A History Of Violence - Violentine AU

Chapter Nineteen: All Rise

Clementine shifted in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Nothing felt comfortable right now, she slowed her breathing to calm herself.
"All rise for the honourable judge Hawthorne." The bailiff announced.
Clem stood up, hands still shaking.
Feeling something soft brush against her fingers, she turned her head to see Violet standing next to her in a black suit with her right arm in a sling.
Violet squeezed Clem's hand and gave her a gentle smile, Clem smiled back weakly.
The judge took the stand. She was a tall, dark skinned woman with dreads neatly tied back behind her head.
"Everyone but the jury be seated." She ordered.
Clem and Violet took their seats as the judge swore in the jury. Everyone in the crowd pledged to be fair and unbiased, to pay close attention to details of the case. Clementine hoped they would be, for her sake.
"Your honour, today's case is the hearing of Clementine Everett for the deaths of Andrew and Daniel St. John and Joan Callamezzo." The bailiff informed the judge.
"Is the prosecution ready?" The judge asked.
A thin man in a suit with square spectacles stood up at the table next to Clem's.
"Yes, your honour."
"Is the defence ready?"
Clementine's attorney stood up.
"Ready, your honour."
The spectacled man was allowed to introduce himself and his case to the jury. His name was Micah, he was Joan's personal lawyer.
It bothered Clem the way he spoke about her. He was a total stranger, they had never exchanged a word, and yet he was talking about her and the events of that night as if he were there to witness it himself.
His contention was that Clementine had premeditated the murder of Joan by inviting her to Violet's house using Andy St. John's phone.
It seemed fitting that Joan's lawyer was a lying snake, just like the woman he defended.
Violet scowled disapprovingly at him as he spoke. Finally, he ceased his speech and took a seat.
"I'll hear from the defendant now." The judge said.
Clem's attorney stood up and cleared his throat.
"Your honour, today I intend to prove that Clementine Everett acted in self defence to protect not only her own life, but the life of a loved one as well. Furthermore, Miss Everett acted in accordance with Georgia state law. Please find her not guilty of the crime of which she is accused."
He sat back down and nodded at her. Clem had no idea what that nod meant, hopefully that it was off to a good start.
"Prosecution, you may call your first witness."
"Thank you, your honour. I call to the stand Shel Brozek."
Clementine recognised that name, it was her neighbour from down the hall. She had only ever spoken to the woman once while she was getting her mail.
Shel stepped up to the stand and took her seat.
"Shel, can you tell me where you were on the night of August seventeenth at nine PM?" Micah asked.
"I was at home."
"Walk me through that night, starting from when you first heard the sounds of the incident taking place."
"Oh... I was sitting in the living room and I heard this... I guess I'd describe it as a hiss, a really sharp bunch of hisses. Then I heard banging and a few seconds later, gunshots. A lot of gunshots. Then a voice, her voice."
She pointed at Clementine.
"I peeked my head out of the door to see what was going on and I saw her running down the hall with something in her hand. When I went into the hallway, her apartment door was open and... there were two dead men in there... and a lot of blood."
"Could you describe the item that Miss Everett was carrying?"
"It was sort of tan coloured, square. I'm not sure what it was exactly, she was moving pretty fast."
Micah turned to the judge.
"Your honour, may I bring out a piece of evidence to show the jury?"
"You may."
He nodded to someone on his legal team and they brought him a sealed evidence bag with her gun in it.
"This handgun was purchased by Miss Everett weeks before the murders. It matches the description of the object that Shel said she saw her carrying as she fled the crime scene. Why would Miss Everett, who has no record of ever owning a firearm, acquire a permit and purchase one so close to the date of a triple homicide she committed?"
"I'd like to object, your honour." Clem's attorney interjected.
The judge allowed it and he rose from his seat.
"The answer to your question of why Miss Everett purchased the firearm is quite simple. She was afraid. Afraid for her own life, for the life of her adopted son and her partner, Violet Adlon. The firearm was purchased through legal channels, from a licensed dealer, with all the correct paperwork on record. If you are insinuating that she bought a gun with the intention to use it illegally, why do it in a way that's so easy to trace?"
There was a low murmur from a few members of the jury.
The two lawyers exchanged points and counter points. Clem's lawyer told the jury why she was afraid of Joan, about the blackmail pictures, the encounter with Badger and her meeting with Joan herself. He cited stand your ground laws and various subsections and clauses in Georgia's laws.
She had given him permission to disclose anything he felt relevant. Clem didn't want jail time, but she didn't want to lie about her involvement with the robbery either.
The attorney spoke about her past, how she was motivated by the desire to help her struggling father and manipulated by the New Frontier into becoming a criminal, making sure to regularly mention Joan's involvement.
"I would like to talk about the St. John twins. Andrew and Daniel were criminals since the age of fifteen. They were in and out of juvenile detention and the prison system for aggravated assault, robbery, fraud, assault with a deadly weapon and a number of other charges. At the behest of Joan Callamezzo, they came to the door of my client and fired their guns into the apartment, intending to kill Miss Everett."
"You say they were on Joan's orders, but what evidence do you have to support this?" Micah chimed in.
"Andrew St. John had his personal cell phone in his pocket at the time of his death. In the records, there were two incoming calls that night from the number of a burner phone that belonged to Joan Callamezzo. There were also a series of coded text messages found that were exchanged between them."
The two attorneys began bickering again, trying to keep it civil in spite of the animosity that they both felt for one another.
Clementine chewed her bottom lip nervously. Her attorney was making a lot of good points in her favour. Not being able to speak for herself gave her a feeling of powerlessness, like everybody had forgotten she was even in the room. Everybody except Violet, who regularly checked with her, asked her if she was okay, filled up her glass of water. Clem was glad she was allowed to be here with her. Violet's presence made her feel just a little more calm.