The Sentencing Hearing
Today was the day. Jake Berkley would receive his sentence. A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that he had examined the defendant for a total twelve hours over four days. He described Jake as a psychopath with a narcissistic personality. He had no regard for the effect his actions had on others. He openly stated he had no remorse for what he had done to Calleigh and her family. In fact, Jake still roared with laughter when he recounted to the psychiatrist how Calleigh had jumped and began to shake when he made a threatening motion in her direction on the day he was convicted.
Jake's defense attorney had nothing to offer to dispute the prosecution. Jake was a very difficult client who barely listened to his lawyer's advice during the trial and who had completely ceased listening to legal advice after the verdict. Jake had however decided he wanted to make a statement on his own behalf before the judge pronounced sentence. Again, his lawyer had advised him not to say anything like this but Jake didn't listen.
"I may be convicted, your honor," he said. "But I am not a guilty man. The two guilty parties are not in this courtroom. Eric Delko and Calleigh Duquesne," he said, emphasizing Calleigh's former name, "knew how I felt and brought this on themselves—"
"Stop right there!" The judge ordered. "I will not allow such a statement to be made in my courtroom. If that's all you have, Mr. Berkley, I will pronounce sentence."
Jake immediately shut his mouth.
Horatio and Frank were present to hear the sentence; Calleigh and Eric had scheduled a doctor's appointment for that day, it was their 24 week ultrasound. Jake was sentenced to a total of twenty years imprisonment. Five years for reckless endangerment and fifteen years for attempted murder with no chance of parole on either sentence.
"It pains me that this is the stiffest sentence I can impose," the judge stated. "Court adjourned."
Jake was having other legal troubles as well. Jake had secretly taken photos of Chloe Delko in the outdoor playground of her daycare. Other children appeared in these photos. The parents of these children were now suing Jake for violating their children's privacy. Jake had inherited a "substantial" amount of money upon Alma Shea-Berkley's death but stood to lose all of it if they won.
Jake's civil attorney tried to get the suit dismissed by telling the judge the parents should be suing the Delkos, not Jake. The couple had put this event in motion, he argued. it wasn't Mr.Berkley's intention to violoate the privacy of any of the other child. His intentions were only to photograph Chloe Delko. He apologizes for upsetting the other families.
The parents' lawyer stated that this notion was "absurd." The Delkos were not Jake's accomplices but his victims. The judge sided with the parents and allows the lawsuit to proceed.