She sat, opened her file, and said, "This is Hammond versus Dawson and Granton County. We'll begin with the defense. Counselor Loomis, call your first witness."
Loomis stood slowly and buttoned his jacket. "The defense calls Officer Craig Dawson."
Dawson rose, walked to the witness stand, and raised his right hand like he'd done it a hundred times. He probably had. Fourteen years on the force gives a man plenty of practice swearing to tell the truth.
Loomis started easy, background first. "Officer Dawson, how long have you served with the Granton County Police Department?"
"Fourteen years this past March."
"And in that time, have you received any commendations?"
Dawson nodded. "Several. Community Policing Award in 2019, Officer of the Quarter twice, letters of appreciation from local businesses."
Loomis introduced the file, a thick folder of commendations, training certificates, and performance reviews. He handed copies to the judge and let the papers do their work. On the surface, Craig Dawson looked like exactly the kind of officer you'd want patrolling your neighborhood.
Then Loomis moved to the night in question. "Officer Dawson, walk us through what happened on the evening of June 14th."
Dawson leaned back slightly, like he was recalling something routine. "I was on patrol along Route 9 just outside town. I observed a vehicle with a malfunctioning taillight—the left rear. I initiated a standard traffic stop."
"And what happened when you approached the vehicle?"
"The driver was uncooperative from the start. I asked for license and registration. She was slow to respond. Kept reaching for her bag in the passenger seat without telling me what she was doing. That's a safety concern."
"What did you do?"
"I asked her to step out of the vehicle. Standard procedure when a subject's behavior raises concern. She refused initially. I had to ask three times. At that point, I made the decision to detain her for further investigation."
Not once—not a single time—did Dawson use her name. She was "the driver," "the subject," "the female." Like he was describing an object in a report, not a person he had physically restrained.