Evergreen Courthouse Day Two

Court was about to be in session and people took their places in the small room, Bryce was shown in and took his place on the witness box, ready for the defence team to make his case to the jury. Lastly to enter the room was the jury and Judge Haroldean made the court in session once they were seated

Mrs Golden got up from her desk and took the open floor space and slowly paced near Bryce, he was hoping most of the jury had forgotten what was said from Mrs Jensen's enquiry

'You had some serious allegations put against your name, hopefully we can clear that up for everyone' she proclaimed

'There was a lot of misunderstanding in yesterday testimony'

'When Jessica held her party at her house it wasn't the first time she's had mass gathering before'

'There has been small parties before at her house, mostly jocks and cheerleaders have been accustomed to her home'

'And you were only going through her rooms upstairs on the first floor because were a little to drunk'

'That's correct'

'And what did you find when you stumbled upstairs?'

'I saw Jessica in her bedroom with Justin on the bed, they had a little drink themselves throughout the night'

'Why did you enter her bedroom?'

'It sounded like Justin wanted to have sex that night and the door was wide open for anyone to see in'

'You were being a good friend and went to shut the door to give them a little privacy'

'Correct'

'But that didn't happen at all, can you explain what happened next'

'Justin was standing over her and getting her undressed against her will, I stepped in and pulled Justin away from her before throwing him out of the room'

'Did he make any attempt to re-enter the bedroom?'

'Justin did not and that's when I think he went back to the party to chill out for a little while'

'Then what happened next in the room between you and Miss Davis'

'I sat down on the bed next to Jessica to make sure she was alright, the next thing I know she's coming on to me'

'You know what was happening in that room was wrong yet neither of you stopped it correct'

'Like I said Jessica came onto me and neither of us stopped what was about to happen. The party and Justin was neither on our minds when we were in that room'

'After the deed was done was there anything spoken between the two of you'

'Nothing was spoken that night so I don't know how she felt afterwards, I quickly got dressed again and went back to the party'

'Did Justin suspect anything that night from either of you that something happened'

'Well Jessica didn't leave her room till an hour later after I had left the bedroom, I think he had a few things on his mind so he didn't question her to the best of my knowledge'

'The days prior did Jessica come to you to speak about what happened'

'None whatsoever she never brought it up again or showed any signs of regret'

'Did you speak to her about what happened the days prior or whenever at all'

'I didn't have any regrets so I had no need to talk about us sleeping together'

'Was this encounter a one off or did it happen again at any stage between when it happened till now'

'No it was the one occasion on that night at her party'

'I think we've cleared up a little bit of the misunderstanding from that night' Mrs Golden proclaimed. 'Let's talk about the other incident in question Bryce, the party before the start of the new academic year'

'Ok'

'Was it true what Jessica said in her testimony yesterday that the party was for only the jocks and cheerleaders'

'I had only sent the invitations out to only them but if they invited some of their friends to tag along I didn't really care that night'

'And why is that Bryce'

'Parents were out of the country and I had the whole place to myself, so I invited some friends around so I had some good company'

'Why did Hannah turn up to the party because from yesterday's testimony you didn't invite her'

'The party was already in full swing and I was in a good mood, I saw Hannah Baker arrive to my party uninvited so I just let it slide'

'Why was that? Has there been an established relationship between the two of you like a friendship'

'We have gotten to know each other when she first moved to town and turned up at the opening game last year. Between then and now we have hung out a couple of times at various locations'

'Were the hangout ever sexual?'

'It has been intimate on a couple of occasions from a bit of foreplay to full intercourse'

'Has Hannah ever rejected your advance before in those intimate moments'

'No'

'Coming back to the party you threw Mr Walker, did you expect anything to happen between you and Miss Baker that night given your past relationship with her'

'No not at all Mrs Golden I wasn't expecting to hook that night with Hannah'

'You got into the hot tube with her after everyone had left, was anything said between the two of you'

'Nothing was really spoken but Hannah made the first moves on me. She was up for it that night and I didn't stop her because she wanted it'

'What were theses move Mr Walker that Miss Baker allegedly made that she wanted to have sexual intercourse with you'

'Hannah moved closer to me in the hot tube and placed her hand in the water and grabbed a hold of me. She started to stroke me before leaning over and kissed me'

'And Hannah showed no sign of regret from what she had started'

'None whatsoever during the intercourse or the days after, we had kept our distance again in Liberty because what happened is a private matter'

'No more further questions your honour'

Judge Haroldean called for a break from the morning session in court, he ordered everyone to have a break and be back in here and ready in fifteen minutes. Throughout Bryce cross examination Mrs Jensen was getting Hannah ready to take the stand next for her testimony on the two nights in question….

Hannah took her place in the witness stand whilst Mrs Jensen readied herself for the questions she was going to ask to prove no doubt in the case. The judge ordered the trail to resume again from its break, Mrs Jensen approached Hannah and smiled weakly at her to reassure her everything will be alright

'We've heard two different accounts on what happened that night in Miss Davis's bedroom, Can you tell us your version of events from that night'

'I can Mrs Jensen'

'From the tapes you have submitted as evidence Miss Baker, you were already in the room first before Jessica and Justin came in'

'That' correct I was in her bedroom with a boy'

'It's up to you Miss Baker if you want to disclose the identity of the boy you were in that room with'

'That boy was your son Mrs Jensen, we had gone in the bedroom to talk'

'This is not relevant to the case and you can skip over this on the tapes when you hear it' Mrs Jensen spoke to the jury. 'Something happened between you and my son and then he left, what did you do next'

'I was a bit upset about what had happened and I needed a moment alone to compose myself, It wasn't long before I heard footsteps approaching the bedroom'

'And that's when you hid in the closet to not be seen by whoever was coming'

'Correct'

'Whilst in the closet did you see who came into the room next?'

'It was Justin and Jessica and they were into each other like they couldn't keep their hands off each other'

'What else did you see Miss Baker?'

'Jessica's reactions were becoming slower and slurred whilst Justin was on top of her. She looked out of it and Justin was going to let her sleep it off but it didn't happen that way'

'Can you expand further on that'

'There was someone at the door trying to get into the room. Justin answered it and I saw it was Bryce Walker'

'We've heard two different testimony over what happened next but can you shed more light on what really happened next'

'Bryce forcefully entered the room wanted to get a good look at Jessica, Justin tried his best to stop him but Bryce somehow managed to throw him out of the bedroom'

'Was Jessica aware what was happening around her between the two young men'

'No she was still passed out drunk and didn't move a muscle from her bed'

'Jessica couldn't have initiate or made the first move on Bryce is that what you're telling me'

'That's correct'

'With Jessica in a drunken state that's when he decided to rape her'

Hannah didn't reply to the question and just nodded her head, to this day she still feels guilty of not doing anything to save her friend from that rapist. Hannah was doing her best to hold herself together about what Mrs Jensen was going to ask next

'Fast forward to a couple of months, you were in a bad place mentally and went for a walk. Going aimlessly around neighbourhoods till you got a wealthy part of the town'

'I wasn't really concentrating where I was going but the sound of loud music caught my attention, I saw a few people from Liberty so I just wondered in the back garden to join the party'

'And then what happened next from there'

'There wasn't anyone I spotted straight away so I walked around the garden, Bryce said hello but I didn't give a response back. That was when Jessica shouted over and asked that I join her and some friends in the hot tube'

'So you were letting go of what happened during the day and staring up at the night sky'

'That was the first time I felt at peace within myself for a very long time'

'After a while people started to leave the hot tube to go back into the house for whatever reasons, Did you think they would leave you on your own for however long they were gone'

'Some wanted to use the restroom or grabbed something to eat from the house so I thought they would be gone for like five minutes'

'But they were gone for longer than that?'

'I closed my eyes again to get relaxed in the hot tube when I heard someone climb in, I did not expect to see Bryce but it was his home and he's free to go and do what he pleases at his property'

'Did you feel uncomfortably by his presence'

'There was something in his eyes like he had an ulterior motive to getting into the hot tube with me and I wanted to just get out of there fast'

'Bryce never allowed that to happen did he'

'He made his way over to me and touched my body inappropriately, I knew where this was going and I tried to get away from him'

'Whilst he was beginning to assault you Miss Baker, did he say anything to you'

'Bryce said relax we're just gonna have a bit of fun'

'He pushed you up against the side of the hot tube and trapped you in, Bryce then removed his and your underwear. Before he put himself inside of you, did you say anything else to him'

'He knew that I didn't want to have sex with him when I tried to leave so I begged him not to'

'Mr Walker didn't take any notice of your pleas and raped you in the hot tube without any remorse' she stated. 'After he was done can you describe to the jury what you felt during and after'

'I was already in a bad place mentally but during the assault he made me feel dirty, worthless and disgusting and most importantly it made me feel unlovable to anyone and simply I wasn't good enough for anyone'

'Because of the assault on you it pushed to the edge and was a factor in your decision to make a suicide attempt'

A few tears trickled down Hannah's cheeks as she didn't reply to Mrs Jensen's ending statement, just simply nodding her head at the jury. If Mrs Jensen's questions had been subtle then the defence team would go in hard to make their case

'No further questions your honour'

Mrs Jensen retook her seat at the prosecution deck and concurred with her partner on the case. Judge Haroldean allowed the trail to continue on without a break for the witness on the stand. The courtroom was getting impatient again at the hold up from the defence team, the judge banged his gavel and ordered them to hurry up in the future

Mrs Golden finished writing down a note on a paper before taking the open space again, Hannah was slowly trembling before she had even asked a question

'We've all been there in a make out session that didn't go to plan and you hid in a closet when someone was coming up the stairs to the room'

'Correct'

'You knew they both had been drinking heavily that night yet you continued to watch them'

'Justin and Jessica were only kissing and the sooner one of them left the room or passed out I would come out of my hiding place and leave'

'How would you describe your relationship with Miss Davis now?'

'We're closer now then we have ever been and I would say we are more like sisters'

'Going back to her party, what would you say your relationship with each other was like back then?'

'Obviously we had drifted apart and had our own friends but I still cared for her even if she didn't feel the same back to me'

'When Bryce entered the bedroom and locked the door, You remained hidden in the closet the whole time'

'I was too scared to make my presence known to him that I was still in the room'

'Even if you suspected he was sexually assaulting Miss Davis you just watched and let it happen. Friends or not at the time you weren't being a good friend were you'

'No it wasn't like that all I was frozen in fear that if Bryce knew I was there then he would rape me as well

'You let your friend down that night and you are looking for an excuse to blame someone else for what happened' Mrs Golden proclaimed. 'If you convict Mr Walker on these two counts of rape then you are an accessory to one of them Miss Baker'

'I was trapped in that room with no obvious way out, I didn't make him do anything to Jessica'

'There will always be excuses as to why you stayed in that closet but the fact is you did nothing that night' Mrs Golden stated. 'If Mr Walker is convicted then he is happy to put a statement forward to the police you were an accessory that night'

Silence filled the room about the ramifications of what could happen to Hannah, There was nothing more that I or her parents could do and we wanted to hold her and tell Hannah that no charges would be pressed against her. Mrs Golden had Hannah on the ropes about what to say next that she could manipulate to the jury

'We're gonna talk about the party at Mr Walker's home, You trespassed onto his property that night didn't you'

'Well the gates were open to his backyard where a party was being thrown, Bryce saw me but didn't say anything to me or asked that I leave'

'And why was that'

'I don't know why he didn't but the party seemed to get underway a few hours before I arrived, maybe they were a bit slurred from the drink to even think properly'

'There's something you haven't disclosed to the jury about your relationship with Mr Walker, Can you explain your encounters with him at the start of the academic year when you first joined Liberty'

'I met him at a football game when I first moved, trying to find and make new friends. We got chatting after the game'

'And what were you first impressions of him at the time'

'He was your typical jock and I thought he was ok at the time'

'Did you hang out together several times since that first game'

'Only a couple of times at the clubhouse and on the hill by the bridge'

'Did anything sexual happen at these location you have mentioned'

'None whatsoever'

'And why should the jury believe your statement just now that nothing did happen'

'Because it's the truth'

'Yet Miss Baker you have a history of lying, numerous times on your tapes in fact. There's always someone else to blame other than yourself for what has happened to you'

'What I said when I created the tapes was my truth, my side of the story so it was never twisted or misinterpreted'

'On one of your tapes you claim Mr Walker assaulted you in a convenience store'

'That's correct he grabbed my behind whilst he tried to move past me'

'But you didn't report it to the police at the time, why was that'

'It was going to be my word against his and nothing was going to come of it if I reported it'

'So my client has allegedly assaulted you and and Miss Davis but neither of you reported it at the time, Why after all this time should these allegations be believed now'

'Statistically most women don't come forward straight away but some point in there lives they come forward after a few years'

'You're two women with reputation at Liberty but since prior no one has come forward to report of any such incidents against Mr Walker'

'I know from deep investigating there are least six more people who haven't reported anything and kept quiet'

Mrs Golden lips twitched a little at that remark, this was something she was going to consulate with Bryce when they had a moment alone in private

'Coming back to the party when you were in the hot tube with Mr Walker, When he allegedly made the first move you didn't say anything did you'

'No I was still in shock over what was happening'

'You never once said to him that you were not interested or told him to stop'

'I did say Bryce please before he raped me'

'But surely you can agree with me that it has two connotations over what that could mean?'

'Yes I agree that it can have two meanings to what I said but even if I didn't say much my body did the talking for me, I didn't want to be touched that night'

'Maybe you agreed to a physical encounter and later changed your mind after you two were done'

'It never happened the way you are suggesting Mrs Golden, he came onto me and then raped me in that pool'

'Then surely you are guilty of not saying more that night to make your intentions clear' She replied. 'You are looking for someone to blame over what happened during your time at Liberty and Bryce was the easy option to convict, no further questions your honour'

Judge Haroldean brought the court session to a close for the day and dismissed everyone form the room. Hannah was sat alone in the witness box and looked dejected from what was said in the trail, leaving my seating area I came up to the box

'How are you holding up?' I smiled weakly

'I could be better Mason I'm not going to lie'

'Let's get out of here and get something to drink'

Hannah finally moved from her spot and came to my side, draping my arm over her shoulders I led her out of the courtroom. She wasn't in the mood for talking and just wanted to get home, I'm sure Clay and Jessica wouldn't mind if we didn't meet up with them outside of the courthouse

'What's on your mind Hannah?'

'It may sound silly but it's what Mrs Golden said, that I could be an accessory to Bryce when I hid inside Jessica's closet'

'I wouldn't worry about it the defence team are just clutching at straws'

'But what if they ain't? They might be onto something and I still feel guilty of not doing anything that night'

'We'll talk to Mrs Jensen and see where you stand on the matter, she'll know more legally than we would'

'I just couldn't bear the thought of being away from all of you. Even if I'm arrested our family couldn't afford the bail money to keep me out before I'm due to serve time'

'I've got some money saved up and we can use that for bail if you are sentenced'

'Don't be stupid that's your inheritance money to use for yourself'

'Yeah I want to help my family with whatever problems they have Hannah' I admitted. 'If you need it then it's there for you, I've got your back'

'That well put Clay's mind at ease knowing his family are going to be ok'

'His family' I asked curiously. 'You're not, are you Hannah?'

A small grin spread across her face and before I knew it I wrapped my arms around her tightly and lifted Hannah off the ground, not wanting to forget this moment that I would be an uncle soon…..