The Cases and Trials of Waffle Island
Case #31: The Hamilton Murder Trial
Judge: Yolanda
Defendant: Hamilton
Prosecutor: Jake
Witnesses: Candace, Phoebe, Gill, Chase, Julius, Toby, others
Defense Lawyer: Luna
Court Marshall: Dale
Charges against Defendant: murder in the first degree, abuse of alcohol, child abuse, domestic violence, lying to authorities.
Dale: All rise! Good afternoon, everyone. We are here to decide an outcome of case number 31-Hamilina's murder. Hamilton, her husband, pleads not guilty in committing the murder, not guilty in the abuse of alcohol, not guilty in child abuse, and not guilty in domestic violence. The Defendant has chosen to not take the stand. The honorable Judge Yolanda presiding.
Yolanda (enters, sits): Welcome, all. We are gathered here today-oh, geez. I sound like I'm attending her funeral again. Anyway, we're all here under this courthouse roof to either give justice to Hamilton's wife, Hamilina, who was murdered back in the winter season of nearly eight years ago, or justice to an accused killer thst might not have done anything at all. Now, I'm hoping the Defense's brought a lot of good witnesses with him because the prosecution has some pretty tough evidence to match. By all means, let's begin. Do you have anything to open with, Ms. Luna?
Luna: Yes, your Honor. I would just like to start out by saying that my client, Hamilton, would not have killed his wife and left his child, Gill, in his own care. He's the mayor of this town and he's got enough to deal with already. Back eight years ago, Gill would've only been twelve and just started needing his parents more. So there's no way he would've left his son in the dark like that. The same goes for the charge against my client with the alcohol abuse and giving false information to authorities. Would he really lie about not excessively drinking, if he wasn't even drinking at all? And why would he drink while his son was so young, when his wife was busy running the island at the time? That would just leave his son completely on his own, which is definitely not in Mayor Hamilton's character as we all know.
Yolanda: Okay then, thank you Luna. Mr. Jake, would you like to say something to begin?
Jake: Thank you, your Honor. First of all, from my witness's claims, Hamilton was a frequent drinker. He could've very easily been under the influence at the time of his violent killing of Hamilina-
Luna (interrupts): -Wait wait wait, hold the phone. Who said anything about the attack being violent?
Jake: When the police searched the house, Hamilina's items were thrown all over the floor and the place was a mess. Her blood was everywhere.
Luna (interrupting again): But you don't have proof-
Yolanda (interrupting the loudest): Alright! Enough already! We're not even there yet! Jake, your time's up. Let's begin with a witness from the prosecution, shall we?
Jake: Alright. Prosecution calls Candace to the stand.
Candace (takes stand across from Luna): Good morning, your Honor. I'm Candace; C-A-N-D-A-C-E.
Yolanda: Why hello there. Now get started. Defense-fire away!
Luna: Thank you your Honor. Candace, what makes you think that Hamilton committed this crime?
Candace: W-Well…I would often s-see him wandering around at night. It l-looked kind of suspicious.
Luna: So that's why you think he did it? Because he was a night crawler?
Candace: N-Not just that, though. H-He was also keeping secrets. G-Gill and I went to school together and one day I went with home with him to study f-for a test. When he was in the kitchen, I w-watched him try to open a door, but it was locked. I-I asked him what was behind it and he s-said he didn't know.
Luna: When was this?
Candace: I-It was eight years ago in the spring.
Luna: How close were you and Gill at the time?
Candace (blushing): W-We were…just young love interests at the time.
Luna: And had you ever seen Hamilton drunk or intoxicated?
Candace: N-No, because mostly h-he was at work when w-we came home from school.
Luna (nodding): No further questions, your Honor.
Yolanda: Alrighty. Candace, you are dismissed. Next prosecution witness, please.
Jake: Prosecution calls Julius to the stand.
Yolanda (reads paper): Ugh. Julius.
Julius (skips to stand): Mornin' Lovelies!
Yolanda: Humph. Go ahead. Dale, get me some coffee.
Julius: J-U-L-I-U-S. Isn't it stunning? It'll be in lights someday.
Luna: Yeah. Sure. Fabulous. Okay. Where were you on Winter 11, eight years ago?
Julius: I don't quite remember, but since it was on an odd-numbered day I was probably hanging around the accessory shop. I was only a kid.
Luna: Did you do this…often?
Julius: Oh of course. Even still. Every odd-numbered date I fancy at some pretty jewels or help out in the refinery, you know, whatever I feel like. On the evens, I work on fashion. It's been a system I've used since I was five!
Luna (sighs): grrr…Okay, then. Do you remember anything about Hamilina's death?
Julius (taps chin): I remember hearing that Hamilton did it.
Luna (crossly): That's why we're all here. To find out if he did or not.
Julius: Oopsies. WAIT! I DO REMEMBER SOMETHING! I remember seeing the investigatory pictures of Hamilina in the newspaper. I made her the dress she was wearing at the time of death three days earlier.
Luna: And what did she say the dress was for?
Julius: Hmm...she said she wanted to look nice for their anniversary. But who knows? Maybe she was just breaking it in? That's critical in fashion. Get to know an outfit before you actually make an appearnace in it. It reduces the amount of last-minute flaws.
Luna: Can you describe for me the dress in question?
Julius: It was periwinkle blue with white polka-dots. On the sleeves and front were ruffles similar to what would've been worn in the late forties. There were two ties in the back that formed a bow.
Luna (nods): No further questions, your Honor.
Yolanda: Thank God that's over with. Julius, leave. Next prosecution witness.
Jake: Prosecution calls Chase to the stand.
Yolanda: Ah, Chase. Finally, someone without sequins in their brains.
Chase: Your Honor. I'm Chase. C-H-A-S-E.
Jake: How old were you when you came to this island?
Chase: I was seven years old.
Jake: Have you ever appeared in court before?
Chase: Yes, sir.
Jake: When?
Chase: When my parents were killed. I was a witness at around seven or eight years old.
Jake: Why were you a witness?
Chase: I had to testify what happened in the crash and what I saw against the intoxicated man behind the wheel.
Jake: They died because of a drunk driver?
Chase: Yes sir. I was the only survivor out of the four of us in the car.
Jake: ...I'm sorry for your loss. This is crucial information, though, because this case is very similar. Alright. Answer me some questions. Where do you work?
Chase: At the Sundae Inn, sir. I'm a cook.
Yolanda (interrupting, grinning): In training.
Jake: Did you ever see Hamilton at the bar?
Chase: I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't old enough to work at the bar at the time of Mayor Hamilina's death.
Jake: I mean in the last few years. Have you seen him since you turned eighteen?
Chase: Oh, yes sir. I apologize for misunderstanding. He comes in every Monday and Wednesday at ten o'clock pm and doesn't leave until closing.
Jake: Which is…?
Chase: Midnight, sir.
Jake: What does he usually order at the bar?
Chase: Usually it's a few rounds of apple cocktails.
Jake: And does he ever drink excessively? Or has he ever?
Chase: There were a couple occasions where I heard the next morning he had to be dragged out.
Jake: What do you mean by 'the next morning'?
Chase: Sometimes I don't stay till closing. Sometimes I go home earlier.
Luna (interrupting): You're useless!
Jake: So have you ever seen him acting strangely while he was at this establishment?
Chase: Well, I mean…sometimes yes. I completely understand if, you know, a mayor needs to relax and stuff. And kinda have some drinks. But um…one or two times I saw him sitting with his head down on the table and like, mumbling to himself. Yeah, this was after he'd had several drinks…so…that's all I have really seen.
Jake: Thank you, Chase. No further questions your Honor.
Yolanda: Thank you, Chase. You're dismissed. I don't know about you all, but my stomach is runnin' on fumes. One more witness and we'll break for lunch, huh?
Jake: Okay. Prosecution calls Phoebe to the stand to be cross-examined by the Defense.
Phoebe (takes stand): Greetings. I am Phoebe. P-H-O-E-B-E.
Luna: Ugh. You. Okie-dokie. You're an investigator, correct?
Phoebe: Currently, yes.
Luna: Your parents were at the scene when the body was discovered?
Phoebe: Correct. They were also investigators at the time.
Luna: What did the body in question look like when you saw it?
Phoebe (digging in folder): I have photographs here, your Honor. (pulls out several photos and hands them to court marshal)
Yolanda (looks at photos): Well. Isn't this a surprise? It appears the attack was violent. There are seven bullet holes on her body. (turns to Luna) How do you explain this?
Luna: She could've killed herself-
Phoebe: It would not be possible for her to kill herself. If she shot herself once, she'd be too weak to shoot herself six other times. Plus, the case shows that the cause of death was not bleeding. It was attack.
Yolanda: Phoebe, were there any weapons found at the crime scene? Do you remember?
Phoebe: The house was searched, and there were no weapons that could cause death by bullets. Howver there was a locked door just in back of the kitchen that Hamilton said he'd lost the key to years before, and they'd never been inside as long as they'd been living there. I'm not entirely positive on it's relevance to the case, but it's just something that they'd found.
Yolanda: Luna?
Luna: No. Further. Questions.
Yolanda: Thanks, Phoebe. You are dismissed. Mr. Jake? Does the prosecution have any further questioning for the defense?
Jake (discussing with prosecutors): No further questioning required, your Honor.
Yolanda: Alright everyone. Recess! Go have lunch. But be back here by one o'clock. Then the defense gets to have their turn to tell the story.
(Everyone leaves courtroom)
One o'clock after lunch. Jury returns.
Yolanda: Mm-mm that was great. I love my dried fish. Okay. Let's get this thing up and running again. Now, the Defense will prove that the cause of death was suicide and that Hamilton did not commit the murder. So, Luna, can you tell us who the defense calls to the stand?
Luna: Defense calls Elli to the stand.
Elli (takes stand): Good afternoon, E-L-L-I.
Luna: Elli, can you tell the members of the jury this afternoon what it was like to work with Mayor Hamilton?
Elli: Yes. I am a clerk at the Town Hall, so I see him every day. Usually, he's cheerful and welcoming.
Luna: Even on Winter 12, the day after his wife's death?
Elli: Yes ma'am, everything was fine that day.
Luna: Was Hamilton always in the same place in the Town Hall?
Elli: Particularly, he resided in his office.
Luna: Did you ever feel like there were secrets being kept?
Elli: …No, I wouldn't say that. There were some times where he would shut the door, often for long periods of time, but I just figured he understandably wanted some time alone after the death of his wife.
Luna: Your Honor…I believe you're overlooking small details here. This is a person who's worked with Hamilton throughout the eight years after Hamilina's death. If you do not consider these facts significant, then you're not showing fair play with the defense.
Jake: Objection, your Honor! These are not facts. They are opinions from a witness. One person's view of "normal" could be very different from somebody else's.
Yolanda: Sustain! Defense, please call another witness to the stand. Elli...get out. Next!
Luna: Defense calls Toby to the stand.
Yolanda: Are you trying to lose?!
Toby: I am Toby. T-O-B-Y.
Luna: So, Toby, what's your take on all of this? What do you think of the Hamilton family? Then and now?
Toby: I believe that they were once happy, breached the beginnings of some tensions, and are now back to normal, just missing a member.
Luna (holds up a picture): Permission to approach the witness, your Honor?
Yolanda: You may.
Luna: Thank you. Toby, can you tell the members of the jury what you see in this picture-that you submitted in your own questioning-of the Hamilton family dated back nine years ago?
Toby (studying picture): I see...Hamilton and Hamilina...with Gill in the middle.
Luna: Are Hamilton and Hamilina smiling?
Toby: Somewhat. Only Gill clearly is. Hamilina has a small smile and is holding both of Gill's shoulders, and Hamilton has one hand on his left shoulder-the one nearest to him. The adults are far apart from each other. Hamilton is slightly eyeing Hamilina though, but you would not be able to tell by just looking quickly.
(Hamilton cries to himself)
Luna: And you would say that before this tragic happening, the Hamilton family was a happy one?
Toby: ...Well...I didn't really know much about them. But yes, I would indeed be inclined to say that I personally had no reason to suspect any dissent within the family.
Jake: Objection, your Honor!
Yolanda: Yes, Jake?
Jake: Once again, this is an opinion, not a fact. May we terminate the witness's claim?
Yolanda: Termination granted. Toby, get out of here. Luna, you need to start picking better witnesses. These yahoos are bozos.
Luna: Whatever. I've got no further witnesses anyway.
Yolanda: Oh, great, perfection. Prosecution, call your final witness.
Jake: Prosecution calls Gill to the stand.
Gill (approaches stand): I'm Gill. G-I-L-L.
Jake: Gill, you are the son of Hamilton and Hamilina, correct?
Gill: That is correct, sir.
Jake: Do you believe that it was your father that killed your mother when you were twelve years of age?
Gill (after a moment of silence): I can't say...
Luna (interrupting again): You'd better. You're in court. Your Honor? The witness fails to answer the question.
Yolanda: Sustain! Let him say what he wants. May I remind you and the jury that this is Hamilton's son. He's probably got tons of info stuffed up in that little head. Go ahead Gill.
Gill: Thank you, your Honor. I'm sorry…This is just really difficult for me. I don't want to think that my father murdered my mother, but I don't want to think someone else did and is still out there.
Jake: Gill, tell the members of the jury what it's like to live at home with an accused killer.
Gill (silence. Wipes eyes): …I'm sorry…
Yolanda: Take your time.
Gill: There's so much…pressure. I don't feel like I can be myself. My mom always made me feel otherwise. Every night…oh God, I'm sorry…(sniffles and wipes eyes again)…every night she'd put me to bed and tell me that I was perfect in every single way possible, and that I couldn't ever listen to anything anyone was saying. She told me to…always listen to her…and when I woke up one morning, she was gone.
Jake: So you're saying that you said goodnight to your mother, fell asleep, woke up the next morning, and she was dead?
Gill: Yes. There were police officers and investigators in my house the next morning. Irene was the one that told me my mother…was dead.
Jake: It happened at night, then?
Gill: That is correct.
Jake: Did you hear anything during the night?
Gill: I heard a bang from downstairs. And some yelling. But I thought it was just my parents arguing again. They used to do that often. Not, you know, major fights, just some yelling and stuff. That's when I realized that my bedroom door had been closed. I got really scared, and I jumped out of bed and ran to it, trying to pull it open. Then I heard a lot more bangs. So I started screaming and crying. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. I opened my teary eyes a little, and...it gets strange here, but bear with me...I saw all the Harvest Sprites starting to surround me. Edge was crying with me, so I gave him a hug. The others returned the favor. Alan said to me, "It's going…" (sniffles, pause) "It's going to be okay, Gill. You're going to be fine." so I asked him what was happening, why my door was closed, and where the Harvest Goddess was, because usually I saw her with them. Daren told me "She's downstairs, she's making things better in a way you wouldn't understand…" (sniffles more) "but you will someday." I cried more, and I told them that I wanted my mom or my dad to come comfort me. Ben said, "We can't have that right now. We're here to comfort you, okay? Don't be scared. Just think of it as our mom helping your mom. But it's okay. We're going to protect you." And Collin said, "Yeah…we'll always be here when you need us…" So we all sat huddled together for a long time…and then I just remember waking up and seeing all the villagers gathered outside.
Jake: Was the door ever closed on a typical night?
Gill: No, no…I always left it open when I slept. I was afraid of the dark at the time.
Jake: Did you ever see the Harvest Sprites before?
Gill: Oh, always. We would play outside sometimes, read books, draw pictures…from as long as I can remember. Usually the Harvest Goddess was with them. She'd always talk to me and stuff. She told me a lot that I was the only one that could see the six of them. She said that I was special, and that it was good I was that way. That way I would always…have someone…to turn to…(breaks down) After that night, I didn't see any of them ever again. I figured out, after all these years, that…I didn't see the Harvest Goddess that night because she was downstairs, taking my mom to live with her, and the Harvest Sprites were going to always help my mom watch over me…like they did…Oh, if I just got out of my room to see what was happening, I could've saved her. Or at least given her justice...
Luna (interrupting): Objection! Did anybody drug test this kid?!
Yolanda (pounding gavel): Shut up! This is getting good.
Luna: But this is irrelevant to-
Yolanda: Brush up on your island history, kid. This is extremely rare and interesting. Keep spilling, Gill. Go on Jake.
Jake: That's a touching story. Did you ever witness your father drinking? Maybe, that's why the Harvest Sprites were always there for you when your mother was busy running the island as mayor and your father was out?
Gill (wiping eyes): Yes. Once I became a teenager, I realized that I never saw them anymore. And that that was probably the reason why. When I was little, I needed to be sheltered from it. But as I got older, I just grew up faster and dealt with it.
Jake: Did he ever hurt you at all?
Gill: W-Well…it never really hurt that bad…
(Hamilton sniffles and coughs violently into arm and continues crying)
Jake (very gently): What never hurt that bad, Gill? Tell me.
Gill (suddenly nervous): Um…uh it was nothing…I was just acting out a little and he um…straightened me out. It wasn't bad. I-I deserved it.
Jake: What was happening? Please explain to the ladies and gentlemen.
Gill: I w-was just being a teenager; thinking I knew everything and stuff. I was blaming him for keeping some doors in the house locked, and I started getting mouthy to him. So he simply just backhanded me quickly to stop the behavior that's it.
(court gasps)
Jake: Just that one time? Or others too?
Gill: …J-J…J-Just that one time…
Jake: It sounds like, from what you previously stated, that this wasn't the only time. Maybe it was the first time he backhanded you, sure. But what about other things? Did he ever kick you? Shove you? Pull on your limbs or hair?
(Gill nods)
Jake: When you nod, you're confirming to me and the jury that your father did all of the things that I just listed, correct?
(Gill nods again, looking down)
Jake: Did your father ever smell of alcohol when he was acting like this?
Gill (tearfully, covering face): Yes…
Jake: And other times when he was non-aggressive towards you?
Gill: Yes, sir. One time, when I was fourteen, I went down the stairs when he came home very late at night. He was swaying and he didn't even see me standing right there. He laid on the couch. I crept by him when he was falling asleep. I could smell the alcohol on him.
Jake: Anything you wish to add?
Gill: No, sir.
Yolanda (surprised): Oh. Okay then. We'll hear closing marks from the prosecution now, I guess. Mr. Jake?
Jake: Ladies and gentlemen, I think we all know who murdered Hamilina. From Julius's testimony of the autopsy to Gill's heartbreaking home life stories, the evidence is clear. Hamilton killed his wife using a gun and seven bullets. (pause) She's dead. She's the only one that knows what happened. Her son was too young at the time. He only knows that his father drank sometimes. And he only knows that his mother was taken from him. (pause) The evidence that Phoebe has provided us with is substantial enough to tell that there was no way she could've shot herself seven times. There was alcohol abuse in the house, as we heard from Gill and Chase, and as Phoebe told us, alcohol can affect not only one person but a whole family. Please keep in mind ladies and gentlemen as you make your decision, that you'll be affecting the life of a boy once this trial is over. If his father did kill his mother, he has to go home to a killer. What will happen to him then?
Yolanda: Thank you, Jake. Luna. Your turn.
Luna: Finally. Okay. All this evidence is circumstantial, not substantial. There is no tangible proof that Hamilton was a drinker, or that he used a gun to kill his wife. It was possible she shot herself. Twice in the legs, three times in the stomach, once in the side, and finally, the last time in the head. She was obviously depressed. She wanted to die and have pain. Who's to say that Gill didn't lie under oath so he won't have to live with his father?
(Gill shakes head, crying)
This family apparently was very broken. There was no communication. In this case, there is so much reasonable doubt. If Gill was so abused, how come Candace, his "love interest" didn't notice any marks? If anyone, like Chase, suspected over-consumption of alcohol in Mayor Hamilton, why didn't he refuse to serve the Mayor? Why would Hamilina order a dress to be made for their anniversary celebration if she wouldn't be comfortable even celebrating it with him, considering there seemed to be so many "family problems"? It was because she knew her whole town was watching her. Scrutinizing her family, her wardrobe, her every move…that's pretty stressful. Hamilina killed herself so she wouldn't have to live under the pressure of being a mayor and a mother. Gill even said he feels pressure just being the son of a mayor. She was stressed out. Overworked. Depressed. Keep all that reasonable doubt in mind.
Yolanda: And now the rebuttal. Hit it, Jake.
Jake: Thank you, your Honor. Why was Hamilina depressed? What made her sad? Her child wasn't defective. Maybe her marriage was. There's obviously something wrong in this family. Gill was too little to know about it. Hamilina can't tell us. And Hamilton will lie to authorities just like last time. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know how to say this, but Gill knows. He knows more than he's telling. Because he is sure that when he goes home after all this and lives with his father, he'll get abused.
Luna: Objection! Failure to prove a point! This case has nothing to do with child abuse!
Yolanda: Quiet. Go ahead, Jake.
Jake: If Gill's not telling exactly what happened, that means he's afraid. He's afraid to go home. Ladies and gentlemen, that is a sign of family problems. If Gill wasn't afraid of what would happen if he didn't tell the whole truth, then couldn't he just outright say it? Based on his testimony with the point about seeing his father intoxicated, hearing him yell things to an empty house, feeling a sting on his cheek from an alcohol scented hand...how can we surpass these details that prove Hamilton had problems? Even if he didn't know that he pulled the trigger seven times on his wife because he was intoxicated, he still abused the alcohol. And he lied about it when authorities asked if he'd ever drank above the normal amount. (pause) Who's life was better without Hamilina? Let's see. Gill is miserable. He fell into a deep depression he still hasn't fought off yet. But Hamilton got elected Mayor. He's out drinking every night while this island slowly deteriorates from lack of proper economic attention. (pause. Holds up Toby's photograph of the family) There's your answer.
Yolanda (to jury): Okay. You guys know the rules. Just decide already and come back in here when you've got an answer.
(Jury leaves. Comes back in a few minutes later.)
Kathy (takes stand): I'll be speaking for the members of the jury.
Yolanda: Alrighty. Let's wrap this crap up.
Kathy: On the subject of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant not guilty. On the subject of abuse of alcohol, not guilty. Child abuse, not guilty. Domestic violence, not guilty. Lying to authorities, not guilty. Hamilton is free of charge. No penalties.
Yolanda, Jake, Luna, Gill (simultaneously): WHAT?!
Kathy: No penalties.
Yolanda (shocked): Um...it's the jury's decision. Uh...okay. Hamilton. You are released. No charges.
(Gill sobs quietly. Gets up and leaves courtroom)
(Defense hug each other)
(Prosecution is stunned)
Yolanda: Well. We'll verify the jury ruling. Juror A14-Luke, is this your verdict?
Luke: Yes.
Yolanda: Juror A73-Irene, is this your verdict?
Irene: Yes, Your Honor.
Yolanda: Juror G22-Kathy, is this your verdict?
Kathy: Yes ma'am.
Yolanda: Juror C88-Ruth, is this your verdict?
Ruth: Yes.
Yolanda: Juror G36-Barbara, is this your verdict?
Barbara: Yes.
Yolanda: And finally, Juror F23-Maya, is this your verdict?
Maya: Yes, your Honor.
Yolanda (closing files): Well, then. That's it everyone. (bangs gavel lightly, still shocked) She's gone. Court adjourned.
