Sorry, this chapter took a little longer than I had hoped. I hope you like it! If there's any inaccuracies pertaining to the court, blame Law & Order. Here is the next chapter!
The trial was today, and Catherine and Nick were taken to the courthouse by Sergeant Frazier and Officer Holt. Almost as soon as they got to the courthouse, Catherine was called to testify. Nick waited outside, and his parents came shortly after Catherine left. "Hey, you came."
"We wouldn't miss it. We're glad you invited us." His mother said. And they exchanged hugs.
Inside the courtroom, Catherine took the stand, and the defense attorney stood from his seat. "Hello, CSI Willows. Now you said, Nick Stokes told you about the abuse, before this case was given to you?"
"Yes."
"But you still continued to allow him to work the case, even after he begged you to take him off?"
"It was a judgment call."
The prosecutor stood up. "Objection. Relevance?"
"Where are you goin with this?" The judge asked the defense.
"The day this so-called-victim, attacked my client in interrogation."
"I'll allow it, but get to the point."
"Thank you, your honor. Ms. Willows, you were there when Nick Stokes attacked my client. Were you not?"
"It wasn't like that."
"Answer the question."
"Yes I was there, but Nick-"
"So, you saw him push my client to the ground, when she did nothing to him?"
"Yes, but-"
"Thank you, nothin further." The defense attorney sat down.
The prosecutor stood. She was a short brunette, but she knew how to do her job. "CSI Willows, will you please tell us what really happen in the interrogation room?"
"The defendant stood face to face with CSI Stokes, she laid a hand on him, and he was already traumatized by her, he pushed her off. She exaggerated the push, and fell to the floor."
"Thank you."
Outside the courtroom, Nick was talking to Catherine and his parents just before he took the stand. Catherine's phone rang. "Willows. Yeah, hold on." She handed the phone to Nick. "It's for you."
"Stokes."
"Hey Nick, it's Sara, I'm here with Greg and Brass. We just wanted to wish you good luck before the trial."
"Thanks."
"Hey, don't worry about it, she's scum, the jury will see that." Greg said.
"Yeah, I sure hope so."
"I'm sure you'll be great. Make sure you call us when they reach a verdict." Brass said.
"I will. Thanks guys. I have to go now. Bye." Nick said, and hung up the phone. They had just called him in. He stood up slowly, and walked into the courtroom, and his parents followed not too far behind him.
Nick walked up to the front while his parents sat in the peers. Nick was sworn in, and then the defense attorney stood. "I'm sorry for what you claimed happened, but I don't believe it was my client who did it."
"I know it was."
"How old were you?"
"I was nine."
"And you remember specifically, my client bein in your house?"
"Yes. I do."
"Why are we all just now hearin of this? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't your parents just find out yesterday?"
"I'm good at hidin things."
"No, you're good at makin up stories when you have no evidence to get a conviction. You know what I think? I think you were upset, you didn't have the evidence to convict your one and only suspect so, you fabricated a story to get her convicted of somethin."
"That's not true."
"What is? You deceived a team of trained CSIs into thinkin someone was comin after you, attackin you, and for several weeks they believed you. You made it up to cover up your suicide attempts. Am I right?"
"It wasn't like that."
"Yes or no."
"Yes."
"And this is just the same. Withdrawn. Can you tell me about the time you got drunk, in public? You made a scene, and the cops on call had to detain you? Was that about my client too?"
"That has nothin to do with this."
"Just answer the question." The defense said.
Once the Defense was through with their questioning, the prosecutor stood. "Mr. Stokes. I'm sorry for what happened, and I'll try to make this as painless as possible for you. How do you know the defendant?"
"She babysat me when I was nine."
"Was she like every other babysitter you had before?"
"No, she m-molested me."
"Can you please tell us what happen?"
"My parents, they left the house, and it was just me and the defendant in the house..."
Nick's parents watched with teary eyes, and his father comforting his mother the entire time. They felt guilty as they heard everything in detail. Every so often, Nick would make eye contact with them as he was explaining what she did.
"She came into my room. She kept movin closer to me, and I kept scootin back. Until I ran into the wall. She kept repeatin, 'remember, this is our little secret, and nobody else needs to know.' I didn't know what she was goin to do. She touched me, and she made me touch her. I didn't know what was happenin. At one point I told her I didn't want to anymore, and she- she grabbed me, and told me I needed to behave. Then I remember her leavin before my parents got home, and I just stared at the door cryin. Waitin. I was scared."
"Did you tell your parents when they got home?"
"No. She told me it was our little secret."
"Thank you so much." The prosecutor said and sat down.
. . .
The trial continued through the rest of the day. When it got to the end of the day the jury had finally reached a verdict. Everyone took their seats in the courtroom. Nick was sitting between his dad and Catherine. His mom was reaching over to him, offering a hand to comfort him.
"Jury, how do you find the defendant on the charge of aggravated assault?"
"Not guilty."
"On the charge of sexual abuse?"
"Not guilty"
"On the charge of sexual assault?
"Guilty."
"And on the charge of molestation of a child?"
"We find the defendant, guilty."
Nick's father wrapped him in a hug, and Nick cried in his arms. "You did it Pancho. I'm so proud."
Just about everyone in the court was glad about the outcome. Catherine and Jillian both exchanged hugs with Nick as they were relieved the jury was able to see the truth.
A huge weight had been lifted off of Nick's shoulders, and he was feeling a lot more confident about the trial against Ben Thomas. The trial of Laura Alden had been in the back of Nick's mind for almost his entire life. He knew it was something he would eventually have to face, but never had. Now after the trial, he felt so much better. It was all over, all of it. He felt like he could finally breathe again.
After spending the rest of the night with his parents, they had to go back to Vegas for the next trial.
. . .
Please let me know if you liked it or not, and if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. There is not a whole lot more I can do with this story, but if there is something you want added, I'd be glad to try to do that.
