can't just barge in here—"
"Back off, Jenkins," one of the uniformed officers barked, resting a hand on his holstered weapon.
The implicit threat hung heavily in the air.
Sylvia remained seated, her posture rigidly upright. She didn't flinch, though her heart hammered
against her ribs. She recognized Miller. He was a veteran of the narcotics squad, a division currently
under quiet but intense scrutiny for a series of 'lost' evidence logs and questionable arrests. Sylvia
herself had recently dismissed three of his cases due to illegal search and seizure.
"On what charges, Detective?" Sylvia asked, her tone eerily calm.
"Corruption, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy," Miller rattled off, slapping the manila folder
onto her bench. "We have a warrant signed by Judge Aris. Step down from the bench, Vance. Turn
around and put your hands behind your back."
The gallery erupted. The court reporter stopped typing, her hands frozen over the keys. Sylvia
looked at the folder, then down at Miller. The audacity of the act was staggering. Arresting a sitting
judge in her own courtroom was a move designed not just for apprehension, but for humiliation and
a public show of power.
"I want to see the warrant," she demanded, reaching for the folder.
Miller snatched it away. "You'll have plenty of time to read it in processing. Step down, or we will
remove you."
Sylvia knew the law better than anyone in the room. She knew that resisting, even against an
unlawful arrest, would only add fuel to whatever fire they were trying to start. Slowly, deliberately,
she removed her reading glasses and placed them neatly on her desk. She stood up, the black fabric
of her robe billowing slightly. She would not give them the satisfaction of a struggle.
She descended the steps, her head held high. When she reached the floor, the two uniformed
officers moved in swiftly, roughly pulling her arms behind her back. The cold steel of the handcuffs
clicked shut, biting into her wrists. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the silent room.
"You have the right to remain silent," Miller recited with a smirk, leading her down the aisle past