Ravens of Eternity

Chapter 179

179 Federation’s Judgement

“Now that both the prosecution and defense teams have rested their cases,” said the judge, “they may now present their final arguments. The prosecution may begin with theirs.”

The lead prosecutor stood up and cleared his throat before he walked straight towards the jury.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” he said, “it has been an extraordinarily long few cycles. You’ve heard all our witnesses, read all the testimonies, reviewed all of the evidence. There is irrefutable proof that this person, the defendant...”

The lead prosecutor turned his body slightly, and pointed at Nightmare behind him without even looking.

“...knowingly and willingly committed grievous acts of assault, battery, larceny, robbery, and of course, murder. No matter what the defense team might try to convince you, this person most certainly harmed people, their companies, and the Federation itself.”

He paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then when he spoke again, he made sure to make eye contact with each of the jurors. It was critically important that they bonded during his closing argument.

It was the best way to ensure the verdict he wanted.

“You all heard and saw and read about how he and his cronies attacked merchants and goods transporters,” he said. “You heard and saw and read about the factories and research labs and media outlets they attacked. About the farms and hospitals they terrorized. You’ve literally seen video evidence of how his gang operates as a whole – with violence and vitriol and venom.”

The prosecutor paced back and forth along the jury box, and gave his closing speech with as much passion and grace as he could muster. He could feel the jury’s hearts wrench up with pain as he spoke.

.....

“The defense team would have you believe that the defendant never once killed anyone,” he continued. “But the honest truth is simply that people in his gang killed people. If they all did it, so did the defendant.

“More critically than that, he caused great harm to people’s ledgers. To many companies’ ledgers. And, of course, to the Federation’s ledgers. By disrupting the prosperity of his victims and their communities, he caused entire markets to tumble. Who knows how many millions were affected by this? Perhaps even billions of people.”

The prosecutor slammed a fist into one of his open palms with a SLAP. The act jolted the jurors slightly, and got their hearts beating just a little bit faster than before.

“And that is why you must find the defendant guilty of all charges,” said the prosecutor. “Only by doing so can we heal the damage he has caused, and also ensure the safety of the Federation and its people going forward. Thank you.”

He bowed to the jury, then to the judge, then returned to his seat.

There was a murmur among the public benches as they discussed the prosecution’s final arguments.

Miko leaned in towards Amal and whispered in her ear.

“That was a rousing speech, neh?” she said. “But I am not sure how effective it will be.”

“I hope it is,” replied Amal. “I really, really do.”

“I’m gonna be pissed if it isn’t,” said Eva.

The judge rapped his gavel and called for order, which caused all murmurs to immediately cease.

“The defense may now present their final arguments,” he said.

The lead defense attorney stood up, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and walked genially towards the jury. His manner was almost lackadaisical. As though he was going on a stroll.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” he said, “my client and I haven’t ever denied the harm he’s caused. He’s done some truly terrible things. He was certainly part of a gang that attacked and assaulted many citizens, all over the Federation. My client is a sinner, there’s no doubt about that.”

The defense attorney nodded solemnly, along with a few of the jurors.

“The prosecution would paint him as some kind of irredeemable monster,” he continued, “as though all of the death and destruction was his fault. That his actions, and his actions alone, were the primary reason why so much chaos even happened.

“They would argue with you that his very existence makes the Federation weaker, and that if he were to be removed, all would be well in the galaxy once again.”

He sighed deeply and wistfully, as though he was part of some great tragedy that was unfolding.

“But that’s all absolutely preposterous,” he said. “I’ve shown you what kind of person he really is. How his childhood was filled with neglect and scorn. How once his mother died, his father spent every night beating and abusing him out of anger. How he endured it for years before he gathered enough courage to run away.

“And how he ultimately fell into the wrong crowd as he sought to keep himself alive. It was these people that skewed his sense of self. It was with them that he sought acceptance from, because he hadn’t received it from anyone else in his life. Take a good look at him.”

The defense attorney stepped off to the side, and allowed the jury full view of his client. He looked solemn, and in some ways, broken. He even had a few tears fall down his cheeks.

Not a single one of the Seven believed it, not for a second.

–

Eva: Fuckin’ crocodile tears

Amal: Does anyone actually believe this bullshit?

Miko: The jury appears to.

–

“He’s just a boy,” said the defense attorney, “like I mentioned earlier. 23 in Gaea years, and only 7 in galactic standard years. Imagine each of yourselves when you were seven. Imagine having a strong family, good friends, knowledgeable teachers. My client had none of those. All he had were ne’er-do-wells to look up to and learn from.

“And so yes, he fell in with the wrong people and made the wrong choices. The prosecution is all too happy to show you the results of their actions, but they gloss over one simple fact. And despite living amongst depravity, my client never once committed murder.”

The defense attorney moved back into the juror’s view, and leaned on the jury box itself. As though he was tired, and needed their help to stay upright.

“In fact, we’ve shown time and again his apprehension in committing these crimes,” he continued. “But these people were his only friends and family, and was afraid to lose them. So he did the bare minimum in order to satiate the others’ bloodlust. He hurt, he stole, but he did not murder. He did not conspire. He did not lead. He played along and stayed out of the way.

“You’ve seen and heard many of the witnesses’ own recollections. They all admit that my client never pulled the trigger in front of them. They all admit that he never killed. And that should be proof enough of his true character.”

The defense attorney paused to let his words sink in.

“You should definitely find my client guilty of some of the charges levied against him. But you cannot find him guilty of murder, conspiracy, or racketeering. There’s simply no evidence to support such a verdict. Thank you.”

Like the lead prosecutor, the lead defense attorney bowed to the jury, then to the judge, then returned to his seat.

A much louder murmur erupted from the public benches. Concern was on many people’s faces – the defense team had made an excellent case in their favor, and were worried at the trial’s outcome.

They all went in expecting Nightmare to be easily thrown into jail for his crimes, but realized that there was a chance he would be able to get away. At least for the worst of his crimes.

The judge rapped his gavel again and called for order. Once everyone had calmed down and all became quiet, he turned towards the jury.

“The bailiff will now escort you to the jury room,” he said. “There, based on the evidence as provided in this case, you will all determine the defendant’s guilt across all his charges. All verdicts must be made unanimously. You have three hours to make this decision, but you can request for more if needed. In the meantime, the court will adjourn for a much-needed break.”

The bailiff quickly escorted the jury out of the courtroom as Nightmare himself was escorted out by uniformed officers. It was only after that were the public benches allowed to move around or leave.

And although most people left to stretch their legs or eat, both defense and prosecution teams stayed at their tables. Although they took a few short breaks here and there, for the most part they sorted through their papers or talked through their case.

Not that they could do much at that point – it was all down to the jury.

The Seven also stayed in their seats. They actually stood up and conversed with the lead prosecutor for the majority of the break.

And after only two hours of deliberation, the judge re-entered the courtroom and called everyone back in. He was soon followed by the clerk, a couple of uniformed Federation Peacekeepers, and Nightmare.

The jury was also escorted back in by the bailiff, and they all settled themselves back in their seats.

All while this happened, the public filtered back into the courtroom as well.

Once everyone was settled back in, the judge turned towards the jury and spoke to them tersely.

“Have you all reached your verdicts?” he asked.

One of the jury members stood, and nodded to the judge.

“We have, your honor,” said the jury foreman. “We the jury, in the case of the People of the Sol Federation versus Guy Johnson find, for the charge of assault and battery – guilty.”

There was an audible sigh of relief from many in the public benches after hearing the first guilty sentence. But the jury was just beginning.

“For the charge of grand larceny – guilty. For the charge of grievous social harm – guilty. For the charge of grievous financial harm – guilty.”

Everyone in the courtroom was on the edge of their seats, especially all of Nightmare’s victims. They were finally going to get to see justice served, and their hearts thumped in their chests in sheer anticipation.

“For the charge of racketeering – not guilty. For the charge of conspiracy – not guilty. For the charge of murder – not guilty.”

The public benches in the courtroom erupted in protest, but the judge rapped his gavel over and over until they quieted down.

The Seven were visibly furious. Eva was practically red with anger, as though she were a devil promising vengeance.

The defense team erupted in applause and congratulations, but before their celebrations could go any further, the judge spoke again.

“All members of the jury,” he said, “thank you for your service.”

He then turned towards Nightmare and stared him down where he sat. His eyes were like daggers, but there was a hint of warmth in them.

“As the jury has given their verdicts,” he said, “I’ll now hand down your sentencing. It has been proven that a young man such as yourself was led astray, to the detriment of society around you. Although your actions have caused great harm, it is the opinion of this court that your freedom should not be denied. But this does not mean you are free of the responsibilities of your crimes.

“In order to atone for your sins, you are hereby ordered to help maintain peace in the Federation. You are to serve a minimum of 20 years as a Federation Peacemaker. Only through dedicated service can your debt to the Sol Federation and her citizens be repaid.

“Do you have any words to say for yourself?”

Nightmare stood up, his face etched with deep sadness and regret. But deep down, he was incredibly ecstatic, and could barely hold in his excitement.

“Thank you, your honor,” he said. “I have made many poor choices, and I vow to change my ways from this point forward. I promise to serve twice as much time as ordered, so that I can make up for the sins of my past. And I deeply thank the jury for seeing justice served today. Your decisions are fair and just.

“Lastly, I must thank Freya. It was her and her team who finally pulled me out of my mess, out of my own dark situation. Without her, my life would still be the same as before – some callous brute causing harm to so many. And I hope that one day, I can show her my eternal gratitude, and give back my blessings in kind.”