I know, Austine lied.
Hindi ko na muna tinanong pa yung malalim na dahilan.
After the first session, we rest for a bit knowing we did well.
Second witness was striken and the star witness failed.
The surprised CCTV footage was a good thing but unfortunately, there's a damn small problem.
"Dress up na. Kanina ka pa tulala."
Ali told me.
So I did. Wearing my brown blouse tucked inside my brown slack and a brown suit, Ciara Roiso is ready for the trial.
"Let's go?"
I asked Ali.
She smile for approval. Good thing, Retico was in his condo.
I messaged him telling we're outside of his condo.
Minute later, he went out. He's wearing his white longsleeve together with his black slacks and penny loafer shoes. He went out while putting his black necktie and his fitted suit.
"Good morning." He greeted and gave me a forehead kiss.
"Good morning." I greeted.
"Let's go. Baka langgamin tayo reto." Ali said.
Pagdating namin sa korte, kakaunti pa lamang ang tao.
That's how a defense show up, early not late.
We're being assist by the clerk.
I saw Austine talking with his friend, Logan.
They're both smiling while whispering something. When Glyne showed up, Austine waved goodbye and smiled.
After a few moments of waiting, the session started.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the court." He stopped for a bit coughed.
TB dots ay gamutin. Ubo ubo.
"Excuse me." He coughed again.
Mamatay na ba siya? Sayang naman.
Ubo ubo.
"Sorry ladies and gentlemen. Now we will continue our session. May I asked if both parties are ready?"
He asked.
"The prosecution is ready for the people, Salvador."
He stopped knowing he uttered a wrong term again.
"Your Honor."
He continued.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor."
Austine stood up.
"Good. May I call for the prosecution to stand up for the final argument. You may start."
He signaled a start sign.
Logan stood up and brushed his hair backward. He positioned his eyeglasses and fixed his necktie.
Facing the jury, with confident and bravery, he started.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the court."
"The dead cannot seek justice for themselves so it is the duty of the living to do it for them. We all know that killing is a felony crime. We aren't born to kill but we're somehow born to protect life. I stand before everyone to prosecute the accused and prove her guilt. I don't have the key for that so I faced you, honorable jury of the court to examine the crime well and vote fairly. The prosecution shouts for a fair trial." He smiled after giving his short closing.
"The prosecution rests its case."
Bumalik na siya sa kinauupuan niya.
"Yun na yun?" Glyne asked.
"Gusto mo dugtungan?"
He smirked.
Glyne just rolled her eyes.
"Good. The defense may start." Salvador announced.
Austine stood up. He fixed his tie and stood up straight.
"Good morning everyone." He started.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience that happened yesterday. I checked the system after the session and found out that it wasn't an unintentional power interruption but someone cut the cable. The judge permitted me to give you a copy of the footage but turns out that a copy was deleted and the flashdrive was missing. In conclusion to that, there's an inside job in the court."
Austine said that made the people in the court murmured.
Befor he continue, he glanced at the crowd.
"But I hope that happenings may not affect your decision." He smiled.
"When I was young, injustice ruled the entire courtroom. People paid for the jury, judge and even the witness to aim for justice. When you're poor, you lose when you're rich you win.
Now, I want you to understand certain things. Is that a fair justice?" He said while walking in the infront of the jury.
"Imagine, you have a daughter. She was molested, experience sexual harrasment, experience cruelty and worst, she was raped. She can't handle the pain and turns out killing the rapist by the reason of self-defense. The victim turns out to be the accused so she needs to face the court trial. She needs to face the people of the state, the unjust jury, the corrupt judge and the imprudence justice. There's a little percent to win your daughter's case. Lesser than you expect and the only way to win is to buy the entire court system. That's the only way to escape death after the trial. If you'll be convicted, you'll face death if you'll win, you'll face freedom. Then, imagine you are poor."
He smiled while looking at the jury.
"Imagine you can't buy the justice system of your country. The law and the justice are barely made by people, controled by people and manipulated by people
and anything made by human have flaws. The ears and eyes of the law is simply the ears and eyes use by human. We control the justice. We control the law and its not true that no one is above the law and below it. Rich are above the law and poor are under it. They can control the law because they made it. But imagine, you're not like them. Poverty hits most percent of the country and less percent are safe from hunger. Thus, most percent of the country can't buy justice and are prone to die innocent.
Imagine you are poor and you can't buy justice. Guilt versus innocence." He faced the crowd while uttering the last words.
He glanced at the jury. Some are not looking at him while some were teary eyed.
"The decision is in your hands. You hold the key of freedom and death. One wrong move and you'll put an innocent person in great grief. Before I end this, I don't want to see the justice in our country demise in an instance. Remember my words in all the trial you'll be facing ahead." He smiled.
"Thank you." He ended the argument.
After the final argument, the jurors are requested and excused themselves in order for them to vote.
Austine smiled at me in relief.
The session ended and by next day, a verdict will be out.
----------------
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The Verdict.
"May I call the foreperson of the jury." The judge announced.
I saw Meka Yap stood up while holding a copy of the verdict.
She coughed before reading the verdict. Maybe just to make sure her internal microphones are working well. Baka pumiyok.
In her white plain blouse and black ankle pant matched with a black high heels, a just juror in the jury stood up infront.
"The jury, finds Ciara Roiso accused of murder Not Guilty"
She smiled after reading the verdict.
The most important and exquisite word in afro-american.
I can feel my heart stops for a second and too much joy conquer my entire system. I looked at Alina teary eyed and hugged her.
"You're innocent baby." She whispered.
I looked at Austine. I never knew why I got trust issue with him before. He did handled a case without a witness, he made the jury cry without begging for sympathy, he turns the table and able to make things in proper order, he manipulated the game, he dominated the court and he reign over the justice.
"I love you." I whispered, wanting to cry because of joy.
"I love you." He whispered and hugged me.
I looked at his eyes, they were as happy as my heart. Our feeling are gratified by the fact that I was saved.
"You're worth risking. You're worth protecting. You're worth it." He whispered. Those words made me joyous in a part that I can't control my tears falling.
"So say you all?" The judge makes sure that the verdict is unanimous.
"Yes, Your Honor." The jury answered in unison.
The trial ended.
The great grief was conquered.
I'm innocent..
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AwIt vRo:(
BINABASA MO ANG
The Just( AVAILABLE IN PSICOM APP)
Детектив / Триллер" Justice must be strong, power should be fair" Ciara Roiso was abandoned by her family at the age of 18 but she never stops reaching the peak of her dream. Being a lawyer to defend the poor against the unjust people of the court is her goa...
