Day 5: Closing Instructions.

That night, I didn't go back to the hotel. I didn't want to party with the other reporters. I didn't want to escape from the stress. I needed to see the end of this story. I needed to know what happened.

Alexis gracefully granted me a cot inside one of the Lynx's. I can't say it was the worst sleep I've ever had, but the noise didn't help. The situation was completely out of hand. By this point, an entire battalion of Marines were present on the streets outside of Sam Cogley. No one appeared to be in charge, but a very surprising figure came up to me that morning, dropped off by one of a dozen Raptor class assault shuttles.

"I'll say this once and for the record," Sera Thorne, the highest ranking Marine on Earth, said to me, "I am in command here, and I'm acting with the full support of the Corps. If that traitor walks out of that building alive, I will level the fucking block. I dare Starfleet or Fed-Sec to stop me."

Her words were backed up by force. Artillery, IFVs, assault shuttles, and hundreds of men and women with rifles in their hands. Snipers were set up on rooftops. Anti-Tank launchers were sticking out of windows that used to be offices. When the Federation Marines go to war, it's scary. And it's scarier still to think that their war today was against one man. And what did Fed-Sec do when Sera made her announcement?

To a man, they packed up and left, yielding the field – and the streets – to their brothers and sisters in arms. "You've been watching this, haven't you?" One Agent said to me as clambered into his hovercar, "At this point, Blackjack's practically begging for it. Who are we to get in their way? The Bootnecks wanna hang him, I'll find the rope. Meanwhile, I'm not getting killed for that greedy bastard."

Officially, Fed-Sec's withdraw was called "reduction of redundant security presence in light of Starfleet and FMC presence." In reality? I didn't blame that agent.

So now, with nothing between the barrel of a rifle and Blackjack's head, what did Starfleet feel? "I don't know what the Admiralty realistically expects us to do at this point, short of dropping torpedoes on the streets," Captain William Riker of the Titan said to me, "And trust me, I'll resign and never step foot on a starship again before I give that order, least of all for a criminal like Ashcroft."

Closing statements aren't normally practised in Federation courts any longer, but Blackjack invoked yet another little-known, seldom-used page of the dusty law book, and made a final statement. Completely unleashed, and without any further restraint, what we witnessed that day still shakes me.

"First off, the Crown and Colonel Jackson here can fuck right off," he started, raising that middle finger to the prosecutor's table, "I've had my fun, but this is starting to bore me. I bought and paid for this trial like I bought and paid for Starfleet. How about it Jude Voss? What's your bill to get me on a shuttle to Risa this afternoon? I've got lots of money on me."

Blackjack did something next that completely stripped away any sense of decorum left in the courtroom. He reached into his pocket, opened a metal clip, and then counted a wad of cash – the first physical money nearly anyone in the Federation had seen in centuries. "Step right up ladies and gents! Who needs a little injection from the free Blackjack fund?!"

"Order! The Defendant will refrain from offering bribes in this courtroom!" Voss angrily shouted as he slammed his gavel.

Blackjack threw the rest of the wad into his face. "Here, a little something for the re-election there Judgy. Don't spend it all in one place. Defence rests. Everyone else can go to hell."

Unbelievable. The sheer audacity to think that he was this untouchable. Never mind the mountains of evidence against him. Never mind the seven hundred and fifty armed Marines outside who wanted his blood. Never mind everything else. Blackjack honestly believed he was walking out of here a free man.

An hour later once everything had calmed down, Voss gave his final instructions, reprinted verbatim. It's important to me that you understand the weight of what was being asked of the jury in this courtroom.

"Members of the Jury, you will shortly undertake the most serious duty that can be asked of any citizen of the United Federation of Planets. The trial you have just witnessed involves the most serious criminal charges that our system of law can confront. Admiral Thomas Ashcroft stands accused of high treason, of terrorism, crimes that if proven constitute the gravest betrayal of the Federation and its people. Among the penalties that the Defendant could face for these crimes is that of death, a choice that rests solely in your hands."

"The law requires that I provide the jury instructions on how to deliberate, the legal standards that you must apply to the case, and the specifics of the charges at hand. First, it must be made clear that Ashcroft, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until his guilt is proven by the state, beyond a reasonable doubt. What this means is that the defence has no obligation to prove anything. The burden of proof lies with the state. They must have presented compelling evidence to you, the members of the jury, that convinces you of the defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt."

"You must also consider each charge individually. It is not enough to determine if the defendant is guilty or innocent as a whole. You must evaluate the evidence as it relates to each specific charge and make your decisions accordingly. I draw your particular attention to the charge of High Treason. If the defendant is found guilty of this charge, the most severe penalty available is death. The decision to impose this penalty lies solely in your hands, but it is not mandatory. This is a decision you must weigh with the upmost care and impose only if the members of the jury are unanimously convinced that the nature of this crime is so heinous, so destructive to the safety of our nation, that no other punishment would suffice."

"When making this decision, you must also consider the mitigating and aggravating factors presented at trial. Ask yourselves if the prosecution has demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant's actions deserve the ultimate punishment. The law allows the possibility of life in prison without parole, if the jury feels that this punishment fits the nature of the crime. The choice between life and death is one that requires the utmost care and reflection. I urge you to consider the gravity of the situation, the evidence presented at trial, and your conscience as citizens of the Federation."

"During your deliberations, it is essential that you remain respectful to one another's views, that you deliberate fairly and impartially, and that you bear in mind the monumental responsibility placed before you. Remember that your verdict must be unanimous for each charge. If you reach a verdict of guilty of High Treason, you must also be unanimous in the imposition of the death penalty. If you cannot agree, the sentence of life in prison without parole will be imposed by default."

"I understand that an extraordinary burden has been placed on yourselves and your families, and that you are eager to return to your homes and resume your lives. I implore you however not allow hastiness to influence your judgment. The law protects you from any loss of employment or financial asset during your time in duties of jury, and I trust your friends and families to respect the gravity of this duty. Please take as much time as you require to arrive at a clear verdict."

"Members of the jury, the court thanks you for your service here today. You may now retire to begin your deliberations. I trust all of you to fulfill your responsibilities with the seriousness and integrity this task demands of each of you. Bailiff, please escort the jury to the deliberations chamber. Court will adjourn until the jury is prepared to render their verdict."

By Federation law, I cannot name any of the members of the jury. I was only allowed to know the age and occupations of the twelve members, seven men and five women.

1) 29, Student, University of Betazed.

2) 62, retired.

3) 43, Mechanic.

4) 18, Student, Zefram Cochrane High School.

5) 22, Journalist.

6) 40, Starfleet Officer, Lieutenant-Commander of Exobiology.

7) 25, Federation Security Agent, EMS Responder.

8) 21, Unemployed.

9) 33, Homemaker.

10) 29, Journalist.

11) 37, Professor of Law, University of Minsk.

12) 20, Bartender.

All in all, ordinary men and women. Being asked to do the hardest job that anyone could be asked to do. I didn't envy them. If I was called to jury? I had no idea what I'd do.


─•~:~•─