The Witness
Chapter 30
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"Ready?" Bosco asked Cole, noticing how nervous he was. Cole looked over at Bosco and barely shook his head 'yes.'
"It's gonna be okay. You're doing really well in the rehab program, your school grades are good, it's gonna be okay. Besides, this is just the part where they choose the jury," Bosco tried to reassure him. They walked into the Courtroom and Cole took a seat alongside his attorney and Bosco sat right behind him.
Cole and his attorney, Tony Jenkins, were quietly discussing some things while Bosco looked around the room. Suddenly, he felt a presence alongside him and turned to see Katy and Faith standing there. He moved over to allow them in to sit down.
"Thanks for coming," he said to both of them.
"How'd he doing?" Katy asked, putting a hand in Bosco's. Faith noticed and smiled inwardly to herself.
"He's nervous," he told them.
"Yeah, well. He'll be fine. Listen, Bos. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Faith said to him.
"Yeah, sure," he said, getting up to follow her out into the hallway. The case wasn't due to start for another ten minutes.
Once in the hallway, Bosco turned to Faith. "What's up?"
"Well, I have some information that may be of some help. But it involves breaking a trust between Emily and Cole," she said hesitantly. She had told Emily that she was going to talk to Bosco about it and let him make the ultimate decision on whether to use the information or not.
"What? What is it?" he asked her.
"Well, Cole was telling Emily that one of the reasons that he drank that bottle of vodka was because he was scared for his friend from the hospital," she said.
Bosco shook his head, not understanding who she was talking about. "What friend from the hospital?"
"That nursing student, Chenise, or whatever her name is. Apparently, she's the one that tipped him off about Raven coming to look for him when he was Upstate. She must be the one that found you in the parking lot that night too. Cole told Em that she's the sister of one of Raven's boys. She tried to help Cole because she felt guilty about telling her brother that Cole was in the hospital and still alive. That's why she warned him about them coming for him Upstate," Faith explained.
"She's the one that knew about Cole being set up with the drugs and stuff too," Bosco said, starting to get excited, thinking that this would be helpful to Cole during this trial.
"Go slow, Bosco," Faith warned him. "Talk to Cole's attorney first before you do anything."
"Yeah. Thanks, Faith. And tell Em I owe her one," he said, turning to go back into the Courtroom.
Bosco was talking to Jenkins when the Court officer stood up and called the Court to order. They all stood as the Judge walked into the Courtroom and took her place on the bench.
The Judge made her opening remarks and then motioned to the attorneys to begin trying their case. Tony Jenkins stood up first.
"Your Honor, I know that this is highly unusual, however, I have just received critical information regarding my client's case and would like to request a postponement or delay to the start of this trial," he said.
"Your Honor," began the District Attorney, standing up. The Judge held up her hand, interrupting both attorneys.
"Mr. Jenkins, you are correct in that this is highly unusual. And, I don't take kindly to having my Court calendar messed with," she said with irritation.
"Your Honor, I'd be happy to meet with you and the Prosecutor in chambers to discuss this new evidence. It is my hope that we can come to some type of compromise and save the State the cost of this trial," Jenkins said quickly.
The Judge looked over to the D.A. "Counselor?" she asked him.
"Your Honor, we agree to a meeting in Chambers," he replied.
The Judge struck her gavel on the bench and said, "This Court is in a half hour recess. I apologize to the prospective jurors for the delay as I'm sure do these attorneys."
The attorneys all stood and followed the Judge out the door to her chambers and Cole sat there, looking bewildered. Bosco motioned for him to follow him, Faith and Katy out into the hallway where he'd explain everything to him.
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"Your Honor, Mr. Morgan," Jenkins said, addressing the Judge and the District Attorney. "I apologize for the timing of my receipt of this information and I must admit I have some fast researching and questioning to do. I have been informed by a friend of my client, through her mother, that there is a witness with information regarding the fact that my client was set up with those drugs in his pocket and that the person claiming that my client tried to sell those drugs to her daughter is, in fact, in a relationship with a Mr. Byron Morris, also known as Raven of the Latin Lords - a person with a known grudge against my client," Tony explained.
"Your Honor," the DA started to object. "This is an obvious attempt by the Defense to clutter this trial and delay progress..."
"Mr. Morgan," the Judge interrupted. "Since we've taken a half hour recess from this case, the least we can do is make good use of it and listen to what Mr. Jenkins has to say. After all, he's trying to save the taxpayers the expense of this trial," she said, with a little sarcasm."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Tony replied, ignoring the sarcastic remark by the Judge. He went on to explain the situation to both the Judge and the DA and after a half hour, everyone was returning to the Courtroom to resume.
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Cole was not happy with the information Bosco, Faith and Katy gave him. He wasn't angry with Emily because he knew she was trying to help him. He was angry with Bosco for bringing the information to his attorney without talking to him about it first. He was terrified for Chenise's safety, now that the information was going to be a part of public record.
As the Judge returned to the bench, Cole was arguing with Bosco and Tony, trying to convince them not to use this information and endanger Chenise. "Please, Cole. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me," Tony said to Cole as the Court was called back to order.
"In light of new information received by the Defense, and in agreement with the Prosecution, this case has been postponed and will be rescheduled to begin in one week if the need still presents itself. Potential Jurors," said the Judge. "You may return to the main Jury Pool in Room 322 of this building with this Court's thanks." With that, the gavel sounded again, leaving an angry Cole surrounded by his attorney, Bosco, Faith and Katy.
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TBC...
Chapter 30
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"Ready?" Bosco asked Cole, noticing how nervous he was. Cole looked over at Bosco and barely shook his head 'yes.'
"It's gonna be okay. You're doing really well in the rehab program, your school grades are good, it's gonna be okay. Besides, this is just the part where they choose the jury," Bosco tried to reassure him. They walked into the Courtroom and Cole took a seat alongside his attorney and Bosco sat right behind him.
Cole and his attorney, Tony Jenkins, were quietly discussing some things while Bosco looked around the room. Suddenly, he felt a presence alongside him and turned to see Katy and Faith standing there. He moved over to allow them in to sit down.
"Thanks for coming," he said to both of them.
"How'd he doing?" Katy asked, putting a hand in Bosco's. Faith noticed and smiled inwardly to herself.
"He's nervous," he told them.
"Yeah, well. He'll be fine. Listen, Bos. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Faith said to him.
"Yeah, sure," he said, getting up to follow her out into the hallway. The case wasn't due to start for another ten minutes.
Once in the hallway, Bosco turned to Faith. "What's up?"
"Well, I have some information that may be of some help. But it involves breaking a trust between Emily and Cole," she said hesitantly. She had told Emily that she was going to talk to Bosco about it and let him make the ultimate decision on whether to use the information or not.
"What? What is it?" he asked her.
"Well, Cole was telling Emily that one of the reasons that he drank that bottle of vodka was because he was scared for his friend from the hospital," she said.
Bosco shook his head, not understanding who she was talking about. "What friend from the hospital?"
"That nursing student, Chenise, or whatever her name is. Apparently, she's the one that tipped him off about Raven coming to look for him when he was Upstate. She must be the one that found you in the parking lot that night too. Cole told Em that she's the sister of one of Raven's boys. She tried to help Cole because she felt guilty about telling her brother that Cole was in the hospital and still alive. That's why she warned him about them coming for him Upstate," Faith explained.
"She's the one that knew about Cole being set up with the drugs and stuff too," Bosco said, starting to get excited, thinking that this would be helpful to Cole during this trial.
"Go slow, Bosco," Faith warned him. "Talk to Cole's attorney first before you do anything."
"Yeah. Thanks, Faith. And tell Em I owe her one," he said, turning to go back into the Courtroom.
Bosco was talking to Jenkins when the Court officer stood up and called the Court to order. They all stood as the Judge walked into the Courtroom and took her place on the bench.
The Judge made her opening remarks and then motioned to the attorneys to begin trying their case. Tony Jenkins stood up first.
"Your Honor, I know that this is highly unusual, however, I have just received critical information regarding my client's case and would like to request a postponement or delay to the start of this trial," he said.
"Your Honor," began the District Attorney, standing up. The Judge held up her hand, interrupting both attorneys.
"Mr. Jenkins, you are correct in that this is highly unusual. And, I don't take kindly to having my Court calendar messed with," she said with irritation.
"Your Honor, I'd be happy to meet with you and the Prosecutor in chambers to discuss this new evidence. It is my hope that we can come to some type of compromise and save the State the cost of this trial," Jenkins said quickly.
The Judge looked over to the D.A. "Counselor?" she asked him.
"Your Honor, we agree to a meeting in Chambers," he replied.
The Judge struck her gavel on the bench and said, "This Court is in a half hour recess. I apologize to the prospective jurors for the delay as I'm sure do these attorneys."
The attorneys all stood and followed the Judge out the door to her chambers and Cole sat there, looking bewildered. Bosco motioned for him to follow him, Faith and Katy out into the hallway where he'd explain everything to him.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Your Honor, Mr. Morgan," Jenkins said, addressing the Judge and the District Attorney. "I apologize for the timing of my receipt of this information and I must admit I have some fast researching and questioning to do. I have been informed by a friend of my client, through her mother, that there is a witness with information regarding the fact that my client was set up with those drugs in his pocket and that the person claiming that my client tried to sell those drugs to her daughter is, in fact, in a relationship with a Mr. Byron Morris, also known as Raven of the Latin Lords - a person with a known grudge against my client," Tony explained.
"Your Honor," the DA started to object. "This is an obvious attempt by the Defense to clutter this trial and delay progress..."
"Mr. Morgan," the Judge interrupted. "Since we've taken a half hour recess from this case, the least we can do is make good use of it and listen to what Mr. Jenkins has to say. After all, he's trying to save the taxpayers the expense of this trial," she said, with a little sarcasm."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Tony replied, ignoring the sarcastic remark by the Judge. He went on to explain the situation to both the Judge and the DA and after a half hour, everyone was returning to the Courtroom to resume.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Cole was not happy with the information Bosco, Faith and Katy gave him. He wasn't angry with Emily because he knew she was trying to help him. He was angry with Bosco for bringing the information to his attorney without talking to him about it first. He was terrified for Chenise's safety, now that the information was going to be a part of public record.
As the Judge returned to the bench, Cole was arguing with Bosco and Tony, trying to convince them not to use this information and endanger Chenise. "Please, Cole. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me," Tony said to Cole as the Court was called back to order.
"In light of new information received by the Defense, and in agreement with the Prosecution, this case has been postponed and will be rescheduled to begin in one week if the need still presents itself. Potential Jurors," said the Judge. "You may return to the main Jury Pool in Room 322 of this building with this Court's thanks." With that, the gavel sounded again, leaving an angry Cole surrounded by his attorney, Bosco, Faith and Katy.
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TBC...