ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟜𝟠
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I looked behind me where the public area of the court was. Judge Johnson was standing right there. He gave me a reassuring smile, raising a thumbs up.
I smiled back at him. That made me feel better.
It still felt strange.
A few months ago, Justin had been sitting in this same building, listening to people discuss his life as though he wasn't even there.
Today, we were back- but this time, we had evidence.
Real, concrete evidence.
And I had spent months making sure every single piece of it was organized.
It wouldn't occur to me until later how strange it was that we were standing back in the same court, under a different judge, re-evaluating the original sentence of Justin Deyes.
The judge in front of us adjusted his glasses.
"Are you okay, Mr. Deyes?" I whispered to him.
He glanced at me, smiling slightly. "I think I'm feeling great."
"All rise." The bailiff cleared his throat.
Everyone stood, I straightened my jacket automatically.
The judge looked across the courtroom. "Please be seated."
Everyone sat, I took my seat beside Justin, and he shifted slightly in his chair.
I glanced at him. His leg was bouncing.
I couldn't blame the guy.
Months.
That's what this came down to. Months of his life, months that he could never get back.
I looked back toward the judge. He shuffled through the documents in front of him.
"We are here to re-examine the sentencing of Justin Deyes."
His eyes moved toward the prosecution table before returning to us. "Counsel for the defense, you may proceed."
I slowly stood. My heels clicked against the courtroom floor as I walked toward the podium. The sound seemed louder than usual.
Not like I'd remember. I hadn't been inside a court for days.
I placed my hands lightly against the edges of the podium. For one second, I looked toward Justin.
He looked back at me.
I gave him the smallest nod. I've got this.
I turned toward the judge. "Your Honor."
"My client, Justin Deyes, was previously convicted based on a series of witness statements, assumptions regarding his whereabouts, and a timeline that was never properly examined."
I paused. I could feel every eye in the courtroom on me.
Normally that would have made me nervous, but thankfully today, it didn't. I had spent too many nights staring at these documents to be nervous now.
"I am not here today to ask this court to simply reconsider a decision because my client maintains his innocence."
I picked up the first document.
"I am here because the evidence demonstrates that the original conclusion was based upon information that was either incomplete, inconsistent, or improperly interpreted."
The judge listened carefully.
"The fire began at approximately nine o'clock in the evening, right?"
I held up the timeline. "My client was not at the property at that time."
"Mr. Deyes had traveled to a nearby gas station. Records establish his purchase at approximately 9:38 p.m."
I placed the receipt into the evidence file. "His return home occurred approximately twenty minutes later."
"The prosecution's original timeline placed Mr. Deyes at the property during the critical period when the fire began."
I looked directly at the judge. "That timeline was incorrect. Several witness statements were used to establish Mr. Deyes' presence near the scene."
I lifted another document.
"However, when those statements are compared to their original interviews, significant discrepancies appear."
"One witness initially estimated seeing Mr. Deyes shortly after nine o'clock. In a subsequent statement, that same witness moved the estimated time closer to ten."
I placed the document down. I noticed the judge leaned forward slightly.
That was good- he was listening.
I moved to the next piece of evidence. "Additionally, the location described by the second witness creates a physical inconsistency."
I looked down briefly at my notes.
"The second witness placed Mr. Deyes near a convenience store at approximately nine o'clock. That location is several miles from the property."
Someone in the audienced gasped.
"Your argument is that Deyes could not have traveled between those locations within the established timeframe?"
"Correct, Your Honor."
"The distance, traffic conditions, and documented time of the transaction at the gas station make the original timeline impossible."
The courtroom became quieter. I could feel my heartbeat in my chest.
I knew we were finally showing them what we had spent months finding.
"But the inconsistencies do not end there," I picked up another folder. "We also uncovered evidence concerning Mr. Deyes' landlord, James Weller."
"Mr. Weller had a documented financial dispute with Mr. Deyes."
"There are communications showing repeated threats regarding Mr. Deyes unpaid rent."
The judge examined the pages. "And these communications were not previously submitted?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Why not?"
"Because they were not properly investigated during the original proceedings."
I took a breath. I had been talking a lot.
"And that failure contributed to a theory of the case that relied heavily on circumstantial evidence against Mr. Deyes while failing to examine another individual with both motive and opportunity."
"Mr. Deyes was not simply unlucky." My voice softened. "He was failed."
I heard Justin inhale behind me.
I hadn't planned to say that, but it was true.
"He was failed by a timeline that wasn't properly verified. He was failed by witness statements that changed over time.
"And, he was failed by an investigation that did not consider alternative explanations."
I placed both hands against the podium. "Your Honor, the question before this court is not whether Mr. Deyes deserves sympathy."
"It is whether the evidence supports the conclusion that he committed this crime."
I looked toward Justin, then back at the judge.
"And the evidence does not."
"Mr. Deyes has already lost months of his life because of this conviction."
I swallowed.
"Those months, he will never get back."
I looked down briefly. For some reason, my mind wandered to Cameron.
He would understand this. He always understood why my work mattered to me.
He used to, at least.
I pushed the thought away.
This was Justin's moment- not mine.
I looked back at the judge. "I am asking this court to correct what was done wrong, and to give my client the justice he should have received the first time."
I returned to my seat. My heart was pounding.
The judge began reviewing the documents.
The courtroom was silent for several minutes. I could hear the sound of Justin breathing beside me.
The judge finally looked up. "Mr. Deyes."
"Yes, Your Honor." Justin immediately straightened.
The judge folded his hands together. "The court has reviewed the evidence presented today. The evidence establishes significant inconsistencies in the original timeline."
Justin stared at him.
"The court also recognizes that the original investigation failed to adequately account for several pieces of evidence now presented."
I held my breath as the judge looked down at the documents one last time.
"Based upon the evidence presented before this court today..."
I couldn't breathe.
This was it. The big moment.
"The court finds that Justin Deyes did not commit the crime for which he was previously convicted."
Justin froze. The courtroom seemed to freeze with him.
The judge continued. "His conviction is hereby vacated."
There it was.
"I'm..." His voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Your Honor. What?"
Justin Deyes was free.
I noticed a couple camera's clicking around me.
The judge repeated himself. "Mr. Deyes, you are not guilty."
"Oh my goodness." Justin's hands flew over his mouth.
He stood so quickly that his chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"I'm free?"
A guard immediately stepped closer. "Sir, please remain calm."
"I'm free?" His voice rose.
The guard gently placed a hand near his shoulder. "Mr. Deyes, please."
Justin was crying now. He laughed through the tears.
"I didn't do it."
The judge looked at him. "No, Mr. Deyes. You did not."
Justin covered his face as his shoulders shook. I looked down for a moment.
I couldn't stop smiling.
We actually did it.
We actually did it!
Judge Johnson caught my eye from across the courtroom. For the first time in months, I felt light.
Justin lowered his hands, and he looked toward me.
"Ms. West."
I stood.
He walked toward me- for a second, I didn't know what he was going to do. He then wrapped his arms around me.
It caught me off guard.
I wasn't expecting a hug. Most of my clients shook my hands and told me thank you. My hands remained awkwardly at my sides for a second before I lightly placed one hand against his back.
"Thank you..." His voice broke. "Thank you so much."
I swallowed. "It was my duty."
Justin nodded, then he looked toward the courtroom doors. Toward the world outside. A world he'd been separated from for months.
He laughed softly.
"I get to go home, Ms. West!"
"Yes," I smiled. "You get to go home."
He nodded again. The guard gently guided him toward the exit. Justin looked back at me one more time.
"Thank you."
I nodded. "You're welcome."
He disappeared through the doors.
My heart was still racing. I should've been thinking about everything I'd finally proven.
Instead, one thought appeared in my head. Cameron.
I wanted to call him. I wanted so badly to hear his voice.
I wanted to tell him, We won.
Justin won. Justice won. I wanted to tell my husband that something good had finally happened.
My hand moved toward my phone, but then yesterday's conversation came rushing back.
My sister is still missing.
I stared at my phone. The excitement inside me dimmed slightly.
I shouldn't bother him. I could always tell him when I got home. Maybe he'd be in a better mood.
I slipped my phone back into my bag. I should have felt nothing but happiness, but underneath it was that familiar little ache.