Hijacked Of Innocence - Book 1(Eric & Tanya story)

Chapter 32. The Trial

World war three was about to begin. Eric and Tanya arrived at the court house amidst journalist, photographers and news people. It was a very high profile case with everyone on the island forming their own opinion.  Eric guided Tanya away from what he termed vultures  and pushed one of the reporter away from Tanya.  "Keep your fucking distance," Eric said. 

The reporter did not miss the opportunity to verbally respond to Eric. 

 "You are awfully protective of her, aren't you, so protective you would kill for her," the reporter shouted at Eric. 

Eric ignored him.  One of them asked Tanya if it was true that she was secretly married to Eric. Tanya looked at Eric but didn't reply to the reporter's questions. 

Tanya was a mess on the witness stand.  A simple question and she had a total melt down. The prosecutor   asked what was the nature of her relationship with Eric. She was in tears. She felt like she was being asked to choose between Eric and her father again. "I love Eric," she said.  for fear of what Tanya's  mother might do.....and to a greater extent what Eric's mother might do, Eric and Tanya had agreed that they would not divulge the marriage unless she was cornered and absolutely had to tell the truth.   Tanya  was  asked  if she and Eric planned her father's death. Tanya was shocked at the question. In tears she looked over at her mother. "I love Daddy, I still do; I see clearly now that he was the only member of my family who truly loved me," she said.

"Please answer the question miss Johnson; did you and your boyfriend here plan the demise of your father so you could be together?" he asked sternly.   "Could you please tell the court who you now live with?" The defense lawyer object to that question.   They  also wanted to know who was taking care of her financially and again Eric's Lawyer object to that line of questioning but not before Tanya told the court that her mother had kicked her out of the house.  "How long have you been going behind your parents back to see Mr. Willbrooks?  "Are you saying this has been going on since you were a minor?" The man did not stop coming at Tanya with question after question. 

Eric could not bear to see Tanya put through such interrogation. He leaned over to his lawyer. "Can't you do something?" he asked. Tanya was bawling so hard, the judge called for a recess. It was downhill after that and Tanya was categorized as a hostile witness.  Among the other witnesses were Daphne and to Tanya's surprise her brother Kevin. Kevin testified that his father did pull the gun but it was just to warn off Eric who had left his car and was on Johnson property.  

"My father just wanted him to get off of his property; my father would never harm any of us, and definitely not Tanya; she was his favorite of all of us. He loved Tanya to death," Kevin said and looking at Tanya.

"And how do you know his intent? how do you know he would not have pulled the trigger?" The defense lawyer asked Kevin under cross examination.

"I know my father," was his response. 

Eric called Kevin a fucking liar which caused an outburst in the room. The judge called for order and warned Eric that one more outburst and he would be charged with contempt with a month in jail. It was a trial by judge and it was obvious that this judge did not like Eric. Eric's lawyer made it clear to him that this judge had him by the balls and could sentence him to the maximum for that charge so he should keep quiet. 

Against Linden's advice, Eric's lawyer decided to put Eric on the stand and the prosecutor had a field day with him  riling him up  so he would expose his anger to the court and that strategy was a great success. Eric was so angry and he didn't do any better than Tanya under the prosecutor's questioning. By the time the prosecutor gave final arguments and rest its case everyone pretty much knew that things did not look good for Eric.  The case against Eric was he was trespassing on Johnson property, he was asked to leave, and he angrily attacked Mr. Johnson which resulted in his death.  It was premeditated because Eric and Tanya wanted Mr. Johnson out of the way so they could be together.