Punishment by Linda Rocker

Author:Linda Rocker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Turn the Page Consultancy LLC
Published: 2012-06-23T00:00:00+00:00

31

LAWYERS WHO CHOOSE to work in the criminal justice system, on either side, are a special breed. Just being smart is not enough, as it might be for a tax lawyer, and knowing the law is helpful, but that almost never carries the day. These courtroom gladiators need a sense of theater, an understanding of their audience akin to the finest actors and orators in history. And they need an ego that doesn’t quit. Without the last quality, no prosecutor or defense attorney could live with the second-guessing from their friends and, of course, their critics and enemies.

Lloyd Schwartzman was a seasoned trial lawyer, not easily rattled or outmaneuvered. But even he was badly shaken by the turn of events at the courthouse, and it was definitely affecting his judgment. He simply wanted this case to be over with as quickly as possible. He and the Miami lawyers had met with their client early that morning, and Lloyd had pushed hard for Josiah to enter a plea before the trial recommenced. The Sunshine Boys, as Lloyd referred to the Miami team, backed him up, but Lloyd suspected they were just sick of West Palm Beach and wanted to return to their families and practices in Miami. It made no difference, because Josiah Diemert refused to roll—even for a felony that would allow a sentence of probation. Lloyd’s only hope now was that hearing the evidence would change his client’s mind about the possibility that the jury could bring in a guilty verdict for murder, or that the judge would want to give the jury a chance to consider a verdict for manslaughter.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor was in a similar fix. He was worried that the jury was tainted by the aura of violence brought about by Ben Toledo’s murder and, therefore, they would draw the obvious distinction between a homicide by other humans and one that involved a novel theory about a dog. Even if that was not the case, Charlie Graham knew that this case might represent one of the best appeals in Florida legal history. Either way, a lot of people were already ragging on him for deciding not to demand a mistrial.

Shortly after noon, the attorneys met with Judge Clarke and her temporary bailiff, Casey. It was decided without much discussion that the trial would continue to be conducted in Judge Kanterman’s courtroom, but that an accelerated schedule would go into place. “These jurors have been through a great deal already, and although I’m convinced they can still maintain impartiality, I do think we need to move at a faster clip than usual.” Judge Clarke leaned forward and put her elbows on her desk. “I don’t mean that I want to sacrifice effective representation by counsel—merely that I want shorter breaks and, perhaps, less argument between counsel over inconsequential matters. Can we all agree to that plan, at least in principle?”

Less than an hour later, the jury was in the box, and the State of Florida called its first witness.

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