Big in Japan Ch. 03

Gwen Munson began the defense of her client Breonna Bryant with character witnesses. Paulina would do a minimum of cross-examination, asking a few if they'd ever heard Breonna make racially-motivated statements, which they denied. She asked that two be held for recall... as they were, like Breonna, students of Dr. Lionel Carmela. Judge Watts allowed it.

And then Gwen said "The Defense calls Dr. Lionel Carmela to the stand." Dr. Carmela came in, wearing a black outfit that resembled what the North Korean leader (that I call 'Weeble Wobble') and the pantsuits Mrs. Bill Clinton likes to wear... very typical Communist attire. His black hair looked oily and unwashed, and his thick black beard looked tangled and dirty.

After being sworn in, Gwen led Carmela through a series of questions, showing that Carmela was Breonna's Faculty advisor, had recommended Bryant for Graduate School, getting in Bryant's 3.75 GPA, as well. Carmela waxed eloquent on what a good student Breonna was, and how active she was in student events and charities. And then Paulina got her shot.

"Dr. Carmela," Paulina said, "just to be clear... you are a Professor of Political Science at the University, right?"

"Yes, and Head of the Department of Political Science." boasted Carmela.

"And you've written a number of papers that have been published?" Paulina asked.

"Objection!" yelled Gwen Munson, rising to her feet. "Relevance!"

"Oh, I'm going to establish relevance, Your Honor." Paulina fired back.

"Objection overruled." said Judge Watts. "But start connecting the dots, Counselor."

Paulina said "I'd like to add these into evidence. They are six papers published by Dr. Lionel Carmela, as well as an official report from the Department of Homeland Security, placing Dr. Lionel Carmela on their formal watch list as a potential subversive." (Author's note: 'Jupiter Rising', Ch. 03, for more on those papers.)

"Objection!" yelled Gwen Munson! "Relevance! And the Prosecution is------"

"Overruled!" Judge Watts practically. "The documents are entered into evidence."

"May I approach, Your Honor?" Gwen Munson demanded, her voice furious with anger.

"I'll do you one better." said the Judge. "Ten minute recess. I'll see both attorneys in Chambers..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Your Honor," Gwen Munson was all but yelling, standing (not sitting) in front of the Judge's desk, "that watch list document is highly prejudicial and should be excluded! Dr. Carmela is not on trial here!"

"Counselor," Judge Watts said, taking the tone of a parent instructing a stupid child, "shredding a witness's credibility has been going on since adversarial trials in Courts of Law began centuries ago. And I see where the Prosecution is going with this, and she has every right to do so in her Prosecution. It's your job to defend your client, not mine."

"Your Honor," said Gwen Munson, "I ask for a continuance, to appeal not only that ruling, but to ask that you be recused for obvious bias."

"Your Honor!" Paulina said loudly before Judge Watts did the obvious thing. "She's goading you. If you jail her for Contempt now, we'll have to start the trial over... and that's what she wants. Not only because she's losing, but to delay the trial until closer to the Election."

Judge Watts's head did not move, just his eyes as he looked at Gwen Munson. She, however, was staring at Paulina with smoldering hatred in her eyes...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Dr. Carmela," said Paulina, holding up a document as the trial resumed, "in one of the two papers you published while at the University, you advocate what is called 'critical race theory', saying that our schoolchildren should be taught that all Whites are racist from birth, and that White children should be ashamed to be White."

"Objection." said Gwen Munson, though dully.

Paulina said "Your Honor, may I have the witness read these lines from his paper to the Jury?"

"I'll be glad to do that." said Dr. Carmela. So Judge Watts allowed it.

After Carmela was finished, Paulina said "Breonna Bryant took two classes from you, Dr. Carmela. And she got 'A's in both classes, as the transcript the Defense put into evidence shows, is that right?"

"Yes." Carmela said. "Ms. Bryant was an excellent student, and worked hard to get those good grades."

"I'm sure." replied Paulina. "One of those classes was based on your paper supporting riots and violent protests as means of bringing 'change'... your own words in the paper were 'fundamental transformation'... of the Government. And the other class was based on the paper you just read, that schools should be required to teach 'critical race theory' to our children. Is that not right?"

"That is correct." said Carmela.

"And just to confirm," Paulina said, "the Defendant got an 'A' from you in that class?"

"Yes." said Carmela. "She was a excellent student." I observed that Breonna Bryant was looking hatefully at Paulina, then Gwen saw it and whispered to Bryant... who quickly put on her 'scared innocent victim' face again.

"Dr. Carmela," said Paulina, "you're white. How do you feel about that?" And Gwen did not object to that.

"I'm deeply ashamed to have been born white." Carmela replied. "I atone for my shame by exposing institutional White racism against People of Color, and fighting against White Police brutality against innocent blacks." He looked at Breonna as he said that, with look on his face that suggested he believed he'd won that one. I was looking at the Jury...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"The Defense calls Teresa Croyle to the stand." said Gwen Munson. Teresa strode into the Courtroom, looking sharp in her well-fitting Police semi-formal uniform with ribbons. She was sworn in.

"Commander Croyle," Gwen said, "on the night the Block House was destroyed, where were you at the time of the standoff with Police?"

"At BOW Enterprises." Teresa said, not volunteering anything further.

"Why were you there?" Munson asked.

"Because Commander Troy instructed me to go there, and monitor events from their control room." Teresa said.

"Did you leave that control room before or during the time the standoff was going on?" Gwen asked.

"I went to the bathroom a couple of times." Teresa said. "I don't remember the exact times to the hour and minute, though."

"Commander Croyle," Gwen said, "are you licensed to fly helicopters?"

"Objection! Relevance!" Paulina said as she sprang out of her chair.

"Sustained." said Judge Watts. "Ten minute recess. Escort the Jury out." The Deputies escorted the Jury out of the Courtroom. "Approach the Bench." said the Judge.

At the Bench, Gwen said "Your Honor, you let the Prosecutor smear the good name of Dr. Carmela with irrelevant crap like that Homeland Security document, so I demand you let me show that there is a reasonable alternative in why the Block House was destroyed, per a Federal investigation-------"

"Your Honor," said Paulina, "even if the Defense counsel's conspiracy fantasies were true, it doesn't matter with regard to the charges against her client. No matter how it happened, those men died while the Defendant was committing felony crimes blocking the Police from arresting Wilson, which might've saved his life."

"Thank you, Prosecutor," said Watts, "for saying what I was about to. Defense Counsel, you will not litigate that in my Courtroom during this trial. Prosecutor, I might have to call a mistrial and put the Defense counsel in jail for Contempt, anyway."

"All I ask, Your Honor," Paulina replied, "is that you have Commander Donald Troy personally transport her to County Jail."

"Is that a threat?" Gwen growled, her voice ugly.

"You tell me." Paulina replied with a wicked smile.

Judge Watts tried not to laugh, and failed. "That is an excellent, excellent idea, Prosecutor. I'll do that. Consider yourself warned for the final time, Ms. Munson. And do be aware that no matter what, after this trial is over I am going to do whatever it takes to have you disbarred."

Munson gave up. She had no more questions for Teresa, and neither did Paulina. Teresa was excused and came over and sat down beside me, in the front row behind the Prosecutor's table. The Defense rested.

On re-direct, Paulina recalled the two women that had been Carmela's students with Breonna Bryant. She forced them to reveal the Marxist and racist nature of Carmela's teachings, and had to admit that Bryant never disagreed with one word of it. Gwen mitigated the damage by having the women reiterate what a good student and good person Breonna was...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

3:45pm, Wednesday, September 16th. Closing arguments. Yep, the trial had lasted just three days.

Paulina went through the details once again, re-explaining the 'felony murder' charge and the other felonies with which Bryant had been charged. Gwen waxed poetic on all the glorious things others had said about Breonna Bryant, about what a good student she was, and how everyone loved her. She also focused on the race card, a lot more than she had during the actual trial.

And then Paulina got the final word... and I saw now why she had not questioned me before about my meeting with Bryant. (Author's note: 'The Whole Nine Yards', Ch. 01.)

"You've been told by the Defense counsel's witnesses that Breonna is a sweet, innocent victim, and a good person. Now, I'm going to show you the real Breonna Bryant. The hatred-filled racist that had no problem with protecting the man who raped and beat a white woman, and who called a little girl subhuman, and a filthy, racist slur."

She brought out a monitor and began playing a video. It was the recorded video of my conversation with her, showing Breonna Bryant saying 'cracker' Inga Gunddottar 'got what she deserved', and calling my daughter a 'halfbreed' multiple times.

"That's the real Breonna Bryant." Paulina said. "A racist that has no compassion for others, just pure hatred. I ask you to do the right thing, and convict her of the crimes with which she has been charged..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After being charged by the Judge, the Jury filed out to deliberate. As it was only 4:30pm, Judge Watts said "We'll give them until seven or eight o'clock to get the process started, then we'll sequester them for the night and go home ourselves."

At 5:40pm, a legal aide from Prodder, Ryder & Reems, P.C., Gwen Munson's legal firm, came up the aisle and whispered something to her. For a fleeting second I saw total horror on Gwen's face, then her look softened as the aide continued whispering to her.

Five minutes later, at 5:45pm, a Deputy came in with a note from the Jury. Judge Watts read it, then looked up at the lawyers, and then at me...

To be continued.