My Brother

The Verdict

"Prosecutor, are you ready for cross-examination?" Judge Matthew asks.

I'm sitting in the courtroom awaiting my faith. I knew what I did was wrong but I didn't care. After all Tahj did to me and how he treated me he's lucky he didn't die.

"No, allow me to call the second witness, Officer Whitfield your Honor."

"Proceed."

"Office Whitfield can you please tell the jury what you witnessed when you pulled up to the crime scene?"

"When I arrived at the house the defendant was sitting on the couch covered in what appeared to be blood."

"Exhibit A" the prosecutor says holding up a picture of my clothes. "Go on."

"I asked what had happened and she informed me that she had shot the father of her child and he was upstairs in bed unconscious."

"And after that what was next?" the prosecutor asks.

"Me and another officer went upstairs and found a man laying in bed with blood everywhere. I quickly called for an EMT and I went back to where the defendant was for more questioning."

"Is it true that the defendant still had the gun in her hand while questioning her?"

"That is true." the officer says.

"One last question officer, in your honest opinion do you believe that defendant MEANT and INTENDED to kill Mr. Tahj Anderson?"

"Yes."

"I rest my case your Honor."

~ an hour later ~

"Bring the jury in." Judge Matthew says.

"Will the jurors please answer as their names are called?". One by one each juror name is called. I sit in silence as I wait for the verdict. What's done is done and there's nothing I could do to change the situation. My faith lies in the hands of the jury and whatever the outcome is I have no choice but to accept and move forward in my life.

After today my life will never be the same again.

"Mr. Haselden, have you agreed upon a verdict?" the judge asks?

"Yes, your Honor, we have."

"Let us have it."

"We, the jury" Mr. Haselden says, "find Kyla Richardson guilty as charged."

There it was.

Guilty as charged.

"Members of the jury, listen to your verdict as it stands recorded. You say you find the defendant Kyla Richardson guilty so say you all?

"Yes, your Honor" the Jurors respond.

I turn around to look and Zaree and my grandmother are both crying. It hurts me to see and as bad as I wanna cry I just can't. I'm all cried out. It time to put on my big girl undies and woman up. As far as my son is concerned by the time I get outta prison he'll be already in college. I know that my grandma and Z are gonna take good care of him. I just hope that when he gets older he doesn't grow to hate me.

"Okay right this way" I hear the bailiff tell me as he escorts me out the court room.

I turn around and blow a kiss to my family.

"This isn't goodbye" I tell myself. I'll see them soon.