€œNo questions.”
    For the next half hour, Amanda questioned the SWAT team members who were at the front of the house when entry wasmade. She posed general questions about the search, seeding in the questions she really