Page 1 of Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, before this trial concludes, I would like to thank you all once again for your service to this court. I know the witness testimony was difficult to listen to and appreciate the difficult task you were all asked to perform.”

Judge Reynolds addressed the jury in a sensitive tone, rarely heard from behind his bench. The trial had been hell on everyone in the courtroom and the tension was at an all-time high as we were now moments away from hearing the final verdict.

“Madam Foreperson, has the jury reached a unanimous decision?”

The foreperson rose to her feet, the verdict held in her trembling hand. “Yes, your Honor, we have.”

My pulse quickened and I felt beads of sweat form on my brow.

“The defendant will now rise for the reading of the verdict in the case of the State of Oregon vs. John Knight,” Judge Reynolds’ baritone voice boomed out.

Disgraced evangelical pastor, John Knight, stood, flanked by his lawyers. His typical douchebag uniform of bedazzled jeans and Ed Hardy shirt was replaced with a drab grey suit and tie. One more disguise to make him look like a respectable minister and not the predatory monster he was. Not that it mattered. After what the jury heard, there was no way this guy would ever see daylight again, let alone the pulpit of his hipster church.

As soon as he was on his feet, Knight attempted to charm the jury one last time, making eye contact with each member. His lips pressed into a half-smile of fake humility, mouthing the words, “Bless you.”

“Please direct your attention to the bench, Mr. Knight,” Judge Reynolds said sternly, and Knight did as he was told.

“Before I instruct the foreperson to read the verdict, I would like to take a few moments to address you personally.”

The room was so quiet I thought the person next to me would be able to hear my heart thumping inside my chest. I was normally cool as a cucumber, but this trial had me crawling out of my skin with nerves. Like everyone else in the room, I wanted it to be over and for Knight to pay.

Judge Reynolds continued, “Mr. Knight, it is the firm belief of this court that you willingly and knowingly gained the trust of the good people of this community, and then, not only abused that trust, but the children of the very people who gave it to you. I believe you are an evil man in shepherd’s clothing. A man that used his position of authority for financial gain and to sexually abuse children.”

Every muscle in my body tightened. I wanted to leap over the divider that separated us and choke the life out of that piece of shit myself. I wasn’t a fan of John Knight when he was just a two-bit local televangelist wannabe, but now I wanted him erased from the planet. I’d been obsessed with his case since the news of his arrest, and once the trial started, any time the club didn’t need me, I was here in this courthouse. Now, I was finally going to see this bastard pay for his sins.

The judge continued, “If it were up to me, you’d never see the outside of a prison cell. However, in this case, it’s up to the jury and I will have to trust them and the judicial system.” Judge Reynolds turned to the foreperson. “Madame Foreperson, in the case of the State of Oregon vs. John Knight, how do you find the defendant, John Knight, on the first count of sexual assault on a minor?”

I’ve heard the term tunnel vision all my life but had never experienced it myself. What I experienced next was more like pinpoint vision. My field of vision was completely blacked out, except for a very narrow point of focus. The only thing I could see was the foreperson’s mouth. Her cheap, drug store lipstick stained mouth forming the words, “Not guilty.”

I saw and heard nothing for the next few minutes. Fugue states were not exactly uncommon for me during times of extreme stress. I’d “lost time” before, but it had been years since the last episode.

Once fully lucid again, I’d come to find the jury found Knight not guilty on all three charges, including sexual assault of a minor, as well as the lesser charges against him. In short, John Knight was about to leave the courtroom a free man.

Later, when asked, the members of the jury said they just couldn’t believe that a man that was so clearly “used by God” and “filled with the Holy Spirt,” could willingly harm a child. Despite the evidence and testimony from Elsie Miller herself, these people could not wrap their minds around this kind of evil.

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