Sam sat quietly in a table facing the high platform where the judge sat. Dean had been very pleased to find the judge was a woman. Sam fidgeted with his tie nervously, and Dean told him to stop looking guilty. Sam took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down and eased into his seat.
"Good." Dean said. "Don't worry. The prosecutor has nothing more than the neighbors declaration. And she didn't say she thought you killed him." Dean said to his brother in a low voice. Sam turned to look at the man sitting on the other table.
The prosecutor was a man in his mid forties. He wore glasses and had a gesture that made Sam think he was permanently smelling something disgusting. Sam could tell he was one of those adults who thought young people should be disciplined strictly to guide them the right way. Sam knew he thought he was a juvenile murderer.
The judge opened a folder in front of her and skimmed through the papers. She raised her eyes at the two boys sitting on the table in the right and spoke in a loud and clear voice.
"Mr. Winchester. Dean." She cleared. "Would you like to tell me what happened." She asked.
Dean got up. "Yes your honor." He paused. "I got a call from my brother four days ago, asking for my help. I got here to find he had been arrested and charged with my father's murder." The judged nodded and Dean continued. "I saw my brother the next day and talked to him. He told me he got home after visiting me, and found our father drunk in the living room. He went to his room, to where my father followed and attacked him." The judge turned to look at Sam. He looked at her in the eye and then looked down. "After my brother managed to get him off of himself, and get up, he thought my father would continue his assault." Dean took a pause to make sure he wasn't going too fast. He was nervous. His first case was the most important of his life. The judge motioned with his hand for him to continue and he did so. "Instead, my father either jumped out the window, I believe, after realizing what he was doing. Or in his inebriated state stumbled back and fell through it." Dean concluded and sat down.
"There are no reports suggesting an abusive behavior before from your father this particular incident, Mr. Winchester." The judge said.
Dean stood again. "I know your honor. It was just the three of us after my mother died." He paused. "There were no relatives or close friends to report him." He explained. "We were just kids." he added, and he noticed some sort of emotion cross the judge's face. It lasted only an instant, but he knew he had seen it. He kept his face straight though he wanted to smile. He bet she was a mother.
"There are no reports to suggest any violent behavior by your brother either." She seemed to be talking to herself. "It seems he is a good student." She added.
The prosecutor stood up at that and spoke in an outraged voice, though keeping his volume down. "Your honor, the police found a footprint in the front of the late John Winchester's body, the footprint matching his son's shoe pattern. It is clear the defended kicked his father out the window." The judge looked at Dean, her eyebrows raised, urging him to explain. The prosecutor seemed pleased.
"Your honor." Dean responded as he got up again. "The police also examined the room, and while they found footprints of my brother near the window, it is his room." Dean explained. "Their experts determined that if he had kicked my father as Mr. Lewis says it is so obvious he did, there would have been a print on the floor indicating so. My brother would have had to run towards my father, stand in one foot and kick him with the other, leaving a single footprint on the floor much different than the ones he made by just walking around." Dean finished and sat down.
Sam stared at his brother, wanting to smile, but kept a serious face. He was incredibly proud of Dean. He would make an amazing lawyer one day.
The judge turned to the prosecutor. "Is this true Mr. Lewis." The judge asked. And the prosecutor stood up to reply.
"Technically yes your honor. But it is also possible that Mr. Winchester's son erased said print after seeing he had killed his father." Mr. Lewis sounded taken by surprise. Dean put his head down and smirked. This man had underestimated him. He had seen his opponent was a kid, not even 6 months out of law school, and thought the case was a given. He had only counted on the footprint in John's body to prove Sam's guilt. Dean had done his homework, he had read the police report, talked to the crime scene experts, talked to the neighbors, to the officer that arrested Sam, anything that could help his brother. He hadn't slept in 36 hours, but his investigation was paying off. Sam would win this case.
"The police found nothing suggesting that, you honor. Mr. Lewis is speculating." Dean stood up. "I'd also like to add that my father's body showed cuts on his hands and forearms, indicating that he passed through the window with his arms before him. My brother would have had to either lift my 215 pound father, or my father jumped through it and used his arms to cover his face." Dean looked at the prosecutor, who sat in his chair glaring at him, a vein in his forehead seemed about to explode.
Dean looked back at the judge. The judge looked at Sam, apparently trying to calculate the odds of the skinny boy sitting in from of her throwing a 200 pound man through a window. "We'll take a small recess while I review the case files and the evidence pointed to me by Mr. Winchester. I'll see you back here in an hour." The judge slammed the little wooden hammer down, and stood to leave. Dean, Sam and the prosecutor stood up as she left. An officer came to take Sam back to custody. Dean smiled a reassuring smile at him and Sam left with the officer.
Dean sat in a bench outside the courthouse, staring at his watch as the minutes passed mockingly slow. He had his right and to his mouth, and was nibbling at his nails. He stopped several times, when he realized he was doing it, but after a couple of minutes he would do it again. An eternity later, only five minutes before the indicated time, Dean got up and walked back to the court room. He went in just as the officer brought Sam back. Mr. Lewis sat at his table, going through the case files. 'A little late' Dean thought victoriously , but reminded himself that this was not over yet. A few minutes later, the judge returned. She glanced around the room, and sat down.
They all stood in place, waiting to hear the verdict.
"I've reviewed the files from the crime lab and the police report. Given there is nothing to present Mr. Sam Winchester as a violent person, his father's state when the police found him and the evidence processed by the crime lab, I've determined Mr. John Winchester went through his son's room window on his own, either accidentally or intentionally. I assume, you've filed a request to be your brother's legal guardian given you have no close family?" The judge asked looking at Dean.
"Yes your honor, I have." Dean answered quickly.
"Then I'm releasing him into your custody, free of any charge." She turned to Sam. "Mr. Winchester, you are free to go." She slammed the little hammer again, the prosecutor was about to protest but she was already leaving.
Sam turned to Dean, excited. "That was awesome." He clapped his brother's shoulder. "You were amazing." Dean let out a deep breath.
"Are you kidding me? I was about to soil myself." Dean joked. He turned to his brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Let's just go home. I'm sleeping for the next 24 hours."
They walked together out of the courthouse. Sam was grinning like an idiot next to his brother. Dean turned to look at him and smiled. They got to the car and drove off.
Author's Note: It's not over yet. I'm writing an epiloge. But at least now you can stop worrying ; ) Please let me know what you think of this chapter. If I used the wrong word to refer to something please let me know.