Van Schuyler IV's Reason

The reason why Longfellow Darke has an enemy.

He was alone, but not lonely. He never wanted to be among the members of society his station in life, thanks to his family’s generational wealth, provided for him. No, he chose to be alone, not mingling in the circles in which his siblings and cousins did. Philip Stuyvetsen Van Schuyler IV should have been a business leader in the Capital District of New York state, but he chose a different path.

“Lawyers,” the teenager whispered. “Always the lawyers screwing me up.” He turned to his associate; a man hired by the Van Schuyler family to watch over the 16-year-old and prevent him from doing what caused him to be in front of the judge.

The man, Florian “Flo” Jarzinski, was tall and built like a linebacker, leaned in, and answered, “Sir, your grandfather had told you to leave things alone, that he would get me and others to take care of it.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Philip began. His attorney, from a firm nearly as old as the Van Schuyler had been rich, was a well-paid, Harvard educated with a law degree from Georgetown, a man who summer clerked for two Supreme Court justices, was at the judge’s bench arguing in a sidebar that the teen should NOT be charged as an adult, since what he did was merely a prank that got out of hand. “Let him do his job.”

“No!” The word was louder than had been meant and everyone in the courtroom heard him. He didn’t look around to confirm that everyone’s attention was on him.

“Please,” Flo began. The judge silenced the bodyguard.

“Mr. Van Schuyler, one more outburst like that, and I will have you fined for contempt.”

Before the younger Van Schuyler could speak and make his father and mother more disappointed, his attorney turned and motioned for him to be quiet.

An hour later, the judgement came. “The only reason why you’re not being taken to state prison is because of your family’s stature hear in Albany, and a well-argued defense by your attorney.” The judge didn’t hold back his facial expression show of contempt. “If I could sentence you to 3-5 years in Coxsackie and try to forget this entire affair, but as it is, you’re just 16, and I am bound by the law to sentence you as a juvenile.” He looked at the smug, spoiled boy and tried to burn a hole in his soul. With a sigh, “I can only send you home with your parents and fine them $1500.” He slammed his gavel hard, sending pieces of it flying back into his glasses.

Philip Van Schuyler IV shook his attorney’s hand and turned to the teen who sent him to court. Pedro Angel Marquez was a scholarship student at the Academy, a second-generation Mexican American who qualified for one of the few grants to matriculate at AA. He was an above average student who starred on the soccer pitch, which upset Van Schuyler, the younger.

“It was just a prank.” And “He really didn’t mean it.” But the soccer player knew better. The physical attack had followed a week of mental abuse. It landed Marquez in the hospital for a night. When he returned to school the following morning Van Schuyler, already contemptuous of him, never apologized and whispered things to his friends that caused them to look down at the shorter athlete and giggle.

To him, it was not a prank. It was malicious and Van Schuyler intended to hurt him. No, a fine will do nothing.