A/N: Closing statements here are relatively short, mainly because the one time I sat in court (for an assignment) and heard closing arguments, each side went on for an hour. Imagine how much writing that would be, lol. Also, I struggled a long time with the ending to this chapter – I had to make certain, by doing something I rarely do when writing a fic and plan far ahead, to see how best to end this.
The prosecutor stood to face the jury.
"Your Honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury, over the past week and a half, you have heard countless testimonies, all of which substantiate the state's belief that Ian Hendricks is indeed guilty as charged. You have heard from the EMTs who arrived at the scene, who rushed Nancy Drew to the hospital, only to have her pronounced dead on arrival. You have heard from the police officers who were responsible for capturing Hendricks. He showed no remorse at the time of his arrest, they told you this. You have heard from Frank Hardy, who was abducted along with Miss Drew and was an eyewitness to her demise. You have heard it from Hendricks himself, that he abducted Frank and Nancy, and later killed Nancy. The defense would have you believe it was self-defense, but if it was, why did Hendricks have a spare gun? Because he was prepared for the possibility of attack. The judge will remind you to weigh all evidence carefully before you reach your verdict. I trust that you will do so, and that you will come to the conclusion that Ian Hendricks must be punished for this crime."
The jury sat, impassive and apparently unmoved, as this went on, and, much to Joe's relief, they remained so as the defense gave its own closing argument.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Your Honor, Ian….We are here because Ian made a mistake. He has admitted such. He regrets it. He is willing to face his punishment. But only for the crimes he committed. And he did not commit second-degree murder, despite what the prosecution says.
The prosecution's own medical examiner admitted that the fatal gunshot wound to Miss Drew's abdomen did not indicate definitively whether she was killed on purpose or accidentally.
Frank Hardy is the key witness. But, ladies and gentlemen, you heard from both Frank and his brother, that there was a distinct attraction between him and Nancy Drew. A strong enough attraction that those who knew them expected a romantic relationship to evolve. Frank was emotional when Ian shot Nancy in self-defense. He cannot be viewed as a reliable witness to Ian's intentions at the time, because of his emotional ties to Miss Drew.
In short, ladies and gentlemen, as the judge will remind you, if there are any doubts, you cannot return a guilty verdict. The prosecution has not been able to prove that Ian intended to kill Miss Drew; they have left some gaping holes. This is enough to give reasonable doubt, and therefore, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you must acquit my client."
Of course, the prosecution got to rebut this. After that, the judge read the instructions to the jury, and the men and women left for deliberations.
As the hours stretched by, it was realized the jury would not reach a verdict that evening. Joe left the courthouse, casting anxious glances at his grumbling brother. Fortunately, Frank withheld his comments until they were back at the Drew's home. But there, he let loose with the fireworks.
Pacing the floor at a speed that really didn't fit the definition of pace, though Joe didn't know how else to describe it, Frank let out with a series of complaints.
"What have they got to debate! He's guilty! GUILTY! How much more obvious can it be! I testified; they got to hear from the EMTS, the police…how the hell can they even think of believing him?"
"Well…" Joe said slowly, "they're probably having problems with the legal definition of self-defense."
"I don't care! What about the fact that Nancy and I were acting in self-defense!"
"I know, Frank, but…" Joe trailed off. The truth was, he wasn't sure what to say to Frank anymore. They both knew the law well enough to realize that anything was possible. "They have to consider everything," he mumbled.
"Fine!" Frank snapped. "So they consider everything. His flimsy excuses, my testimony, the photos from the medical examiner, the bullet casings, everything. That still should bring them to a nice, simple, guilty verdict. What more do they want, to see Nancy's body for themselves before they can believe it!"
Joe had no reply to that.
Court resumed session the next day, and for a while, it looked as though the jury wouldn't return a verdict today, either. But at about two in the afternoon, whatever debates might have been occurring in the jury room had ended, and the jury returned to the courtroom. Many in the audience found their stomachs to be twisted in knots, or to have suddenly become the home of butterflies, and no one was quite sure he wanted to hear the verdict.
The foreman handed the card to the bailiff, and with baited breath, everyone waited to learn how Ian Hendricks had been judged. Said defendant stood, the only one in the room who had even a slight aura of calmness about him.
"On the charge of kidnapping of the first degree, the jury finds the defendant…..guilty."
One down, two to go, Joe thought, partially relieved. He was actually glad the prosecution had gone for so few charges in this trial, though it also meant Hendrick's odds could be considered slightly better. Still, it was certainly kinder to the courtroom audience's nerves.
"On the charge of kidnapping of the second degree, the jury finds the defendant…guilty."
And now comes the biggie…Joe stole at glance at his brother, who sat like a statue, not speaking, facing straight ahead, breathing shallowly. The final part of the verdict was the most important part to his brother, and Joe hoped it would be what he knew Frank wanted it to be.
"On the charge of murder of the second degree, the jury finds the defendant…not guilty."
