All Comments on 'Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'

I liked the story, it felt realistic. Most of the story was told in the past tense as a reflection, the difficulty I have is the ending in comparison to the reflection. One normally wouldn’t reflect unless Oneself could emotionally afford it (Distance) so I found your ending hollow.. thanks for a grate read looking forward to your next posting.

Who opens a garage door and doesn't see another vehicle inside? If his Father didn't let Sandy touch any of the money he was paying his son, how did Sandy pay the bills? Didn't she lose their house and everything else? You can't go 18 plus months without paying your bills. And when she hit the cold water it would have been like hitting concrete. She was dead in the instant. In the end, he starts dating another woman that has issues. Not exactly a good idea. This belonged in Non-erotic. It was neither interesting or entertaining.

This one was tough to read, not because it wasn’t well written.....it was very well written.....but because I’m not sure any woman other than a psychopath does what the wife does when she brings her lover home and he gets killed as an intruder. I would think that after the initial shock of what happened, if you really love your husband, you don’t let him stay locked up for 18 months and then testify against him.....again, unless you’re a psychopath. So that part required a pretty high suspension of belief.

I disliked the ending. I thought the author tried too hard to make it, if not a happy ending, at least a not so glum ending. I think the ending really detracted from the story, not because I’m pro-suicide or revel in the death of a cheater. I don’t. I just think the story could and should have ended when the husband left the cabin, fired up the motorboat and saw the rainbow.

Ok

The man spent 18 months in jail, and it didn’t harden him up more than that? He was able to shoot accurately and kill an unknown intruder, but was so pussified that he had PTSD for killing an asshole who very much deserved it?

Sorry, but I can’t see anything amicable when her insistence got him 18 months in the county jail. If he didn’t hate her fucking guts when he went in, he damn sure would have hated her by the time he got out.

She made a false accusation against her husband, one that cost him 18 months in lock up. She should have been charged with something and sentenced to at least that long in the pen.

I really enjoyed your story PKenny. Interesting, unusual take on the LW genre that breaks new ground. You'll probably hear from readers that adultery doesn't rate the death sentence from the aggrieved partner. Rumson wasn't killed for being the cheating wife's lover, he was unfortunately killed for barging, uninvited, into a legally armed man's home. Gun haters will whine about "castle doctrine" and " stand your ground" laws, but they are a fact of life in the USA. Sandy was a selfish, immature, little girl who got a man killed and almost destroyed another one. The only part of the story I didn't like was the fact that she got her happy ever after.

Good read. A tragic story, sad ending. It shows how much pain infidelity can cause.

I don't see anyone shooting a darkened figure in a doorway. A normal person would at least wait to see who the "intruder" was. But if your MC had done that, you wouldn't have had a story.

But, for some reason, the story didn’t “draw me in”. It was almost like reading a newspaper article.

4-stars

Good Story, well written. Needed some passion and human feelings to make it real. But it's a good effort, above the average here.

I had decided to take the boat to the docks at the small marina to refuel and get some groceries. I was entering the no wake zone when I saw a figure standing high upon the superstructure of the 1920s era bridge that crossed inlet. Suddenly, the body leapt from the bridge and plunged into the cold water. I gunned the boat and quickly arrived at the spot where the body entered the water. I grabbed the person by the jacket and pulled it to the surface. Once the body broke the plane of the water, I saw it was a woman and nearly instantaneously realized it was Sandy.

I let her go, damned if I was going to give the lying, cheating, murderous slut half my shit and alimony for the next few years

Plus we'd had life insurance policies on each other since just before we were married and I was pretty sure we were past the period where suicide didnt pay out, but if not I'd still keep the house, the accounts, and 100% my paycheck for the next five years

What kind of delusional person would believe that there was any way to make amends for trying to put their spouse behind bars for life, if not executed by the state?

How could she ever believe that there was a chance of reconciliation? If she believed, in her heart, that her husband murdered her lover in cold blood and testified that he absolutely, without a doubt, executed her liver, then why would she want anything to do with him?

Sorry; but it was a good story until the epilogue. Also, one last point of contention, what DA, would risk pudding off the largest potential donor and employer by forgoing bail for the accused. I find it difficult to accept that he would spend 18 months in county lockup, especially since he could then sue the state for all sorts of damages arising rom his illegal incarceration, cruel and unusual punishment, or any of the myriad lawsuits that could be filed against the state.

The story was ok but not all that interesting, because the shooting was unintentional. It was more like a news article than a story.

The epilogue was anti-climactic and weak.

I was hoping he would send Sandy away, then open a box with photos of Sandy and the dead guy, then a flashback to a meeting with a shady investigator who worked for his dad that told him Sandy and her lover's plans... "She is planning to fuck the asshole in your Bed Friday night" Then back to the cabin as he burned the evidence....

That would have made it worthwhile for me. That way he knew and got away with murder.

KB

Everything about this story worked... except for its epilogue.

Bad enough it turns out to be none other than Henry, of all people, who ended up saving Sandy (it's a small world, after all, eh?), but for him to go out of his way to rehabilitate a woman who herself went out of her way to destroy him?

O-oh.... no, no, no, no, no. Not buying it.

You know what I buy, though? That she would move on faster than he would. That's how psychopaths roll.

Hey author - why gave us a happy ending for the bitch that made the whole mess happen, and no actual closure for the man that suffer because of her action? Wouldn't it be a must better conclusion to learn that Henry eventually found the true love of his life, and finally gave his parents the grandchildren they've always wanted?

Ultimately, the MC was just too good of a man. Sure, he divorced Sandy, but him helping her out dealing with her guilt is a bridge too far, in my book. Hey, if you cannot hate somehow that not only cheated on you numerous time, but also is directed responsible for you losing 18 months of your life AND almost your own life... when exactly can you hate someone?

The epilogue notwithstanding, this was an overall great read. Call me callous all you want, but I simply couldn't care about Sandy's well-being at the end, and can't believe Henry could be so good to someone that was so bad toward him.

So yeah - good enough for a triple, but nobody's going home here.

You're either not an American or aren't one who watch the news very often.

'Cause that kind of thing - shooting someone without giving any verbal command - happens all the time over there.

Hell, there's an ex-cop right now on trial for shooting an innocent man in his own apartment, while he was eating ice cream, 'cause she thought he was an intruder in HER apartment... And, even though she DEFINITELY should go to prison for it, there's a fairly good chance she may actually walk away from this.

An every day thing, in the States, I tell ya. So that part of PKenny5860's story is very realistic.

Three times at that!

What if had been his wife’s brother or the next door neighbour helping her to bring in some shopping or maybe her dad? Doesn’t matter. Don’t recognise him so kill him. If this is condoned then no wonder the US has so many gun murders. Shouldn’t the law have demanded that he should have least challenged him. Too unbelievable. I don’t think even in the gun crazy US that he would have got off what was plain stupid murder. And the murdered man’s parent’s understood? « Yes that’s ok. Your wife invited our son into her house and you didn’t recognise him so you killed him. Oh, and thanks for the money ». How very reasonable!

So I won't say anything about how stupid the women are portrayed after they don't get what they want. Epilogues unnecessary. This is the first of 12 steps of withdrawal program.

Sorry for my vitriolic comments as I have been accused.

I agree with etchiboy, this one just never drew me in, too analytical.

Good but wifeys motive is lacking in detail and her behaviour during trial unknown. And even a hunter doesnt shoot without clear ID of the target. This guy is too intelligent to shoot into the dark.

MC dodged two metaphorical bullets and Rumson dodged no real bullets.

So she didn't set him up to get money, just to satisfy her need for justified anger at a lonely circumstance. Not letting her die with a little dignity was bad enough but then you comp her with money and remarry the slut. Come on! Where were the unicorns shitting out flowers around the rainbow?

Read the story again, carefully. Read all the comments and got to thinking about the story. What if Henry did know? What if it wasn't an accident? Maybe PKenny and Henry fooled us all. Good work either way.

...this story was like reading a grocery list.

You need to build empathy with your characters, or adversely, anger, if they deserve it. You need to have your audience connect with the story.

Besides that, there was nothing majorly wrong with syntax, you did a fine job there.

Keep writing, if you succeed in causing an emotional response in your audience, you will be a fine author. After all, isn't the objective in writing a tale, to create a fictional reality that you, or your readers, can escape into?

Cheers.

MC had lots of evidence that he was clueless and had made plans to celebrate with his wife. It was an accidental shooting of an intruder in his own house. If charged, he would have been released on bail. Don't write about things you don't know. You can lead a witness on cross-examination. By definition they are hostile witnesses. The wife was a terribly weak character. Your story sucked.

reasonable man

He would not be held for 18 months for a simple local charge. El chapo was held for that long. His right to a speedy trial would have been violated. Once the DA found out her witness was fucking the victim, DA would have bailed on case. It is too hard to prove intent. His car being in garage was too big to ignore. Maybe she did want him killed. Way beyond reasonable doubt just due to that.

One more thing:

Your honor, I request permission to treat Mrs. Reasoner as a hostile witness and please instruct the witness to answer."

She is by definition a hostile witness. All that means is she was put on stand by opposing council. It has nothing to do with if you treat person with hostility.

After reading the first two pages. I can't help but to relate this to the to the Anne Guyer case in Texas.

I understand the protagonist isn't a cop (she was a policeman). But both of them shoot without any warning nor call out. She said that she did but no one heard her. I mean what if the shadow was of a sibling who needs to use the bathroom or other emergency. No warning, no chance to identify yourself.

This totally derailed my interest in the LW aspect of the story, lol!!

Thanks for the effort PKenny5860.. ☺️

AMerryman

3 stars

Agree with other comments

How did pull into garage without opener couldn't

Used to high stress during projects so

Why shoot before making sure enemy?

Holes

Why should Sandy be allowed to meet a nice man after her treatment of her husband?.She should have been run it of town.

In the real world of American jurisprudence the circumstances of this shooting would have likely not resulted in a trial let alone a first degree murder charge (at most a charge of manslaughter or negligent homicide). If a Grand Jury were to have been convened prior to charges being filed a likely result would have been a bill of NON Prosecution. Other procedural problems are rampant during the "trial". During the defense attorney's cross examination of his wife the prosecution's objection about a "leading question" would NOT have been sustained by any competent Judge anywhere. An examiner may generally ask leading questions of a hostile witness or on cross-examination (to elicit testimony which the witness might be reluctant to volunteer), but not on direct examination (to "coach" the witness to provide a particular answer).

The story is pretty well written but it's always difficult (maybe impossible) to write about legal circumstances that you are not an expert in. I won't even go into the problems with the plot points surrounding the husbands car being in the garage and the attempted "suicide" and the epilog nonsense. Thanks for the effort.

Yeah, it does happen. It's called politics....

Nice story PK. Thanks for sharing.

And not living in the USA, I find it incredible that hardly anyone thought it even unreasonable for him to shoot, three times at that, at a shadow, simply because he didn’t know who it was. No wonder you have so many gun deaths over there. No wonder you could elect a braggart like Trump as president.

Just a short comment. If you have sex with a married someone, you are taking a huge risk, especially when your moves have been noticed by the spouse. To continue this action, even though the spouse, the wife, in this case instigated it, then going to the husband's home to have sex with his wife, is not a very smart thing to do. Seems like a classic "you're asking for it and got what you deserve".

this bitch tried to put you in prison and you forgave her.....my ass

Just to educate, not criticize. He didn't need to ask the judge to have her treated as a hostile witness. She was called by the prosecution. He was questioning her during cross-examination. Second, leading the witness is permissible during cross-examination.

that she could have recovered from the incicent so quickly. Shows just how shallow she is as evidenced by her participation in the prosecution.

Actually, three shots is standard self-defense training. The school I attended taught two shots to center mass and the third (if the target was still standing) to the head just in case the first two were stopped by a protective vest. In fact, you are taught to continue shooting until the threat is neutralized.

...and who we elected President has nothing to do with the number of gun deaths or our right to keep and bear arms or our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones.

What country are you from so I can return the favor of your criticism? New Zealand? Most of your countrymen are not surrendering their guns, you know. Australia? Where your government has disarmed all of the law-abiding citizens so that you are now at the mercy of the criminals?

Why would a potentially dangerous individual enter a house from the garage. The home owner heard the garage door activate. A simple "stop or I will shoot" would have been sufficient, especially while being in the dark. The person entering would not have been able to see the protagonist. Sorry author, stupid over reaction to to little evidence.

"He lamented how I bought the entire crew lunch " - He "lamented?"

It's obvious to me that she set Rumson up to be killed by her husband to get her husband sent away.

"After a while, I had realized that my marriage was over so I got up and left through the front." - "After a while" she realized her marriage was over? She didn't know that it was over as soon as she decided to lie about what happened?

"avoid my own complacency" - Complicity.

I could have done without Sandy's story. Unlike others, I don't wish her dead, just gone.

Great story that I enjoyed very much. Reading comments, where do these slugs come from who compare gun violence to voting for Trump? I work with guns, own guns, and support the second amendment. Does anyone truly think any kind of fun law will take guns away from criminals? I think it was Japanese Admiral Yamato who said it would be impossible to invade the U.S. because they would find an American with a gun behind every blade of grass. Does anyone think it would be any different if someone tried to confiscate legally owned guns? A lot of Feds wouldn't do it.

I enjoyed the Facts in This Story .. I also Think the wife was to Blame for the death . The Husband set it up for a nice dinner then he hears someone come in through the Garage .. He did not know if the guy was armed or Not .. So He took the proper actions to defend himself ..

That so many commentators think it is perfectly reasonable to shoot someone dead without warning because he didn’t know who he was. Sorry yes I can, after all this is modern America.

At least in this state and in his house, he was well within the law. Having said that, a loud “FREEZE MOTHER FUCKER” would have been appropriate. Now if its a woman at home and an unknown male is coming in, put him down just like this.

Was funny for its ignorance. The farther you go back in history, the more acceptable shooting a home intruder was

Nice story, enjoyed it a lot

Another stupid story. She tries to have him put away for life and he saves her from drowning, forgives her, and pays for her medical care and counseling?? I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Sandy was angry enough to try as hard as possible to help send him down for Murder One, but not angry enough over his 18 months in jail to divorce him? I had figured that she'd file within the first week.

My 3rd story by this writer. She fucks around on him, tries to get him sent to prison and he instinctively holds her? Lost me right there. When I pulled her out of the lake, there would have been no effort to save her worthless ass.

None of the story makes sense. Anyone who has watched any TV knows that no way is he charged with even manslaughter, let alone 1st degree murder. No witnesses or evidence that he knew of the affair, how he arranged to get home in time to kill the guy, or him exhibiting any desire to kill the guy - to name a few. Any real DA would see her witness was a bad one. Once the main witness admitted to lying, the court would have thrown the case out. And then she realized she loved her husband and still tries to put him in prison? Just nonsense all around.

Why do people like to write about stuff they know nothing about or don't even bothering Googling?

For starters, this is a capital case? Really? This is a Death Penalty case? No place in the US prosecutes this for murder, under Any degree, unless the victim was a cop or in a similar profession.

Then of course the charge. 1st degree with no evidence of intent, foreknowledge, mens rea, hell, you could even argue absence of malice. You are looking for an acquittal.

There's lots more, including logic and plot issues, but I'm tired.

Oh and bail isn't automatically denied, but you kinda get a pass on that solely because of your sloppiness. There is no crime where you are automatically denied bail. At most, it is on the judge's discretion, and yes, there are capital cases where the defendant was out on bail.

Boring

This is why you should not hold gun permits. You hide behind that defend your homestead law. You say he was frightened for his life yet he had a gun and killed a man. No warning shot or shoot to injure..., 3 bullets in chest. And then you ask questions after. Another Oscar pistorius.

David Rumson Was a scumbag asshole and a pile of shit! It pisses me off that the shitbag was consistently called a “nice guy”. That piece of shit got what he deserved and the real nice guy ended up spending 18 months in jail - which is total Bull shit as he would have gotten an easy bail.

seriously you blame him amd guns for what she did and what it lead to . Youre pathetic.

I didn't mind the story line but the court scenes left me laughing. I'll avoid repeating what the Anon of May 23 wrote, except to remark how hilarious it was that he didn't get a decent bail hearing just because he was charged with murder.

The questions in court were amateurish. Asking that a witness being cross-examined be declared a hostile witness is futile-the declaration is made to permit the person who called the witness to ask leading questions. A witness called by the other side may be and virtually always is asked leading questions by the other side on cross-examination, so both the objection later about leading questions and the request that the other side's witness be declared hostile are silly.

That happened here? This story despite it being three pages long has very little character development except for him. You could say that it´s a pretty dry story. For one thing. If you don´t know how the court system works, you shouldn´t be writing about it. And if you don´t know about women? you should stay out of it. The way the author writes about this woman makes you believe that she failed kindergarten. Really? One thing. I don´t know all the gun laws in the lower fifties. But aren´t you supposed to identify what your shooting at before pulling the trigger? What if it had been his wife coming home from an errand? By herself. Another is. How did the flowers get on the table? One more thing before I leave. Did they have like a thirty car garage? How could she miss seeing her husbands truck? To make a story belivable. You´re supposed to research what you want to write about. This author seemed to lazy for even that.

And she doesn’t go to jail for perjury? I mean, a paragraph or two before it said she’d be committing perjury, not pages before and maybe the author forgot. WTF???

Old oak tree struck by lightning. Should have burn for hours, yet it was down to ashes in minutes.

Should have let her drown, not for BTB but to end her suffering. I don't believe every potential suicide needs to be saved. There is a reason they call it Rest In Peace. Still a good story.

In these stories I am always shocked the cheating wife is written as getting a new relationship.

What kind of idiot man would ever marry a heater? Someone thats proven to be willing to throw their marriage away for basically nothing?

Maybe a what a be cuckold?

Just another little dicked cuck who needs a gun to feel like a real man accidentally shooting someone who wasn’t an intruder. Welcome to America, where we make sure any pussy who can’t keep his wife satisfied can end a life just because he’s a scared little bitch who feels momentarily threatened.

To the anon that posted “Another one”. Are you a full time moron or only stupid on days ending in ‘y’? So, having a gun and using it to defend yourself makes you a pussy? Right. Tell it to anyone in the military, or law enforcement. After you get your ass stomped maybe you can re-think your assessment about self defense.

First of all how can she miss her husband's pickup in the garage? She testifies against him and tries to get him put away. After the trial in their cabin a bolt of lightning and thunder clap scares her so she runs into his arms and he holds her until she calms down. And of course he saves her pathetic life and pays for her therapy and treatment because he's such a kind, understanding, and forgiving guy. UGH!

I liked it but once again a cheating wife is oh so sorry for what she did and she loves her husband and wants him back but so quickly finds another man and within three months there is talk of marriage. So the MC is right that she really didn't and doesn't love him. If she was remorseful and loved him she would continue to fight for him.

First, authors ought to stop writing like woketards with a need to "virtue signal": "Dave Rumson was a slime ball but his seduction of my wife and their cheap tawdry affair didn't warrant a death sentence."

It's exactly this feminization of the male that contributes significantly to the metastasizing adultery problem. Rumson played a stupid game and he won a stupid prize. The MC should get a Darwin Award for cleaning a bit of trash out of the shallow end of the gene pool. The wife, as always, effectively skates and is written as if she has the maturity level of an emotionally disturbed 13 year-old.

By the way, the MC's lawyer had the wife on cross. He didn't need to as permission to treat her as a hostile witness, and he was absolutely entitled to ask leading questions.

Like others, I thought he was ridiculously forgiving of a woman who cheated on him and then tried to get him convicted so that she could let herself off the hook for the guy's death. SHE is responsible. SHE Cheated. SHE brought the guy into her house. Then he is all so sad and emotional over it all. Please. Stop. It was clearly described to the reader. We are privy to his thoughts. He THOUGHT the guy was an intruder.

It is ridiculous that someone so wealthy, connected, and a community leader would remain in jail waiting for trial. Also, as evidence developed, the DA would have been pressured to drop the charges. They don't have to wait for the trial before presenting all they uncovered. A smart DA would have run away from the case.

The whiney epilogue was absurd. Oh how nice, she was going to get remarried and live happily ever after. GACK! Her husband is miserable with "trust issues" and the only other woman he can find is broken as well. He is rich and a really nice guy. Women would be all over him like flies on sugar.

Damn

It was a five until the cunt wife survived her suicide and met a nice man for a happy ending for her. Where was the BTB? What is this, real life? This is fiction amd in fiction the cheating wife pays in the end, especially this beauty. What a disappointment.

She cheats. She testifies against her husband. She lies in her testimony.

Then, it’s only after her husband is found innocent and kicks her to the curb that she finally understands that she “murdered her marriage”?

Another Anonymous proclaimed that Dave Rumson's actions "didn't warrant a death sentence." I agree it wasn't warranted but he and Sandy earned their punishment. If Sandy had filed for divorce there would have been no death and Sandy would have walked away with half of their marital assets and found someone who could work at home and satisfy her needs for personal attention and control.

Why saved her if in the end she met a 'nice' man. So many men who only thought with their dicks who accepeted woman with grave cheating history

I have to agree with “Bettayedbylove”. Kick her to the curb, whatever shit she gets into after leaving the cabin is no longer her husbands concern. Drown foul bitch

From Anon: "Sandy was angry enough to try as hard as possible to help send him down for Murder One, but not angry enough over his 18 months in jail to divorce him? I had figured that she'd file within the first week."

That's very true. It makes your testimony look strange. (He's a murdering animal, but that's not really grounds for divorce?) Also, if you divorce while your spouse is in jail for Murder One, how great a settlement would you get?

Someone else asks about why a nice man would marry a cheater. The obvious answer would be that she was hot. Apparently very, very hot. He may come to regret it bitterly, but in the moment he can accept her "I would never do that again". Oh, and she was really hot. Just saying.

One piece of advice for young guys, grabbing the owner's daughter-in-law's ass repeatedly in front of the entire company isn't usually going to be a great career move.

Again, gotta love a happy ending. 😁

Captain Save-A-Hoe

Let me spoil the ending for those looking to tell if it's worth the read. Wife cheats, blames hubby, fucks guy in their bed, guy dies, she tries to get him locked away for murder, no evidence. She tries a pitiful, "I'm sorry" He says, "piss off" She runs to a bridge to take the easy way out...because she lacks a single moral fiber. He saves the stupid bitch for literally no reason. They divorce amicably? She immediately finds a guy....and eventually save-a-hoe finds a used up broad with trust issues to date.

I’m really glad we got such a detailed chain of custody explanation for all the evidence.

It’s obvious the author watches a lot of Lawyer shows.

I want to know how the flowers got into the house for him to find them on the table.

Story was a little better than mediocre, DID NOT like or agree with any of his compassion for his wife, though I do think pulling her from the water was the right thing to do.

☆☆☆☆

Could not get very into it. That much no home security with income. I no por sentences structure. LOVE. slap*hapy*papy. #9

Why, in all the possibilities, didn't you have him let go once he determined the jumper was his wife. Don't you realize 1 and 1/2 years in jail is a long time. The bitch deserved no mercy. Even she admitted it. Shitty ending.

Great story - nice flow. Some holes but we’re all not perry masons!

I liked the story. Gave it 4 stars. Why not 5? It was bad enough the Narcissist bitch cheated on him. But trying to destroy him, and making hubby spend 18 months in jail, would have stopped any sort of relationship he had with her. In fact, I would have sued the bitch, for giving false testimony, and allowing me to get arrested to begin with. And him saving her at he end, just wasn't a good ending.

Good story right up to the point of the husband thwarting his wifes' suicide. That just couldn't happen in this or any other nearby universe.

Treat the witness as hostile? She was hostile to the defense. Good grief

Pathetic ending, but the beta cucks who worship cheating slutwives will love this.

Small point but a common mistake for a lot of people writing about court cases. In something like a capital murder case, the prosecution always gives their arguments last.

I am assuming the lawyer made a slight mistake by not asking about the roses and why they were on the table. They had obviously been delivered. WHY DID SHE NOT CARE ENOUGH TO RING.

The unanswered calls tend to set her up as an uncaring bitch. SHE should have been charged as she set in motion the events that led to the mans death.

Good story up to Sandy's Perspective and The Epilogue.

Sandy's story just depicted a severely out of touch woman. How could she not have known before then that after all the evil hatred she pored on him, that Henry didn't love her anymore?

Henry saving her life really just undid all the effort the author put in to the story.

Such an unbelievably bad twist in the plot.

I gave the story a good grade

maybe a little to high - 5

Two Major Points that are outside Moral

Law. !. The Three Shots without warning.

2. Beyond reasonable doubt that yes Wife planned

Husbands life in Jail .

It's just a story.

Just read many comments below

If ever on trial for a Major crime I hope my lawyer can eliminated

those; like a few below from the Jury due to LACK of

INTELLIGENCE

A minor point, The police and/or the defense should have tested to see whether a person in silhoutee (any light from the back) would have been unrecognizabe.

The most ludicrous part of it is that the defense attorney is doing all of the testifying and the star witness, Sandy, is just saying yes or no. That’s TV drama. They do that because they don’t have the time, and they know that the audience is ignorant of the way that actual courtroom interplay happens.

Basic fact: the witness must be the one that introduces facts. The attorney’s job is to ask questions that bring out the facts.

I know that almost all of your readers just care about the punishing women part. They couldn’t care less whether the rest of the story makes a bit of sense.

Capital murder is premeditated. The story falls off the sled from the second paragraph. He saves her live in the end... really. Maybe some character development on the wife might have rated an average rating....

I’m not sure about the saving her life part, he should have just held her head under water and finished her off x overall a load of bollocks

A fair read but I felt that the characters lacked depth, further development would have produced a much better story. Ruttweller, 4 months ago, the only ludicrous part of this story is your inability to differentiate between FACT and Fiction; Fiction conforms to fact only at the discretion of the author

She should have been charged with perjury.

Could have been a much better story, the dialog was leaden.

Permission to treat the by definition hostile witness as hostile?

The police investigator does not decide what someone is charged with. Good grief.

Why, during her husband's 18 months in custody, didn't she get a divorce? I mean she tried to get him to go down for Murder One.

Good story but did not like the end. Btb to degree but she finds a mate with in a few months but ahe ruined him for 2 yrs. To soon for her too little.too late for him

I would love to see civil engineering and construction management in a face off! I was hoping to find it in this story, but perhaps the next?

The arresting officer cannot arrest someone on capital murder charges, and OP cleverly introduced that fact. Also, the officer would've tested MC's hands for gunshot residue, but that wasn't germane to the plot. Also, what about the roses? OP missed that--someone had to open the door and place them in the vase. At that, the wife HAD to know there was a possibility that her husband would be home. What cheating wife brings her lover into the marital home and doesn't make a phone call to establish the location and establishment of the unwitting spouse?

.

The real failing of this story was the writer's NOT writing good dialogue in so many spots, especially for most of the wife's testimony. Who writes a courtroom story without that? It's a gross violation of the "Show, don't tell!" cardinal rule of writing.

No, the man who died wasn’t innocent, and yes, he deserved death for his part in the adultery. So does the wife!

ZK

Enjoyed the way you prepared your story. Good back ground, event, prosecution and ending. Well thought out and delivered. 5* thanks for sharing it.

Have to wonder about the brain power of guys who willingly allow a cheating bitch back into their lives!! Sure he loves her but she has just hammered him and kicked in the crotch. Didn’t he see and realize how cold and calculating she could be… absolutely no empathy towards him as long as she got her way. Then after only a year he decides all is well and takes her back?? That is truly sad! One can only hope that the husband has enough smarts to at least “TRUST BUT VERIFY”!!