‘That’s not what I said, Your Honor, but just a moment ago you agreed that my client’s defense was being ambushed by the prosecution’s team, but now you’re going to allow it? I must strenuously object to this decision, Your Honor.’
‘Your “strenuous” objection is noted, counsel,’ Judge Reeves said, scribbling something down on her pad. ‘But my decision is made. You have forty-five minutes to prepare a line of questioning.’
Bryant shook his head in disbelief. ‘How can I possibly preparea line of questioning when I don’t even know who this witness is, Your Honor.’
‘Her name is Candice Logan.’ The answer came from Oakfield. ‘And if you really want to know who she is, I “strenuously” suggest you go ask your client.’ He followed his advice with a smirk. ‘He knows who she is.’
‘What the fuck is going on?’ Nelson asked, as Bryant got back to the defendant’s table, shaking with concern and rage.
His reply was a new question. ‘Who’s Candice Logan?’
That was when Nelson’s whole face melted. ‘Ohfuck!’
Three
Tenor Bryant knew that the case that he and his team had built for the defense wasn’t a strong one, and it became even more flimsy after the testimony of both prosecutions’ key witnesses, Samantha Stewart and Dr. Louise Steinmann, but in the State of Massachusetts, domestic violence was a felony offense, punishable by up to five years in a state prison. Since it was a felony, for a conviction, the prosecution needed all twelve jurors to agree on a guilty verdict. If a single juror saw any reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case, the prosecution wouldn’t get a conviction, and Bryant was sure that despite Samantha Stewart and Dr. Steinmann’s testimonies, he had done enough to swing at least one juror into the ‘reasonable doubt’ camp. But he wasn’t counting on a late, surprise witness, especially one that prompted Judge Reeves to comment: ‘I’ll allow your witness to testify because the jury needs to hear about this.’
And he was right to be worried.
Even with cross-examination and re-direction, Candice Logan’s testimony lasted less than thirty minutes, and in those thirty minutes, she shredded any possibilities of ‘reasonable doubt’ for the defense.
Miss Logan, who was a striking woman in every sense of the word, with blonde hair and a figure that made even Judge Reeves slide her glasses to the tip of her nose so that she could have abetter look, testified that she had started an affair with Nelson Stewart after meeting him at a cocktail lounge in Boston just over a year ago. The affair had lasted eleven months.
During their direct examination of their witness, the prosecution was easily able to establish that when it came to his marriage, Nelson Stewart was a gifted con artist, having weaved a perfect web of lies for almost a year to deceive his wife, with tales of late-night meetings, business trips and what have you.
The ‘mistress’ angle had been terribly damaging to the defense’s case, but not as much as when George Oakfield surprised the entire courtroom with a simple line of questions.
‘Miss Logan,’ Oakfield said, pausing directly in front of the witness stand, his weaponized eyes aiming straight at the jury box. ‘Can I ask you – why did your affair with the defendant, Mr. Nelson Stewart, end? Can you tell us? Was it because of remorse? Did he feel guilty because he was cheating on his wife?’
Candice Logan took a deep breath and allowed her stare to crawl over to the defendant’s table. Nelson Stewart was looking back at her with murderous eyes.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘That wasn’t the reason.’
‘Who ended the affair, Miss Logan?’ Oakfield asked, already knowing the answer.
‘I did.’
‘And can you tell us why?’
Nelson Stewart was still looking at Candice Logan as if he was ready to strangle her, his whole demeanor screaming – ‘don’t do it… don’t you fucking do it.’
That was when her eyes narrowed at him almost imperceptibly, just enough to send a clear message back Nelson’s way – ‘fuck you’.
‘Because I simply couldn’t take the beatings anymore.’
Four
After the closing arguments, the jury was instructed to retire to the jury room to deliberate. It took them under four hours to reach a verdict.
At the defendant’s chair, Nelson could sense a pair of eyes burning a hole at the back of his head. He swiveled at the waist to look at the court audience just behind him. As he did, he immediately spotted Sam, sitting three rows behind the plaintiff’s table. Her eyes were like laser beams aimed directly at him. This time, Nelson wasn’t able to hold her stare. As far as he knew, yesterday had been the first time that Sam had heard about his affair with Candice, and even he had to admit that that was a horrible way to find out that your husband had cheated on you.
He turned to face the court again.
As the jurors took their seats, an air of excitement filled the room. The court clerk took his place and faced the jury box. The jury’s foreperson stood up. Her name was Martha and she was an average woman in just about everything – height, body type, hair, looks… but to Nelson, she looked like a typical Karen – the kind of woman that would pick a fight in a grocery store over two cents just for the hell of it. As she stood up, her anxious gaze pinged to Nelson for a fraction of a second before moving back to the clerk.
After the clerk recited the customary introduction to a verdict,naming the state, the county and the court that they were in, followed by the defendant’s name and the case number, he addressed the jury’s foreperson.
‘Has the jury reached a verdict upon which you have all agreed?’
