She slammed her gavel.
"The HOA always wins."
She announced the fines.
The foreclosure threat.
The order to remove Atlas.
Then she looked directly at me.
"Do you have anything to say?"
I stood.
"No."
I paused.
"I think you've said enough."
Then I walked out.
Outside, I called the lawyer I'd found that morning.
Saul Verdugo.
Civil-rights attorney.
He listened to the recording.
When I finished, he was silent.
Then he laughed.
"Mike."
"What?"
"She actually said all of that?"
"Every word."
"Good."
"Good?"
"She's been handing us evidence."
Saul Verdugo
Saul's office overlooked the Potomac.
He was small, sharply dressed, and terrifyingly calm.
Atlas walked into his office.
Saul immediately knelt.
Atlas licked his face.
Saul stood.
"Yes."
He nodded solemnly.
"I can see why this animal is such a threat."
I smiled.
Saul read everything.
The fines.
The emails.
The video.
The meeting recording.
The threats.
The foreclosure notice.
Then he looked at me.
"They denied a reasonable accommodation in writing."
"Yes."
"They threatened foreclosure."
"Yes."
"They attempted to destroy your property."