Although I am prohibited from talking about *why* (or who, when, where, and/or how) by a subpeona, and a severe admonishment from a rather dour looking judge, I can tell you that sometimes "doing the right thing" can be a huge pain in the butt. It also sucks, fun-wise.
However, during all of the waiting that occurs between intense flurries of legal activity, I have had plenty of time to reflect upon how I arrived at this place; a rather shabby little "safe room", tucked deep in the bowels of the county courthouse. It is in this room that I leave my possessions before entering the courtroom every day. Although I have no other experience by which to judge, I am impressed by how hard the D.A.'s staff works to help us feel comfortable and prepared for the ordeal of facing not just a judge, jury and defendant, but also for keeping us safely out of the harsh light that the media casts on this trial. They shepard us up and down corridors, standing between us and the accused's family and friends. They stock the fridge in the kitchenette with our favorite beverages, and they keep Twinks safely guarded while I testify. The Wrench stays close by my side; although he is not called to the stand, his presence in the courtroom is entered into the record, and he is identified several times by witnesses as being my husband. He has lived through this with me; we have cried together over this, and worked together as a team to bring this to justice, and now we watch the trial together.
So here I am, caught fully in the dysfunctional web of our judicial system. I have spent more than five years waiting for this trial. I have both dreaded and anticipated this - the march towards "justice", the opportunity to face the accused in a court of law, and have a jury hear my words, my testimony about how and why it all happened. To present the facts - hard facts, backed up by reams and reams of paper evidence, boxes and cartons full of the truth that are wheeled into the courtroom every morning in a display that surely must have some impact on the jury.
I am systematically and methodically working through the process of sending my best friend to jail.
For the rest of her life.
7 comments:
Man, that's painful. I don't know if I could do it, but I agree with you.
When you see others in situations like this you always want to say something encouraging like "hang in there", but does it really help or encourage?
Well, regardless, "Hang in there".
Thimbelle:
I think that perhaps I've come into the conversation late. Could you point me to another page or two of yours that offers further explanation?
Jim
i'm with jim. whaaaat?
sounds sucky. i'm sorry you're going through this, but glad you have the moral backbone to see it (whatever it is) through our limping "justice" system.
Jim & Ericka:
You haven't joined late - I haven't talked about this until now for reasons that include sentences with phrases like "gag order" and "contempt of court" in them...
Believe me, I wish I could be more *specific*. I could easily write a dozen or more posts just on the experiences in the courtroom alone. Testifying has been horribly, emotionally draining, and I have spent (multiple) entire *days* on the stand.
It's not at all like it is on TV. And despite what they tell you, you don't ever get "closure", either.
T.
Well, good luck to you (or many blessings - perhaps better.)
Please let us know the whole story when you are able.
I'm with everybody else here - hoping that you make it through this process okay and hoping to hear the story when you are able to tell it. Knowing the love that exists between best friends - I can only imagine the nightmare you must be going through.
take care of you
I went through a rather bad friendship rift a few years ago myself, although nothing like what you're going through. Looking back, I wonder why I ever became friends with that person in the first place.
I haven't ever been through a trial, but I have served on a jury, and I know the waiting can get monotonous. I'm sure all the stress must be draining. Good luck getting through the ordeal, and know all your friends are pulling for you also.
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