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Panic 🚨
Lindsey's knee bounced up and down as she continued to stare at her hands. "You okay?" Athena asked from the seat next to her. "Yeah...yeah i'm good." Lindsey responded, looking up at the woman before letting her eyes shift to the judge on the stand.
Lindsey had been in many court rooms. They weren't unfamiliar to her. But this case, this person, felt a little too familiar.
"Next case before the court. The state of California v. Jeffery Connor Hudson. Pretrial motions. Honorable Judge Priva Atkins presiding. Bring in the defendant."
The door clicked and Lindsey watched as Hudson was escorted into the room wearing the orange prison jumpsuit and his wrists and ankles handcuffed. His eyes met theirs and he shot the two women a wink.
Giggles could be heard from behind them and Lindsey clenched her jaw at the fact that this man had a fan club.
"Oh, look. His fan clubs here." Lou commented and Lindsey rolled her eyes.
"We're on the record. Alright, whom do we have present?" The judge asked. "Your Honor, Ken Decker for the state."
They watched as Hudson and his lawyer were talking very quickly. Ignoring the fact that they had already begun. "Does the defense need a moment?" The judge asked. Hudson's lawyer stood up, "Your Honor, the defendant has informed me that my services will no longer be required. He just fired me."
Lindsey's expression turned to shock and Hudson turned to smirk at them.
"He intends to represent himself." Hudson's lawyer finished.
"Objection..."
"What do you mean, objection? This is me trying to get a fair trial!" Hudson argued as he stood up.
The judge banged her gavel, "Settle down. Order! Mr. Hudson, if I do allow you to represent yourself, you'll do so with decorum and you'll follow the rules. Mr. Decker, i'll hear what you have to say. Everyone else, please sit down. Ms. Risco, for the time being, that includes you."
While everyone else sat down, Decker stayed standing. "Your Honor, this defendant is charged with six counts of rape. Heinous crimes that involved him stalking his victims, lying in wait inside their homes, and then viciously attacking them. In addition, he brutally assaulted an LAPD sergeant and officer. Beating one nearly to death. All of these women will be key witnesses in this trial. To subject them to being questioned by their attacker would be tantamount to allowing him to assault them again."
