Gotham City Courthouse, Friday
Outside the Gotham City Courthouse was a media circus that day, but inside it was all structure and formality. Hayley sat next to her counsel, all dressed in the nicest, most innocent looking dress she'd ever worn. She wore simple make-up, trying to look pleasant and plain.
She rose when the Honorable Judge made his entrance, and sat when everyone else did.
Time for the trial of the century. Maybe not for the history books, but for Hayley it was.
Alex
Alex was scribbling idly on a legal pad, mostly to clear her own nerves. She leaned over to whisper some last words of advice to her client.
"Take deep breaths," she said. "It's okay to be nervous. Are you holding up all right?"
Hayley
"I just don't want them to think I'm scared," Hayley said. "Because only guilty people would be scared, right?"
It wasn't an answer to the question, no.
Alex
Alex smiled, gently. "Everyone's scared," she said. "Innocent people don't want to go to jail any more than guilty people do. The ones juries worry about are the ones that look smug."
Smug people looked like they thought they were about to get away with something. Juries didn't take kindly to that.
Hayley
"I don't look smug, right?" Hayley said. "I wasn't trying to look smug. I didn't even think about smugness."
Alex
"You're fine," Alex said, nodding reassuringly. "And if you have questions, you can hand me notes, here, and I'll answer. In fact, if you hear something that doesn't sound familiar, or doesn't make sense? Make a note of it. It might be a possible line of inquiry."
Hayley
"And I thought I was done with having to take notes when I graduated," Hayley joked, but she wasn't smiling. "I'll do what you say, ma'am. I trust you here, completely."
Alex
"Thank you," Alex said. "I can't promise anything, but I will do my best."
She hoped she could live up to the other girl's faith in her. It was intimidating, but it only strengthened her resolve.
Mr. Hill
The prosecution was led by a man in a strict suit and a slicked back haircut. His name was Mr. Hill, and he intended to put Hayley behind bars.
His opening statement was brief and to the point.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I put forth that you are about to see a series of pieces of evidence that link the defendant Miss Fitzpatrick to the murder of her mother, her father, and even her little brother. Miss Fitzpatrick, who was just last year arrested for cavorting in a warehouse dressed as a court jester in the company of Bianca Steeplechase, Gotham's worst public enemy. I will let the evidence and past of the defendant speak for itself, and I only ask that you all listen."
Alex
Alex had prepared her opening statement until she knew it cold. It shouldn't make her this nervous, to be on the other side of the courtroom again, but defense wasn't prosecution.
"Members of the jury," she said, nodding at them once. "The crime we're discussing today is a truly deplorable one. Someone murdered a couple and their young son. The police acted swiftly, arresting Miss Fitzpatrick and charging her with murder.
"I wish I could applaud their speed, the zest with which they acted. But I can't. The police in this case decided upon my client's guilt the moment they found those bodies. They refused to consider other suspects. Every piece of evidence, they have bent to fit this theory. Anything that doesn't fit can be tossed aside.
"And why? Simply because my client was once known to associate with a woman who also happened to be a dangerous criminal. Miss Fitzpatrick herself was never accused of a crime, much less convicted of one. She is a recent high school graduate who came home to Gotham City for psychiatric evaluation. She has been attending sessions with her therapist and living in a halfway house. She has been doing everything in her power to prove that she is a sane, competent member of society.
"All the evidence against my client -- all of it -- is circumstantial. The police are hoping that you don't look too closely at the seams, the way that the stray parts don't fit together at all. They're hoping that you convict my client simply on the basis of her once having poor taste in friends. The police have offered no motive for this crime, nor can they produce anyone who felt Miss Fitzpatrick was a danger to her family. The prosecution is hoping an easy conviction -- even if it's the wrong conviction -- will make the public feel less unsafe.
"My client makes an excellent scapegoat, if you aren't interested in the truth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a terrible crime has been committed. Please don't compound the tragedy by following this witch-hunt out to its horrifying end. Throughout this case, one thing should be increasingly clear to you: that my client is not guilty. Thank you."
Statement finished, Alex bowed her head once and went to sit by Hayley.
After the presentation of evidence, it was time for witnesses. First called to the stand was the Commissioner of the GCPD, Bruce Wayne. The prosecution asked him if the evidence found at the room of the accused met the description of what was used at the scene of the murder, which he confirmed. He also confirmed that the accused had been previously arrested but had charges against her dropped by his own actions.
Then, the prosecution surrendered the witness to the questions of the defense attorney.
Alex
"Commissioner Wayne." Alex nodded to the witness, reminding herself to treat him with deference. He was presumably a respected figure in this town; antagonizing him would count strongly against her client. "As the prosecution made clear, it was your decision not to press charges against my client. Could you explain to the jury why it is that you intervened?"
Bruce Wayne
"She was a kid," Bruce said. "She got caught up in something she didn't even understand. It was a traumatic event, not something that should have sent her to jail. And as I was the wronged party, I determined there was no need to prosecute and sought other means to see her properly taken care of."
Alex
"You made a judgment call," she said. "You assumed that the defendant wasn't criminally minded -- just, as you said, a 'kid' mixed up in a situation much bigger than herself."
She allowed that to sink in for a moment before asking, "Were those other means the psychiatric care Miss Fitzpatrick has been undergoing?"
Bruce Wayne
"I sent her off to a special school in Virginia," Bruce said. "It seemed a good alternative to prison or even community service. Not quite a reform school, but one that would suit her individual needs. The psychiatric evaluation she returned to Gotham for was a final assessment on her, per request of the Mayor's office."
Alex
"And my records show that she was staying in a halfway house," Alex noted. "So it's safe to say that my client was not considered to be a danger to herself or to anyone else, since she was given such free reign, is it not?"
Bruce
Bruce nodded in confirmation. "We had no reason to suspect otherwise. We hadn't received any reports to the contrary from the school."
Alex
"And how long was she attending this school?" Alex asked. "I presume that you asked to be informed of any disciplinary problems Miss Fitzpatrick underwent while enrolled, is that correct?"
Bruce
"She spent her entire senior year there," Commissioner Wayne said, taking a moment to look over at Hayley. The girl herself was staring up at the man, eyes wide. She knew that what he said would weigh heavily on the jury's minds.
"And there were no disciplinary problems."
Alex
"So Miss Fitzpatrick, having not been charged with a crime in this prior incident, was sent to a private school. She had no disciplinary problems during one full year of attendance, and returned home eager to comply with the terms of her psychiatric care."
Alex glanced at the jury, to give that a few moments to sink in properly.
"Commissioner Wayne," she said, "would I be correct in assuming that, at that point, you felt Miss Fitzpatrick's rehabilitation to be a success?"
"Objection, your honor!" Mr. Hill said. "Leading the witness!"
The judge looked over at Mr. Hill like he was an idiot. "I'll remind you, Mr. Hill, that you called this witness and as such she is welcome to do so. Objection overruled."
Bruce rubbed his face for a moment in thought, then nodded. "I did, yes."
Alex
Alex was absolutely not going to gloat. Judges didn't like it when lawyers gloated, just because they ruled in your favor. So she was going to turn away and clear her throat and compose herself.
She was also going to step carefully. No use pressing her luck.
"Thank you," she said, hoping the jury was listening closely. The well-respected police commissioner had believed her client to be rehabilitated.
Commissioners could be wrong, but it was certainly suggestive.
And now, to take the commissioner through the evidence. Looking for cracks of light where reasonable doubt might peek through.
There were more hours of examination of evidence, until after several long hours of legal manuevering they adjourned for the day. The judge believed in long days, and made sure they got as much done as possible. Tomorrow, they'd convene again.
[ooc: minor OCD coming up Openish, for those in Gotham. Preplayed with the amazing and super awesome glasses_justice.]
She rose when the Honorable Judge made his entrance, and sat when everyone else did.
Time for the trial of the century. Maybe not for the history books, but for Hayley it was.
Alex
Alex was scribbling idly on a legal pad, mostly to clear her own nerves. She leaned over to whisper some last words of advice to her client.
"Take deep breaths," she said. "It's okay to be nervous. Are you holding up all right?"
Hayley
"I just don't want them to think I'm scared," Hayley said. "Because only guilty people would be scared, right?"
It wasn't an answer to the question, no.
Alex
Alex smiled, gently. "Everyone's scared," she said. "Innocent people don't want to go to jail any more than guilty people do. The ones juries worry about are the ones that look smug."
Smug people looked like they thought they were about to get away with something. Juries didn't take kindly to that.
Hayley
"I don't look smug, right?" Hayley said. "I wasn't trying to look smug. I didn't even think about smugness."
Alex
"You're fine," Alex said, nodding reassuringly. "And if you have questions, you can hand me notes, here, and I'll answer. In fact, if you hear something that doesn't sound familiar, or doesn't make sense? Make a note of it. It might be a possible line of inquiry."
Hayley
"And I thought I was done with having to take notes when I graduated," Hayley joked, but she wasn't smiling. "I'll do what you say, ma'am. I trust you here, completely."
Alex
"Thank you," Alex said. "I can't promise anything, but I will do my best."
She hoped she could live up to the other girl's faith in her. It was intimidating, but it only strengthened her resolve.
Mr. Hill
The prosecution was led by a man in a strict suit and a slicked back haircut. His name was Mr. Hill, and he intended to put Hayley behind bars.
His opening statement was brief and to the point.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I put forth that you are about to see a series of pieces of evidence that link the defendant Miss Fitzpatrick to the murder of her mother, her father, and even her little brother. Miss Fitzpatrick, who was just last year arrested for cavorting in a warehouse dressed as a court jester in the company of Bianca Steeplechase, Gotham's worst public enemy. I will let the evidence and past of the defendant speak for itself, and I only ask that you all listen."
Alex
Alex had prepared her opening statement until she knew it cold. It shouldn't make her this nervous, to be on the other side of the courtroom again, but defense wasn't prosecution.
"Members of the jury," she said, nodding at them once. "The crime we're discussing today is a truly deplorable one. Someone murdered a couple and their young son. The police acted swiftly, arresting Miss Fitzpatrick and charging her with murder.
"I wish I could applaud their speed, the zest with which they acted. But I can't. The police in this case decided upon my client's guilt the moment they found those bodies. They refused to consider other suspects. Every piece of evidence, they have bent to fit this theory. Anything that doesn't fit can be tossed aside.
"And why? Simply because my client was once known to associate with a woman who also happened to be a dangerous criminal. Miss Fitzpatrick herself was never accused of a crime, much less convicted of one. She is a recent high school graduate who came home to Gotham City for psychiatric evaluation. She has been attending sessions with her therapist and living in a halfway house. She has been doing everything in her power to prove that she is a sane, competent member of society.
"All the evidence against my client -- all of it -- is circumstantial. The police are hoping that you don't look too closely at the seams, the way that the stray parts don't fit together at all. They're hoping that you convict my client simply on the basis of her once having poor taste in friends. The police have offered no motive for this crime, nor can they produce anyone who felt Miss Fitzpatrick was a danger to her family. The prosecution is hoping an easy conviction -- even if it's the wrong conviction -- will make the public feel less unsafe.
"My client makes an excellent scapegoat, if you aren't interested in the truth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a terrible crime has been committed. Please don't compound the tragedy by following this witch-hunt out to its horrifying end. Throughout this case, one thing should be increasingly clear to you: that my client is not guilty. Thank you."
Statement finished, Alex bowed her head once and went to sit by Hayley.
After the presentation of evidence, it was time for witnesses. First called to the stand was the Commissioner of the GCPD, Bruce Wayne. The prosecution asked him if the evidence found at the room of the accused met the description of what was used at the scene of the murder, which he confirmed. He also confirmed that the accused had been previously arrested but had charges against her dropped by his own actions.
Then, the prosecution surrendered the witness to the questions of the defense attorney.
Alex
"Commissioner Wayne." Alex nodded to the witness, reminding herself to treat him with deference. He was presumably a respected figure in this town; antagonizing him would count strongly against her client. "As the prosecution made clear, it was your decision not to press charges against my client. Could you explain to the jury why it is that you intervened?"
Bruce Wayne
"She was a kid," Bruce said. "She got caught up in something she didn't even understand. It was a traumatic event, not something that should have sent her to jail. And as I was the wronged party, I determined there was no need to prosecute and sought other means to see her properly taken care of."
Alex
"You made a judgment call," she said. "You assumed that the defendant wasn't criminally minded -- just, as you said, a 'kid' mixed up in a situation much bigger than herself."
She allowed that to sink in for a moment before asking, "Were those other means the psychiatric care Miss Fitzpatrick has been undergoing?"
Bruce Wayne
"I sent her off to a special school in Virginia," Bruce said. "It seemed a good alternative to prison or even community service. Not quite a reform school, but one that would suit her individual needs. The psychiatric evaluation she returned to Gotham for was a final assessment on her, per request of the Mayor's office."
Alex
"And my records show that she was staying in a halfway house," Alex noted. "So it's safe to say that my client was not considered to be a danger to herself or to anyone else, since she was given such free reign, is it not?"
Bruce
Bruce nodded in confirmation. "We had no reason to suspect otherwise. We hadn't received any reports to the contrary from the school."
Alex
"And how long was she attending this school?" Alex asked. "I presume that you asked to be informed of any disciplinary problems Miss Fitzpatrick underwent while enrolled, is that correct?"
Bruce
"She spent her entire senior year there," Commissioner Wayne said, taking a moment to look over at Hayley. The girl herself was staring up at the man, eyes wide. She knew that what he said would weigh heavily on the jury's minds.
"And there were no disciplinary problems."
Alex
"So Miss Fitzpatrick, having not been charged with a crime in this prior incident, was sent to a private school. She had no disciplinary problems during one full year of attendance, and returned home eager to comply with the terms of her psychiatric care."
Alex glanced at the jury, to give that a few moments to sink in properly.
"Commissioner Wayne," she said, "would I be correct in assuming that, at that point, you felt Miss Fitzpatrick's rehabilitation to be a success?"
"Objection, your honor!" Mr. Hill said. "Leading the witness!"
The judge looked over at Mr. Hill like he was an idiot. "I'll remind you, Mr. Hill, that you called this witness and as such she is welcome to do so. Objection overruled."
Bruce rubbed his face for a moment in thought, then nodded. "I did, yes."
Alex
Alex was absolutely not going to gloat. Judges didn't like it when lawyers gloated, just because they ruled in your favor. So she was going to turn away and clear her throat and compose herself.
She was also going to step carefully. No use pressing her luck.
"Thank you," she said, hoping the jury was listening closely. The well-respected police commissioner had believed her client to be rehabilitated.
Commissioners could be wrong, but it was certainly suggestive.
And now, to take the commissioner through the evidence. Looking for cracks of light where reasonable doubt might peek through.
There were more hours of examination of evidence, until after several long hours of legal manuevering they adjourned for the day. The judge believed in long days, and made sure they got as much done as possible. Tomorrow, they'd convene again.
[ooc: minor OCD coming up Openish, for those in Gotham. Preplayed with the amazing and super awesome glasses_justice.]