THE PRESIDING JUDGE had before him the dossier, the voluminous file that constituted the totality of the evidence gathered by the investigating judge from witness interviews, expert and forensic reports, and the like. This was, on paper, their case against the actresses. Theoretically, they could skip witnesses altogether and just read through the file, let the lawyers make arguments, and announce a verdict.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQydrRU3Xp
The dossier was divided into four parts, two of which were largely technical----official documents explaining the gathering, retention, and transfer of evidence between the police and prosecutor and court, as well as the legal decision relating to their pretrial detention. A third part was devoted to the four defendants' personalities, or character. Everything from birth certificates to interviews with friends and families.
The presiding judge, however, turned to the final section of the dossier, entitled "Pieces de fond"----On the Facts. This section contained more than two hundred documents, including witness interviews, forensic reports, photographs, and summaries of the evidence and investigation.
"Good morning, Major," said the presiding judge.
"Good morning, Mr. President." Major Picard stood in the middle of the courtroom, at a podium fitted with a microphone. In one corner of the room, the courtroom deputy----the greffier----angled a camera on a tripod so that it captured both the presiding judge and the major. This was not a media camera---they were banned under French law from courtrooms---but a camera ordered by the presiding judge to keep an audio and visual record of this trial, which would be held, with the official transcript, under seal.
"Major, do you have any personal or familial connection with the accused?"
"No," said Picard.
"Then please tell us what you can about the matter under examination."
Jean-Luc Picard, an eighteen-year veteran with the Paris police department, seemed like a good witness, if his appearance was anything to judge him by. He was on the tall side, fit and bald, an unassuming middle-aged man who normally would blend into the background.
Major Picard didn't take an oath. In French courtrooms, cops were not sworn in because it was already their duty to testify truthfully. Rather, he proceeded directly into his narrative, including the account of his initial receipt of the phone call from the Monte Carlo police----"a call that I shall never forget," he said---and his flight down to the harbor.
"We coordinated our response with the RAID unit and Brigadier General Ménard of the GIGN," he said. GIGN and RAID handled the paramilitary aspects of the operation, securing the dock and the surrounding area while Major Picard and the National Police conducted its investigation.
Major Picard took the presiding judge through several of the photographs contained in the dossier, discussing the positioning of the bodies of President Diderot and his bodyguard, Renaud Tissot, and the search of the Bentley convertible where they were found.
The presiding judge, leaving through the massive dossier stacked before him, detailed the procedures undertaken by French intelligence and the police in recovering and analyzing forensic evidence during the investigation. He then asked Picard to summarize the ultimate findings.
"We recovered various samples of DNA from the vehicle that were tested for a match," he said. "This included hair follicles, mucus, blood, and cerumen."
In included a lot more than that, but he was focusing on the relevant parts.
"We obtained a match for hair follicles on the dashboard belonging to the accused, Nicole Richie. And we obtained a match for hair follicles on the dash board and on the rear seat on the driver's side belonging to the accused, Mischa Barton."369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTBnOsAlyn
The courtroom broke into a collective stir, visibly and audibly evident through Mischa's headphones. Technically, the investigation of the juge d'instruction was confidential. There had been leaks, bits of information and rumor coming in weekly drips, but none of it had been confirmed until now.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0duparIC3O
"A small sample of mucus was located on the interior of the driver's side door that matched the DNA of the accused, Robyn Rihanna Fenty," said Picard. "A blood smear on the front passenger seat was confirmed as the blood of the accused, Nicole Richie.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWZu5nrkmu
"And a sample of cerumen, a glandular substance commonly known as earwax," he said, "was located near the gear shift between the two bodies. The sample was a DNA match for the accused, Mischa Barton."369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TshEhOGeE
"Please remind the court, Major," said the presiding judge. "During questioning of these accused, you inquired as to whether any of them had been inside or around that vehicle?"369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsVu7EMpDj
"Yes, Mr. President. We made that inquiry of each of the accused."369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsrvfqcJu8
"And how did they respond?"369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgJ8mziVl3
Major Picard turned his head ever so slightly in the actresses' direction, though from his position he couldn't see them.369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaitcaSO8c
"Each of the accused denied ever being inside that vehicle," he said. 369Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlSbCSHbCF
