head
on Joram’s broad shoulder. In an instant, she was asleep as if
resting in her own bed, and not on a noisy helicopter bound for a
mountain observatory 100 miles away.
Chapter
7
With a commanding
presence, Warron slid his seat back deliberately, causing a slight
squeak as it rubbed on the tile floor. He stood erect and turned to
face the jury. Beginning at the lower left of the jury box, Warron
ensured that he had the attention of each juror. Scanning the last
juror seated in the upper right corner, a young male college
student, he felt confident on whom he should focus to provide the
desired results.
Obviously, he needed all
twelve to be able to acquit his client, and that was the ultimate
goal. However, success could also be measured with a single “not
guilty” verdict, since a hung jury would reset the entire legal
cycle, which favored his client in two ways. First, it gave Warron
even more time to build a better case through the learning he had
acquired during the first trial. Second, lengthy legal proceedings
would stretch the resources of the district attorney’s office,
causing the state-appointed counsel to weary of the
case.
“ Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury,” he began. “You will recall that when you were selected a
little over two weeks ago, Judge Etherton shared with you some
instructions that you must apply during your tenure as a juror in
this court. First, he mentioned that the defendent must be presumed
innocent until proven guilty. As you look over at Mr. Joonter, I
trust that none of you have looked at him as a guilty man during
the course of this trial. When you walk into your room to
deliberate, you must then decide whether there is ample evidence to
convict this man of the serious crimes with which he is charged.
Because my client is innocent of any wrong-doing, you hold the fate
of his future in your hand.
“ Second,” the lawyer
started pacing slowly along the jury in order to make direct eye
contact with each of its fourteen members, “the judge instructed
that you do not need to determine his guilt beyond a shadow of a
doubt, but instead, you must determine whether there is ‘reasonable
doubt’ in the evidence presented to you by the prosecution. With
that said, it is my duty to convince you that there is most
certainly reasonable doubt in this case. In talking with my client,
in reviewing the details of this case, in hearing the arguments put
forward by the district attorney, I can certainly assure you of
that fact.
“ Take a look at the
character of Mr. Joonter. He was born into the most unfortunate of
circumstances. His parents, murdered by a carjacker, left him
orphaned at the age of two. A kind couple adopted him and gave him
a chance to succeed in life. As an adolescent, he admits that he
was grateful to his adoptive family, and yet always felt that he
didn’t quite fit in, being the only athlete in a family of cultured
artists and intellects. We have learned how devastated he was when
his athletic ambitions ended prematurely from an unfortunate injury
that he incurred while playing freshman football. And even in that
time of tremendous depression and soul searching, he was reached
out to and befriended by his football coach, who saw great
potential in him. Stunned that his coach would take such a personal
interest in the life of a youngster who could no longer play for
him, Paol grew curious about the life of this good man. Finding out
that he was a devout Christian, he sought religion in his life, and
has become an admired member in his congregation today.
“ I have brought before you
many of the acquaintances of this fine man: neighbors, fellow
parishioners, co-workers. All have vouched for his character. All
have confirmed that the crimes committed are not only inconsistent
with his character, they are simply inconceivable. Consider that
while this business deal turned out very unprofitable for his
high-tech company, we have shown convincingly that there
on Joram’s broad shoulder. In an instant, she was asleep as if
resting in her own bed, and not on a noisy helicopter bound for a
mountain observatory 100 miles away.
Chapter
7
With a commanding
presence, Warron slid his seat back deliberately, causing a slight
squeak as it rubbed on the tile floor. He stood erect and turned to
face the jury. Beginning at the lower left of the jury box, Warron
ensured that he had the attention of each juror. Scanning the last
juror seated in the upper right corner, a young male college
student, he felt confident on whom he should focus to provide the
desired results.
Obviously, he needed all
twelve to be able to acquit his client, and that was the ultimate
goal. However, success could also be measured with a single “not
guilty” verdict, since a hung jury would reset the entire legal
cycle, which favored his client in two ways. First, it gave Warron
even more time to build a better case through the learning he had
acquired during the first trial. Second, lengthy legal proceedings
would stretch the resources of the district attorney’s office,
causing the state-appointed counsel to weary of the
case.
“ Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury,” he began. “You will recall that when you were selected a
little over two weeks ago, Judge Etherton shared with you some
instructions that you must apply during your tenure as a juror in
this court. First, he mentioned that the defendent must be presumed
innocent until proven guilty. As you look over at Mr. Joonter, I
trust that none of you have looked at him as a guilty man during
the course of this trial. When you walk into your room to
deliberate, you must then decide whether there is ample evidence to
convict this man of the serious crimes with which he is charged.
Because my client is innocent of any wrong-doing, you hold the fate
of his future in your hand.
“ Second,” the lawyer
started pacing slowly along the jury in order to make direct eye
contact with each of its fourteen members, “the judge instructed
that you do not need to determine his guilt beyond a shadow of a
doubt, but instead, you must determine whether there is ‘reasonable
doubt’ in the evidence presented to you by the prosecution. With
that said, it is my duty to convince you that there is most
certainly reasonable doubt in this case. In talking with my client,
in reviewing the details of this case, in hearing the arguments put
forward by the district attorney, I can certainly assure you of
that fact.
“ Take a look at the
character of Mr. Joonter. He was born into the most unfortunate of
circumstances. His parents, murdered by a carjacker, left him
orphaned at the age of two. A kind couple adopted him and gave him
a chance to succeed in life. As an adolescent, he admits that he
was grateful to his adoptive family, and yet always felt that he
didn’t quite fit in, being the only athlete in a family of cultured
artists and intellects. We have learned how devastated he was when
his athletic ambitions ended prematurely from an unfortunate injury
that he incurred while playing freshman football. And even in that
time of tremendous depression and soul searching, he was reached
out to and befriended by his football coach, who saw great
potential in him. Stunned that his coach would take such a personal
interest in the life of a youngster who could no longer play for
him, Paol grew curious about the life of this good man. Finding out
that he was a devout Christian, he sought religion in his life, and
has become an admired member in his congregation today.
“ I have brought before you
many of the acquaintances of this fine man: neighbors, fellow
parishioners, co-workers. All have vouched for his character. All
have confirmed that the crimes committed are not only inconsistent
with his character, they are simply inconceivable. Consider that
while this business deal turned out very unprofitable for his
high-tech company, we have shown convincingly that there
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