Trial: Day 3
“I'd like to call our key witness to the stand, Jora Rothmeyer.”
Kalifa said to the jury. Hitomi felt Law tense beside her, and looked over to see his eyes widened, staring up at the witness’ stand with trepidation and surprise. So, he did know their star witness. How they managed to get someone with a direct connection to him, Hitomi wasn't sure.
A shapely woman—well, obese, if Hitomi was being honest—emerged from a small room set behind the stand and sat herself down in the chair, facing the room. The lawyer took in her features, already trying to glean as much information as she could off of her. Obese, of course. She dressed in lavish outfits and kept her makeup and hair styled and done up. From what she could discern, the woman had an exorbitant amount of money and didn't mind flaunting it so everyone could see.
"She's supposed to be out of the country..." Law muttered beside her, confusion plainly written on his face. However, he was quick to school it back to a neutral expression. She'd stressed the importance of keeping up a neutral facade, broken only by moments of slight fear and regret during appropriate times. It would give the jury more sway to their side.
"What makes you say that?" She whispered back, and he shook his head.
"Pulled some favors. They tracked her overseas to a European market to purchase art before I was arrested."
"How could she have known you were put on trial?"
Law shrugged, but narrowed his eyes after a moment. "Maybe Vergo informed her. They all hold a grudge against me and want to see me dragged down with them."
Hitomi nodded, hanging onto that knowledge as Jora was sworn in by the bailiff. She lowered her hand and smiled kindly to the prosecution's attorney. Kalifa took her place in front of the witness stand, hands clasped behind her back.
"Mrs. Rothmeyer is testifying today as an eye-witness to numerous criminal activities performed by Mr. Trafalgar." She explained to the jury, then turned to her witness. "Now, Mrs. Rothmeyer, can you explain to the jury what exactly you saw?"
"Well," she started, smoothing down her blouse as if it had moved out of place since taking the stand, "there were multiple times when I locked up my shop to go home that I saw him," she pointed Law's way, "doing such...dreadful things!" Jora's face had taken on that disapproving, old woman's expression of distaste and disgust.
"I can't count how many times I saw him do a drug deal with some filthy migrant, or destroy property, and all those obscene graffiti marks ruining the buildings of our lovely town..."
Kalifa seemed to think that Jora was getting off topic. "How long ago did you witness these crimes?"
"Dear, it's been over a decade now that I think about it." She mused.
"A decade is a long time. How can you be sure it was Mr. Trafalgar who committed those crimes you spoke of?" The attorney said, one hand gesturing to the defendant delicately. Despite the wording of her question, she seemed unconcerned with whatever the answer might be. Hitomi watched with hawk eyes, taking in every detail.
"He looks remarkably the same to how he did back then, and I'd recognize the tattoos on his arms anywhere! Probably some...gang symbol or something." She finished with a shake of her head and a hand delicately placed upon her chest, as if she couldn't bear the thought of what his tattoos could possibly stand for.
Law wanted to glare at her, but figured that wouldn't go very well towards his image, so he kept his face blank. He couldn't help but glance at the jury from the corner of his eye. They were all raptly listening to Jora's testimony, eyes squinted but otherwise impassively observing the proceedings of the court.
"And exactly how far away from the defendant would you say you were during these occasions?" Kalifa continued, face giving nothing away.
Jora took a moment to think, before nodding with conviction. "About 300 feet. My shop is on the opposite corner to the alleyway where he would go to do his crimes."
Hitomi leaned over while Kalifa continued to ask Jora question. "Anything I need to know about her before I cross-examine her testimony? Any little bit will help."
"She was part of the same network as me. Deals with black market goods." He explained in a low voice so she was the only one who could possibly hear. "She's got a hell of a temper, and hates when her art is called home decor? I don't know, that's all I've got."
"Better than nothing." She muttered, processing all the information she had at hand.
Eye-witness testimonies were rarely 100% accurate, but cross-examining them could be difficult, especially one that was over a decade old at this point. Some questions were no longer relevant, or would lack the same effect on the jury they otherwise would have provided.
"No further questions, Your Honor." Kalifa concluded, turning and sitting back down at her table.
Hitomi took a breath and took her place on the floor of the court room, straight-backed as she regarded the obese woman on the witness stand. "Mrs. Rothmeyer, you mentioned before that you own a shop from which you observed the crimes...how long have you been in possession of that location?"
Jora cocked her head. "Oh, I don't know...I'd say about 30 years now."
"And where exactly is your shop located?" She questioned evenly.
"On the corner of 12th Street and Carson Lane."
Hitomi's expression intentionally morphed to one of recognition. "Ah, the little home decor emporium, yes. I know the one."
Just as Law had informed her, the moment the word 'decor' left her mouth, Jora's expression darkened. The lawyer carefully kept her satisfaction in check as the woman sat up straighter within her seat. "Excuse me, but my gallery is not some shabby, cut-rate junk shop for worthless assembly line pieces! They are unique, antiquities, purchased from many exquisite cultures around the world!"
Hitomi held up a placating hand, but still retained her distance from the witness stand. "Mrs. Rothmeyer--"
"I happen to provide the very finest pieces of art to highly influential individuals with true prestige and class! And I will not sit here and allow you to misrepresent my establishment in such a slanderous way!"
Hitomi stole a glance at the jury, who were all looking a little surprised and caught off guard. Good.
"If I may interject, the quality or validity of your shop is not in question, nor is it the focus of this conversation. My point is simply to give the jury an accurate picture of where these crimes are taking place. As I'm sure you would understand the importance of doing." Hitomi said smoothly, proceeding as if she wanted to calm the witness as best she could with a quiet tone.
"Then if I may interject," Jora hissed, "do not speak down upon the fruits of my life's work in doing so! It's insulting!"
The judge's gavel hammered against the wood with deep thumps, drawing everyone's attention. "Mrs. Rothmeyer, I advise you retain your composure during the course of this trial. Should it happen again, I'll hold you in contempt of court."
That seemed to shut up the obese woman enough for her to sit back in her seat with a visible effort not to retort anything back.
"Permission to treat the witness as hostile?" Hitomi requested of the judge immediately, glancing his way.
"Granted." Satisfied that there wouldn't be another outburst from the witness, the judge gestured back to Hitomi. "Please proceed."
The lawyer nodded, thankful for the assistance. Score one for Hitomi. Perhaps Kalifa was hoping that Jora's older, motherly appearance and dainty attitude would provide a more credible account in the eyes of the jury, but provoking an angry outburst would paint any testimony as bitter and spiteful. She had to wonder whether Jora had misrepresented herself to the very attorney who she was testifying for, in an effort to put Law in prison no matter the cost. She faced Jora once more.
"Now, Mrs. Rothmeyer, am I correct in saying that your shop is in direct conjuncture to the alley in which these crimes took place?"
"Yes, I already said that." She retorted shortly.
"And how many times would you say you saw the defendant commit a crime in that very alley?"
"Too many times to count!"
"Could you be a bit more specific with that description?" She prompted, walking steadily around the open area in front of the witness stand.
"If I had to put a number...perhaps 20 times?"
"And over what period of time did these crimes occur?"
"About 2 years." Hitomi nodded her acceptance of that answer.
"Then, considering we've placed the time and date of your eye-witness accounts, wouldn't you agree that it is rather convenient that you were witness to so many of these crimes?"
"Objection, your Honor." Kalifa stood from her seat, a pinched expression in place. Hitomi wondered if her witness' outburst was causing her some level of stress. "Argumentative."
"Sustained." The judge replied cooly, and Hitomi bowed her head in acceptance of the change as Kalifa returned to her seat.
"Did you file a police report or call the authorities for any instance of crime you witnessed committed by the defendant?"
"Wha--I--Of course I did!" Jora sputtered after a moment of hesitation. But it was still there. And the jury had hopefully seen it and understood the significance of that slight moment of surprise. "I called plenty of times."
"And how many times did you inform the authorities of these crimes?"
"How am I supposed to remember something as trivial as that?" Hitomi resisted rolling her eyes.
"Mrs. Rothmeyer, for the benefit of the jury, will you please try to provide as accurate an answer as possible."
Jora crossed her arms and looked away from the lawyer's stare. "I don't see how the number even matters. It was a lot of times."
"Objection: Witness is non-responsive to the question."
"Sustained." The judge turned back to Jora, growing more and more impatient with her disruptive behavior. "Answer the question, Mrs. Rothmeyer. Need I remind you, you are under oath."
Matching his annoyed expression, she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders loosely. "Maybe... 10 times? I don't know."
Yes. Hitomi wanted to smile wolfishly but schooled her expression to remain neutral. "Then I would like to bring attention to the judge that there were no logged police reports or recorded calls to emergency services submitted as evidence of Mrs. Rothmeyer's claims." Hitomi said easily, her attention back onto the judge.
"Objection! Irrelevant." Kalifa stood again, sounding a bit more outraged now.
Before the judge could rule on the objection, Hitomi continued. "Your Honor, there is no written or factual evidence of these crimes taking place other than the eyewitness testimony of Mrs. Rothmeyer. The defense has not been provided sufficient factual evidence to properly cross-examine the witness of her statements, and therefore no way to determine that these crimes did indeed take place."
The judge's gaze slid over to Kalifa, who was trying desperately to retain her neutral composure, but she was sorely failing. "Does the prosecution have the appropriate documentation to support their witness' testimony?"
The blonde attorney smoothed down her skirt and stood a bit straighter. "No...Your Honor. Such facts did not seem relevant for the case at hand."
"Relevance is not for you to determine, Mrs. Kalifa. Your objection is overruled." The judge determined with a sigh, finally turning to the jury. "In light of missing evidence by the prosecution, we will postpone and reconvene in one week's time. Mrs. Kalifa, the prosecution will be fined $3,000 for violation of discovery rules and withholding of evidence, and you will be required to provide said evidence upon our next appearance."
"Yes, Your Honor." She said with resignation, sitting back down behind her desk.
Hitomi also returned to her desk and sat, gathering some of the papers on the surface. "Since you're the expert, how did that go? Because I couldn't keep up with half of that." Law whispered.
Hitomi allowed a smile through, and glanced his way. "Well. Very well, indeed."
Trial: Day 10
Once more, all parties involved found themselves in the court room, Jora behind the stand a second time. Hitomi stood, giving Law a reassuring smile, before making her way in front of the witness stand.
"Mrs. Rothmeyer, please remind the jury of your testimony regarding my client's actions in front of your emporium."
It seemed today, Jora was in a much more cooperative mood. Hitomi suspected Kalifa had informed her of her unhelpful and backfiring composure from last time. "I saw that man," once more pointing to Law at the desk, "deal drugs and vandalize the community in the alley across from my shop on numerous occasions."
"And by your own testimony, you reported these crimes to the police how many times?"
"..." Jora paused a moment, eyes flicking to Kalifa. "Ten times."
Hitomi thought she heard a frustrated sigh from the prosecution table, but didn't turn around to know for sure. Her gaze remained on Jora. "Well, according to the police records and 911 transcriptions during the times and dates that you provided," she emphasized, "there is no evidence of you ever having informed authorities of these crimes. So I'd like to ask you again, how many reports did you file in response to the crimes you witnessed?"
There was an extended silence, Hitomi and Jora staring down each other, and eventually the witness finally spoke.
"I didn't report any of them." A few speculative whispers could be heard through the jury.
"Why?" Hitomi asked with a commanding tone.
"Because..." She started, but shook her head, eyes switching back to Kalifa behind her, "Because I was afraid."
"I see. You were afraid." Hitomi nodded slowly, sauntering evenly from the witness stand closer to the jury box. But again, not too close, as she hadn't gotten permission to approach. "The only question is," she turned back towards Jora, one eyebrow raised, "what were you afraid of? Retaliation from my client for reporting his criminal activity, or having the authorities discover that you yourself were part of the same organization as the defendant?"
"Objection!" Kalifa yelled over the sound of whispers and surprised gasps from the jury. Jora's face was a comical expression of surprise and slight panic, which was quickly overtaken by that notorious anger she held within.
The judge's gavel hammered against the podium. "Order in the court."
The jury took a few seconds to settle themselves after Hitomi's brutal question, and Kalifa was rigid as a flag pole as she stood from her chair.
"What are your grounds?" The judge asked of Kalifa, once the court had calmed down to a respectful silence.
"Assumption of facts not in evidence. And, unfair prejudice! There is no evidence to implicate the witness of any affiliation with a criminal organization."
"Your Honor, by admission of the defendant, Jora was active in the very same cartel that he was forced to work with." She turned to Kalifa to see her reaction, and was unsurprised when she turned her accusatory eyes towards the very witness she had been relying on to aid in her prosecution of Law. She probably had been deceived just as she'd tried to lie to the jury. "I request a motion for impeachment of the witness, on account of her proven intent to deceive the jury by lying under oath, and an extreme bias in regards to the ultimate verdict to the defendant." Hitomi concluded.
"..." The judge was silent, resting his chin in the palm of one hand. She didn't blame his fatigue. This was turning out to be a complicated case.
"Motion sustained." He decided after a moment, and Kalifa stared down at her desk. "Members of the jury are asked to disregard all information provided by Mrs. Rothmeyer's testimony. Bailiff, please escort her from the witness stand."
Jora appeared outraged, but didn't say a word as the bailiff, gestured for her to stand and leave her seat. Another round of whispers provided the background noise as Jora left the courtroom, and Kalifa silently simmered, now sitting at the prosecution's table.
Hitomi returned to her own seat and awaited the judge's next order of the court. The judge tapped his desk, appearing to deliberate on what had just occurred.
"That was incredible." Law whispered in awe, and Hitomi smiled tiredly.
"We've still got a ways to go, but we got ourselves a small victory."
The blonde woman's eyes were glued to the tiled floor of the courthouse's lobby. But they didn't see the tile, they saw many worst-case scenarios running through her head. Lawyers and gallery members released from court by recess passed her by without noticing her entrancement on the floor tiles, but one person in particular did, sighing upon seeing her in the state she was.
"Summer, things are going well. Why the long face?" He asked, causing her to look up sharply.
She managed a slanted smile, her eyes drifting down to his shirt. "Corazon, you should be sitting down. You've still got bandages on those wounds."
The bar owner waved a dismissive hand but sat beside her on the bench anyway. While the gunshot wounds weren't mostly closed and healed, they still caused him a bit of discomfort, and the doctors had advised to keep them covered loosely with bandages until the pain had entirely subsided.
"How are you holding up?" He asked softly, and she shook her head.
"It's hard to see him in that room." She answered honestly, looking up in his eyes. "I just want to climb over the wall and hug him or something but...obviously that wouldn't be a good idea."
Corazon huffed and smiled wider. "Pretty sure the bailiff would tackle you then and there. No use being in jail with him."
Summer's mouth twitched, but her frown quickly returned. "Do you still think he has a chance?"
"Of course I do." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, hiding the wince that accompanied the sharp pain in his side. "If what you told me is true, your friend is one of the best lawyers in the state, and she certainly seems to know her way around a courtroom. The only place I've seen something like that dismissal back there was in a movie."
"She is pretty good, isn't she?" Summer admitted.
"Exactly, so just have faith in her. And have faith in Law. I know justice will treat him right." Summer nodded, but didn't look all that convinced.
Corazon sighed, hurt by her lack of confidence. She was normally the very optimistic and care-free person, but after all was said and done, this trial was definitely weighing her down. He figured the best way to get her mind off the trial was to change the subject entirely.
"How have the panic attacks been lately?" Came his soft question.
Since being released from the hospital, Summer had spent a worrying amount of time alone at home. She still took photography jobs here and there to pay her rent, but Bellemere had told him that she rarely went out of the apartment unless she was running out of food or working. It was fortunate that she had multiple people looking out for her.
He'd taken it upon himself to check up on her when he'd been deemed healthy enough to be released from the hospital. When he'd arrived at her apartment, she'd been in the middle of a severe panic attack, after which she admitted to him that they were happening more and more often. She'd cried into the carpet for a half hour, spilling out everything on her mind in a rambling mess of sobbing and gasping breaths.
"They're...becoming less frequent. Not hitting me as hard." She said truthfully, knowing that a simple 'I'm fine' would fly with him anymore. "I still get them sometimes, but I'm managing."
Corazon himself had been a big help with them, as he'd made great pains to spend more time with her. At first, she'd refused the extra attention, as he had a business to run, but after he'd explained that she was as much a daughter to him as Law was a son, and that he worried about her health more than some bar that he could entrust to his dependable employees, she'd conceded to his wishes for her to get out of the house more.
They'd spend time at the cemetery every Sunday so Law's parents wouldn't be without company. She'd even stop by Rebecca's flower shop to change out the wilting flowers for fresh, new ones. The pinkette had questioned Law's absence, but Summer had only told her it was complicated. Not wanting to pry, she'd dropped it at that.
In between jobs, she'd spend time at the Heart Seat to surround herself with friends and familiar faces. It did wonders for her confidence. While the anxiety that came with the feeling that someone was behind her every hour of the day was still present at times, it was much less prevalent when sitting with Zoro at his place in the back of the bar.
"I'm glad you're recovering." He said earnestly.
"Same to you." She replied, glancing at his chest. Under the shirt, she knew there to be white bandages covering the scars of several gunshot wounds.
A uniformed officer exited the courtroom where Law's trial was being held, and called out into the hallway. "Members of the court, please return to the courtroom. Trial will now reconvene."
"Sounds like we're up again." Corazon said, standing with Summer from the bench.
She squeezed his hand for reassurance, and he returned the gesture, smiling down at her to try dispelling her fears. She sought as much strength as she could from his relaxed composure, squaring her shoulders as they re-entered the courtroom.
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