Rory requested permission to play a short portion of the lobby recording. Warren's attorney objected to statements he regarded as prejudicial and irrelevant to the acquisition, but the judge allowed the portions needed to establish the sequence of events and the reason for the manual override. On the courtroom speakers, Warren's voice sounded much closer than it had in the spacious lobby. He was heard ordering Benjamin to override the access, dismissing Therese's verification, and declaring that a person like Daniel belonged with a mop or a serving tray.
The recording continued through the crack of the badge. People in the gallery shifted as the plastic snapped, and the court reporter paused for a fraction of a second before resuming. Warren stared down at the table in front of him, hearing the same words that had once made him feel powerful return through a speaker he could not interrupt. The man from the contracting office moved his chair closer to the aisle and took notes.
"That was not necessary to determine the validity of a credential," Judge Halloran said. She looked at Warren's lawyer. "Counsel, the court is concerned that the petition relied on a characterization contradicted by contemporaneous records. I will hear your witnesses before deciding the motion."
Benjamin Lindor was called first. He walked to the stand in a dark suit that seemed uncomfortable without his usual security badge, took the oath, and sat with both hands on his knees. Rory asked him to describe his job, the access verification process, and his actions on Tuesday morning. He answered quietly, forcing himself to be exact even when the words made his own conduct look bad.
"The credential was valid when Ms. Moreau scanned it," he said. "Mr. Ashdown told me to override the desk. I did. The red denial appeared because of what I entered, not because the badge was a fake."
"Did Mr. Carter threaten anyone?"
"No. He asked us to verify the badge again. He gave me his phone and briefcase after I was told to take them. He said he did not consent to a search."
"Why did you follow the order?"
Benjamin looked toward Warren, then back to Rory. "Because he was my boss, and I was afraid of losing my job. That's the reason. It isn't an excuse."
Warren's lawyer questioned him about security discretion. Benjamin acknowledged that trained personnel sometimes had to act on incomplete information, but he repeated that no specific threat, forged credential, or unauthorized entry had been identified. He confirmed that Warren gave the orders in public and that Therese had accurately described the scanner results. When asked whether he now wished he had responded differently, Benjamin's answer was nearly inaudible.
"Every day since Tuesday," he said.
Rory then asked about the P flag. Judge Halloran reminded counsel that the hearing was not a complete proceeding about discriminatory employment or procurement practices, but allowed limited questions because the alleged screening policy was relevant to the reasons Warren claimed to have restricted Daniel's access. Benjamin explained that P flags appeared beside certain visitors in the tablet system and usually triggered more demanding checks. The categories did not correspond to documented individual threats.
"Who tended to receive them?" Rory asked.
Benjamin's throat moved. "Black men, Latino men, women wearing head wraps, foreign-born engineers. People whose names or appearances were different from what Mr. Ashdown expected to see."