Ethan, Chris,
Troy and Alicia, having already seen the video, were as prepared as anyone
could be. Nobody else was. The judge opened and closed his mouth a couple of
times. The members of the jury all sat there stunned. Ethan was totally
hysterical. His siblings and his best friend surrounded him and held him close.
The judge
noticed that they left the spectator seating area and were sitting around the
plaintiff table trying to console the inconsolable. “I’ve seen enough.” He
looked towards the jury box and everyone nodded, indicating that they had seen
enough. The video was turned off. In an unprecedented show of compassion, the
judge left the bench and approached Ethan, touching him gently on the shoulder.
“Mr. Evans, I’m
very sorry for what you went through.” He returned to the bench.
Mr. Cruz stood.
“Your Honor, as much as it pains me to say this, you and the jury need to see
the video in its entirety. There is crucial evidence to be seen at the end of
the video. I suggest the Mr. Evans and his family be excused from the courtroom
until the video is over. It’s very traumatic to Mr. Evans and his family, and
since they’ve already seen it from beginning to end, I do not feel it necessary
for them to be put through viewing it again.”
“I agree. Ms.
Evans, please take your family out to get something to settle your brother
down. Upon the completion of the video, this trial will be adjourned. Mr. Cruz will
notify you when the trial will resume. Mr. Winston,” he addressed the defense
attorney, “you and Mr. Sims will
remain. Mr. Cruz, please resume the video.
~~~~~
Chris got up
from the letter he was writing and answered the door. He returned with Mr. Cruz
in tow. “Ethan, can you come down,
please? Mr. Cruz is here.” He yelled up the stairs. Ethan slowly came down the stairs. The
haunted look in his eyes was still there since the trial, but there was
something else. There were dark circles under his eyes that had been covered up
with makeup for the trial. Mr. Cruz could only stand there and stare.
“Please sit down.
Can I get you anything?”
“No thanks. I’m
good. I just dropped by to let you know that the trial will resume tomorrow
morning at 9am. My god, Ethan; I didn’t know it was that bad. Why did you cover
this up?”
“He hasn’t slept
much since he came home from the hospital.” Chris glanced over at his brother. He
lowered his voice, which wasn’t really necessary as Ethan was off in another
world. “The jury needs to see this.”
“I doubt they
will,” Chris said in an equally quiet voice, “Ethan doesn’t care anymore. In
fact, he doesn’t seem to care about anything. He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep.
To be honest, I’m worried about him.”
“Why?”
“He had thought
that it was all just a nightmare. To find out that it actually happened had to
do a real number on him.”
“You don’t think─”
“I don’t know.”
Chris whispered.
~~~~~
“All rise. This
court is now in session.”
“Be seated.” The
judge glanced at Ethan. The dark circles under Ethan’s eyes did not go
unnoticed. He then turned a cold eye on Patrick. “I am deeply concerned with
what this court has witnessed. I cannot understand how someone could perpetrate
such a heinous act against another human being. That being said, Mr. Winston,
you may continue.”
“Thank you, Your
Honor. The defense wishes to cross-examine Mr. Ethan Evans.”
“Mr. Evans, I
remind you that you are still under oath.”
“Yes, Your
Honor.” Ethan mumbled.
“Mr. Evans, I
understand that you and Mr. Sims were in a long-term same-sex relationship.”
“Yes, for two
years.”
“What happened
to end the relationship?”
“He infected me
with HIV.”
“In the video we
saw, you were having sex with 11 men. I submit that any one of those men could
have infected you.”
“Objection! The video clearly shows that
all of the men with the exception of Mr. Sims wore condoms.”
“Sustained.”
“Mr. Evans, with
our current level of technology, it is very easy to create such a video. Did
you in fact create the video to cover up the fact that you were cheating on
your boyfriend?”
“No. I wouldn’t
do such a thing. What happened in the video really happened.” That should put sufficient doubt in the
jury’s mind. He told himself smugly. “No further questions.”
“Your Honor,
permission to redirect.”
“You may
proceed.”
“Mr. Evans, I
hate to cause you any more pain than you’ve experienced so far, but I must ask,
how did you come to be at the defendant’s apartment?”
Ethan’s response
was slow in coming and came in a voice completely devoid of any emotion. “It
was a celebration of our second anniversary.”
“Who, with the
exception of yourself and Mr. Sims, were the men in the video?”
“Friends of
Patrick’s.”
“And did you
know these men?”
“No. I was
introduced to them as they came in.”
“So you didn’t
know any of them?”
“Objection, Your Honor! The witness has
already told us that he didn’t know the men.”
“Sustained. Please
continue, Counselor.”
“Mr. Evans, did
you, in fact, offer yourself up for sex with Mr. Sims’ friends as an
anniversary present?”
“No. I am a
monogamous person. I do not cheat.” Ethan replied in a voice devoid of any kind
of emotion or reaction.
Mr. Winston got
right up in Ethan’s face. “You’re lying.
We have video evidence that you are nothing more than a cheating slut and you
made all this up.” He yelled. The entire courtroom was in an uproar. The
judge banged his gavel several times and it took approximately 10 minutes
before order was restored.
“The witness is
excused. The jury is hereby remanded to the jury room for deliberation. Ms.
Evans, please approach the bench.”
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