Sigh, so much for a normal updating schedule. How have you guys been? I've looked after small children, taken trips out of state to some historic sites, and did extensive research on how to write a court scene. However, I'm sure you came here for Care Bears and not my misadventures. So on with the story:
Last time on Care Bears Z, Beastly was sent out gathering evidence of possible members of the Care Bear Family. He seemed to have concluded that there were a couple of potential members! Just what could No Heart be planning to do with this information? Also, Tiara is entering her very first trial! Is the evidence she found enough to get the ball rolling toward more evidence for a not guilty verdict? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 14: Sudden Chills and Calls!
~Z~
"All rise for Judge Albert Warmsley!"
Everyone in the courtroom stood as the judge made his way to his chair. Upon sitting down and everyone else following suit, he cleared his throat.
"Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Andrea Siontz, a young woman attending the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. She is charged with one count of assault against the plaintiff, Mr. Caldwell Atkins," all eyes turned to the white-haired man standing near the prosecutor's desk. "And with stealing a total of $300 dollars from both the Sweet Chills ice cream shop and its owner's, Mr. Caldwell Atkins, personal wallet. This all occured on Thursday, May 2nd. Are the prosecution and defense ready to proceed?"
"The prosecution is ready, your Honor." A tall man with glasses and sleek blond hair said confidently. The first ever prosecutor she would fight against: Andrew McCray. He was a bit more experienced than she, but only enough to not be classified as a rookie.
"The defense is ready, your Honor." Tiara said in the most calm and collected fashion she could muster. She glanced over at Mr. Truman Apollo, the chief defense attorney and her boss. He nodded at her, and Tiara relaxed a little. Still, she placed a hand on the manila envelope next to her, as if protecting the vital evidence she had found.
"Good. The prosecution may issue its opening statement."
"Yes, your Honor," McCray said. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my pleasure to represent dear Mr. Atkins here today. The evidence and testimony presented today will prove without a doubt that Andrea Siontz is guilty of not only stealing from a family-friendly treat shop, but stealing from and harming a poor, defenseless old man," he gestured to Mr. man was indeed quite old. His hair was shockingly white, and it sat in a neat pile atop his wrinkled head. He had a very upset expression; his scowl made his hook nose look all the pointier. He certainly didn't look like the cheery man on the shop's ads.
"My poor client was simply tending the shop before it opened for business," McCray continued. "When Miss Walters stormed in, assaulted him, and made off with money from both the cash register and Mr. Atkins' wallet." Tiara scowled inwardly at the overly-sympathetic tone in the prosecutor's voice.
"I see," Judge Warmsley nodded. "The defense may issue its opening statement now."
"Y-yes, your Honor," Tiara swallowed. She could already see that the judge was looking disapprovingly at Andrea. In all honesty, anyone could have given her that look and be partially justified. The young woman wasn't a very innocent looking character. She was nothing short of a rebel in means of appearance; she'd been wearing a checkered skirt and a tight t-shirt with the name Drowning Pool across the front when Tiara had first met her. Today she was wearing something a bit more formal: a form-fitting black dress and gray stockings. However, her attempt at serious attire did little to mask her aloof personality and bad attitude. She seemed to be permanently irritated, and constantly avoided looking at anyone for too long. Tiara breathed quietly, quickly calming herself. She knew she could turn the judge's mind around in time.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my client has been wrongly accused of attacking Mr. Atkins and stealing from him and his shop. Miss Siontz was nowhere near the shop, and she didn't do a single thing to this man."
"Alright then," Judge Warmsley said. "The prosecution may call its first witness."
"The prosecution calls the victim, Mr. Caldwell Atkins, to the stand."
Tiara watched as the elderly man crossed to the witness stand. The court reporter, a skinny, middle-aged man, stepped in front of him.
"Please raise your right hand," he said. When Mr. Atkins did so, he continued, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do," Mr. Atkins said. Tiara's eyes widened slightly. A sudden pulse went through her head, and she gripped the desk. She looked hard at Mr. Atkins, and could have sworn she saw a slight ripple in the air around him. She blinked and shook her head slightly. The ripples vanished, and she watched as the man sat down and looked over at McCray.
"Witness, state your name and occupation, please." The prosecutor said.
"My name is Caldwell Atkins," Mr. Atkins said. 'And I run a modest ice cream shop on Addison Street."
"Yes, yes," McCray nodded. "Please tell the court what happened on May 2nd of this year."
"Well," Mr. Atkins rubbed his hands together. "It was about 8:00 in the morning. I'd just gotten to the shop and was preparing the store for business. I open at nine every morning, you see. Anyhow, I was just wiping down the counter when that woman there stormed into the shop! She knocked me over, snatched my wallet, and then forced the register open and took nearly everything!" the man's face seemed to fall considerably. "I called the police as soon as I came to my senses. They investigated and all that, and they even found footage on a security camera outside the shop. That's what happened."
"The footage was analyzed, your Honor," McCray stated. The prosecutor pulled a paper from his desk. "And a very crucial piece of evidence was revealed. May I present Exhibit A...Mr. Atkins, do you recognize this photograph?"
"Yes, yes, I do," the old man said. "That's the security picture. See, she's right there, coming out of the shop!"
"The prosecution moves that Exhibit A be admitted into evidence."
"The court accepts," Judge Warmsley agreed.
"May this please be passed to the judge and all members of the jury?" McCray handed the paper to the court reporter. "Thank you, sir."
"Now then," The judge said after taking a closer look at the photo and passing it along. "The defense may now conduct its cross-examination."
'Here goes,' Tiara thought. 'I have to do this just right.'
"Firstly, Mr. Atkins," she started. "Were you injured at all during this incident?"
"No, I wasn't, thank goodness," the man said bitterly. "It's a miracle I didn't even get a scratch!"
"Alright. Now Mr. Atkins," Tiara continued. "You say it was around 8:00 in the morning, correct?"
"Yes, that's right," Mr. Atkins said. Tiara could swear the man was dissecting her with his sharp gaze.
"And you are absolutely sure that it was Miss Siontz who came in, right?"
"Yes."
"You are undoubtedly positive?"
"Yes, indeed."
"You are absolutely sure," Tiara looked at Mr. Atkins as deeply as she could. "That my client, Andrea Siontz, came into your shop at 8:00 Thursday morning?"
"Yes, I am," Mr. Atkins narrowed his eyes. "Don't believe me, do you?"
"I am merely assuring that-
"Objection, your Honor," McCray interrupted. "The defense is badgering the witness. He has stated several times that he saw the clearly saw the defendant as she barged her way into the store."
"Objection, your Honor," Tiara retorted. "I am merely assuring that both I - and everyone present in this court today - understand what the witness has stated."
"If the defense is still not convinced," McCray waved the photo, which had finally come back into his possession. "Perhaps you would like to take another look at the security photo, Mrs. Hart. Clearly it shows the defendant leaving the shop."
"Yes, it is," Tiara said. "However, this photo also shows a glaring contradiction with the witness testimony."
"And what might that be?" Mr. Atkin's tone made the question sound more like a demand.
"If I may present the same photo," Tiara finally reached onto her desk and revealed the copy of the photo. "Indeed, this shows my client, Andrea Siontz, leaving the shop. However, it is impossible for this photo to have been taken in the morning!"
"And why is that?" Mr. Atkins was clearly irritated now. Tiara's eyes gained a very stern light.
"Mr. Atkins, your shop faces the south side of town, correct?"
"Yes, it very well does!"
"And you say that this photo was taken at the time of the crime, 8:00 in the morning, right?"
"Yes," Mr. Atkins narrowed his eyes so far they seemed to disappear. "What are you getting at?"
"Now, the sun would have risen by then, but of course it wouldn't be directly overhead," Tiara fought to keep her heart from pounding out of control. "Therefore the shadow of anyone in its light would be quite long. In this photo, there is indeed a very long shadow. However, if the sun were still on its way to the peak of the day, that would mean most of it was still in the east."
"...What are you insinuating, Mrs. Hart?" Tiara felt the slight tingle of goosebumps roll up her arms. The man's voice had sent a chilly feeling through the air...she didn't like it at all, but she needed to reveal the truth.
"I am insinuating, Mr. Atkins," she handed the photo to the elderly man. "That if this photograph had truly been taken at the time of the crime, person in this photo would have a shadow pointing to the west. However, the photo here shows the shadow pointing east!"
"...wha...how?!" Mr. Atkins stuttered.
"May this be passed along to the judge and jury again?" Tiara handed the photo to the court reporter. "If you would all take a closer look at the photograph, you will see that this photo does not show the alleged culprit fleeing the crime scene in the morning, but the defendant leaving the shop in the evening. Therefore, this photo cannot be used as proof of the defendant's guilt."
"..." Tiara glanced over at Mr. McCray. His mouth opened for a moment, and he looked a bit
"This changes things quite a bit," the judge finally said. "Witness, do you have an explanation for this?"
"W-well..." Mr. Atkins wrung his hands furiously; Tiara could see his knuckles turning white. "I don't, your Honor. You see, this picture was taken from the building across the street, not my little shop. I'm afraid it is not my fault that this picture is faulty evidence."
Tiara bit her lip to keep from gasping as a chill shot up her spine. The ripples had come back, surrounding Mr. Atkins. She rubbed her left temple, blinking rapidly. She tried to focus on what was happening before her as the ripples faded slowly.
"Anyhow, it doesn't matter. There's still plenty of proof to convict that woman!" the old man sneered.
"And what might that be, Mr. Atkins?" Tiara asked in a level voice.
"When she knocked me down, that's what," replied. "When she pushed me and took my wallet."
"Mr. Atkins, are you saying the defendant took your entire wallet? Not just the money inside?"
"Yes, she took the entire thing!" Mr. Atkins stressed.
"Was the wallet recovered in the arrest?" Tiara asked. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly; she had to turn this back to her side.
"I...w-what?" Mr. Atkins blinked at her.
"Your wallet...and for that manner, the money stolen from the cash register. Were they recovered when my client was arrested?"
"I am able to answer that," Tiara looked over at McCray, slightly surprised. He had been silent for so long that she'd forgotten he was there. "The defendant was searched at the time of the arrest, as well as her purse. All 300 dollars were found in her purse, but...there was no sign of a wallet." he said said the last part with such reluctance that Tiara fought back a stern frown. However, at least now the odds were more or less in her favor again...
"Mr. Atkins, what material is your wallet made of?"
"Eh? It's leather...oh!" the man suddenly gasped.
"Leather holds fingerprints very well," Tiara said. "Therefore, this wallet is a crucial piece of evidence here. However, if it is not found, it cannot be concluded that Miss Siontz is truly responsible!"
"Objection," McCray folded his arms. "It has already been stated that all 300 dollars were in the defendant's possession!"
"Objection!" Tiara retorted. "However, with the photo being proved unreliable as evidence and the wallet unrecovered, there is no decisive proof that Miss Siontz was the culprit. She could have been framed, and one witness testimony is not enough to convict her."
Slight murmurs filled the courtroom. Judge Warmsley banged his gavel.
"Order!" he shouted. "The defense makes a very valid point. Without valid pieces of evidence, the defendant's guilt cannot be proven or disproven."
"..." Tiara could see Mr. Atkins gritting his teeth. She could feel that same chill again, but it lasted longer this time. A slight feeling of dread washed over her for a moment, but she shook it off long enough to get her voice back.
"There are no further questions, your Honor."
"Very well. The witness is free to go. Does the prosecution have another witness to call forward?" the Judge asked.
"W-well, your Honor," McCray cleared his throat. "There was one witness that claimed to have witnessed it all...unfortunately a family emergency has called her out of town. She won't be able to testify until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."
"Hmm...well, I suppose this could be ideal. Not only does it give this other witness time to collect her thoughts, it allows the police team more time to find that missing wallet. Very well, if that is all from the prosecution, than the defense may bring forth their first witness."
"The defense calls the defendant, Miss Andrea Siontz, to the stand." Tiara declared evenly.
In the defendant's chair, Andrea was staring down at her hands in her lap. She stood up and strode over to the witness stand. The court reporter had her repeat the same oath of truth as Mr. Atkins before letting her sit down.
"Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court," Tiara started.
"My name's Andrea," the young woman said, her voice monotonous with the tiniest hint of irritation. "Andrea Siontz. I'm a sophomore at U of P...you know, University of Pittsburgh. The one in Bradford."
"Miss Siontz, could you please testify to the court about what happened on Thursday?"
"Sure..."
"I know it'll sound weird, but I wasn't at the shop that morning, at least, not inside. I passed by it, though. I had been on my way somewhere in a hurry, 'cause I'd overslept. When I got where I was going, though, I suddenly heard all these sirens and stuff, and next thing I knew all these policemen were in my face. They searched me and my purse and found a bunch of cash they say came from that ice cream shop. But honestly, I have no idea why it was there."
Tiara blinked. She'd been familiar with the woman's vague, blunt attitude, but this really took the cake. She had said everything in such a disinterested voice Tiara doubted she really knew what was happening right now. Still, a new feeling was creeping its way into her, one that was not unsettling, but rather reassuring. She was certain that even if there was more to Andrea's testimony than met the eye, there was nothing that could get her convicted of stealing from that shop.
"A-alright," Judge Warmsley blinked, also slightly taken aback by Andrea's coarse testimony. "The defense may cross-examine the witness."
"Miss Siontz," Tiara began. The young woman she addressed barely glanced her way. "You say you were never at the shop Thursday morning. However, Mr. Atkins did testify very clearly about you being the one who stormed into the shop. Do you have any explanation as to how this could be?" Tiara tried her hardest to keep her tone to a simply inquiring level.
"I dunno," Andrea said. "Like I said, it's weird. I never set foot in that ice cream shop after Wednesday."
"Oh, that's right," Tiara pulled out the photo. "You were at the shop Wednesday evening, weren't you?"
"Yeah," the younger woman replied. "I went there late because it was pretty quiet compared to where I was staying."
"...I've been meaning to ask," Tiara said. "You say you attend college in Bradford. That's quite far from Pennsylvania. What were you doing here?"
"I left for my cousin's birthday," she said. "He's turning 16 and stuff, so he got a big party. Needless to say it was crazy at the house, so I went out to get some peace. I went to that ice cream shop and was there for no more than an hour. Then I went back to the house, and the party was still going strong. My aunt made me stay up with everyone, so I was exhausted. That's why I overslept, by the way. I was frantic when I woke up and realized I was late..." Andrea trailed off, looking down at the floor.
'And she was being so open...' Tiara thought. "So, where were you going in such a hurry?"
"Nowhere important," she said quickly. "Just...meeting a friend. He just wanted to talk about some things."
'A friend, huh?' Tiara sighed inwardly. 'There's more to that than she's letting on...but I don't know if it really pertains to the case...I'll let that part alone, but...'
"Miss Siontz," Tiara's gaze at the other woman was intense. "Where did you meet this friend of yours?"
"At the park..."
"Did you see anything at all strange while you were there?"
"Nothing really..." Andrea blinked. "Well, except this pair of people, I guess. They weren't really doing anything out of the ordinary, but they kinda looked like cosplayers or something."
"Cosplayers?" Tiara repeated.
"Yeah, they were dressed kind of weird. It was a guy and a girl. The girl was wearing a really long dress and had some pretty crazy hair. The guy...I don't really know how to describe his costume. He kinda looked like he was dressed as an elf or something. They didn't really do anything, though."
Tiara's breath caught in her throat. She bit her lip, willing herself not to gasp out loud. She swallowed and nodded briskly.
"There are no further questions, your Honor."
"Very well then," the judge said. "Now, until the final witness comes forth to testify and all evidence has been found, neither the jury nor I can pass judgement. Therefore, the trial shall be continued and concluded tomorrow."
"I can guarantee that all the missing pieces of this puzzle will be collected by tomorrow, your Honor," Prosecutor McCray said.
"Then it is settled. Court is adjourned."
~Z~
"I gotta say, you're tougher than you look."
Tiara turned around to see McCray standing behind her, his arms folded and a complacent smile on his face.
"Not many rookies are able to pick apart a testimony like that," he said. "I underestimated you. You're not half bad, Mrs. Hart."
"You aren't all talk either, I suppose," Tiara replied.
"I'm trying my hardest. To be honest," McCray shrugged. "In the beginning I only wanted to win a guilty verdict. But then I got more interested in simply finding out what really happened in each case. The truth can be quite interesting to reveal."
"I suppose," Tiara raised her eyebrow. "Not to be rude, but is there a reason you are telling me all this?"
"Only to confirm my suspicions that you, my dear Mrs. Hart," he took a step toward her. "Are quite interested in the same. I do believe that we will have a wonderful show tomorrow...and on that note, I'll take my leave. See you tomorrow, Mrs. Hart."
"..." Tiara watched him leave the lobby in awe. She blinked, then shook her head and resumed looking for her phone in her purse. Niall would be on break by now...
The second she pulled the phone from her purse it began to sing loudly. She fumbled for the answer button and put it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Tia, we have a problem!" Niall's voice came through, with several screams and shouts sounding in the background.
~Z~
I am so sorry for the delay, everyone. The court scene was a literal nightmare to write (like I started having really weird dreams while I was writing this), but it will contribute to the plot. Hopefully it's accurate; I tried to make it realistic to the American Court System but also used Phoenix Wright games as inspiration. Also sorry I left you on such a cliffhanger, but I actually find that ending chapters like that sort of keep my creative drive going. School will be starting back up again pretty soon, and maybe when I get an actual routine again I'll be able to update faster...I hope. Thank you for reading!
FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: Is it just me, or are wild animals losing respect by the minute these days? I can't help but feel sad whenever I see animals that have lost so much of their home that they have to resort to eating in people's yards :S Woodland critters have needs, too. Plus it's irritating when your dad wakes you up by making loud noises, trying to shoo away a deer and her fawn.
EDIT: My laptop is extremely moody ;_;