Ripped Tights and Late Nights → Muke

nineteen;

mentions of rape tw// (it's only mentioned as part of Michael's lawyer case it doesn't happen to anyone)

this isnt how real court cases go but im making it up with how ive seen in movies and stuff

(i made up the name The Rocks if its a real place im so sorry please dont sue me)

::

It's been two weeks since New York.

It's been two weeks since he's seen Luke.

It's the morning of the 25th of September, the day the last seven months have been leading up to. The day, Rocher tells him, that will prove whether or not he's worthy of being a partner for the firm. He has to prove himself. He needs to be the A-grade lawyer he spent years in law school to become. He needs to show off all of his research and connect-the-dot skills and present a well-rounded case. He needs to win.

It's minutes before the Judge is scheduled to come in, minutes before the case starts. Michael can feel tingles in his arms and legs. His palms are sweating.

He takes a minute to breathe.

He can see Mr Rogerson, sitting to his left, looking cool, calm and collected. He can see the man's lawyer, old-looking. Professional-looking. Michael panics.

The anxiety settles in. He feels it in his chest first; it tightens and constricts until he struggles to breathe. A cloud of fog settles over him and his mind his thoughts are muddled. He blinks quickly, shaking his head a little to clear the fog.

He can do this; he just needs to breathe.

"All rise." A voice calls from somewhere behind Michael. He does so mindlessly, straightening his blazer as he stands. The Judge enters the room and climbs the steps before sitting down behind the podium. Everyone in the room sits down as one.

The Judge adjusts her reading glasses and picks up a stack of papers. She reads out her name, but Michael is too busy trying to breathe to hear it properly. "Mr Keith Rogerson vs. The Court. 25th of September, 2016. Let's start with you, Mr Selton."

Selton, Keith's lawyer, produces a good case. Not as solid as Michael's is going to be, but good enough to make Michael sweat a little. Maybe the Judge will ignore hard evidence and believe the older, more experienced attorney.

After Selton finishes presenting his case, it's Michael's turn. He's ready, he can breathe.

"Your Honour," he begins. He stands in the middle of no-man's-land, the space between the lawyers, the Judge and the jury. "Mr Rogerson is the owner and director of the club, 'The Rocks' on Main street. He is forty-two years old. He was married to Kelsey Rogerson nee Lincoln for seven years. He is also a rapist, a murderer and a criminal.

"On the 4th of March, Anna-Louise Frinchley went to the police station to report a rape crime. She had been sexually assaulted by one Craig Tonkin the night before. The third of March. Tonkin is a regular at 'The Rocks' and is a long-time friend of Mr Rogerson." He stares at each individual person in the jury, hoping to convey with his eyes what an awful monster Keith Rogerson was.

"6th of May, Jackie George went to the same police station to report a rape crime. She had been sexually assaulted by one Jonathan Yancey the night before, the 5th of May. Jackie worked as a dancer at 'The Rocks' and like Mr Tonkin, Mr Yancey was a regular and a friend of Mr Rogerson.

"Liam Thomas, raped on the sixth of June, reported his sexual assault at the same police station the next morning. Liam also works as a dancer at 'The Rocks' and was assaulted by Mr Craig Tonkin."

"Mr Clifford, in case you have forgotten, this is a case prosecuting Mr Keith Rogerson. If you could please get to the point."

"Yes, Your Honour." He breathes. "Employees at 'The Rocks' have gone weeks without being paid. They are treated unfairly by Mr Rogerson, and several dancers have claimed that Mr Rogerson pulls them into the back rooms and sexually assaults them when he feels like it. And then, the murder of Kelsey Rogerson on the 8th of August. There is a pattern, your honour. The eighth of the eighth month. The sixth of the sixth month, the fifth of the fifth month, the third of the third. There are undoubtedly cases unaccounted for for the months of April and July.