ODDS OF LOVE - SEASON THIRTEEN

Episode 67

" Ladies and gentlemen," Marcus Simms pronounced with a charming smile that showed off all his bright shining white teeth ," my esteemed colleague, Mr. Paterson there , wants to represent my client Mrs. Angeletti as a monster. He wants you to see her as a cold heartless unfeeling monster. A terrible horrible rich woman who knowingly, deliberately set out to run down a young boy and then hit a car with another boy and his father in it. "

He shook his head in almost disbelief as he moved confidently over to the jury box and leaned on the railing, his dark eyes sweeping casually over each one of their faces.

" But he's wrong. Mrs. Angeletti is not a monster. She's not. She's a loving daughter and wife. A devoted mother of six young innocent children. A caring sister. A good friend. A hard worker. She would never deliberately hurt another human being. Much less two children. She's a mother. A mother just like Keisha Duncan and Ariel Kendall. "

Keisha and Ariel looked at each other from where they sat next to Jeremiah and Nicholas. Then they both stared coldly over at Dodie who stared straight ahead with an emotionless face.

" Mr. Paterson and the media and the Lazarus Jones with their podcasts of hate want to portray her as a villain but she's not a villain. She is not a villain. She's just as much a victim as the ones in the accident. "

The courtroom exploded in a rush of loud whispers as Ariel stood up and yelled," That bitch is not a victim ! She killed my husband. My son will never walk again ! Fuck that woman ! "

As Richard banged his gavel and demanded order Ariel rushed out of the courtroom followed by Nicholas.

" Please no more outbursts," Richard said sharply. " Or I will clear the courtroom of all onlookers. Mr. Simms , please conclude your opening statement. "

" Thank you, your honor. As I said Dodie Angeletti is a victim. A victim of discrimination. Discrimination because she is rich and privileged. Discrimination because she is White. "

Richard blinked his grey eyes in stunned amazement and disbelief. What the hell was he and Claire doing? , he thought.

" It's called reverse racism, ladies and gentlemen. And, I, as an African American man in my early forties , know racism well. Dodie Angeletti is not a racist that set out to hurt a Black boy and a gay boy. She had an accident. An accident. A simple accident. Yes. She panicked. But who among us would not have panicked that day? She had just hit a Black boy. People were surrounding her car. She feared for her life. So she took off and hit the Kendall car. It was a tragedy but it was also just an accident. And she's paying for it every day. She is separated from her family. From her children. She was viciously fired from her job. She has been attacked daily on social media and in The Reign and on local news. She is paying every day. Every day. For an accident that could have happened to any of us in this room."

Joe Jacobs, at that last sentence, let his eyes drift downwards as his skin paled under his tan.

" I ask you to look at my client and see not just Mr. Paterson's demon but see her as she actually is. A daughter. A wife. A mother. A sister. A hard worker. A friend. And as a victim of reverse racism. "