Looking Down the Barrel of a Brand New Day - COMPLETED

Four

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Jack

JURY VERDICT!!

We are rushing into the Courtroom.

Judge reading the verdict out loud...

On all the life-sentence rape charges: NOT GUILTY!!

But he is convicted on a lesser charge.

Ceci

All right! That's pretty great, right?

Jack

Yeah! It was a no-offer case. Meaning the District Attorney gave us two choices: (1) Plead guilty to everything and go to prison for life, or (2) go to trial. We went to trial and the verdict beats the shit out of going to prison for life. Yeah, it's a win.

BUT, although he is now probation eligible, the Judge could still impose a life sentence to prison on the lesser conviction. He will be registered as a sex offender. Normal life is over.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

So, now I'm sitting in a greasy spoon restaurant. Tea. Eggs. Potatoes.

Recovery.

Ceci

Ok, yeah that sucks. How long are you on that sex offender list?

Jack

Sex offender registration is for life. 20 years after his sentence is complete, he can ask for permission to de-register.

Ceci

How was the girl in all this? I mean she wasn't blacked out when it happened.

Jack

She said she and her family are heavy drinkers and proud of it. Said she was conscious, but that she had no memory of sex with him, and no memory of the four others she was making out with that night.

Ceci

4 followed??

Jack

Yeah, an independent eye-witness testified the victim made out with 4 guys after our guy.

Ceci

What?

Jack

But that was not the danger. The danger was the close up photos of anal injuries.

Ceci

oh God.

Jack

Right.

So, they admitted photos of anal injuries on day 3.

And even though the DA's forensic expert, our forensic expert, and the police detective all testified that the injuries were consistent with both consensual and non-consensual anal sex, I could feel the jury slipping away.

"It's in the air, it's everywhere. Oooh baby I'm losing you" -The Temptations.

Do you know the tune? That feel?

Ceci

Of course.

Jack