My Amish Love

Fight

"Are you ready for your final arguments?" The judge asked.

"Yes, your honor." My attorney said.

"Yes, your honor."

My attorney stood up and faced the jury.

"Your honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: We are here to prove facts, and I feel that I proved, the defendant, Jason Knight, is guilty of assault against my client, Casey Driver. There is no doubt that Mr. Knight is and was an abusive man. We have video proof, textual evidence, and audio proof that the defendant made multiple attempts to hurt my client. The defendant's case against Ms. Driver states that she wants him to lose everything, but if that were the case, she could have filed for a restraining order long before Paradise Falls. Not only that, but my client has not asked for any money from Mr. Knight. My client wanted to go about this as simple as possible and Mr. Knight would not let her do so. Think about if this was your son or daughter. Would you want their attacker on the streets, hurting the next poor boy or girl that comes along? You must, with all of the evidence provided and the lack of evidence that the defendant provided, find Mr. Knight guilty."

Was my attorney's closing statement enough for Jason to be put away for a while? I wasn't sure, but I'd have the answer before the day was over. Jason's attorney stood up to make his final argument. As he stood up and looked at me, a smirk formed on his lips and he winked at me. He was such a cocky man. If he did win the case, I wouldn't be surprised. If I did something wrong, I'd want that man as my attorney.

"Your honor, ladies, and gentlemen of the jury: Jason Knight was an unlucky man. He put all of his trust into men and women who wanted nothing but money from him. My client did in fact choke Ms. Driver, but it was because she was trespassing on his property, a nice apartment that he did in fact have a key to. Ms. Driver also knew that my client always had access to her via iPhone. I suggest that you blame the common denominator in this case: Casey Driver. She was conspiring against my client the entire time and set him up for failure. Mr. Knight is an honest man who is just trying to provide for his entire family, who do in fact, depend on him. The allegations against my client are clearly out of spite. The prosecutor is supposed to prove every part of his case without reasonable doubt. However, he could not prove that Ms. Driver wasn't simply a broke girl from Inglewood looking for a way out of poverty. The prosecution has every motive in the world to testify against my client. There are holes, in this case, therefore you must find Mr. Knight not guilty on any charges."

I couldn't deny how powerful those closing statements were. I was nearly convinced of Jason's innocence.

All that was left to do now was wait. I couldn't move until I knew the verdict that the jury had reached. Daniel reached out and rubbed my shoulder, I placed my hand on top of his. Just feeling his touch was enough for me to feel better. Minutes felt like hours as the jury deliberated. As each minute ticked by, I had a little less hope. How could they still be thinking? I looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it had only been forty minutes, but it felt like seven hours.

"Baby, it's okay," Daniel whispered in my ear. "Everything will be fine, regardless of the outcome, we'll be okay."

"Did you bring my speech to the press outside?"

"I have the speech in my pocket, Case."

The judge and the jury passed through the doors and I sat up in my seat. I squeezed my attorney's hand with all of my might. All of this was about to be over. I was excited and nervous all at once. If I lose, I won't cry. I'll be okay.

"Will the jury please stand?" The judge asked.

The jury stood up and I held my breath.

"Has the jury reached a unanimous decision?"

"Yes, we have, your honor."

The clerked moved towards the jury and grabbed a piece of paper from the foreperson. As he handed the piece of paper to the judge, I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer. After a few seconds of praying, I opened my eyes and saw the judge handing the paper back to the clerk.

"The jury finds," the clerk began to say and I sat on the edge of my chair, "the defendant, Jason Knight, guilty."

Did he just say guilty?

Cheers erupted around me. I couldn't move, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. Slowly turning my head to the right, Jason had blank look on his face. There was no regret or remorse on his face. Jason was sentenced to one year in jail and two years of probation. It wasn't much, but it was something. I hugged my attorney as tightly as I could. Finally, it was over. I fought hard for this. There were so many restless, teary nights because of Jason, but not anymore. I was about to start living again.

Tears flooded my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I was breathing for the first time in months. Daniel took my hand as we walked out of the courtroom. Tiffany, Mac, Adelaide, and Flynn were all walking behind me as I left the courthouse. As soon as we hit the steps, cameras and questions were coming from everywhere.

"Miss Driver!" One woman said as she shoved something towards my face.

"Yes?"

"How did it feel when the verdict was out? Were you sitting on the edge of your seat?"

Daniel handed me a piece of paper and on the outside of it, it said 'Congrats Winner.' I smiled down at the paper and realized that I did need it. Daniel believing in me made the words I needed to say come naturally. I was going to speak from my heart, just like Daniel knew I would.

"All I felt was a relief." I said. "This is for everyone who believed me. Officer Karen, who convinced me to testify. My best friends for helping me along the way. Daniel, the love of my life and my rock, and lastly, God. None of this would have been possible without any of you guys and I'm so appreciative. I didn't know what the outcome would be, but I knew that there were people who believed me and cared about me. To all of the people watching today, never stop fighting. I don't have anything else to say other than thank you all. I'm really speechless."

*  *  *   *  *  *

As I sat in Daniel's lap, he tugged on my curls. I was so ready to start my new life.

"You never wrote a real speech for me?" I asked him.

"Nope. I knew you didn't need it." He smiled.

"Really?"

"Really. Anyone could see that you were telling the truth, Case. There was never a doubt in my mind that you would win."

"You're too good to me."

"After everything you went through to be with me, I owe you the world."

"I love you," I said as I kissed him.