Chapter 10: Judgement Day
T.J reached into his wardrobe and pulled out his jacket. He then raced down the stairs and out the door without telling his parents where he was going.
Butch must have seen everything to know everything thought T.J. He ran towards Butch's house. When he got there he was just about to ring the doorbell when a voice said:
"About time you showed up. I was getting' worried."
It was Butch. He was standing cross-legged with a toothpick in his teeth as usual in the shade of a tree.
"I guess you were expecting me?" T.J asked.
"Yep. Day three already and you only thought of me now. I'm quite disappointed."
"Yeah. O.K Butch, you probably know why I'm here."
"Yeah. I saw it all. The assault, the threat and the fight.
"O.K well will you come with me to court tomorrow."
"Yep. I'll be your witness Detweiler."
"Thanks Butch, we're losing this trial so badly."
"Don't mention it, by the way, how was the date?"
"It went well. So uh, I guess I'll see you in court."
"I'll be there."
T.J left feeling uneasy but hopeful that he might win his fifth case. When he got home he was greeted by shouts from his parents.
"I'm sorry, but I may have found a witness who will help us win this trial," he asked.
"Who?" Asked his mum.
"Never mind, but he'll help us, just get the lawyer on the phone."
T.J told the lawyer all he needed to know about what Butch saw and what questions he had to ask. He then went upstairs to his room.
Day four, the final day of the trial. Vince, Gus, Gretchen, Mikey, Spinelli and T.J had hardly spoken a word during that time.
When the trial began T.J's lawyer spoke first.
"For my final witness, I call Butch - to the stand."
Butch appeared out of the double doors and started walking down the Isle.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, only the truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?"
"I do," Butch replied.
"Butch. Describe to me what you saw on Friday the eleventh at around four o'clock."
"I was in the shade and saw Mikey Blumberg anxiously waiting for someone by the dumpsters. A while later those three," he pointed to Mundy, Skeens and L.K. "Came over to him, they talked for a while, then they started beating Mikey up. They reached into his pocket and pulled out $500."
"Thank you Butch. Now tell us what you saw the next day outside Kelso's around two o'clock."
Butch described what happened when L.K said that they had alibis covered by his father and that he wouldn't believe them anyway.
Next the lawyer asked Butch to describe the fight scene. Butch told him exactly what happened.
"No further questions your honour," the lawyer said.
It was now Mundy's lawyer to question the witness.
"Butch. When you saw what you described as the 'beating up' on Mikey. What did you do exactly?"
"I watched."
"Anything else?"
"No."
"No? So you decided to do absolutely nothing?"
"I didn't want to be next!" Butch growled.
"And when you witnessed this fight, again you did nothing?"
"That's right."
"You just stood and watched?"
"I was minding my own business. I didn't want to interfere."
"You didn't call the police?"
"I couldn't."
"No further questions your honour."
After this, judge Skinner gathered his notes together.
"The trial is over, we now await the jury's verdict."
The jury discussed with each other their notes and passed them onto the judge. . He read through them for a while and laid them down.
"Judging by what I have seen and heard and with the jury's observations, I have the sentencing to be announced. Conrad Mundy, Skeens - and - -(L.K) will spend six months in the youth offenders prison for their acts of assault, theft and violence. The other five shall receive four months probation and spend two weeks doing community service. As for Theodore Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Gustav Griswold, and 'The big four' they shall be on three months probation and will do one week of community service."
Loud cheers came from T.J and the gang's crowd. He had won his fifth case. There was the matter of his punishment, but all that mattered was that they had won their case.
T.J reached into his wardrobe and pulled out his jacket. He then raced down the stairs and out the door without telling his parents where he was going.
Butch must have seen everything to know everything thought T.J. He ran towards Butch's house. When he got there he was just about to ring the doorbell when a voice said:
"About time you showed up. I was getting' worried."
It was Butch. He was standing cross-legged with a toothpick in his teeth as usual in the shade of a tree.
"I guess you were expecting me?" T.J asked.
"Yep. Day three already and you only thought of me now. I'm quite disappointed."
"Yeah. O.K Butch, you probably know why I'm here."
"Yeah. I saw it all. The assault, the threat and the fight.
"O.K well will you come with me to court tomorrow."
"Yep. I'll be your witness Detweiler."
"Thanks Butch, we're losing this trial so badly."
"Don't mention it, by the way, how was the date?"
"It went well. So uh, I guess I'll see you in court."
"I'll be there."
T.J left feeling uneasy but hopeful that he might win his fifth case. When he got home he was greeted by shouts from his parents.
"I'm sorry, but I may have found a witness who will help us win this trial," he asked.
"Who?" Asked his mum.
"Never mind, but he'll help us, just get the lawyer on the phone."
T.J told the lawyer all he needed to know about what Butch saw and what questions he had to ask. He then went upstairs to his room.
Day four, the final day of the trial. Vince, Gus, Gretchen, Mikey, Spinelli and T.J had hardly spoken a word during that time.
When the trial began T.J's lawyer spoke first.
"For my final witness, I call Butch - to the stand."
Butch appeared out of the double doors and started walking down the Isle.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, only the truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?"
"I do," Butch replied.
"Butch. Describe to me what you saw on Friday the eleventh at around four o'clock."
"I was in the shade and saw Mikey Blumberg anxiously waiting for someone by the dumpsters. A while later those three," he pointed to Mundy, Skeens and L.K. "Came over to him, they talked for a while, then they started beating Mikey up. They reached into his pocket and pulled out $500."
"Thank you Butch. Now tell us what you saw the next day outside Kelso's around two o'clock."
Butch described what happened when L.K said that they had alibis covered by his father and that he wouldn't believe them anyway.
Next the lawyer asked Butch to describe the fight scene. Butch told him exactly what happened.
"No further questions your honour," the lawyer said.
It was now Mundy's lawyer to question the witness.
"Butch. When you saw what you described as the 'beating up' on Mikey. What did you do exactly?"
"I watched."
"Anything else?"
"No."
"No? So you decided to do absolutely nothing?"
"I didn't want to be next!" Butch growled.
"And when you witnessed this fight, again you did nothing?"
"That's right."
"You just stood and watched?"
"I was minding my own business. I didn't want to interfere."
"You didn't call the police?"
"I couldn't."
"No further questions your honour."
After this, judge Skinner gathered his notes together.
"The trial is over, we now await the jury's verdict."
The jury discussed with each other their notes and passed them onto the judge. . He read through them for a while and laid them down.
"Judging by what I have seen and heard and with the jury's observations, I have the sentencing to be announced. Conrad Mundy, Skeens - and - -(L.K) will spend six months in the youth offenders prison for their acts of assault, theft and violence. The other five shall receive four months probation and spend two weeks doing community service. As for Theodore Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Gustav Griswold, and 'The big four' they shall be on three months probation and will do one week of community service."
Loud cheers came from T.J and the gang's crowd. He had won his fifth case. There was the matter of his punishment, but all that mattered was that they had won their case.
