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Thursday, the 22nd.
The day she'd been dreading had soon arrived and she couldn't halt the nervousness ebbing into her bones.
Grey covered the floors and pine wood dressed more than half of the beige walls, tables and pews. She could hear it. She was sure the entire courtroom could hear it, the soft click of her Marc Jacob heels against the pinewood floors. Terrence Gresham sat mute by her left, hands interlinked, resting tensed on the table. He hadn't once asked about his case, hadn't once peeked through the body of papers Christina had stacked between them, it was almost like he'd trusted her or he'd completely lost faith.
She knew what was coming. It wasn't her first criminal case, and neither was it going to be her last. She knew why she and the residue of the courtroom sat in an uncomfortable silence, palms damp, and the hairs at the back of their head standing on end. They were patiently awaiting the judge.
There was a cough, loud, echoing against the room. It was accompanied by the screeching of chairs. A door was thrown open, eyes trailed the black robe as it strode elegantly to the front of the room. "All rise for the honorable judge Sandra Parker!" A voice chimed. Christina as well as the courtroom had risen to their feet, she could bet neither felt the twitch in a muscle at the corner of her right eye, or the rigid grimace that formed on her HoneyLove lips. Neither felt the gradual exploding pains in her bones, silent grenades.
Sandra Parker was quick, dropping to her seat, her gavel clicking against the pinewood table. She didn't glimpse at the court, but rather fixed her eyes and busy fingers on the papers before her, her brief. "Court is in session, please settle down." Her eyes rose, they were a brilliant brown above a slight frown. There was silence as one by one, people dropped back to their seats."At this time, the court calls the people of the state of Manhattan V Terrence Edwin Gresham, case number 23C0357. Will the parties please state their appearances for the record."
Harper rose to her feet, features blank as a whiteboard. "Good Morning your honor, Harper Berkeley representing the people of the state of Manhattan. I'm the District Attorney of the New York County. Assisting me is Peter White, assistant District Attorney, also of the New York County."
"Welcome." Sandra Parker flashed a smile, small enough to go unnoticed in the packed courtroom.
"Thank you." Harper mumbled a reply, sitting. Christina rose, she couldn't deny the slight hurricane of thoughts erupting within her, or the the dull ache, as if some lazy torturer dawdled underneath the table, only applying enough pressure to be an annoyance. It throbbed, just the sides of her right foot toward her toes in her one-size too small Marc Jacob heels, a hasty online decision driven by her anxious need to feel confident in her case. There were eyes, tired eyes, angry eyes of the jury, a jury Christina had to believe were of Terrence Gresham's peers.
"Good morning your honor, Christina Gresham, council for the defense, and with me is Terrence Edwin Gresham." She finished. Christina knew little and next to nothing about the judge presiding over her fathers case. She was weak-kneed, not that she'd made it known. She along with the court cast a lingering glance at the woman whose decision at the conclusion of the case would determine Terrence Gresham's freedom. Terrence hadn't killed Lawrence, they were friends, unknown to others, but they were close and Christina was determined to have the sitting jury see that in him, that not only is he a sweet old man, but a father as well.
"Welcome." Christina smiled sitting.
"Thank you."
"Good morning jurors, the court has already called the case between The People v Terrence Edwin Gresham, case number 23C0357. Now in a moment, I'm going to be reading to you some opening instructions, but before then, I would request you all to rise so I can swear you in." Chairs screeched, the cough echoed once more and the jury had risen from their sleepy chairs.
"It is the duty of the jury to scrutinize and weigh the testimony of witnesses and evidences as a whole. You will be the sole judges of the credibility of the witnesses, it will be up to you to determine the weight of their testimony. You are invited to consider several factors in weighing their testimonies; this could be the interest of the witness, conduct and even the clarity of their recollections." There was a pause, one that hung like an approaching storm. "The defendant is charged with counts one through four of first degree felony murder under section 125 of the New York Penal Code." The pause still walked like a spectator to Terrence Gresham's case. "Now to prove the defendant is guilty of first degree murder, The People must prove several facts, beginning with the defendants performance of the act that caused the murder of Lawrence Malcom Harrington, as well as proving whether that act was a felony. The People can also decide to prove whether the defendant made use of a perpetrator to carry out the action that lead to the death of Mr. Harrington." Sandra Parker didn't seem interested in the constant shuffling in Christina's seat. Since the learned judge had stepped into the court room, the underrated defense attorney had altered her sitting position from crossing to uncrossing her legs underneath her table. "Members of the jury, at this time we're going to hear the opening statement from the state, Miss Berkeley, are you prepared?"
"Yes your honor." Harper muttered rising to her feet, a single hand running down the hem of her black pencil dress.
With fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her damp palms, Christina couldn't say she'd ever felt like the life of her only other family member was undeniably in her trembling hands.
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YOU ARE READING
To New York's Attorney | Completed
Mystery / Thriller"Was his DNA on the weapon?" Silence. "It's his gun right? He'd pulled the trigger right? Was Terrence Gresham's DNA on the weapon?" He ran a hand through his chestnut hair. "Maybe you're right, maybe we shouldn't think about Monday, but remember o...
