"They say we are asleep until we fall in love
We are children of dust and ashes
But when we fall in love we wake up
And we are a god and angels weep
But if I die here tonight
I die in my sleep"
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The lights of the courtroom were off to allow a better vision of the x-ray that Dr. Lee was showing everyone. The only lights on were a couple of table lamps for the prosecutors, defenders, and the judge.
"The bullet penetrated Mr Castle's skull in the lower right quadrant, or more specifically, the sphenofrontal suture, which is the cranial suture between the sphenoid bone and the frontal bones, both here and here."
Zoe turned away from the image and faced the jury with her hands behind her back, "I believe what my expert witness is trying to convey is that my client, Frank Castle, was shot point blank, execution style, in the head." Her demeanor was calm as she turned back to Dr. Lee, "Could you please describe the damage Mr. Castle sustained from the bullet?"
"It fragmented on impact, causing damage in both the right frontal lobe and temporal lobe of his brain."
Zoe nodded her head, "What are the effects of such an injury?"
"Mr. Castle is suffering from what we call sympathetic storming. It's a heightened and ongoing state of fight or flight, in which the sympathetic nervous system is hyperactive. As if he is reliving the incident of trauma over and over again. It can plunge a seemingly peaceful individual into mental and emotional chaos."
Frank leaned slightly to his left as he murmured to Benicia, "It sure sounds a lot like PTSD."
Benicia looked at him and whispered, "No, that's not where we're going... just listen."
"Could you define it for the jury, please?"
"Extreme emotional disturbance. It's twofold. First, the defendant is so emotionally disturbed that he loses control. And second, the defendant has a reasonable explanation for said disturbance, from his point of view."
Zoe stared at the x-ray for one more moment before her eyes fell back on the doctor, "Are you aware that Frank Castle's wife, son, and daughter were all murdered right in front of him when he sustained the brain injury in question? An injury which, you say, keeps him in a perpetual state of mental and emotional chaos?"
"I am, yes."
"Okay, with that in mind, would you say that Frank Castle's mental state satisfies the definition of extreme emotional disturbance?"
"Objection." Reyes stood from her seat, "Calls for a conclusion."
Zoe didn't even bother to turn around to glare at the woman. "Your Honor, Dr. Lee is an expert on the brain. He is qualified to an opinion, and said opinion is not only relative, but imperative to the case."
"Overruled." The judge said before she looked at the doctor, "Dr. Lee?"
Answering Zoe's previous question, "Personally, I do believe he is suffering from EED, yes."
"And one who's suffering from extreme emotional disturbance, is it possible to willfully premeditate a crime?"
"Any infractions would be considered crimes of passion."
