The following morning the court room was packed, outside the courthouse was crammed with people as well, with television cameras and reporters everywhere.
The judge banged his gavel, demanding order.
He was ignored by most people in the room, or simply couldn't be heard above the noise. The courtroom was a bustle of loud disordered chaos. Most people there were really waiting for Rupert Henderson's rumoured arrival. JR's trial was merely a distraction… Many people forgetting that this trial was the reason the hate campaign against Marissa started in the first place.
The judge stood up and hammered against the desk even harder.
"I will have silence or you will all be charged with contempt!" he hollered, her face turning red. "Now I will have this court room cleared of all parties not directly involved in the case. Bailiffs please clear the room. Charge anyone who resists or prevents you from doing your duty."
The noise of the crowd dropped away into angry mutterings as the press and other people who had simply come to gawp were escorted from the room. The witnesses from Pine Valley were also led out with the rest of the crowd, including Marissa and Bianca. This left the jury, the prosecution and defence councils in court. The defendant was cuffed to the desk, under guard, in order to prevent another violent outburst.
"That's better." said the judge retaking his seat as peace descended once more. "Now I believe the defence has a medical report to share with us."
Carol cleared her throat uncomfortably. The press fervour from the Inquirer's last cover story about Marissa and Bianca had horrified her. She hadn't expected the backlash to be so sudden and hateful from reporters she could normally keep under her thumb. She was just grateful that so far her office hadn't been identified as the source of the original sex tape story… and she hoped it never would. If this was Erica carrying out her threat of revenge she had certainly succeeded.
She looked across to her client JR Chandler who was sat in a sullen silence. He'd been asking this morning about putting forward a plea of diminished responsibility and had requested that she recommend he be housed in a specialist medical facility in Nevada he'd heard about, to help with his rehabilitation. But Carol ignored him; she could do so much better than that!
"Mrs Robinson?" the judge prompted, "Your client's medical report?"
"Of course you honour." said Carol, blinking quickly to bring herself back to the present. She handed copies of the doctor's recommendations to the judge and the DA for them to examine. She had selected this expert carefully, rather than rely on Dr Stanhope, a doctor who had already declared a conflict of interests.
The paperwork was dense and full of technical jargon, always a bonus when you wanted to paraphrase to get the desired results.
"If I can just boil it down for you, your honour, my expert has declared my client medically unfit for trial. JR Chandler is still suffering from schizophrenia, but has expressed a willingness to undergo treatment for his condition. This treatment can be administered from home under a supervised care programme that can be annexed from the New Oak Haven facility."
"You want to send the defendant home after he admitted to attempted murder!" Derek the DA exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
"His statement is not admissible!" retorted Carol. "His mental condition requires the statement to be struck from the record. And having seen the evidence you have gathered for the prosecution, all of which is circumstantial at best, there is no proof of my client's guilt!"
"From what I understand from the case, Mrs Robinson, your client has been identified as a danger to others due to his mental state…"
"But with proper supervised care…" Carol began but she was interrupted by her own client.
…
JR had been listening to Carol Robinson's words and his jaw dropped. He could go home? He could get back his son!
Even as these happy thoughts filled his head, new darker images followed. He could see Marissa's broken hearted expression when he finally took AJ away from her and back home where he belonged. A part of him was hoping she would put up a fight so he could make her pay for lying and breaking up his family. The scenario played through his head in seconds, he could see himself slapping Marissa so hard that she fell to the floor and a dribble of blood escaped from the corner of her lips. He would make her sorry!
Maybe if he had a gun he wouldn't miss this time!
In the instant he felt the satisfaction of seeing Marissa in pain he noticed they weren't alone. Tad and Dixie were watching him with disapproval. AJ was there as well glaring back with fear and hatred in his eyes.
This revelation startled JR out of his revenge-filled revelry.
The violence and anger had crept in even when he had wanted to feel happy.
JR knew in that moment that he couldn't go back to Pine Valley. He wasn't ready.
…
"But I don't want to go home!" cried JR. "I want to be treated in hospital. There is a specialist clinic in Nevada... I need to get away from Pine Valley not go back to it!"
Carol sighed.
"Please ignore my client. He is schizophrenic and doesn't know what he wants. The doctor has recommended a higher chance of recovery when surrounded by family and a familiar environment…"
"No, I'm not well enough to go!" insisted JR. "I can't control my temper… what if I hurt someone else… AJ! I can't go home… I can't. Not yet! I'm not ready!"
"Mrs Robinson, your client seems quite insistent on this. Could his medical treatment be equally facilitated in a secure facility, such as you client has requested."
Carol looked across to JR in dismay; she had worked the angle in such a way that he would be free to go home and take back his son, but he was simply refusing to co-operate.
"I was only passing on the expert's medical opinion." said Carol an undertone of anger in her voice. Her client was an idiot, all the effort she had gone to, all the danger she put herself in, to win this case and he was just throwing it all back in her face!
"Very well." said the judge. He rapped his gavel on the desk. "Case dismissed with the right to be recalled at a later date. The defendant is to be immediately transferred to a secure medical facility for treatment."
"Thank you, your honour." said JR. He actually had a releaved smile on his face. "This time I'm not going to screw this up!"
…