The Determined Juror (standard:fantasy, 2049 words)
Author: JoeD	Added: Oct 31 2006	Views/Reads: 3668/2274	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Things do not go exactly as planned for Eddie in a murder trial.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

tactics.  Today, he felt, had been even worse than yesterday.  Schwartz
had made 

four verbal objections, three of which were not in Eddie's best interest
in the 

least, and the judge had quickly denied all of them.  Eddie figured the
trial would 

go another three days at most.  He could already see the writing on the
wall: 

Guilty, death by lethal injection! 

The only other possible sentence would be life in prison, and while 

that was not exactly a desirable alternative, he found it preferable to
dying. 

Edward R. Flint was not a man who would prefer death rather than suffer
a 

lifetime behind bars.  Life in prison seemed almost like a 'reward' to
Eddie 

in comparison to death. 

After having seen Schwartz's faltering performance in the courtroom, 

Eddie knew his situation was hopeless.  He felt certain the twelve men
and 

women on the jury would find him guilty and sentence him to die. 

It was the very next day when Eddie spotted her.  Their eyes met just 

as his lawyer was in the midst of losing still another legal argument to
the 

vivacious female assistant district attorney.  She was seated in the
front row 

of the jury booth, third from the left, and she smiled at Eddie as their
eyes met. 

He turned away quickly, but something made him look back.  She was old -


perhaps 70 or thereabouts - with neatly trimmed white hair and soft,
twinkling 

brown eyes.   Her eyes seemed to sparkle with goodness. 

For the first time since that horrid night when he'd killed his wife, 

Eddie felt a surge of hope.  Surely this woman, with her sympathetic
smile 

and understanding eyes, wouldn't let the state put him to death! 

She'd find him guilty.  That was for sure!  How could she not ?  The 

gun was till in his hand when the police arrived on the scene.  Although
not 

having shot Emily's lover might work to his advantage.  He wasn't
certain.  Of 

course he would have shot the man if only the damn gun hadn't jammed,
but 

only Eddie knew that, and it really didn't matter anyway now.  He was on
trial 

for murdering Emily and the evidence against him was overwhelming. 

She smiled at him again at the close of the day's session, and 

this time Eddie smiled back. 

Alone in his cell that night, it came to him.  He would mention it 

to Schwartz  tomorrow and pray that the incompetent dunce would not 

screw it up as he had everything else. 

The next morning, just prior to the start of the day's session, 

Eddie told Schwartz what he had in mind.  He didn't even mention the
comb, 

which Schwartz had again forgotten to bring. 

äI don't know, “  the balding, overweight  attorney said uneasily. 

äI'd be taking a hell of a risk. This could possibly be considered to be
jury 

tampering.  I could lose my license, maybe even go to jail.“ 

äListen, “  Eddie pleaded, äI'll write the note.  All I want you to do 

is give it to her.  Please?“ 

äAll right, “  Schwatrz  finally agreed, äbut I'm taking an awful chance


here. “ 

äI understand that, “ Eddie responded.  äBut it's all I have going for 

me.“ 

äOkay, Eddie,  I'll do it, “  Schwartz told him softly, just as the
bailiff 

entered the courtroom.  äYou write the note and I will see that she gets
it.  In 

fact, I can write it for you.  I know what you want to say to her, and I
can do it 

at the noon recess, then pass it to her when I'm doing my summation.  It
won't 

be hard to do at that time, since she's right in the front row.“ 

äThanks,“  Eddie said gratefully.  äAre you sure you know what to 

say?“ 

äYes, of course,“  Schwartz replied firmly.  äI've got it down pat.“ 

During the summation the following afternoon,  Eddie kept his eyes 

upon his lawyer.  He didn't see the note being passed, but just as the
judge 

finished up his instructions to the jury and the twelve jurors rose in
unison, 

she looked directly at him.  It appeared to Eddie that she winked at
him.  Was 

it possible or had he merely imagined it? 

The jury was out five days.  No one could comprehend what was 

taking them so long to reach a decision on what was obviously an air
tight 

case for the state. 

At exactly 6:20 p.m. on the fifth day of deliberations, the jury at 

last had reached a verdict.  Eddie was rushed from his cell to the court
room. 

There were no spectators present.  Only Eddie, M.P. Schwrtz, the judge,
jury, 

prosecutor and court staff were there to witness the long awaited
verdict. 

äYou did give her the note, didn't you?“  Eddie whispered to his 

lawyer, as the judge rapped his gavel lightly and called the court to
order. 

äYes, I gave it to her,“  Schwartz whispered back. 

Eddie was afraid to look in her direction but he couldn't keep his 

head from turning that way.  She smiled when their eyes met.  Eddie took
that 

as a good sign.  His heart thumped nervously and his pulse quickened as
the 

judge began to speak. 

äLadies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict in this 

matter?ä 

äWe have, Your Honor,“  the jury foreman replied, rising from his seat. 

Eddie held his breath. 

äAnd how do you find, guilty or not guilty of murder in the first
degree?“ 

the silver haired judge inquired. 

äGuilty, Your Honor,“  the foreman said in a somber voice. 

Eddie wasn't surprised.  He had figured on that !  It was the next part 

that he was holding his breath for. 

äAnd what sentence do you fix?“  the judge asked.  äDo you say death 

or life in prison?“ 

äLife in prison,“  the foreman announced, and Eddie let out a deep 

sigh of relief. 

He looked over now to the woman, knowing for sure now she had 

saved his life.  She smiled again at him, and he smiled back in
gratitude.   Just 

as the judge was in the process of dismissing the jurors, Eddie looked
her way 

once  more.  This time she winked at him.  He felt so good, he winked
back! 

äWell, you got what you wanted,“  M.P. Schwartz said to him as the 

jurors began filing out. 

äYes, and I thank you,“  Eddie responded in earnest.  äI don't know 

what would have happened to me if you hadn't written that note to that
sweet 

little old lady,  but I'm fairly certain I would have gotten the death
penalty. “ 

Schwartz gave Eddie a half smile as he stuffed papers into his 

briefcase and clasped it shut. 

äWish I could have done more for you though,“  Schwartz said, 

almost as though he really meant it. 

äYou did all you could,“  Eddie told him.  äIt was pretty much an 

open and shut case.  I realized that from day one. “ 

Schwartz nodded in agreement. 

äYou could do one thing for me though, “  Eddie quipped as the 

guard slipped the handcuffs on his wrists. 

äWhat's that?“ 

äBring me a comb before they take me to the state pen,“  Eddie said 

with a grin. 

äDamn, I keep forgetting that,“  Schwartz groaned.  äI'll bring you 

one tomorrow.  You can count on it. “ 

When the guard came to his cell the next day and informed him 

that he had a visitor, Eddie assumed it was M.P. Schwartz bringing him a
comb 

at long last. 

He was delightfully surprised to see the little old lady from his jury 

seated on the opposite side of the glass in the visiting room. 
Grinning, he picked 

up the black phone receiver from his side of the cubicle.  She did
likewise from 

her side. 

äHello,“ she said, flashing a big smile.  äI hope you don't mind my 

coming here? “ 

äNot at all.“  Eddie said.  äI'm  happy to see you.“ 

äGood,“  she said, still smiling. äI had to come, you know.  I just had 

to find out.ä 

äFind out what?“  Eddie asked, puzzled. 

äWhy you want to spend the rest of your life in prison,“  she told him. 

äI got the note from your lawyer, and I did as I was asked to do, but it
wasn't 

easy at all.  Anyway, I decided to come down here and ask you why? “ 

Fumbling with her purse, she withdrew a small piece of paper and 

pressed it against the window so that Eddie could read it. 

äI had to fight tooth and nail with every one of those other jurors. 

That's why the deliberations took so long, you see?  They all wanted to
acquit 

you, and of course so did I.  But I liked you so much that I was
determined to 

get you what you wanted.  But for the life of me, dear man, I cannot at
all 

understand why you want to spend your life in prison when you could be
free?“ 

Eddie's mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief as he read the 

note that Schwartz had penned on his behalf:  äDEAR MADAM,  PLEASE SEE 

THAT MY CLIENT GETS LIFE IN PRISON.  HE WANTS THAT BADLY.  AND HE 

WILL BE EVER GRATEFUL TO YOU IF YOU CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE IN 

THIS MATTER.  YOURS TRULY, M.P. SCHWARTZ  “ 

The old woman was still chatting away but Eddie did not follow what 

she was saying.  Instead, he was thinking of the words that should have
been 

on that note but were not.  How could Schwartz had made such a mistake? 
It 

was only seven words.  That's all!  Just seven!  How could he have
forgotten 

to include them?  Those seven words were the most important words of the


script and that idiot had forgotten to write them!  'IF YOU HAVE TO FIND
HIM 

GUILTY' was how the note should have begun !  But Schwartz had forgotten


to begin the note with those seven words, just as he had forgotten to
bring 

Eddie a comb. 

äYoung man,“  the woman said,  tapping now on the glass pane. 

äAre you all right?“ 

äYes, “  Eddie moaned.  äI -- I'm fine.“ 

äCan I do anything for you?“  she inquired with genuine concern. 

äYes,“  Eddie said, with a dazed expression covering his face, äcan 

you get me a comb?“ 

---------------  THE  END  -------------- 


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