Final justice - W.E.B. Griffin [198]
Bernhardt stood up.
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Mr. Daniels--" Judge James said, and interrupted himself to say, "would you please rise, sir?"
Homer C. Daniels stood up.
"Have you any problems with Mr. Bernhardt serving as your counsel?"
"No, sir."
"Are you aware of the nature and specifics of all the charges being brought against you in Pennsylvania?"
"Yes, sir."
"And has Mr. Bernhardt explained that, should you desire, you have the right in the law to ask for an extradition hearing, at which you may offer evidence as to why you should not be returned to Philadelphia to face any and all charges laid against you there?"
"Yes, sir."
"And having been made aware of your rights in the law in this matter, you wish to waive same, which means that sometime within the next ten days, your person will be turned over to appropriate Pennsylvania law enforcement officers, who will then return you to Pennsylvania, there to face whatever charges have been laid against you."
"Yes, sir."
"This court is satisfied that Mr. Daniels is aware of his rights in this matter, and is voluntarily waiving same," Judge James said, and made a gesture which Steve Cohen correctly interpreted to mean that he could now place the appropriate documents before Mr. Daniels.
He walked to Daniels's table, laid a bound legal folder before Daniels, and handed him his pen. Daniels quickly scrawled his signature on them.
"May I approach the bench, Your Honor?" Cohen asked.
Judge James waved him to the bench. Cohen handed him the legal folder. James looked at it for a moment, then signed it.
"You understand, Mr. Cohen, that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must take Mr. Daniels into custody within ten days?"
"Your Honor, Sergeant Matthew Payne, of the Homicide Unit of the Philadelphia police department--and other Philadelphia police officers--are present in this court, and prepared to take custody of Mr. Daniels within the time prescribed. "
"Then that would seem to conclude this matter," Judge James said, and stood up.
"All rise!" the man in the two-tone brown uniform ordered.
Everyone stood up.
Judge James left the courtroom.
Sergeant Kenny began to place Daniels in the prisoner restraint system. When he was finished, Kenny and the state trooper led him shuffling back through the satellite courthouse and put him back in the rear seat of the Daphne police car.
Then the convoy left the satellite courthouse complex, went back to U.S. Highway 98, and turned left onto it. Three miles farther along, it turned left onto a two-lane macadam road, and half a mile down that turned into the Fairhope Municipal Airport.
There the convoy drove onto the parking tarmac and up to a Cessna Citation. There was an almost identical Citation on the ramp, and half a dozen other business aircraft.
Mickey O'Hara jumped out of the Lincoln and ran up the line of cars to be in place when Daniels was taken from the Daphne police car.
He was there in plenty of time to see the little ceremony.
The attorney general of Alabama got out of one black Mercury and walked toward the Daphne car holding Daniels. The driver and the state troopers moved quickly to stand behind him.
Steve Cohen walked up to the car. He had ridden with O'Hara in the Lincoln. Matt Payne and Joe D'Amata took up positions behind him. Chief Yancey, several of his officers, and Detectives Martinez and McFadden stood to one side.
At a nod from the man in civilian clothing, one of the state troopers opened the door of the police car and helped first Sergeant Kenny and then Mr. Daniels out.
"Mr. Daniels," the man said. "I'm Baxley Williams, Attorney General of the State of Alabama. And this is Sergeant Matthew Payne, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer, who has a warrant for your arrest."
Daniels did not reply.
Williams turned to Matt.
"You may now take custody of the prisoner."
Matt put his hand on Daniels's arm. Sergeant Kenny took his hand off.
Cohen signaled D'Amata with a finger. D'Amata took handcuffs from his belt, went to Daniels, and put them on him.
"Sergeant