During Braks, Their Own Cases Could Be Called

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Laura says she often sat in court and observed her colleagues trials. It was common for the prosecutors to wait for braks in one another's cases. During those brakes, their own cases could be called. She was present for a trial where a young girl testified that she was sexually assaulted by her mother's boy friend who was now on trial. Laura remembers that at one point, the prosecutor on the case asked the girl why she was laughing. The girl apoo ized and said, i'm just really nervous. I'm sorry.

When Laura Coates decided to become a prosecutor in Washington, D.C., she was told that the job would be “human misery.” She says she remembers thinking, “If there's one person in the justice system who could do something about human misery, surely, it's the powerful prosecutor.” After four years, she quit.

Laura’s book is Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight For Fairness.

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