Life or Death
By: Olivia
"And if you call, I will answer/And if you fall, I'll pick you up/And if you court this disaster/I'll
point you home."-Barenaked Ladies-"Call and Answer"
"Hey my friend/It seems your eyes are troubled/Care to share your time with me/Would you say
you're feeling low and so/A good idea would be to get it off your mind...So can pull on
through/Whatever tears at us/Whatever holds us down/And if nothing can be done/We'll make
the best of what's around/Turns out not where but who you're with /That really matters/And
hurst not much when you're around."-Dave Matthews Band-"The Best of What's Around"
Nora turned when she heard her office door creaking open.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I knocked but..." Jack began.
Nora waved away his apology. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you. I was deep in thought."
Nora sat down, her back against the New York City skyline she had been studying. There was
just something hypnotic about the City at night, she thought, all those lights chasing away the
darkness.
Jack came in and sat down in a chair opposite from Nora.
"How is the case going?" asked Nora.
"Good," said Jack. "Abbie and I just finished prepping Mr. Franklin, our star witness."
Nora just nodded her head.
"The first death penalty case is always the hardest," said Jack sympathetically.
"Excuse me?" asked Nora confused.
"I've found that prosecuting a death penalty case for the first time is always the worst."
Nora tried to smile. "I'm fine."
Jack didn't know what to do. Should he try and talk to Nora? Or should he just accept Nora's
statement, get up, and walk out of here. Go home, have a scotch, and forget all about this
conversation. Nora was after all his superior. He didn't want to be stepping on her toes, crossing
any boundaries. But he could tell that her decision to seek the death penalty against Mr.
Mancuso was eating her inside.
In the end, Jack didn't have to make that decision. Nora decided to reach out for the life
preserver Jack had thrown to her.
"How many death penalty cases have you prosecuted?"
"Too many," said Jack rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
"I guess it doesn't get any easier, the more death penalty cases you prosecute."
"No, it doesn't," Jack admitted. "But if it's any comfort to you, I believe Mancuso is guilty.
Under New York statues, the death penalty is the proper punishment."
"You and Abbie both argued well for the death penalty to be applied in this case. And New York
statue does allow for the death penalty in cases like these. But in the end, the decision rests with
me. Mr. Mancuso is guilty and unremorseful. He committed the crime willfully and
deliberately. Of these things, I have no doubt in my mind. And yet I find no comfort in my
decision. I'm not God. Who am I to say who lives and who dies? The State of New York? I
think God would contest New York's jurisdiction in this matter."
"You're probably right," said Jack smiling sadly. "Abbie's actually my first ADA who is for the
death penalty."
"That somehow surprises me. I guess I thought a person must be for the death penalty to work
here in the DA's office," said Nora.
"And yet here you and I are, neither for nor against. The jury is still out and we're stuck here just
trying to do our jobs the best way we know how within the confines of the law."
Nora nodded sadly at Jack's words.
"You can't blame yourself," Jack continued. "We all make decision each day that affect people's
lives. You've made a decision and the chips will fall where they may. You just have to let
everybody else do their jobs now. Maybe a plea bargain will be made, maybe the jury won't
convict, maybe Mancuso will appeal the death sentence. So many more steps in our judicial
process must occur before Mancuso faces the possibility of being executed."
Nora absorbed Jack's words. Comfort lay in his words and she needed comfort right now.
They both slowly became conscious that the late hour had gotten even later. Jack and Abbie had
an early morning in court the next day.
"We'll I'd better go check on Abbie and help her finish up so we can get out of here."
Nora nodded and Jack headed for the door.
As Jack's hand was on the door knob he heard Nora call his name. He turned.
"Thanks for the talk, Jack."
"Any time." Jack paused and Nora waited for him to say what was weighing on his mind.
Finally, Jack said, "If we do get to the point, if Mancuso is executed, don't go there, don't be a
witness. There's nothing to be gained by it."
And with those parting words of advice, Jack exited Nora's office closing the door softly behind
him.
Nora just stared at the door for a few minutes after Jack had left. She was suddenly ill at ease.
And she wondered about this man. She wondered how much she didn't know about him. And
she wondered what secret pain he hid inside.
By: Olivia
"And if you call, I will answer/And if you fall, I'll pick you up/And if you court this disaster/I'll
point you home."-Barenaked Ladies-"Call and Answer"
"Hey my friend/It seems your eyes are troubled/Care to share your time with me/Would you say
you're feeling low and so/A good idea would be to get it off your mind...So can pull on
through/Whatever tears at us/Whatever holds us down/And if nothing can be done/We'll make
the best of what's around/Turns out not where but who you're with /That really matters/And
hurst not much when you're around."-Dave Matthews Band-"The Best of What's Around"
Nora turned when she heard her office door creaking open.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I knocked but..." Jack began.
Nora waved away his apology. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you. I was deep in thought."
Nora sat down, her back against the New York City skyline she had been studying. There was
just something hypnotic about the City at night, she thought, all those lights chasing away the
darkness.
Jack came in and sat down in a chair opposite from Nora.
"How is the case going?" asked Nora.
"Good," said Jack. "Abbie and I just finished prepping Mr. Franklin, our star witness."
Nora just nodded her head.
"The first death penalty case is always the hardest," said Jack sympathetically.
"Excuse me?" asked Nora confused.
"I've found that prosecuting a death penalty case for the first time is always the worst."
Nora tried to smile. "I'm fine."
Jack didn't know what to do. Should he try and talk to Nora? Or should he just accept Nora's
statement, get up, and walk out of here. Go home, have a scotch, and forget all about this
conversation. Nora was after all his superior. He didn't want to be stepping on her toes, crossing
any boundaries. But he could tell that her decision to seek the death penalty against Mr.
Mancuso was eating her inside.
In the end, Jack didn't have to make that decision. Nora decided to reach out for the life
preserver Jack had thrown to her.
"How many death penalty cases have you prosecuted?"
"Too many," said Jack rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
"I guess it doesn't get any easier, the more death penalty cases you prosecute."
"No, it doesn't," Jack admitted. "But if it's any comfort to you, I believe Mancuso is guilty.
Under New York statues, the death penalty is the proper punishment."
"You and Abbie both argued well for the death penalty to be applied in this case. And New York
statue does allow for the death penalty in cases like these. But in the end, the decision rests with
me. Mr. Mancuso is guilty and unremorseful. He committed the crime willfully and
deliberately. Of these things, I have no doubt in my mind. And yet I find no comfort in my
decision. I'm not God. Who am I to say who lives and who dies? The State of New York? I
think God would contest New York's jurisdiction in this matter."
"You're probably right," said Jack smiling sadly. "Abbie's actually my first ADA who is for the
death penalty."
"That somehow surprises me. I guess I thought a person must be for the death penalty to work
here in the DA's office," said Nora.
"And yet here you and I are, neither for nor against. The jury is still out and we're stuck here just
trying to do our jobs the best way we know how within the confines of the law."
Nora nodded sadly at Jack's words.
"You can't blame yourself," Jack continued. "We all make decision each day that affect people's
lives. You've made a decision and the chips will fall where they may. You just have to let
everybody else do their jobs now. Maybe a plea bargain will be made, maybe the jury won't
convict, maybe Mancuso will appeal the death sentence. So many more steps in our judicial
process must occur before Mancuso faces the possibility of being executed."
Nora absorbed Jack's words. Comfort lay in his words and she needed comfort right now.
They both slowly became conscious that the late hour had gotten even later. Jack and Abbie had
an early morning in court the next day.
"We'll I'd better go check on Abbie and help her finish up so we can get out of here."
Nora nodded and Jack headed for the door.
As Jack's hand was on the door knob he heard Nora call his name. He turned.
"Thanks for the talk, Jack."
"Any time." Jack paused and Nora waited for him to say what was weighing on his mind.
Finally, Jack said, "If we do get to the point, if Mancuso is executed, don't go there, don't be a
witness. There's nothing to be gained by it."
And with those parting words of advice, Jack exited Nora's office closing the door softly behind
him.
Nora just stared at the door for a few minutes after Jack had left. She was suddenly ill at ease.
And she wondered about this man. She wondered how much she didn't know about him. And
she wondered what secret pain he hid inside.