“My name is Sidney Saul Tritch,” he said. “I’m the hearing officer and I’m in charge of these proceedings. Now, can someone tell me why there are so many people in here? Who are all these people?”
“The media!” said Stokowski. He looked back at the crowd of reporters in a way I interpreted as threatening. The reporters responded by writing busily in their notebooks.
“And, frankly,” said Stokowski, “I think you’d be doing your duty if you asked all these journalists to bug off!”
Tritch stared silently at Stokowski.
“You think so, do you?” asked Tritch. “And who are you?”
“I’m with the NYPD,” said Stokowski. “I’m the chief of police. Now, can you get rid of these reporters, please?”
“Tell me, Chief,” said Tritch, “do you think because you’re chief of the NYPD that you’re also chief of the State Department, chief of this hearing and chief of me?”
“No,” said Stokowski.
“Then shut up!” said Tritch. “I’m in charge here and I’ll decide what’s my duty and what isn’t! I was just asking who they were. I didn’t say I wouldn’t allow the media to witness this hearing. As long as they’re quiet, they can stay here.”
Stokowski’s eyes were wide open and his face reminded me of a little boy I’d once seen, who had just realized his bicycle had been stolen. I guessed he was shocked and didn’t know what to say. Some of the media started to laugh and Stokowski’s face became red. I couldn’t be sure if he was angry or embarrassed.
Buckley leaned towards me and whispered into my ear.
“That’s lucky!” said Buckley. “It seems like the hearing officer doesn’t like Stokowski much. That should help us!”
I looked at Tritch and noticed he was frowning at Stokowski. Even with my poor ability to interpret emotion I knew that he hated the Chief. Tritch was writing something on a piece of paper, and I guessed he was writing something bad about Stokowski. My mood improved as I started to hope that maybe if Tritch hated Stokowski, he might like us and let me keep my license. I began to hope that we might win this case.
“Stokowski,” said Tritch, “you’re the one who is charging Mr. Trueman Bradley of making a ‘material misstatement’ on his application for a detective agency license, is that right?”
“Yeah,” said Stokowski. “And so, Mr. Trueman Bradley should have his license revoked and shouldn’t be allowed to do any kind of detective work because he’s mentally incompetent!”
“Shut up, you idiot!” shouted Nora.
The courtroom was filled with shocked gasps and some of the reporters began to laugh.
“Asperger’s isn’t a mental problem!” said Nora. “It’s not like he’s stupid! You’re just a prejudiced son of a…”
“Order!” said Tritch. “Be quiet!”
Buckley grabbed Nora’s shoulders and she stopped shouting. But I could recognize that she was still angry.
“Now,” said Tritch, “one more disturbance like that and I’ll have you kicked out of this hearing, understood?”
“Yes, sir,” said Nora.
“I hope everyone understands that,” said Tritch. “I don’t tolerate interruptions. Now, Chief Stokowski, I understand you are claiming Mr. Bradley lied on his application because he didn’t mention he has Asperger’s Syndrome, right?”
“Yeah,” said Stokowski. “He’s got a serious mental problem! So, he’s mentally incompetent and shouldn’t be a detective!”
“That’s for me to decide!” said Tritch. “I asked you a ‘yes or no’ question. I didn’t ask for your opinion. Now, that is the second time you tried to tell me what I should do. If you don’t behave, Chief Stokowski, I’ll dismiss your case and Mr. Trueman Bradley gets to keep his license, understood?”
Stokowski’s eyes widened again. This time, I couldn’t interpret his emotions. But I was amazed at how he had changed. His usual bossy, pushy way of speaking was replaced with a meek and gentle voice. He lowered his head and spoke softly.
“Yes, sir,” said Stokowski.
The reporters in the back began laughing.
“Quiet, now,” said Tritch.
Tritch took some papers out of his briefcase and examined them. He seemed to be getting ready for the hearing and organizing his thoughts. The courtroom was silent, except for the hushed conversations of the reporters in the back. Although they spoke quietly, I could hear parts of their conversation.
“Stokowski…” said a reporter, in a whisper.
Stokowski must have also been able to hear because he turned around and stared at the reporters.
“Stokowski’s prejudiced against Asperger’s…” said a reporter. “If we print that, the public will feel sorry for Trueman. Stokowski’s a bully and a jerk… everyone will hate him. This will make a good story.”
“What did you say?” asked Stokowski. “I’m a what?”
Stokowski stood up and seemed like he was about to go to the reporters and start beating them. Tritch also stood up. He crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at the Chief.
“Sit down!” shouted Tritch. “Honestly! You’re a chief? You act like a child! Now sit down or I’ll dismiss your case!”
Stokowski hastened to obey Tritch and I could interpret the fear on his face. I imagined he was afraid of Tritch’s threat that he would dismiss his charges against me and I would be allowed to keep my license. I started hoping that Stokowski would get angry again and do something else that Tritch didn’t like. Tritch would dismiss the charges and I could go home.
The reporters in the back were laughing.
“Ha-ha!” said a reporter. “Let’s make that a headline in the paper! ‘Hearing officer called Chief Stokowski a child!’”
I looked at Stokowski, hoping he would hear the reporters and get angry again, but he seemed to be ignoring them.
“Stokowski!” said Tritch.
Stokowski jumped and hastened to answer.
“Yes, sir?” asked Stokowski.
“Come up here and tell us why you think Mr. Trueman Bradley should not be a detective,” said Tritch. “And please, try not to do anything childish. This is not a kindergarten playground. It’s a State Department hearing. Try to act professionally.”
The reporters started laughing and Stokowski’s face became red. I could recognize his embarrassment. I was gratified to realize that not only did Tritch dislike Stokowski, it seemed the reporters didn’t like him either and were making fun of him. Stokowski stood up and walked towards the judge’s bench. He turned to face the crowd and coughed. His eyes had none of the confidence and arrogance they previously had. He looked like a shy schoolboy, forced to speak in front of his class.
“Mr. Trueman Bradley…” said Stokowski. “Mr. Bradley lied on his application form. When he applied to open a detective agency he didn’t mention he has Asperger’s Syndrome. Now, that’s a mental problem and so it’s a serious condition. The fact that he didn’t mention it qualifies as a ‘material misstatement.’ Meaning, he neglected to give important information on his form. Now, I do believe the punishment for making a ‘material misstatement’ on an application form is revocation of his agency license, is that right, Mr. Tritch?”
“Yes, that’s right,” said Tritch.
“Well then,” said Stokowski, “I think there’s no question about it. He should have his license revoked immediately.”
Sal stood up and spoke to the hearing officer.
“Can I ask the Chief some questions, Mr. Tritch?”
“Please don’t interrupt,” said Tritch.
“Yeah,” said Stokowski. “Shut up! In case you didn’t notice, I was talking! Now, will you let me finish, buddy?”
Tritch glared at Stokowski and I thought I could recognize annoyance on his face. Something about the way Stokowski spoke seemed to irritate Tritch.
“On second thoughts,” said Tritch, “go ahead and ask the Chief all the questions you want.”
“But, sir!” said Stokowski. “I’m not d
one talking!”
“Quiet!” said Tritch. “I’m in charge here, not you! How many times do I have to tell you that before you understand? You just think you’re the boss of everyone, don’t you? Now, you listen, Chief! I am not a fan of pushy people like you. Now, I’m going to try not to let that affect my decision, because it would be unprofessional to let my personal feelings decide this case. But let me just tell you that it’s not a good idea to make me hate you any more than I already do, understand?”
The reporters laughed and I felt like laughing too, because I thought that Stokowski had finally annoyed Tritch enough for him to dismiss the charges. I couldn’t recognize Stokowski’s emotions, but he seemed to shrink a few inches. Tritch looked at Stokowski with a stern look that seemed to paralyze him. But, despite his annoyance, Tritch didn’t dismiss the case.
“Go ahead and ask your questions,” said Tritch.
“Thank you, Mr. Tritch,” said Sal. “Now, Detective Stokowski. You said that Asperger’s Syndrome is a ‘mental problem’ and a ‘serious condition.’ Why do you say that? Do you have any proof of that or is it just your opinion?”
Stokowski didn’t answer immediately. When he did, his voice sounded very uncertain.
“Well…” said Stokowski. “He doesn’t think like you and me, does he? That means there’s something wrong with him.”
“Prejudice!” said a reporter.
All the reporters started writing in their notebooks and Stokowski looked at them nervously.
“No!” said Stokowski. “It’s not prejudice!”
“Then, where did you get that information?” asked Sal. “Why do you think Asperger’s is a serious mental problem?”
Stokowski was silent and sweat started to form on his forehead. He began to remind me of a deer I had once seen when driving with my granddad at night. It stood there, stunned by the headlights of our car and didn’t move.
“Answer the question,” said Tritch.
“I don’t know why I think that,” said Stokowski. “I don’t have an exact answer for that. But it isn’t discrimination.”
Tritch looked at Stokowski with a hard, merciless stare. He wrote something on a piece of paper.
“I’ll decide that,” said Tritch. “Now, is there someone present who can explain Asperger’s Syndrome to me? I admit I know very little about it. If someone can define it for me, I can decide for myself if the Chief, here, is guilty of discrimination. If you can prove to me that Asperger’s is not a disabling mental condition, then I’ll suggest that you file a complaint against Chief Stokowski in civil court. I’ll recommend he be charged with the violation of Mr. Trueman Bradley’s basic human rights.”
“What?” asked Stokowski.
“Yes, Chief,” said Tritch. “Discrimination against a person based on a non-disabling mental condition is a serious violation. I would think a police chief would know that.”
I could hear the reporters gasping and writing frantically in their notebooks. Stokowski’s face was even sweatier than before and I could easily recognize the shock on his face. He was so shocked, his face was becoming as white as a cloud.
“But, sir!” said Stokowski.
“I didn’t ask you to talk!” said Tritch. “Sit down!”
“But, sir!” said Stokowski. “You don’t understand…”
“Sit down!” shouted the reporters.
Stokowski retreated to his table and sat down. He was as white as a ghost and seemed like he was about to cry. I felt incredibly relieved. I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but I could tell by Stokowski’s face that we were winning.
Nora stood up and spoke to the hearing officer.
“Sir?” she asked. “If you will allow it, I’ve brought with me some notes explaining Asperger’s Syndrome.”
“You have?” asked Tritch. “Well, that’s perfect! Would you kindly stand up and read your notes for the court?”
“Yes, sir,” said Nora.
Nora walked towards the witness box, where witnesses usually sat during criminal trials. She sat in the box and adjusted the nearby microphone. She took some papers out of her coat and sat in silence, organizing them. The reporters sat on the edge of their seats, their pens positioned to write into their notebooks everything that Nora would say. I noticed Stokowski peeking at the reporters, as if afraid of their pens; afraid maybe they would write more negative things about him.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said Nora, “Asperger’s Syndrome is a condition related to autism. Autistic people have trouble relating to the world around them. They can become unaware of other people and their environment. Autism is considered to be a ‘disabling’ condition, because autistic people sometimes have trouble interacting with the outside world. But I grew up with a cousin who had Asperger’s Syndrome. So I know, from experience, that it is not quite the same as autism. As far as I know, there’s not a single medical or psychiatric organization that calls Asperger’s Syndrome a ‘disabling’ condition. That label came out of the Chief’s prejudiced mind! Anyone who has ever known a person with Asperger’s will tell you that they don’t have a ‘mental problem,’ they just think in a different way. They’re intelligent, sensitive people who just have a few problems communicating like the rest of us and who look at the world a little bit differently from the way we do. In fact, many people with autism are also intelligent, sensitive people and should not be discriminated against, just because they think or communicate differently. Thinking differently is no excuse for discriminating against someone! So, in spite of what the chief of police thinks, thinking differently isn’t a crime or disease. And he has no right to persecute Trueman because of it!”
The reporters applauded and voiced their agreement with Nora’s statement. Their applause grew loud, but Tritch did not seem to mind. He wrote on a piece of paper and smiled at Nora.
“Well said,” said Tritch. “I will need to verify some of that, but a firsthand account from someone who has a relative with Asperger’s is valuable, in my eyes. But, explain it a bit more, will you? If Asperger’s is not like autism, what are the symptoms of Asperger’s? Are they aware of other people?”
“Yes,” said Nora. “Trueman for example… I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. He’s very aware of other people and his environment. Maybe he phases out and ignores the world if life starts getting difficult, but we all do that, right?”
“I would say so,” said Tritch. “But please explain what problems he has. What are the symptoms of his Asperger’s?”
“Well…” said Nora, “he has some trouble understanding expressions and figures of speech. For instance, if you say you’re going to ‘nail a criminal’ he doesn’t understand what that means. Because he takes it literally, he thinks you’re talking about actual nails, like the kind you hit with hammers. It’s hard for him to understand that to ‘nail a criminal’ actually means to catch a criminal. Expressions like that make no logical sense, and his mind is logical. In fact, his mind is more logical than a normal person’s mind. So, he finds it hard to accept illogical expressions, even if he knows what they’re supposed to mean.”
“So, he’s more logical than a normal person?” asked Tritch, giving Chief Stokowski a disapproving look. “That’s what you call a ‘mental problem,’ Chief?” he asked. “Trueman’s more logical than most people and he should get his license revoked for that? Maybe if you were more logical, Chief, then you’d know how to behave in my court!”
The reporters laughed and Stokowski’s face turned red.
“Okay, quiet everyone,” said Tritch. “What other symptoms does Mr. Trueman Bradley have?”
“Well,” said Nora, “he is aware of people and he understands emotions. But he sometimes has a bit of trouble interpreting other people’s emotions. He can’t always look at someone’s face and instantly know what they’re feeling, the way most of us can. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings. He wants to love and be loved like the rest of us. He feels empathy and kindness and has feelin
gs. He’s a very sensitive man. He just doesn’t know how to express his emotions as well as we do. He doesn’t have the skills. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the desire. Trueman’s a good and kind man.”
“So, you’re saying he does empathize with people,” said Tritch. “This doesn’t sound like a disabling condition so far. Does he have a disorder classified as ‘disabling’?”
“No,” said Nora. “According to my notes, Asperger’s cannot be labeled as ‘disabling’ because its definition is too loose and a lot of people diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome are capable of living relatively normal lives. They may have a few problems learning to socialize like the rest of us, but that’s all. They’re smart, loving, kind people who are misunderstood.”
“And discriminated against,” said Tritch, staring at Stokowski. Stokowski hid his face behind his hands and sighed.
“In fact,” said Nora, “if you don’t mind, sir. I have some personal observations about people with Asperger’s. I’d like to share them with the court, if I may?”
“I don’t mind,” said Tritch. “Go ahead.”
“Well,” said Nora, “from my experience with my cousin and especially with Trueman… because they don’t understand the subtleties of social interaction, they also know nothing about the devious little games we ‘normal’ people play with each other. Trueman is honest, sincere. I can trust him with my whole heart. I never have to worry that he’s lying to me and playing some kind of subtle game with me. Because he isn’t even aware of those things. Like expressions, he doesn’t understand the subtleties of insincerity or social manipulation. They say sociopaths are dangerous because they know the subtleties of social interaction better than most people and they use this knowledge to use and exploit people. Well, it seems to me people with Asperger’s are the opposite of sociopaths. Trueman’s sensitive and kind and doesn’t even know how to be a jerk. All he asks is a little love and understanding and he’ll give you the world. He can’t be a jerk, because to be a jerk you need to be insincere and socially manipulative. I doubt Trueman could be those things, even if he wanted to be. Maybe it’s because of his Asperger’s that he’s like this. I don’t know. But I wish there were more men in the world like Trueman. If Asperger’s is what makes him like he is, then I wish all men had Asperger’s. Because this would be a safer and truer world.”