"Mr. Blackwell, you're under oath," Malik interrupted calmly. "These are your corporate inspection reports, signed by your own property manager, aren't they?"
"Yes. But—"
"So you knowingly rented an apartment with dangerous, uninhabitable conditions to my family, and then filed a fraudulent lawsuit for damages you knew we did not cause?"
The trap was perfect. Blackwell was caught between admitting fraud or committing perjury on the stand.
Malik wasn't finished. He presented evidence of Blackwell's systematic exploitation across multiple properties: insurance claims for tenant damage that matched pre-existing conditions, and cross-filed lawsuits against families who had already moved out.
"Your Honor," Malik said, turning to Judge Williams, his voice carrying the weight of absolute moral authority. "This isn't about one apartment or one family. This is about a predatory enterprise that has been systematically defrauding working families for years, using the court system as a weapon to legitimize theft."
Preston Blackwell was visibly shaking. His expensive lawyers sat in stunned silence, unable to respond to the overwhelming documentary evidence of their client's fraud.
"Mr. Blackwell," Malik continued, fixing his eyes on the landlord. "How many families have you sued using this exact same fraudulent scheme?"
Blackwell swallowed hard, looking at his lead attorney, who simply looked down at the table. "I... I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights."
The courtroom gasped. Preston Blackwell, one of the most powerful property owners in the county, was pleading the Fifth Amendment to avoid incriminating himself in front of a nine-year-old boy.