all rise

[self_composed]

No plea bargain is struck. The jury is picked, and Lucinda asks a few random ones whether they have accepted bribes and sees who looks nervous: no one, as it turns out, so she strikes people who are too young to have children and one fellow who looks like he hates the entire world for her picks. Paul strikes a grandmotherly type and someone who admits when asked that they don't think much of rich people.

"All rise," comes the command as Judge Roberts walks in.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

[I love you,] says Alice.

[self_composed]

Bella doesn't smile, until she gets off the stand and makes it look like an encouraging face.

Other minor witnesses, including a medical expert to explain Alice's medical records and Hilary who didn't see anything but can testify that Mr. Hammond is a jerk and so on, are marched by.

Paul gets to call up Mr. Hammond, and does it.

"Describe in words of your own how you disciplined your kid. And why," Paul instructs.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Appropriately," says Mr. Hammond, flatly. "Junior has been a nuisance since he was born and a menace since he was ten."

[self_composed]

"A menace," says Paul. "How so?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"He breaks things. He gets in fights. He steals. He lies."

[self_composed]

"And he didn't stop any of that when he was sent to her room, or whatever," Paul says. He's making sense at the moment, if not in any polished way.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Of course not."

[self_composed]

"Did the things in the notebooks full of documents - documentation - happen the way they're written?" Paul asks next.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Well, I haven't read it," says Mr. Hammond, "but they came out of Junior's mouth, didn't they? So no."

[self_composed]

Paul nods, more times than makes sense, and then turns him over to Lucinda.

Lucinda's got her notes with her. "So," she says, "you're saying you deny the contents of the documentation - such as the incident of this past November, which put Laney in the hospital. What is your explanation for how his ribs were broken, Mr. Hammond?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"I don't want to know," he says contemptuously. "Wouldn't put it past him to have done it to himself."

[self_composed]

"It is the opinion of the medical expert we've just heard from that some other party would have had to inflict the injuries, Mr. Hammond. Are you yourself an expert in medicine?" Lucinda asks sweetly.

[edgeofyourseat]

"No."

[self_composed]

"So, with that ruled out, can you think of any means other than an assault by you that could have produced that particular injury?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Have you met the boy?" he asks incredulously. "He hasn't gone a month without brawling in God knows how long."

[self_composed]

"If that were the case, why would he name you as the perpetrator?" Lucinda asks with an expression of polite interest.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Because he's a liar and a troublemaker. If he's ever had another reason for doing something, I don't know about it."

[self_composed]

"So in his entire life, those are the only motivations he's ever had for doing anything," Lucinda says, raising an eyebrow, "as far as his own father is aware? Don't you think you might be exaggerating?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Not by much. Those are definitely the only ones I can bring to mind."

[self_composed]

"He doesn't, for example, eat because he is hungry, or sleep because he is tired, or testify honestly because he's under oath?" Lucinda suggests.

[edgeofyourseat]

"The first two, sure," he acknowledges. "I don't know about the last. If he takes that oath as seriously as he takes every other rule he's met, not a chance."

[self_composed]

"One more question," Lucinda says, looking deeply skeptical. "Do you claim to never have hit your son at all?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Not so that the law has any reason to take an interest."

[self_composed]

"I think I've mentioned several times that corporal punishment of any kind is illegal in the states of New York and in Washington," Lucinda says. "So: Have you ever hit your son, Mr. Hammond?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Not so that the law should take an interest," he repeats testily.