My Grandson Called Me In The Middle Of The Night: ‘Grandma, I’m At The Station… My Stepfather Told Me To Leave, And Now He’s Saying I Caused Trouble, And They Took His Word!’ When I Arrived At The Station, The Officer Paused And Said, ‘I’m Sorry… I DIDN’T KNOW.’

I responded. “Though I’m concerned about why my grandson is being held based on an unsubstantiated accusation.”

Reynolds gestured for me to sit, then dismissed Peterson with a nod. When the door closed behind him, her professional facade softened slightly.

“I know who you are, Judge Sullivan. Your reputation for fairness and integrity is well established. That’s why I came in personally when I heard you were here.”

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

“Officer Miller is relatively new to our department, transferred from a smaller municipality last year. This incident raises some concerns I’ve been monitoring.”

“Such as,”

I prompted. “Such as a pattern of domestic calls that seem to escalate when he’s involved, and a tendency to call on personal connections within the department rather than following protocol.”

She met my eyes directly.

“Had I known the juvenile involved was your grandson, I would have supervised this case more closely from the beginning.”

“Because he’s related to me,”

I challenged,

“or because every juvenile deserves that level of care?”

A hint of respect flickered in her eyes. “Point taken, your honor.”

Now, let’s discuss how we move forward from here. First, I began, maintaining the measured tone that had served me well through decades on the bench.

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