A/N – Thank you for all your reviews, I appreciate all feedback!
Just a note – I know I use a lot of British words, I am sorry I do try not to but I can't help it when I actually don't know that the words aren't used in American English only British English so you'll have to bare with me on that. Secondly calling Cragen Pa was a mistake, I am trying to write five stories all at once and forget what she's calling him in what stories, I won't make that mistake again in this story! Apologies to all!
DISCLAIMER – AS MUCH AS I WISH I DID I DON'T OWN SVU OR ANY OF THEIR CHARACTERS, JUST THIS STORY AND MY OWN CHARACTERS!
Chapter Twenty Five – Closing
Supreme Court of New York
April 10th 1.36 pm
Olivia and Lorna walked into the courthouse and found Elliot, Cragen, Chief Dodson waiting outside the courtroom doors.
"Liv." Elliot smiled wrapping her up in an embrace.
"Hey baby." She smiled. "What stunts did the defence pull?"
"They showed the footage that had been cut out of the one the people showed, him bathing you, eating together and all that. Their psychiatrist testimony was ripped to shreds by Alex though, you should have seen her Liv she was amazing." Elliot smiled he was glad to be able to give Olivia some good news.
"I'm glad. Should we go inside?" She asked having already mentally prepared herself for the closing arguments.
"Let's go." Elliot smiled clasping her shaking hand in his own.
They all went to their usual bench right behind the people's table. Lorna joined them this time, sitting beside Elliot who seemed to appreciate having her there to support Olivia.
"Please rise!" A bailiff called making everyone stand up. "The honourable judge Elizabeth Donnelly presiding, court is now in session."
"Please sit." Donnelly said once she had take her own seat.
The whole room sat down silently.
"People you may begin closing." Donnelly said nodding her head towards the peoples table making Alex stand up.
Everyone watched as Alex walked to the Jury. Olivia was shaking with nerves waiting to hear what arguments both sides were going to make.
"You've seen what happened. You got to witness the attack made by Toby McArthur on Olivia. It was horrifying with everyone in the courtroom unable to speak for minutes afterwards. That man isn't sick. You've heard testimony from psychiatrists, two who have both said that the defendant knew exactly what he was doing when he brainwashed Olivia Benson into caring about him. He didn't just hurt her physically when he beat and raped her. He hurt her emotionally too. Don't give him the opportunity to do something like this again. Do the right thing for Olivia Bensons and find the defendant Guilty of all charges." Alex stayed and eyed the jury for a moment before going to sit down with Casey as Trevor Langan got to his feet.
"Nobody is denying that what Olivia Benson when through was horrific. Nobody says it's ok. However, don't make this man suffer in prison when he needs psychological help. You heard a psychiatrist say that when a person study's something and fixates upon something in the way Toby McArthur did then it's easy enough to become deluded that to perform his research would be ok. Don't make this man suffer in a cell when he's suffering in a prison that it is his mind. Do the right thing by everyone and find him not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect." Langan went to sit down as Casey got to her feet.
"The right thing by everyone? The right thing by everyone would be to make sure that the defendant is locked away for the rest of his life. The psychiatrist that told you Toby McArthur may be delusional also said that there is no way to prove that he was delusional, and that he is a very clever scientist who could easily fake the delusions to make people think he was sick. But let's not forget why we are here, we are here to fight to get justice for Olivia Benson. Her world was turned upside down when she was kidnapped at gun point, beaten repeatedly and raped by that vicious animal. He may have been conducting an experiment but did he ever consider the long term implications for the victim? She may not be able to go back to the job she loved because of what he did. She may never be able to trust people in the way she did because of that man. When you're deliberating whether to have him sent to prison or sent to a mental hospital think about that woman, think of Olivia Benson and the trauma she had inflicted upon her, think of how she will feel if you come back with the wrong verdict. Don't make her suffer any longer and find him Guilty!"
Langan was up on his feet in seconds and rushing back to the jury stand.
"What about Justice? Locking Toby McArthur away isn't justice! That man needs help and it's help he won't get if he is locked away in a prison. Don't make the mistake that could cost that man the little that's left of his sanity and find him not guilty by reason of insanity."
Langan went back to his seat visibly flustered and Alex stood once again.
"The people rest your honour." She smiled gently.
"The defence rests." Langan sighed.
Olivia was lost in her own mind while the jury was dismissed to begin deliberating. She was scared, worried, anxious that this wouldn't go her way and she was terrified that he would be headed to a mental hospital rather than prison like the animal he was.
She felt Elliot tug on her arm and realised they were all leaving the courtroom.
"Olivia, come to the office, we don't think the jury will be out long on this one." Alex smiled softly.
Olivia nodded, vaguely taking in everything that was going on around her.
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Jury room
April 10th 2.49 pm
"Right come on everyone, let's put our preliminary thoughts down and see what we have." Madam Foreperson said to the people around the table.
Everyone wrote what they thought on a piece of paper and handed it forward.
"Ok so we have ... Guilty, Not guilty by insanity, Not Guilty by insanity, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, not guilty by insanity, not guilty by insanity, guilty, not guilty by insanity, not guilty by insanity, guilty."
"Really? Come on people that man isn't insane and should be locked up for all eternity for what he did." One man almost yelled.
"Hey! You saw the two tapes, the second one, he bathed her, ate with her and looked after her does that sound like a man who should go to prison to you?" A woman retorted.
"Forget the second tape and think of the first, what that poor woman had to go through? She was there for twenty hours having that monster play mind tricks with her!" The foreperson called back.
"We're split straight down the middle." One woman chipped in.
"Yes and we are not leaving this room till we are all agreed on the verdict." Foreperson sighed.
"This is ridiculous, he isn't denying what he did and the attack, we had to watch that attack and some of you are still ok with sending him to a hospital? Come on the man is sick but he doesn't deserve to be put in a hospital he should be in a cage like the animal he is." One man said firmly.
"I think you're right. He is sick and that's why he should be in a mental institution." A woman sighed.
"This is a joke, he's sick in the head yes but look at what he did to that poor cop, she's going through a living nightmare because of him, think about all the therapy she has to deal with, imagine the nightmares she's having every night because of him? And she isn't the only one who's suffering because of Toby McArthur, her fiancé, her captain, her co-workers, don't tell me you didn't notice a very high up police person sat with them through the trial?" The foreperson replied.
"Can we take another vote?"
"Ok."
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Supreme court of New York
April 10th 4.29 pm
Everyone was sat in a stony silence. The tension around the room couldn't have been split with a knife. Each and every one of them was lost in their own thoughts as they patiently waited to hear anything. When Casey's phone rang everyone jumped out of their thoughts.
"Hello?" She answered, all eyes in the room was on her. "Thank you."
She hung up the phone and took a shaky breath.
"The jury's back."
Dun dun dun! Wait for the next chap people!