Trial II
Monica sat facing the court, feeling very small, vulnerable and scared. This was the moment of truth. Her cross examination. Right here, right now, she and she alone had the power to make or break her husband. Her testimony could determine the course of his future. Would he spend the rest of his life wasting away in a 6 by 8, or would he finally, God willing, come home to her?
Prosecutor Gupta regarded Monica closely, "On the 7th of April, you dismissed your husband's defence lawyer and began looking for a new lawyer. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Monica said slowly, unsure of where this was going.
"What is the name of your husband's previous lawyer?"
"Samuel Olsen."
"What is the name of your husband's current lawyer?"
"Michael Hannigan."
"Why did you dismiss Attorney Olsen?" Prosecutor Gupta asked. Monica's heart skipped a beat. It was crystal clear, where this was going.
"Because I was dissatisfied with his services," Monica said, giving nothing away.
"Why were you dissatisfied with Attorney Olsen's services?"
"Because he didn't try hard enough to defend Chandler," Monica said, intentionally vaguely.
"I'll need you to be more specific. In what way did Attorney Olsen fail to defend Chandler to the best of his abilities? What specific incident made you decide to dismiss him?" Prosecutor Gupta pushed. Monica's blood ran cold.
There's no escaping the truth. Through hell or high water, he's gonna squeeze it out of me.
"Because he wanted Chandler to plead guilty to aggravated assault," Monica admitted.
"And why would Chandler's lawyer want Chandler to plead guilty to anything?" the Prosecutor demanded, knowing full well, the answer.
"It was in exchange for dropping the attempted murder charges," Monica admitted reluctantly.
"Ah I see! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, take note that Chandler's very own lawyer was beginning to doubt his innocence! The man so feared Chandler would end up with life imprisonment, that he canceled the man's plea of innocence!"
Monica grinded her teeth and dug her finger nails into the palms of her hands. "The Vein", which her friends had so often mocked, was protruding very noticeably from her forehead. Boy, was the tension and anxiety crushing her to smithereens.
"Did Chandler instruct Attorney Olsen to plead guilty to aggravated assault?" the Prosecutor asked.
"Not really, Olsen was the one who suggested it," Monica muttered.
"Granted, Attorney Olsen suggested Chandler plead guilty to aggravated assault, but did Chandler himself, verbally agree with Olsen's suggestion?" Prosecutor Gupta asked.
"Yes," Monica sighed. Dammit, we're toast.
In the docks, Chandler's parents, both decked out in promiscuous ruby cocktail dresses, watched on in horror. They had no idea their son had ever pleaded guilty to anything! Good God, what were they to make of this news?
"Did you dismiss Attorney Olsen because he insisted on pleading guilty to aggravated assault as per Chandler's instructions?" Prosecutor Gupta clarified.
"Yes I did," Monica croaked, beginning to feel hot tears well up in her eyes. She knew full well how this must look to the jury. Chandler looked guilty as charged.
"Who decided to dismiss Attorney Olsen and change the pleadings to innocence?"
"I did," Monica admitted.
"Did you exert pressure on Chandler to change the pleadings to innocence?"
"No I didn't pressure him."
"So Chandler allowed you to change the pleadings without any disagreement?"
"He didn't exactly agree with me," Monica said vaguely.
"Excuse my confusion, but you said you did not pressure Chandler to change the pleadings, and yet you say he did not agree to change the pleadings. Could you explain this contradiction?"
Monica closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face, "I changed the pleadings without asking him."
The prosecutor raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You changed the pleadings without Chandler's permission?"
"Yes, but I wasn't trying to be pushy, I was trying to help… because he's innocent, I know him, I know he wouldn't do something like that…" Monica explained , increasingly flustered.
"You would say that, wouldn't you? Being his wife," the Prosecutor said dryly, adding, "Thank you Mrs Bing, you've told me all that I need to know, please be seated."
"N-no no no, listen, it's not how it looks, he pleaded guilty b-because he was d-depressed, he didn't know w-what he was saying," Monica protested, guilt-ridden tears spilling over her cheeks.
Oh God, I've done a terrible job defending Chandler, I've made him look even more guilty than he already does! What have I done?
Justice Courtenay raised one hand in the air, "Ma'am, I understand this is hard for you, but you are speaking out of turn. When it is time for your attorney to present, you may raise issues concerning your husband's state of mind. Now, please return to your seat," the judge said firmly.
Watching Monica trudge back to the docks, shaken and despaired, Prosecutor Gupta turned to the jury with a flourish, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant's wife has just admitted that on the 7th of April, the defendant verbally agreed to enter a guiltyplea of aggravated assault. What does this mean? It means that Chandler Bing, a supposedly innocent man, wanted to admit, in a Court of Law, that he intentionallyknifed a little girl!"
"As for Chandler's current innocent pleadings, Chandler's wife admits that she changed the pleadings withouthis consent! Certainly, most loving wives would, against all evidence to the contrary, believe wholeheartedly in their husband's innocence. But you,the jury, must behave with absolute objectivity. Now. There are three things I want you to remember today. Firstly, Chandler's own lawyer had so little faith in the strength of his case that he suggested a guilty plea. Secondly, it is the wife who enforced an innocent plea. Thirdly, the defendant himself,pleaded guilty!"