Chapter 9
After six weeks of intense media scrutiny, the day of the trial finally arrived.
Abbey met her attorney at a secret location and they went to the courthouse together. The DA had offered the former First Lady access to the basement garage for easier and private comings and goings, but Abbey was going to hold her head high and face her public.
She had never run away from a battle and she certainly wasn't going to start now.
She and Pat stepped out of the black Suburban and proceeded up the Courthouse steps. Cameras and flashes were everywhere. The press shouted questions at her as she made her way into the courthouse.
"Why did you do it, Mrs. Bartlet?"
"Did you kill your husband for the money?"
"I heard you pushed the morphine because the President had become a burden. Care to comment?"
Abbey and Pat made their way up the Courthouse steps, ignoring the absurd questions of the press. Abbey looked forward at all times, head held high. She was innocent, and the world would soon find that out.
After security screening, they were escorted to the second floor courtroom of Judge Thomas Adams and sat on the defense side of the courtroom. The gallery was small so only about fifty people sat to watch the proceedings.
Because Ellie and Millie were witnesses for the prosecution, only Liz, Zoey, Charlie, CJ, and Toby were seated on the front row of the gallery, behind the defense table. The remainder of the seats were allotted to the pool press and interested townspeople.
Court TV had been granted permission to televise the actual trial so cables ran everywhere. Since jury selection was first, actual coverage would be delayed until the jury was chosen and seated.
Over a hundred individuals had been called for the jury pool. They had already answered a fairly lengthy questionnaire on their knowledge of the trial, their beliefs about assisted death, and multiple other topics. The attorneys had already reviewed these questionnaires and were ready to question the jury in person.
District Attorney Short arrived, with two assistants. He looked at the defense table and gave a smile to the individuals sitting there. Abbey thought he was smirking at her. Maybe he was. She really had given him a case against her all wrapped up in a bow. It would be up to her attorney to make her case to the jury. A case she only prayed she would win.
"All rise." The judge entered the chamber and the preliminaries began.