"I followed standard procedure."
Marcus returned to his evidence table and lifted another folder. "Officer Williams, over the past three years, how many arrests have you made in connection with crimes reported by Jimmy Davis?"
District Attorney Richardson rose immediately. "Objection. Relevance."
"Your Honor, this evidence concerns the witness's pattern of conduct and credibility," Marcus replied.
Judge Morrison studied him for a moment. "I'll allow it, but make your point quickly, Mr. Williams."
Marcus opened the folder with deliberate care. "Fifteen arrests, Officer Williams. Fifteen young Black men, all between the ages of sixteen and twenty, all arrested within two blocks of Mr. Davis's store. Is that correct?"
"I patrol that area regularly," Officer Williams said. "It's a high-crime neighborhood."
"And in how many of those fifteen cases did you use identical language in your reports?"
Officer Williams's jaw tightened. "I don't understand the question."
Marcus handed copies of the reports to the clerk and asked that they be distributed to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen, you will see that the suspect descriptions, witness statements, and sequence of events are virtually identical across twelve different cases spanning three years. Entire paragraphs were copied and pasted. Only the names and dates changed."
The jurors compared the pages. Their expressions shifted from curiosity to alarm as they recognized the repeated wording.
Marcus turned back to the witness. "Did you actually investigate these crimes, Officer Williams, or did you fill out a template with a different defendant's name each time?"