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This chapter isn't edited. Sorry for any mistakes :(
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Chapter 6 ~ The Start of Court ~
After three week of sitting in a crummy little cell, you tend to get very agitated and annoyed quick. Mark left about a week ago. He said and I quote "I believe that you didn't do it. I know you'll get out free." I was glad I had him on my side. It didn't feel as lonely anymore. Logan came by a couple of times to go over plea bargain and what not. We also went over my statement a few times and now I was getting ready for for court. Apparently this wasn't going to be the first and only one.
Uh hum
I looked up and saw Logan. He was holding a dress. My dress for court I'm guessing. "This is for you to wear." He handed me.. I took it and looked at it. It was white that ended probably at the knee. There was a thick black line going down the middle and another black line going across the waist. It was ruffled a bit at the bottom and a bit of black on the ends. I nodded in approval towards Logan. At least if I was going down, I was going down stylish. "Grace picked it out." A smile spread across my face. I was glad she was my friend.
"Where do I get changed?" There was no way I was getting dressed in the cell. The cell next to where Mark was,there were about five drunk guys. I shivered in disgust. Seeming to read my thoughts, Logan chuckled.
"Don't worry, there's a bathroom. Oh and Grace will be there to help you with your make up and your shoes are there." I had to suppress the urge to giggle at how uncomfortable he looked right now. Grace has had a long term crush on Logan. It was quite funny at times. Getting back to reality, Logan gestured for me move out of the cell. I walked out waited for the cuffs to be put back on me but nothing got put on me. I turned to Logan confused but he just shook his head. He walked in front of me so I just followed him. I did notice that Joe was walking pretty close to me. I shrugged it off and kept focus. Instead of turning left to go into the hall, we went right. I feels like years since I've been out so I was taking in everything. We were in a small hallway but this was like the reception area. I walked over to the door with the Female on it. I walk in the bathroom a nearly got knocked off my feet. I heard someone squealing as well. I looked down to see Grace. I laughed and hugged her back.
"OMG! t feels like ages scince I've seen you. I picked out the dress, I hope you like it. O! and the shoes! I'll also do your make up." I was grateful she was here. Even though she's crazy, it can be refreshing. I walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you Grace. I don't know what i'd do without you." She squeezed back and turned around to get my stuff ready.
~~~
About twenty minutes later I was finished. I cleaned up and put the dress on. The shoes were black high heels. I wasn't wearing too much make up. Just a little black eye liner with some eyeshadow and some lip gloss. In that time Grace was telling me what i'd missed on the out side world. I walked out with Grace and saw that Logan was gone so I went over to the policeman. I turned back to Grace and gave her a hug.
"I'll see ya later." She said and I nodded. She turned and walked out of the police station. I was jealous of that. If I tried that, I would most likely get tasered. I looked back to Joe who was looking very grim.
"Your lawyer is already on his way to the court room. You'll be escorted there in a police cruiser." I nodded so he knew I understood. I turned around waiting for the handcuffs. I felt them tighten around my wrist. Joe grabbed my arm and lead me to a door which wasn;t the front.
"Um where are we going?" I asked confused.I looked around a saw that we were in a hallway once again.
"Out back so we don't have to go through the press." He said nonchalantly. I sighed relieved.We walked out a door and walked into a car park. There were a few police cruiser and some other cars as well. Joe pulled me towards one of the cruisers and opened the back door. I got in without difficulties.
It took about ten minutes to get to the court house. The drive was awkwardly silent. Joe got out of the car and open my door. I got out and started to follow Joe. I've never been in here before and I planned in that to stay the same. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. Joe opened the main door open that held the room, that would seal my fate. I took a deep breath a walked over to Logan. There wasn't many people here yet. Most of them were on the opposite side to me so I tried to ignore them.
In about five minutes a lot people were starting to come in. I'm guessing that it's going to start soon. I looked around nervous. Sitting in the seats behind me were my family, some friends, Mr and Mrs Bentley, and a couple of other people. There were more people on my side than I thought there would be. Unfortunately there were more people on the opposite side. I didn't know most of them. I'm guessing there just random people who are here to see the wrong person get put in prison. Shaking my head out of those thoughts I turned back to Logan. He looked deep in thought so I left him like that.Every thing was pretty quite except you can hear the yelling of the press outside. No joke, that's how loud they were. A door next to the Judges table open and closed. The judged walked up to his table.
"Everybody rise." Siad the police office next to the stand. When the Judge was seated everyone else sat.
"This is case number 84C01-0703-JD-00569, in the matter of Aletheia Harris. Present in the court room is the defendant and her attorney and the prosecutor. Jury of this court room, today you willl be presented with the evidence of the murder. The defendant will be questioned , along with witnesses that were there that night. How does the defendant plea?" Logan stood up and answered.
"Not guilty your honour," Still standing he was shuffling through some papers on the desk.
"Please continue." With that Logan started to plea my case. After a while witnesses were coming up to the stand. The door opened behind me and everyone looked back except me. I didn't really want to know who it was.
"Please lift your right hand and place your left on the bible." She did as she was told. "Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god."
"I do." She sounded a bit nervous. It was Bridget Morell. We're in the same circle at school.
"Please procced to the stand." She was fairly short with blond curls. She had green eyes and over all looked like a little doll. She was nice too, I just hoped that It would help me.
"State your name for the record, please." the prosecutor said. He was slim build, dark brown hair and had a look on his face that made me scared.
"Bridget Morell." She looked really scared. I know that it would be intimidating being there but this is ridiculous.
"Where were you on the night of Jason Bentley's death?"
"P-phil S-stephans house." She stammered out.
And what were you doing there?"
"He had a party there after the social." The prosecutor nodded in acknowledgement and continued with the questions.
Do you know the defendent and if so how?"
"We go to school together. We're in the same group of friends." You could visible gulp. Something was up with her. The prosecutor went on and on with the questions. He asked some about the party and some about Jason and I. It turns out that she was the girl that screamed. After her went Stacy. She was a lot more stable. She had more information about that night, about me, then Bridget. There were a few more witnesses after her, Some of Jason's friends, random kids at school and the one that got me was Vince. His story was like everyone else's but he kept emphasizing that I didn't do it. God I loved that boy, I thank anything holy above that they gave me him as my brother.
"Aletheia Harris to the stand." The Judge said. I stood up and walked over to the bailiff.
"Hold your right hand up and place your left hand on the bible." I did as many witnesses did, I did what he said. "I you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but truth so help ou god?"
"I do." I felt nervous walking up to the stand. The Jury will be deciding my fate and by the looks on there faces, it wasn't good.Both Logan and the prosecutor asked questions and again they were basically the same as the others. It was the person questions that got me pissed off. Logan said he might try with that approach. I breathed in and out slowly and didn't go off at him once, which I'm very proud of. I got asked to sit back down so the Jury could process everything they had been presented with today. All in all no one said anything very incriminating against me but I didn't dare get my hopes you. Everyone went quite when the Judges voice boomed across the court room.
"This court room is now in recces. We'll be back in session in three hours." He brought down his hammar and stood up to leave. When he left I stood up and steached, I was allowed to stay only with a policeman here with me.
~~~
In the three hours I was talking to Logan about the case. He though we had a pretty good chance with this. i talked a bit to my family and Mr and Mrs Bentley. When the judges came back so did the tension.
About half an hour later the Jury returned. Once they were all seated the Judged Continued.
"What has the Jury decided?"
"Your honour we have come to a bit of a cross road. The Jury is hung, we can't reach a decision." Some relief flood me but I was still anxious.Everything was quite for a moment when the Judge was deciding what to do.
"Take your time with deciding. In the mean time you need to find some evidence about what happened when the defendant blacked out. The defendant will be placed at a juvenile detention centre for the time being. Case dismissed." He banged the hammer and left the court room.
Well at least I have a little time left before the final decision,