Judge and Jury - v4 by James Patterson

Author:James Patterson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-07-21T12:14:45+00:00

Chapter 63

THE LAWYERS WERE IN the courtroom. Cavello, too. Judge Barnett gazed out at the nervous group of prospective jurors who had cautiously filed in. “I doubt there’s a person in this room who doesn’t know why we’re here,” he said.

Each juror had been given a number. They all took a seat. Every eye seemed to be glancing at the gaunt, gray-haired man who sat with his legs crossed in front of them. Then they looked away, as if afraid to let their eyes linger too long. That’s Cavello, their faces said.

I turned back to Andie, who only moments before had watched as the bastard was led in. Cavello’s handcuffs were removed. He took a look around the courtroom. Cavello seemed to find Andie immediately, as if he knew she would be there. He paused and gave her a slight, respectful nod.

But her gaze didn’t waver. It seemed to be telling him, You can’t hurt me anymore. She wasn’t going to give him the thrill of seeing her look scared. She clenched her palms against the railing. Finally she looked away. When she lifted her eyes again, they landed on mine. She gave me a thin smile. I’m okay; I’m good. He’s going down.

“I also doubt there’s a person among you who truly wants to be here,” Judge Barnett went on. “Some of you may feel you don’t belong here. Some might even be afraid. But, be assured, if called, it is your legal and moral duty to serve on the trial. And twelve of you are going to serve — with six more as alternates. What is my duty is to remove whatever fear and discomfort many of you may be feeling, given the defendant’s last trial.

“Therefore, your names and addresses, anything about your family or what you do, will not be released — not even to the members of this court. Those selected will spend the next six to eight weeks confined to the Fort Dix army base in New Jersey, where this trial will take place.

“I know no one is eager to give up their lives and remain separated from family and loved ones for that amount of time. But the defendant must be tried — that is all our duties. A jury will be decided upon — and he will be tried. Anyone who refuses to do his or her duty will be held in contempt of court.”

The judge nodded to the clerk. “Now, is there anyone in this room who, due to some commitment or handicap, feels he or she cannot faithfully execute this duty?”

Virtually every hand in the room shot into the air at once.

A ripple of muffled laughter snaked around the courtroom. Even Cavello looked at the show of hands and smiled.

One by one, jurors were called up to the bench. Single mothers. Small-business owners. People pleading that they had paid for vacations or were holding doctors’ notes. A couple of lawyers argued they should be excused.

But Judge Barnett didn’t buckle. He excused a handful, and they left the courtroom, discreetly pumping a fist or grinning widely.

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