Theresa sat all the way in the back row next to her husband. He was sitting straight up and as stiff as a board. It felt odd being the only white people in the courtroom and they were getting dirty looks. She never would've dreamed that something this awful could happen to her child, her middle child.
Vincent sat next to his lawyer with his head bowed down as if he couldn't bare to look at anyone. He had refused to shave with the cheap one bladed razors the prison offered him. His face looked scruffy and abrasive. His orange jump suit was two sizes too small and made him very uncomfortable and he had a hopeless look on his face.
Theresa pulled out a tissue from her purse and wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. A black couple sitting on the other side of the courtroom were pointing fingers at her as they talked. Theresa thought about giving them the finger but it would not be the christian thing to do.
The prosecutor's name was Lisa Jenks. She had long blond hair pulled back in a pony tail and her eyes were blue as the ocean. Her long skinny legs made her look taller than what she really was. It was obvious that she worked out and she only looked about 21 years old. This was her very first case and it was imperative that she make a good first impression.
The judge finally came in the courtroom and took the bench. Vinny and his family were no longer the only white people in the room. The judge and the prosecutor were both white. But that didn't matter, nobody was going to help him.
Vincent was sworn in and the trial began. Wiggles was the first to testify and did a great job of lying through his teeth. It was as if Wiggles was a professional actor and he was careful with the details making his story believable. Luis Felps did a lot of talking and represented Vincent the best he could.
" Your honor, my client was a well respected teacher over at St.Mary's Catholic Middle School. His students adored him. His students at Terrance Middle School are purposely setting him up to get rid of their teacher. Other teachers at Terrance Middle School have had problems with the students."
Luis sat back down in his chair and whispered into Vinny's ear." We're going to be alright."
Vincent just stared straight ahead pretending to ignore him. Jamaal, Tyrone, and Tony all testified and told their version of the story which matched Wiggles'.
Just then out of nowhere the man with the afro lunged at Vincent causing him to fall out of his chair.
"I said nobody touches my boy!" Shouted Wiggles' dad.
Before Mr.Roberts could throw a punch, guards sprung from every direction and tackled Mr.Roberts to the ground.
"We'll settle this later." Said Mr.Roberts as they escorted him from the courtroom.
Vinny brushed himself off and sat back in his chair. When the din finally settled it was Vinny's turn to take the stand. He took a moment to glare into each and everyone's eyes before he finally spoke.
"I left a very good job to come and teach Baltimore city kids that nobody cares about. Maybe they just don't like me because I'm too strict, but I swear I'm innocent."
Vinny's speech didn't seem to faze the jury or even the judge. They already had their minds made up that he was guilty. The judge was a man in his early forties and remained calm during the proceedings. His name was Judge Thomas Anderson and he rarely even laughed at a joke. His chiseled chin looked like an ice pick and his short salt and pepper hair was just recently cut. His big ears were very prominent and he had a mole almost the size of a quarter on his neck.
Time was finally running out and it was time to read the verdict. Vinny glanced an evil look to the judge who was denying every single one of his lawyer's motions. A large African American woman with short hair wearing a red dress came out to read the verdict.
"In the case of Felix Roberts versus Vincent Young being charged with child molestation we the jury find Vincent Young guilty of all charges."
The crowd in the courtroom erupted with cheers and applauses. Vincent sat in his chair motionless awaiting what was coming next.
"Vincent Young will spend 10 years at Spottsdale River penitentiary and then serve 5 years supervised release."
Vinny saw his whole world crumpling into a little ball of trash. He looked over at Wiggles. Wiggles was smiling like he was sitting at a poker game with a royal flush in his hand. Theresa burst out in tears while her husband Mark comforted her. Vincent clenched his fists so tight that his finger nails dug into his palms. This was not over. They may have won the battle but they had not won the war. All of them would pay for this. The 4 brats, the prosecutor, the judge, and maybe even his pettifogger of a lawyer. They would all pay for this when he got out. They were all dead in his mind and he would not forget.