Help Me

Trial Day

*the next week*
Tim's POV
I woke up and did my usual morning routine before seeing a text on my phone from Lucy.
Lucy: dinner tonight?
Tim: sure, when and what time?
Lucy: my place, 6 ish work?
Tim: perfect, i'm looking forward to it
Lucy: me too
I shut off my phone and headed out the door driving to the station. I saw Lucy there
Tim: good morning beautiful
Lucy: morning handsome
she whispered back to me
Tim: 5 more days til we tell everyone
Lucy: yup, and 5 minutes til roll call
Tim: alright, let's get changed, and good luck
we headed out separate ways and got changed in the locker rooms. I walk into roll call and she's behind me so I hold the door for her. We then sit down her in the front row and me by angela and nyla.
Lucy's POV
I sat down in my chair before remembering Marks Trial is today in a couple hours. How could I forget. That's why Tim said good luck...Grey started speaking.
Grey: Officer Chen, nice of you to join us before the big day.
Lucy: Happy to be here sir
Grey: Alright listen up....
he went on his normal roll call talk but all I could think about was seeing mark... after everything he did to me. I'm lucky to have Tim, Angela, and Nyla testify on my side as they've seen proof. John and Jackson will be there in case the court wants to get an idea of me as a person too. The day seemed to fly by and I felt like a ghost. Just there, not doing anything but merely just floating. It all came back to me when Tim shook my shoulder. I flinched
Tim: Hey, sorry, you okay?
Lucy: yeah, it's fine, thanks
Tim: stressed because of the trial?
Lucy: just a little
Tim: you have nothing to worry about Lucy, all the evidence is in your favor and the Jury would be stupid not to convict him.
Lucy: I know you're right, but there's still that chance... what if he uses daisy against me?
Tim: how? because of your job? he would be stupid to because he was also in a tough job when it comes to raising a family. And, you're a great mother and raising daisy so well.
Lucy: thanks
we got up and i did 4 hours of our shifts before me, tim, nyla, angela, john, and jackson got ready for the trial. Tim and I went to go pick up daisy from her daycare. If needed, she could be pulled to the stand. We arrived at the courthouse and walked inside. It was like a different place in the courtroom, cold, silent, and intense. They all took their seats and I sat next to my lawyer. I saw Mark on the other side, he looked rough, his clothes looked nice sure, but he hadn't shaved, looked tired, and scruffy. He looked powerless for the first time.

*I don't know a lot about how court works so be warned, this will probably not be accurate at all!*

The judge approached their stand and sat down. She addressed the court and my lawyer started to talk.
Lucy's Lawyer: Your Honor, Members of the Jury, my name is Brittney Smith. I am here on the behalf of Ms. Lucy Chen and the state of Los Angeles versus Mr. Mark Brown. We intended today to prove that in the recent months and the past two years Ms.Chen has suffered both sexual assault and rape from Mr.Brown as well as physical abuse and harassment and two accounts of assault on an officer.
Mark's Lawyer: Your Honor, members of the Jury, my name is David Carlin and my co council and I are representing Mr. Mark Brown in this case. We intend to prove Mr.Brown not guilty of these charges.
Judge: Prosecution, you may call your first witness.
Brittney: Thank you your Honor, I call to the stand Detective Lopez.
Judge: Will the witness please stand to be sworn by the bailiff
Angela stood up
Bailiff: Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Angela: I do
she went up to the stand and sat down
Brittney: Please state your name for the court
Angela: my name is Angela Lopez
Brittney: It was brought to my attention, Mrs.Lopez, that you saw some of Ms.Chen's injuries?
Angela: yes, ma'am
Brittney: And you visited her in the hospital the day before, correct?
Angela: Yes ma'am
Brittney: we're the injuries worse the day in the hospital before Mr.Brown came or the next day at work?
Angela: They were worse the next day
Brittney: These photos of Ms.Chen, do these look like the bruises she had in the hospital?
she showed her pictures of my bruised arms and abdomen
Angela: no ma'am
Brittney: and why not?
Angela: they look worse than at the hospital
Brittney: and who was the last person on the visiting sheet of the hospital?
she showed her a picture of the sign inside
Angela: Mark Brown
Brittney: and who did she go home with?
Angela: Mark Brown
Brittney: Thank you your Honor, no further questions
Judge: the defense may cross examine the witness
David: Mrs.Lopez, did you ever ask Ms.Chen about these new bruises?
Angela: not these ones, no
David: why do you say these ones?
Angela: i've asked her about some before
Angela looked nervous
David: and what did Ms.Chen say?
Angela: she said something about a new sparring partner
David: so how do you know those were from Mark?
Angela: I don't for sure but-
David: Mrs.Lopez, did Ms.Chen ever admit Mr.Brown hit her when you asked her
Angela: not at the time, no, but-
David: no further questions your honor
I can't believe it, I know it's his job to defend Mark, and I know these are yes or no questions, but why can't they ever just let her explain?
Judge: You may step down
Angela got up and sat back down in her seat
Judge: prosecution, you may call your second witness
Brittney: Thank you your honor, I call to the stand Detective Harper
they had her do the oath and she sat down
Brittney: Please state your name for the court
Nyla: My name is Nyla Harper
Brittney: Mrs.Harper, you're a detective correct?
Nyla: yes i am
Brittney: so you're good at reading people and telling when they're lying?
Nyla: yes ma'am, Angela and I were trained to do that
Brittney: did you ever confront Ms.Chen about the bruises?
Nyla: Yes, with Angela
Brittney: when you did, what did she say?
Nyla: new sparring partner
Brittney: did she seem scared or nervous?
Nyla: yes, her eyes grew blank and she got goosebumps on her arm
Brittney: and what are these typically signs of?
Nyla: someone is scared, or in this case, abuse
Brittney: did anything else stand out to you?
Nyla: one day she came in with a bloody and bruised eye
Brittney: did you ask her about it?
Nyla: yes
Brittney: and what was her response?
Nyla: she said that she fell and hit her eye on the couch the counter
Brittney: is it likely an eye looks like that from a counter?
David: objection your honor, she's a detective not a doctor
Judge: objection sustained, Ms.Smith please stay on track
Brittney: yes your honor. Mrs.Harper, did her face have any other marks?
Nyla: yes, one looked like a faded hand print on her neck and some by her other cheek
Brittney: last i checked, counters don't leave hand prints on necks or on the other side of the face. No further questions your honor.
Judge: The defense may cross examine the witness
David: Detective Harper, Nyla if I may-
Nyla: you may not
some of the court laughed
David: ok then Mrs.Harper, you mentioned a hand print on her neck, correct?
Nyla: yes I did
David: why not mention it, that seems like a big red flag, no?
Nyla: it was, but It was partially hidden-
David: so how could you know for sure it was a handprint?
Nyla: I couldn't but-
David: so there's no proof it was?
Nyla: It was a 99% chance it was
David: so why not report it?
Nyla: I didn't want Ms.Chen to get in trouble if that wasn't the case
David: but if it was 99%, that's a very slim chance, I'd say the odds were in your favor, unless they weren't?
Nyla: They were but I don't like causing a scene in a workplace
David: so did you confront her privately?
Nyla: No, I did not
David: so there was no way for you to know
Nyla: but-
David: No further questions your honor
Judge: you may take your seat
Nyla looked so mad she appeared to be ready to slap him in the face, but she sat down. I whispered to Brittney
Lucy: what are the chances looking like right now?
Brittney: I hate to say it, but not good. Once he calls witnesses and I have the last word, I'll be sure to turn this case around
She gave me a small smile so I did back
Judge: Prosecution, you may call your next witness
Brittney: Thank you , your Honor, I call to the stand Officer Bradford
my heart started to race, i really hope Marks attorney can't trick him.  The bailiff swore him under oath and he sat down at the stand
Brittney: Please state your name for the court
Tim: My name is Tim Bradford
Brittney: and to my understanding, Ms.Chen came to you first about the beatings correct?
Tim: yes ma'am
Brittney: and what state did she come in?
Tim: she came to me crying with her 3 year old daughter in her arms. She was covered in bruises and a bloody lip. She looked scared
Brittney: what did she say to you?
Tim: she told me that Mark had been hitting her for a while, he got sloppy this once and she finally broke free
Brittney: can you elaborate and what hold he had in her that she broke free of?
Tim: he had been manipulating her into thinking it was her fault he beat her and that she deserved it. She was so scared and he was good at manipulation so she believed him.
Brittney: why do you think it was so easy for her to be manipulated?
Tim: from my understanding, Ms.Chen was having issues at home when she met Mr.White so she was vulnerable, he played off of that and made her think this was a normal relationship and played the parent disappointment card on her so she felt she had no where else to go.
Brittney: and how did she finally break free?
Tim: he beat her up really good that night and yelled at her daughter, him starting to be a threat to her daughter made her have the courage to leave
Brittney: and how did she leave?
Tim: when he went out, I think for beer, she came to my house with her car, Daisy, and some bags.
Brittney: so she expected to stay a while?
Tim: yes ma'am
Brittney: so she was escaping for good?
Tim: yes ma'am
Brittney: Thank you, no further questions your Honor
Judge: Defense, you may cross examine the witness
David: Mr.Bradford, why do you think Lucy came to your house? why her bosses house?
Tim: what are you implying?
David: answer the question Mr.Bradford
Tim: it was the closest place, everyone else lived closer to the station
David: and why did she have your address?
Tim: for work purposes, she has it
David: nothing else was going on between you and Ms.Chen at the time?
Brittney: objection your honor, how is this relevant to the case?
David: if they had any other relationship, they may lie together or scheme
Brittney: then how get everyone else on board? and Ms.Chen is very religious
Judge: order in my court, objection sustained
David: Mr.Bradford, did you and Ms.Chen have any other relationship at the time?
Tim: Mr.Brown was paranoid about that leading to another one of Ms.Chen's beatings when it was false
David: Mr. Bradford, did she ever show you any mark and directly say they were from Mr.Brown?
Tim: yes, the day she came to my house
David: any other times?
Tim: she was too scared to admit it
David: so yes or no?
Tim: not to me, no
David: no further questions your honor
Judge: Mr.Bradford, you may step down
Tim gave me a small reassuring smile as he sat down behind me
Judge: Defense, you may call your first witness
David: I call to the stand Dr. Sawyer
She went under the oath and sat at the stand
David: Please state your name for the court
Grace: my name is Grace Sawyer
David: and you are a colleagues of Mr.Brown at Shaw Memorial hospital, correct?
Grace: yes
David: did he ever give you any trouble?
Grace: no sir
David: and did he ever give you a bad feeling?
Grace: well, there was this one time
David: and when was that?
Grace: Him, Lucy, and Daisy came into the hospital
David: and what happened?
Grace: Lucy's eye was bloody and bruised
David: and why was this?
Grace: she said she hit her head on a counter
David: so why does this make you feel uneasy?
Grace: because she seemed scared and had other marks
David: but those were from her new sparring partner correct?
Grace: I asked but she seemed scared
David: but she never said he was the one that did that, correct?
Grace: yes, but-
David: no further questions your honor
Judge: The prosecution may cross-examine the witness
Brittney: Mrs.Sawyer, you said that she had other marks on her body?
Grace: yes
Brittney: and where do you think those are from?
Grace: I know she said sparring partner but I used to spar and I know you aren't slapping someone so a handprint on her, it doesn't add up
Brittney: and could you read these for me to the court
Grace: it's all the gyms in the los angeles area, Lucy never joined a new one that has sparring
Brittney: and what about the part in the bottom
Grace: Lucy has done sparring with jackson and him only for the past three years
Brittney: so there was no new sparring partner, and therefore, Ms.Chen's beatings were not from that. No further questions your honor
Judge: you may step down. Defense you may call your second witness.
David: thank you your Honor. I call to the stand Ms.Chen herself
I was shocked but stood up and went under the oath. I sat at the stand
David: please state your name for the court
Lucy: Lucy Chen
David: now tell me Lucy, why get yourself into this web of lies?
Lucy: what do you mean?
David: you had so many chances to escape, if he really was beating you, why not take them?
I was furious and my eyes started to water
Lucy: I was manipulated by him, he made me think everything was all my fault, I-I
David: Cat got your tongue Ms.Chen?
Lucy: No, sir
David: you also said that Mr.Brown had raped you and sexually harassed you
Lucy: this is true
David: how can there be any proof of this?
Lucy: I waited too long, but these are some photos of bruises between my thighs the department took
David: and how do we know these are from Mr.Brown
Lucy: Their fingerprints, to-to p-pry my l-legs open
I said on the verge of tears
David: how do we know that you didn't fake any of this yourself, and it's not all some scheme?
Lucy: are you joking? why would I fake that?! for money?!? i don't even get money out of this?!? I want him out of my life and in prison where he belongs!
David: just a simple question Ms.Chen. No further questions your honor
Judge: prosecution, you may cross-examine the witness
Brittney: Ms.Chen, these photos of the bruises, can you remeber how many days went by before you went to the police?
Lucy: maybe a week, i can't remember for sure
Brittney: and who did you tell about this to first?
Lucy: My sergeant, Wade Grey
Brittney: not even Tim Bradford, which shows just how scared you were, that it wasn't an inside relation with officer Bradford
Lucy: correct
Brittney: and what about your daughter Daisy? where was she in all of this?
Lucy: I would put on a movie, so she couldn't hear the arguments and my cries or beatings
Brittney: you say arguments, how many times did you ever try and fight back?
Lucy: physically, never. I only had the courage to back talk him twice
Brittney: what made you get this courage?
Lucy: one time he questioned my faith in God and another he yelled at my daughter
Brittney: and when you were kidnapped, did that give you any extra strength?
Lucy: thinking of Daisy maybe being stuck with him, gave me courage to survive, and some to leave him
Brittney: no further questions your honor
Judge: you may step down Ms. Chen
I stepped down, I couldn't tell what was going on. Why were they bringing up Daisy and Sergeant Grey? This trial seems to be all over the place.
Judge: Defense, you may call your next witness
David: Thank you your Honor. I call to the stand Sergeant Grey
He got sworn under the oath and sat down
David: please state your name for the court
Grey: my name is wade grey
David: and what is your relation to Ms.Chen
Grey: i'm her boss
David: so you'd say you monitor her?
Grey: you could say that
David: was she showing any signs of abuse
Grey: i'm not in the shop with her most of the time, but she did start flinching more and according to some of my officers, she started changing in a stall
David: weird right?
Grey: yes
David: you're the watch commander as well correct?
Grey: yes I am
David: so why not mention this situation to anyone? If you thought things were bad?
Grey: I'm not by her most of the day, when I did see her, it was only in roll call. That's the morning so i didn't think much of it.
David: why's that?
Grey: I just thought maybe she wasn't a morning person
David: so, Ms.Chen has no proof she was being hit besides pictures of bruises, correct?
Grey: I've known officer chen for some time now and she doesn't lie
David: answer the question sergeant
Grey: No, but-
David: no further questions your honor
this guy thinks he's doing something but all he's doing is repeating the same thing over and over again, hopefully, Brittney is doing good
Judge: Prosecution, you may cross-examine the witness
Brittney: Mr.Grey, Ms.Chen came to you first correct?
Grey: about the sexual assault and rape?
Brittney: yes
Grey: yes, officer bradford was in the room with us, even he didn't know.
Brittney: and you have tape recordings of Ms.Chens statement and her peers correct?
Grey: yes ma'am
Brittney: and Mr. Brown came to the station one night after Ms. Chens shift, correct?
Grey: yes ma'am
Brittney: and what did he do?
Grey: excuse my language but he called Ms. Chen a bitch and tried to hit her and another officer
Brittney: so he's been violent in your presence towards Ms.Chen?
Grey: correct, physically and emotionally
Brittney: so it's on tape that he assaulted an officer and attempted to assault another one?
Grey: yes ma'am
Brittney: no further questions your honor
Judge: you may step down
Grey being up there really pulled it all together, the first time in this trial, i'm sure of myself
Judge: both the prosecution and the defense have now rested their cases. The attorneys will now present their final arguments. Prosecution, you may begin.
Brittney: Thank you your Honor. Members of the Jury, today you have the heard the testimony about Mr.Brown and the charges of harassment, rape, assault, etc. I would like to remind you of some important information that you should consider in your decision. The facts include, the images of the new fresh bruises on Ms. Chen's body, the gym records showing no new sparring partner, and the video footage of Mr.Brown's assault and attempted assault. Please find the defendant guilty of assault of an officer, attempted assault of an officer, sexual assault, rape, and abuse. Thank you.
Judge: Defense you may proceed with your closing argument
David: Thank you your Honor. Members of the Jury, today you have heard the testimony of Mr. Brown and how he pleads innocent. I would like to remind you of some key factors when making your decision. There is no footage of Mr.White actually hitting Ms.Chen, there is no proof of rape besides some bruises, and Mr.White doesn't have any violent background. Please find the defendant not guilty of sexual assault, rape, and abuse. Thank you.
Judge: members of the Jury, you have heard all of the testimony concerning this case. It is now up to you to determine the facts. You and you alone are the judges of the fact. Once you decide what facts the evidence proves, you must then apply the law as i give it to you to the facts as you find them. In this moment, the bailiff will take you to the jury room to consider your verdict. One of the first things one of the first things you will want to do is select a foreperson. It will be the foreperson's duty to sign the verdict form when you have agreed on a verdict. Whatever verdict you render must be unanimous which means that each and every person must agree on the same verdict. The bailiff will now escort you to the deliberation room.
Bailiff: All rise
The jury rose and left the courtroom. The minutes felt like house and each second dragged on. What will happen if they find him not guilty? will he hurt me? what about daisy? before i really spiraled, they came back in.
Judge: Have you reached a verdict?
Jury Foreperson: we have your Honor
Judge: What's the verdict?
Jury Foreperson: We the Jury in the case of Lucy Chen and the city of Los Angeles vs Mark Brown guilty of the charges of assault of an officer, attempted assault of an officer, harassment, sexual assault, and abuse. He will be sentenced with 25 years in prison and no parole or bail.
Judge: thank you Jury for your service today, court is adjourned.
I let out a huge sigh of relief and got up and hugged Brittney. I then hugged Tim, Daisy, Grey, Angela, Nyla, John, and Jackson.
Lucy: thank you so much you guys. I couldn't have done this without you guys
Tim: of course
Angela: I've always got your back Lucy
Grey: you're like a daughter to me, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or Daisy
Nyla: Lucy, i'm always here for you
Jackson and John: anytime Lucy
We walked out of the courthouse and I felt on top of the world

*A/N: Sorry for such a long part and such a long wait! I tired to make it sound legal and realistic! I don't really know how many years that sentence would be with those charges but Mark deserves it. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed!*