II
At 4:25 PM Johann, now conscious but still weary on his feet, is beckoned once again. When he reaches the front of the holding cell the deputy opens the door, motions for Johann to hold out his hands, and then shackles both his hands and his feet. Then he grabs the chain that runs between the cuffs on Johann’s wrists and drags him forward. Johann squints his eyes against the bright lights of the corridor. At its end, there is a large steel door that the deputy opens with the swipe of a card from his keyring. Beyond the door is a dark underground passageway that leads from the holding cell across the street directly into the courthouse.
“If I had my way,” sneered Hollins, “I’d kick your ass across the pavement.” He tosses his head back, and gazes upward, paying homage to the town above. “But the judge won’t have me stinking up his courtroom with your burning flesh.” He pauses, deep in thought, and then adds, “Maybe on the way back. I could use a little vitamin D.” The darkness of the hallway is filled with the deputy’s guttural laughter. The sound of the echoes follow them until they emerge through another steel door into the courthouse.
“If I had my way,” sneered Hollins, “I’d kick your ass across the pavement.” He tosses his head back, and gazes upward, paying homage to the town above. “But the judge won’t have me stinking up his courtroom with your burning flesh.” He pauses, deep in thought, and then adds, “Maybe on the way back. I could use a little vitamin D.” The darkness of the hallway is filled with the deputy’s guttural laughter. The sound of the echoes follow them until they emerge through another steel door into the courthouse.
White marbled floor and colorless walls light the entryway; an instant and stark contrast to the dark tunnel. The shades have been pulled in anticipation of Johann’s arrival, but he can still feel the sun shining through them. The sensation is like his skin is expanding outward and his bones are collapsing on themselves. Like magnets with identical poles, his skin and bones are trying to escape one another. This results in an extreme burning that is dulled significantly by the shades, but still extremely unpleasant. However, the pain is short lived as Johann is rushed quickly through the entryway, past the nervous onlookers, and into a nearby courtroom.
Fluorescent light touched every inch of the expansive room. Wooden pews, full of spectators, are lined on either side of a carpeted walkway leading to a podium and then a large bench. Johann is ushered forward to the frontmost pew on the left. The cacophony is deafening. People are screaming for his head, spitting on him, and all telling him exactly where they think he should go. Still, above all of this, the sound of a woman wailing. The well dressed man next to her pulls her to him in a fruitless effort to comfort her. Johann never turns to them, still he can feel every ounce of their animosity directed right at him.
After a brief wait, the bailiff walks in and, after some time and considerable effort, is able to quiet the bloodthirsty audience. He instructs everyone to rise as a short bespectacled man of about sixty-five enters the room from the front and climbs up onto the bench in front of them. He motions for them to sit back down as he carefully flips through a few documents in front of him, periodically glancing up and through Johann. Finally he calls Johann up to the podium where he is greeted by a public defender. After a long, drawn out pause, a look of agony spreads across the judge’s face as each word that sits on the edge of his tongue is meticulously labored over.
“Ladies and gentleman, let me first acknowledge the emotional difficulty of this case. Any time a life is lost, a great tragedy has occurred. When that life is the life of a child, the tragedy is only compounded. I want to send my deepest condolences to the victim’s family. I also want to remind you that despite these difficult circumstances, this is a court of law, and I will ensure that it is conducted as such. Any disturbance, no matter how minor, will not be tolerated. Is that understood? Good. Now then, the purpose of today’s hearing is for arraignment only. So let us proceed. Mr. Johann Jakob Vickers, you are before this court today and are charged with one count of each, first degree murder, felony assault, endangerment of a child, and breaking and entering for the attack you carried out on Annie Lynn Goldsmith on the night of February 10 in her place of residence. These charges carry with them a maximum penalty of death. How do you plead to these charges, sir?”
Johann does not move. He simply stands there, head bowed, hands folded in front of him. His attorney predictably advises him to plead not guilty, but Johann remains steadfast. “Mr. Vickers if you do not enter a plea before this court a plea of not guilty will be entered on your behalf.”
Fluorescent light touched every inch of the expansive room. Wooden pews, full of spectators, are lined on either side of a carpeted walkway leading to a podium and then a large bench. Johann is ushered forward to the frontmost pew on the left. The cacophony is deafening. People are screaming for his head, spitting on him, and all telling him exactly where they think he should go. Still, above all of this, the sound of a woman wailing. The well dressed man next to her pulls her to him in a fruitless effort to comfort her. Johann never turns to them, still he can feel every ounce of their animosity directed right at him.
After a brief wait, the bailiff walks in and, after some time and considerable effort, is able to quiet the bloodthirsty audience. He instructs everyone to rise as a short bespectacled man of about sixty-five enters the room from the front and climbs up onto the bench in front of them. He motions for them to sit back down as he carefully flips through a few documents in front of him, periodically glancing up and through Johann. Finally he calls Johann up to the podium where he is greeted by a public defender. After a long, drawn out pause, a look of agony spreads across the judge’s face as each word that sits on the edge of his tongue is meticulously labored over.
“Ladies and gentleman, let me first acknowledge the emotional difficulty of this case. Any time a life is lost, a great tragedy has occurred. When that life is the life of a child, the tragedy is only compounded. I want to send my deepest condolences to the victim’s family. I also want to remind you that despite these difficult circumstances, this is a court of law, and I will ensure that it is conducted as such. Any disturbance, no matter how minor, will not be tolerated. Is that understood? Good. Now then, the purpose of today’s hearing is for arraignment only. So let us proceed. Mr. Johann Jakob Vickers, you are before this court today and are charged with one count of each, first degree murder, felony assault, endangerment of a child, and breaking and entering for the attack you carried out on Annie Lynn Goldsmith on the night of February 10 in her place of residence. These charges carry with them a maximum penalty of death. How do you plead to these charges, sir?”
Johann does not move. He simply stands there, head bowed, hands folded in front of him. His attorney predictably advises him to plead not guilty, but Johann remains steadfast. “Mr. Vickers if you do not enter a plea before this court a plea of not guilty will be entered on your behalf.”
Johann does not react to the judges words, nor does he even acknowledge having heard them. “Very well Mr. Vickers, the court shall enter a plea of not guilty on your behalf. A trial date is now set for May 15th. Until that time you are to be transferred to a more private holding cell at the county jail where you will remain without bail.”
At this, Johann’s attorney speaks up. “Your honor at this time we move to dismiss the charge of first degree murder as the victim in question is not dead, therefore precluding murder from being a valid charge. In addition to that I move to have my client released on his own recognizance due to both his low flight risk and his unique health requirements and circumstances."
"Denied and denied, Counsel. While it is true that Annie Goldsmith is still walking around, she is anything but alive. Her life was taken from her, and that is murder, plain and simple. This courtroom will not treat Mr. Vickers differently than anybody else simply because he drinks his meals in the dark. We are adjourned."
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattgabriel/the-trial-of-johann-vickers-blog-serial-novel?ref=live
At this, Johann’s attorney speaks up. “Your honor at this time we move to dismiss the charge of first degree murder as the victim in question is not dead, therefore precluding murder from being a valid charge. In addition to that I move to have my client released on his own recognizance due to both his low flight risk and his unique health requirements and circumstances."
"Denied and denied, Counsel. While it is true that Annie Goldsmith is still walking around, she is anything but alive. Her life was taken from her, and that is murder, plain and simple. This courtroom will not treat Mr. Vickers differently than anybody else simply because he drinks his meals in the dark. We are adjourned."
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattgabriel/the-trial-of-johann-vickers-blog-serial-novel?ref=live
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