San Francisco: State Court: Entrance

The entire courthouse was buzzing with excited voices. There were select people entering the actual courtroom, but the press had their cameras posed and ready.

A second passed with almost complete silence, and then the courthouse door opened and the press went wild. “How do you feel about your son?” “What if the verdict is guilty?” “Did he really do it?” “Are you hiding evidence?”

Julian and Constance King kept their mouths shut as the plowed through the mass of reporters and cameras. Flashes and paper were everywhere.

“Don’t say anything,” Julian whispered to his wife, and the press buzzed again.

“What don’t you want to tell us?” “Have you bribed the jury?” “Will Mr. King be a heir?”

The Kings made it to the courtroom door and entered. The press had no access inside due to limited space and their noise level.

They said down, but Julian’s face didn’t look pleased in the least.

Holding Area

“Breathe easy, alright?” Tomas was trying his best to calm his client. This was a high-profile case. “The press won’t be inside.”

Adam King nodded, still shaky. He didn’t want to go through with this. He knew his parents were out there, and knew that they wouldn’t be happy.

Adam and Tomas entered the courtroom and sat down at their table.

It was almost time.

Courtroom Entrance

Just as the press had finally calmed down, the door opened again and someone else entered. They were flashing wildly, and there were so many questions it was impossible to hear even one.

Iris Torres has with her a set of crutches. Her mother, Vivian, helped her through the crowd. Iris was still in a bid of pain, but her was getting better every hour.

They finally reached the courtroom, and they sat down.

Iris spoke to her mother. “The Kings are over there,” she said, pointing. “God, I can’t believe I’m testifying against their son. I work for ‘Natural Exposure.’ They own the place – they will fire me for sure.”

Vivian shook her head. “There are laws against that.”

Iris nodded, but tried not to make eye contact with them. She looked forward to the accused. Adam was sitting with is lawyer near the front. On the opposite table sat the District Attorney.

The judge then entered, and they rose.

The Trial Begins…

The usual happening occurred before the trial got underway. The judge addressed the jury, the case was read out, and the D.A. began.

“Dear ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” the D.A., Mrs. Ikura, began. “We are here to determine the guilt of Adam King. He is charged with brutally stabbing. There are several pieces of evidence that we will now show you.

“Exhibit one: a bloody glove. This was found beside the guesthouse on the King Estate. We know that Mr. King arrived late that night, and was living in the guesthouse. It matches Mr. King’s hand size.

“Exhibit two A and two B: photos of Mr. King’s car. The first shows the handle of Mr. King’s car, and there is blood. The second is a smear of blood on the window.

“Exhibit three: a photo of Mrs. Torres’s door. There is a smear of blood on the door handle.

“The prosecution wishes to call Iris Torres to the stand.”

Iris knew that it was time, so she got up and made her was to the front to give her testimony…

Iris’s Testimony…

“Mrs. Torres, please describe to us the events leading up to your attack,” Mrs. Ikura spoke.

Iris took a deep breath, reflecting on the oath she had taken. “I was working late at ‘Natural Exposure’ with Mrs. King. I was called to the secretary’s desk because someone had left me a message.”

Mrs. Ikura was surprised. “A message? Regarding what?”

Iris froze. She remembered what the note said: ‘You’re a naughty girl, Iris, and I know what you did!’ She knew it had nothing to do with the case, so decided to skip it.

“A simple note. From my mother.” Iris looked to her mother, and she was confused. Iris couldn’t believe she had lied.

Mrs. Ikura continued. “Then what?”

“Mr. King left, and shortly thereafter I left as well. I drove home. I assume I was followed. Someone knocked at my door, but I looked and no one was there. I talked to my friend Gillian Evans on the phone, and once I was upstairs I was attacked. I saw black gloves, like the ones in exhibit one.”

Iris looked over to Adam, who was stressed beyond belief. Iris couldn’t believe that he could have done something like this to her. She couldn’t comprehend it.

Adam’s Testimony…

A cross-examination of Iris by Tomas, which proved to be quite repetitive and without any new information gained, was then followed up by the examination of the King Estate security guard, Max. He just said that Adam had come home late.

Adam was next up. He straightened his tie and sat up on the stand. He took the oath, and Tomas approached him.

“Please give the evening’s descriptions in your words,” Tomas asked.

Adam cleared his throat. “I was working, and then I left before Iris did. I did not follow her home. I went to the beach, across from the Burger Hut, and relaxed for a while. I had been stressed out on the new ad campaign we were doing. I fell asleep, and woke up at around midnight. I rushed home, and that was that. No blood.”

Tomas nodded. “So you were framed?”

“I had to be! I didn’t hurt anyone!”

“That is all,” Tomas cooed to the judge.

Mrs. Ikura stepped up to take over. “Did anyone she you go to the beach?”

Adam shook his head. “No. It was around nine o’clock. No one was out. Maybe a crab or two.”

“So this could all be a lie?”

“No. I didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Coming home late. A bloody, fitting glove. Blood on your car. Knowledge of the victim’s address and whereabouts. You seem like the perfect candidate.”

“I didn’t hurt Iris! I couldn’t have! It is impossible! I… if anything I love her!”

The room was silent. Mrs. Ikura stood still, and then turned to the judge. “I rest, Your Honor.”

The Calm Before the Storm…

The evidence was pretty cut and dry. It had all been presented, and there weren’t many witnesses. It was now up to the jury to decide. They had been gone for an hour.

Tomas spoke to Adam. “This case can go either way. The evidence is pretty circumstantial. Iris never saw your face. You could have been framed. I am stumped.”

Adam nodded. He was silent.

A man came to the door of their small conference room. “They have decided.”

Iris sat with her mother.

“What was the note about?” Vivian asked her daughter. “I know I never wrote a note. Why did you lie?”

Iris shook her head. “It was nothing big. Just a late book club payment. It was a little embarrassing.” Another lie.

Vivian was satisfied, but then the jurors began to file into the courtroom.

“I think they have decided,” Vivian said. Iris didn’t want to watch…

The Verdict…

The judge sat back down, and the Madame Foreperson passed the decided verdict. “Have you all reached a unanimous verdict?”

“We have, Your Honor?”

Tomas looked at the jurors. “They aren’t looking at us,” he whispered to his client. “This isn’t good. They don’t want to make eye contact.”

“What say you?” the judge boomed.

Vivian looked at Iris. “Honey, the jurors aren’t looking at Adam. They are shifty.”

“On the matter of the people versus Adam King…” the juror began.

Julian shifted in his seat. “Dammit. The man’s voice is trembling. He is looking away each time he looks at our son. You can tell he’s avoid his eyes!”

“…on the charge of aggravated assault in the first degree…”

Adam burrowed his head in his arms.

“…we find the defendant, Adam King…”