Chapitre 14: Vance - 3.1
Miss Cartwright's line of questioning seemed to inadvertently weaken Coleman's defense with each passing moment. It was unclear whether this was a result of her inexperience or if, perhaps, she was not fully aligned with her client's best interests.
Mister Pembrose called a new witness to the stand, a lovely young lady wearing her Sunday best.
"Your Honor, I would now like to call to the stand Miss Evelyn Marks, a respected journalist for the Bluff City Times," Mister Pembrose announced, as a woman with a poised demeanor approached the witness stand.
"Evelyn, what kind of journalist are you?" Pembrose asked as soon as she was settled.
"I am an investigative journalist which means that I research and explore matters myself to find the truth within a situation." Evelyn responded confidently. "My investigations usually involve months of research and collaboration with law enforcement to rely upon authentic reports, evidence, and authority."
"Members of the court, this is Exhibit 20, the April 17th edition of the Bluff City Times." Pembrose continued, brandishing the paper. "Permission to approach the witness, your Honor?"
The judge responded, "Granted, Mister Pembrose."
Pembrose walked over to the stand, before passing the exhibit to Evelyn. "What is this document and who authored it?"
"This is a copy of a newspaper from spring of last year that the Times published. The frontpage shows an expose of the Twilight Mask terror organization." Evelyn confirmed. "I am, of course, the journalist responsible for research and publication of that very article."
"And what article is that?" Mister Pembrose inquired.
She responded, "The expose on the Twilight Masks."
Satisfied with Evelyn's testimony, Mister Pembrose next motioned to the court, "Your honor, may I publish Exhibit 20 to the jury?"
"You may counselor." He responded.
Then, we recalled Officer Daniel Harrow to the stand. "Officer Harrow, I present to you Exhibits 20-29. Can you describe what these are?"
"This is a newspaper dated for April. These are headshots of the members of the Twilight Masks I arrested at 2309 on Lionel Avenue," Officer Harrow testified, alternating glances between the evidence and the court.
"Can you compare the photos on Exhibit 20 to the ones on Exhibits 21 through 29?" Pembrose requested.
Harrow replied, "Exhibit 20 contains photographs from varying angles, though still completely interpretable, of the nine individuals contained within the mugshots of the other exhibits."
With the identities confirmed, Pembrose then recalled the detective to the stand. "Detective, during the investigation at the warehouse, what did you find on the interior of the premises?"
"Objection, leading your honor." Cartwright interrupted the examination.
"Overruled." the judge responded.
"May I continue?" Pembrose asked the judge before receiving affirmation. "As we were saying, Detective."
"Yes, we found several deli wrappers, canned goods, fertilizer, welding equipment, various industrial chemicals, and several copies of the Bluff City Times newspaper, including the issue containing Miss Evelyn's expose, in the office space overlooking the warehouse floor," the detective testified, cementing into testimony the presence of identifiable articles on the premises.
With the foundation solidly laid, Mister Pembrose continued, "I call to the stand Jonathon Wells."
"Mister Wells, could you describe your relation to Nicholas Coleman?" Pembrose asked.
"I am one of his employees. Specifically, I am the property manager of the warehouse, at 2309 South Lionel Avenue." Wells answered.
Pembrose began, "Mister Wells what are your opinions regarding Nicholas Coleman?"
"Objection, your honor, relevance." Miss Cartwright imposed.
The judge turned to Pembrose,"Sustained. Counselor change your inquiry."
"Well then. Johnathon, what sorts of tasks did you perform for Mister Coleman?" Pembrose pivoted.
"Nothing too extraordinary." Mister Wells replied, his voice steady. "My duties include overseeing the logistical operations of the property, ensuring that all leases are adhered to, and that the property is maintained according to local laws and regulations."
"And in your time managing this property, did you ever have any concerns about the tenants who rented the warehouse from Nicholas Coleman?"
"No, I did not," Mister Wells responded. "All tenants passed the standard background checks, and there were no incidents or reports raised to my attention during their tenancy."
"Let's discuss Exhibits 32 and 35. Please explain to the court what these documents represent."
"Exhibit 32 is a copy of the lease agreement signed by the last tenants before the incident, and Exhibit 35 is a report from the annual inspection conducted just four months prior to the bombings, showing no violations or concerns at the property," Mister Wells detailed, handing over the documents back
"Mister Wells, whose signature lies as the signing party on the lease agreement?" Mister Pembrose inquired, casting doubt on the thoroughness of the property management's oversight.
"Niles Brown," Mister Wells admitted under Pembrose's pointed questioning. "I do need to mention that Niles Brown passed a thorough background check."
Pembrose turned to the judge after Johnathon's "Your honor, may you declare Johnathon Wells as hostile?"
"Very well, this court recognizes that plaintiff's witness Johnathon Wells is hostile to the plaintiff's position." The judge ruled.
"Is the signature, at the bottom of Exhibit 35, the signature of Nicholas Coleman?" Pembrose asked.
Johnathon responded, "That is correct."
"Does that mean, Johnathon, that Nicholas Coleman physically visited the property himself on the day of the inspection?" Pembrose inquired.
"Yes."
"Is it true that Nicholas Coleman was receiving gratuitous rent, to the sum of over ten thousand dollars monthly, triple the average of all previous tenants from the leasers preluding the Old Town bombings?" Pembrose pressed, highlighting a crucial oversight in the management practices.
"Yes, that is correct," Mister Wells conceded.
Nicholas exhaled deeply following Well's confession. He then fiddled with his watch again.
"Mister Wells, do you personally review surveillance footage from the properties in your purview." Pembrose continued.
"Yes, I do." Johnathon answered.
"Did you watch the camera footage captured on June 13th of last year?"
"I do not remember, I might've."
"What date was noted as the date of the property visit inside that inspection report?"
"June 13th."
"May I present Exhibit 42, surveillance footage from an interior camera of the warehouse."
Nicholas sneered at the television when the evidence was played.
"Mister Wells, could you state for the court the date this footage is archived from?"
"June 13th."
"Can you identify the two individuals shown conversing on the footage?"
"Appears to be Mister Coleman and Niles Brown."
"Have you ever met with Niles Brown in person?"
"Yes, quite a few times. The first was when we signed the lease with him. The second was during the February inspection during a period with Nick was visiting Oak City for a business prospect. The rest were for rent collection and oversight on requested repairs."
"May I present to you, Exhibit 20 and 23."
"Could you identify for the court, the suspected terrorist on the third photograph on Exhibit 20?"
"I believe that is Niles Brown."
"And who is displayed as an arrested terrorist on Exhibit 23?"
"Niles Brown."
"Why is Mister Coleman shown interacting with known terrorist Niles Brown in Exhibit 42?"
"That footage is from the property inspection, counselor."
"That will be all." Mister Pembrose retired to Jessica's side. "We rest our case, your honor."
Miss Cartwright stood, "Motion for a directed verdict your honor. Opposing counsel clearly lacks enough evidence to meet their burden of proof."
"Directed verdict denied. Miss Cartwright, please begin your case." He responded.
As first course for the defendants case, Miss Cartwright called Nicholas to the stand once more. The courtroom crept into a mumbling anticipation as he made his way to testify, his steps punctuating the simmering discourse in the room.
"Nicholas Coleman," Miss Cartwright began, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of urgency, "I'd like to direct your attention to Exhibit 42—the surveillance footage taken from inside the property. In this footage, you are seen conversing with Niles Brown, a convicted terrorist. Can you explain the nature of that conversation?"
Nicholas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting briefly to his counsel before returning to the stand. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned into the microphone and said, "Niles Brown... Niles..... Brown..... Nile Browns? No... Sniles Srowns... Bruce Lee. None of my tenants, not once, have ever been Bruce Lee. Neither have I ever met Bruce Lee. I actually prefer Shih Kien to Bruce Lee. Nevertheless, Bruce Brown was never convicted of terrorism during the length of me not knowing him."
He then check his wristwatch again, did some math on his fingers, then sighed.
"Mister Coleman this is serious." Miss Cartwright started, maintaining a professional tone, "the court has seen footage from Exhibit 42 where you are observed interacting with several individuals near the warehouse. Can you describe the general nature of these meetings?"
Nicholas cleared his throat slightly before responding. "Those were primarily logistical meetings... You know? How can we reduce the import of Sunshine... What cola tastes best after discovering a full can under a pile of loose cans of soda in the corner of a warehouse... We discussed rental terms, like increasing the rent by three Spanish dollars... Space usage... and why Earth only occupies a speckle of it, and other mundane aspects of property leasing such as my favorite color of paint to watch dry..." he explained dragging out several minutes from constant pauses.
"And were these interactions typical in the course of your business with various tenants?" Cartwright continued.
"Yes, quite typical. It's standard procedure to meet with tenants, especially when first leasing space or when their needs change," Nicholas answered smoothly, seeming comfortable with an actual answer.
Cartwright nodded, acknowledging his responses while continually building Nicholas' reputation with the jury. "In your interactions with these tenants, was there ever any discussion that might have suggested uses of the property beyond simple warehousing or business operations?"
Nicholas paused, considering his words carefully. "Not that I can specifically recall. Other than hosting several rat races, box openings, and dust counting... Most conversations were strictly business-related," he replied, maintaining his stance of unawareness regarding any illicit activities.
The courtroom watched as Miss Cartwright paused to gather her thoughts. After a brief and tense silence, she sharply turned towards the judge, "Your Honor, no further questions from the defense at this time."
As she ended her direct examination in evident dissatisfaction, Mister Pembrose rose smoothly from his seat, ready to cross-examine Nicholas, who had already alienated the jury with his repeated refusals to answer.
"Mister Coleman, in the surveillance video taken the day of the attack, you are seen speaking with several individuals. Can you identify who you were speaking with in these interactions?" Pembrose asked pointedly.
Coleman checked his watch. Then looked up.
"Niles Brown." He replied.
"Did you know that the Twilight Masks were using your warehouse to construct bombs?"
Coleman, appearing confident up to this point, paused, his expression turning to one of condescendence. After a brief moment, he responded, "On the advice of my counsel, I invoke my Fifth Amendment right."
Mister Pembrose, expecting this response, remarked, "Let the record show Mister Coleman has chosen to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights in response to questions about his knowledge of the usage that the criminal elements were renting is property for."
Coleman, checked his watch with a smirk, seemingly unfazed by the proceedings so far. He stared at his watch as he counted down seconds with his fingers.
His tie began to float upward as he said, "Boom."
Suddenly, the courtroom atmosphere shattered from a deafening explosion in the lobby. A second blast ripped through the wall to the courtroom, unleashing chaos and destruction. Splinters of lumber, fragments of tile, and shards of glass ripped through everyone in the back row of the courtroom. Screams filled the air as people scrambled for cover.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone