Discovery of Evidence: An RP Moment
“Hello, this is Connie Rubirosa for Terry Parisse.” Connie glanced down at her notes on the table in her hotel suite.
“This is Terry, how can I help you?” The voice on the other line pretended he didn’t know who she was right away.
“Mr. Parisse, I’m an assistant district attorney with New York County. I left a message with your secretary-”
“Yes, yes, I apologize. I’ve been, uh, busy.”
Like hell you have, Connie thought. Aloud, she said, “Well now that you’ve got a free moment I was wondering if you would answer some questions for me, Mr. Parisse.”
The man cleared his throat. “Go ahead.”
“I want to know what you know about Dallas Strickland,” she said plainly.
“Strickland? He, uh, worked for the attorney general’s campaign…I was the liaison between them. Mr. Keller doesn’t really like dealing with all of that stuff.”
“No?” Connie decided to get right to the point. “Funny, isn’t it? Your boss helped Danielle Melnick keep her license to practice law. Strickland won his campaign for him. And now Melnick’s going out of her way to help Strickland out. I don’t have to tell you how that looks, Mr. Parisse.”
Parisse cleared his throat. “And if I don’t tell you anything?”
“I’ll make damn sure the District Attorney takes you down with them.”
There was a pause, and then Parisse spoke again. “The attorney general made a call to Ms. Melnick at Mr. Strickland’s behest. Strickland threatened to expose some…findings…that he discovered during the course of the campaign if he didn’t call her. Melnick initially told Keller no way in hell.”
“And?” Connie pressed.
“And Mr. Keller doesn’t like it when people are ungrateful. He threatened to come clean about helping Melnick. So she obliged.”
“Would you be willing to testify to this?” Connie asked.
“Are you threatening me with charges if I don’t?” Parisse wanted to know.
“Mr. Parisse, I’m an ADA. We don’t threaten.” But her tone held a warning.
There was another pause and then, “Yes, if I have no other choice.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Connie said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice before she hung up.
She smiled to herself. Danielle Melnick could bluster all she wanted about cronyism. The threat of being exposed was sure to tame her hypocritical words and hopefully get her to deal.
“This is Terry, how can I help you?” The voice on the other line pretended he didn’t know who she was right away.
“Mr. Parisse, I’m an assistant district attorney with New York County. I left a message with your secretary-”
“Yes, yes, I apologize. I’ve been, uh, busy.”
Like hell you have, Connie thought. Aloud, she said, “Well now that you’ve got a free moment I was wondering if you would answer some questions for me, Mr. Parisse.”
The man cleared his throat. “Go ahead.”
“I want to know what you know about Dallas Strickland,” she said plainly.
“Strickland? He, uh, worked for the attorney general’s campaign…I was the liaison between them. Mr. Keller doesn’t really like dealing with all of that stuff.”
“No?” Connie decided to get right to the point. “Funny, isn’t it? Your boss helped Danielle Melnick keep her license to practice law. Strickland won his campaign for him. And now Melnick’s going out of her way to help Strickland out. I don’t have to tell you how that looks, Mr. Parisse.”
Parisse cleared his throat. “And if I don’t tell you anything?”
“I’ll make damn sure the District Attorney takes you down with them.”
There was a pause, and then Parisse spoke again. “The attorney general made a call to Ms. Melnick at Mr. Strickland’s behest. Strickland threatened to expose some…findings…that he discovered during the course of the campaign if he didn’t call her. Melnick initially told Keller no way in hell.”
“And?” Connie pressed.
“And Mr. Keller doesn’t like it when people are ungrateful. He threatened to come clean about helping Melnick. So she obliged.”
“Would you be willing to testify to this?” Connie asked.
“Are you threatening me with charges if I don’t?” Parisse wanted to know.
“Mr. Parisse, I’m an ADA. We don’t threaten.” But her tone held a warning.
There was another pause and then, “Yes, if I have no other choice.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Connie said with a hint of satisfaction in her voice before she hung up.
She smiled to herself. Danielle Melnick could bluster all she wanted about cronyism. The threat of being exposed was sure to tame her hypocritical words and hopefully get her to deal.