The Multnomah County Courthouse occupies a full block across Lausdale Park, and when it was completed in 1914, it was the largest and grandest courthouse on the West Bank, almost as large as Austrian. As big as the largest building in Portland, Oregon.The exterior of the building has neither carved beams nor magnificent curtain glass, but only a piece of gray and dull reinforced concrete exterior wall, which is so solemn and solemn that one can't help but feel intimidated and difficult to get close to, which is exactly the same as what it represents. The meaning matches. Trish Conwanagh was too excited, so the dark and gloomy appearance of the court building did not give her any sense of intimidation or fear.

At 2:30, she had just finished her admissions interview at the public defender's office, and now she had an entire afternoon free.In fact, she could use this time to wander around Portland, enjoying the warm sun in May.But in today's courtroom, Abigail Griffin is prosecuting a murder case. Of course, it is impossible for Trish to miss this great opportunity. She wants to watch the most famous court lawyer in Oregon in court. Performance. To be honest, no matter which unit the employer is in, it is difficult to treat Trish with a serious and serious attitude.Today, for example, she is wearing a light navy blue suit. Although this suit will make her look like a young executive, but the dark tanned leather that adorns the suit makes Trish thin and fit. With her curves on display, her clear blue eyes and straight blond hair, it's easy to mistake her for a college cheerleader rather than a clerk next to an Oregon Supreme Court justice.

But Trish never worried about these first impressions she made, because the interviewer would never interpret her with the conclusion of "a smart cheerleader" after interviewing her.Proud degrees from Yale and Stanford law schools, as well as a distinguished resume as a clerk, make Tracy a dazzling prime candidate for any job application.The result of today's interview is the same, she has easily been promised to get this job, and now she is facing a pleasant dilemma, what choice should she make among these outstanding job options. When Trish stepped out of the elevator door on the fifth floor, the people who came to observe were entering the courtroom in file.On trial today is a young girl named Mary Howard accused of murder.This court is tall and majestic, with eye-catching "Corinthian" beams and columns and gorgeous carved wall decorations, which set off the majestic atmosphere that the court should have.A few seconds before the Deputy Sheriff dropped the hammer, Tracy quickly found an empty space and positioned herself.The door next to the interrogation table opened, and everyone in the courtroom stood upright.Judge Frances Dale came out of the door.The thin woman with a pair of thick tortoiseshell glasses on the bridge of her nose immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.However, Trish's eyes kept looking back and forth at the acting district attorney.

Abijill Griffin's slender legs, perfect and charming demeanor, and the typical "Mediterranean" face shape make her whole body naturally exude an elegant and refined temperament.In the dreary courtroom of Judge Dale, her beauty was like a star shining in the dark night.The prosecutor, who caught Tracy's eye, was wearing a designer black linen suit with a long, soft coat and a fitting skirt that fell to the knee.Griffin's long, jet-black hair caressed her terminal skin and her high-arched cheekbones as she swung her head toward the judge.There seemed to be no flaws in her body.

"Are there any other witnesses, Mr. Knapp?" Judge Dale asked Mary Howard's lawyer. Karl Knapp let go of his crossed legs exaggeratedly on the chair, cast a proud look at Griffin, looked at her with disdain, and then said: "We want to summon the defendant, Miss Mary Howard." The slender, waif-like girl sat next to Knap in the dock, barely five feet high, with a pale, freckled face and tarnished blond hair that made her look childish; Her extremely ill-fitting attire made her look sick and pitiful.Trish looked at the girl and didn't think she was the type to be convicted of murder by a jury.Howard tremblingly stepped onto the witness stand.When she stated her name for the record, her voice was so weak that Trish could barely hear her.As a result, the jury required witnesses to use microphones.

"Miss Howard," asked Knapp, "how old are you?" "nineteen." "How much do you weigh?" "Ninety-eight pounds, Mr. Knapp." "Good! So, that dead Vance Philip, how much did he weigh?" "Vance is very strong, very tall, I think about two hundred and seventy pounds or so!?" "He used to be a professional wrestler?" "Yes, sir." "How old is he?" "Thirty-six." "Is Mr. Philip a cocaine dealer?" "When I lived with him, he always had a lot of goods around him."

Howard paused, looking down at her knees covered by her skirt. "Would you like some water, Miss Howard?" Knapp's tone sounded a bit pretentious. "No, sir, I'm all right! It's just...just, it's really hard for me to talk about cocaine." "Were you addicted to drugs before you met Mr. Philip?" "No, sir." "Then you became addicted to drugs after living with Mr. Philip?" "That's right! He hooked me that way." "How bad is it?" "It's really bad. All I can think about is cocaine."

"Do you enjoy being a drug addict yourself?" Howard looked up, staring at Knapp with wide eyes, "Oh, no, sir! That thing made me... I had to do something for Vance to get it." "What kind of thing do you do?" Howard's lips were trembling, "Sexual matters." These words came out quickly. "Have you ever tried to resist Mr. Philip's sexual advances?" "Yes, sir, I tried, because I really didn't want to do those things." "What happens if you resist?" "He..." She stopped, lowered her head again, and then wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief.But this time, Howard took a glass of water.

"Go on, Miss Howard," said Knip. "He'd hit me hard." Howard's head drooped, his shoulders were huddled, and his hands were clasped between his knees. "How bad was it?" "Once, he broke my ribs, and, swollen... my eyes; several times, he knocked me out." Howard's voice had turned into a slow whisper. "So, did you go to the hospital after you were beaten?" asked Knapp. "Yes, sir. That's where I escaped last." "You mean, you escaped from the hospital?" "There was no way they wouldn't let him take me home, so I knew escaping was the only way out. Because when I was with him, he treated me like a prisoner."

"Then where did you go after you escaped from the hospital?" "Go back to John John's place." "Who's John John?" "John LaVanques." "Then this Mr. Lavanquith is a drug dealer too! Isn't it?" "Yes, sir." "Why did you go to him?" "He'll protect me. Before Vance, I lived with him. He's not... not like Vance; besides, Vance will be afraid of John John." "Will John John let you in?" "Yes, sir." "Well, now let's go back to the day you killed Mr Philips. Can you tell the jury what happened at half past four that afternoon?"

"Okay. Before that, I had lived in John John's place for about two weeks. I thought I should be safe, so I went for a walk outside the house. As a result, not long after, Vance's car He just slid close to me. Then he jumped out of the car and yanked me by the hair and dragged me into the car." "Do you resist?" Howard shook his head slowly.She looked a little ashamed. "It all happened so fast! I was on the street a second ago, but when I came back to my senses, he was lying on the floor of the car; every time I wanted to get up, he pulled me hair, and beat me. In the end, I had to lie still." "And what happened when you got to his place?" "He dragged me into the bedroom." "Can you describe Mr Philip's bedroom?" "The room was quite large, with an oversized water bed in the center and mirrors embedded in the ceiling; in addition, there was a high-end stereo and a large wide-screen TV. The strange thing was that the whole room was covered by Vance It was painted all black, and even the bed was surrounded by black curtains." "What happened in the bedroom?" "He... He took off all my clothes and tore them apart." Howard began to choke, "I resisted, but I couldn't do anything. He was so strong, I gave up after struggling for a while .and then...then...he..." "It's all right, Mary," said Knapp, "take your time." Howard took two deep breaths, then sobbed and trembled, "Vance put me on my knees and put cocaine on his...his thing. I beg him! I really don't want to do that thing. But, Vance just sneered at me. He grabbed my hair and forced me...forced me to suck it..." Howard's emotions broke down again.Her testimony was heard by Trish, so she couldn't imagine how the jurors should deal with it.When the defendant calmed down a bit, Trish quickly glanced at the jury box.The jurors all pursed their lips, expressionless.Trish shifted her gaze to Abijill Griffin again, and was surprised to find that the acting district attorney, when Howard had won the sympathy of the jurors, was still sitting on the ground with a look of indifference look. "What happened next?" Knapp asked after Howard held back his tears. "Vance raped me!" She responded quickly, "He did it several times, and he took pleasure in beating me, and... he kept shouting that he would kill me one day, You want to cut off my flesh with a knife." "Then did he tell you that he wants to kill you with something?" "Yes. He had a very sharp razor; he opened it and pressed the cool blade to my cheek. I closed my eyes tightly because I was afraid to look at that thing. But he put the blade on my face. Sliding all over my face until I opened my eyes." "What happened after he raped you the last time?" "Vance is asleep." "So, how did you escape in the end?" "It's the razor." Howard's voice trembled, "He forgot that knife on the bed; then I...I picked it up...I..." Howard's eyes were dull, and one hand slowly slid to his cheek. "I didn't intend to kill him, I just hope he won't hurt me again." Her eyes turned from dull to a little sad, looking at the jury, looking eager to appeal, "It can almost be said that a Accidentally, I didn't even know the razor was there until I touched it. But as soon as I picked up the razor, Vance's eyes opened. I kind of freaked out and did it. I I just remember a slash on the right side of his chin, and don't know the rest." Howard began to gasp for breath. "Do you need a break, Miss Howard?" Judge Dale asked.She was afraid that Howard would hyperventilate or pass out. The witness shook his head, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Mary," Knapp asked softly, "you have seen the autopsy photos. Mr. Philip has several stab wounds on his body. Do you remember how those stab wounds came from?" "Don't remember, sir. I only remember the first cut I made, and the rest is blank. But... But I may have done those cuts, but I really can't remember, so there is no way now Give a definite description." "Then why did you kill Mr Philip?" "Run away! I just want to run away. That way, he can't hurt me anymore. And... and, cocaine! I really don't want to be a slave to cocaine anymore. That's all. But, I didn't mean to kill him." Howard buried his head in her hands, sobbing non-stop.Knapp looked at Griffin contemptuously, and said in a very provocative tone: "It's your turn to question witnesses, lawyer." Before Griffin got up from his seat for cross-examination, the door of the courtroom opened suddenly.Trish turned her head and looked back.Matthew Raynor sneaked into an empty seat at the back of the courtroom and sat next to a prim gray-haired woman.When he sat down, the woman turned her head and glanced at him, then quickly shifted her gaze back to the front of the courtroom. Although Tracy could understand the woman's reaction, she was really unhappy.She guessed that Raynor was probably used to the surprised reaction when people saw him for the first time.And, he probably doesn't care at all.However, when Trish saw Renault for the first time, her reaction was neither surprise nor disgust, but a bit of awe.If she could choose from all the jobs in this country, she would definitely decide to be a partner at Matthew Raynor.Unfortunately, Renault's firm had sent her a succinct letter informing her that their firm was not planning to hire anyone. Reynolds is the most famous criminal defense lawyer in the United States, especially defending death row inmates is his specialty.He has a strange face, and because of the long-term carpet-style battles in various harsh courts across the United States, his appearance is becoming more and more similar to his opponents.With a sixty-five-year-old appearance and a gaunt, somewhat comical figure, Reynolds always looked like he was on the verge of collapsing at any moment.Although his actual age was only forty-five, his hair was already grizzled and bald from the forehead; Except for a wine-red birthmark extending from the left eye to the cheek and down to the lip, the rest of the place is as pale as a bone.You must think that the jury would resist denouncing Renault's strange appearance, but usually before the trial is over, they will forget the existence of the strange scar, but because of his sincerity, they often move them to tears.Therefore, of every criminal represented by him, not a single one was sacrificed at his hands. Griffin began her cross-examination, and Trish's gaze returned to the front of the courtroom. "Can you go on, Miss Howard?" Griffin asked her enthusiastically. "I...I'm okay." Huo Hua muttered slowly. "Okay, so once you've calmed down, let me start with some simple questions. Anytime you want me to stop, just tell me; or, if you don't understand what I'm asking, tell me Me. Because I don't want you to misunderstand me, okay?" Howard nodded. "When you started living with Mr. Philip, it wasn't all that bad, was it?" "Oh, I guess so! He's been nice to me sometimes, too." "Then what do you guys do together when he's nice to you?" "Drugs. We used a lot of drugs and had parties for friends." "Are you going out together?" "rare." "If you go out together, what do you usually do?" "Vance likes to go to the movies, so we go to a lot of them." "What Xiang movie does Vance like to watch?" "Oh! He likes to watch action movies, especially kung fu movies about karate." "Then you like it too?" "No! I like to watch comedies or literary films." "You just mentioned having a stereo and a big widescreen TV in his bedroom. Do you guys listen to music or watch TV together?" "Of course." "After you killed Mr. Philip, you didn't turn yourself in to the police, did you?" Griffin suddenly changed the subject. "No! I'm too scared." "So, where have you been?" "I'm going back to John John." "Did you live with that man during the week and a half after Mr. Philip's murder until we arrested you?" "right." "You were John John's girlfriend before you came to live with Mr Philip, weren't you?" "correct." "Is he a rival of Mr Philip's in the drug business?" "yes." "Then when did you take the money?" Griffin asked quite urgently. "what?" "That thirty thousand dollars!" "I do not know what you're talking about?" "Do you know Roy Saylor?" "Of course he's a friend of Vance's." "His criminal accomplice." "Whatever you say." "Roy is already preparing to appear in court to testify that Vance will plan to buy two kilograms of cocaine that evening because of his connection. The price of one kilogram is 15,000 yuan." "He never mentioned that matter. He was too busy beating me, and it was almost too late to rape me. How could he have time to talk to me about business matters!" Howard replied in a rather bitter tone. "Roy has one more thing to confirm. He pointed out that at four o'clock that afternoon, Vance went to the bank to get the money out of the safe." "Maybe! It's just that I never saw the money." "That's good. However, if you really took the money, we will understand. Because the other person died, you were very scared, and you knew that you should run away, so you took the money as travel expenses." "Come on, I really didn't think about money. All I could think about was get out of that damn place. If I wanted money, I'd be right by his side. Vance was always generous with money." Very much. But that doesn't matter to me at all." "Is he really that scary to you?" "Exactly." "Okay, let's go back to your testimony. You said that Mr. Phillips kidnapped you, dragged you into the house, stripped you naked, and then made you perform oral sex on him." "Yes, ma'am." "Then, he kept beating and raping you until he fell asleep?" Howard nodded. "Did these two things happen in succession? You mean, he either hit you or raped you?" Howard's eyes were fixed on the railing in front of him, and her nodding was hardly noticeable. One of the things Trish learned from the professor in the law courtroom practicum was that during cross-examination, you should never give opposing witnesses any opportunity to repeat their testimony because that would deepen the testimony. Impressions on the minds of the jury.But now, Tracy really doesn't understand why Griffin repeats Howard's tragic experience three times in a row?She stole a glance at Renault to see his reaction.She found the barrister leaning over, looking intently at Griffin. "So, during the period between when you were kidnapped and when you escaped, these things didn't happen when you were less afraid, did they?" Griffin's question gave Howard another chance to tell her story. "yes." "Well, whether he was raping you, beating you, or falling asleep, how long did it take you to wake up?" "I don't know, I didn't look at the clock at the time." "But there must be a time display on the VCR or that big TV!" "Probably, but I didn't pay attention." "Vance has cable TV, right?" "I guess there should be." "Is there HBO, pay TV, or the era of variety shows?" Howard looked a little embarrassed.Trish glanced at Renault from the corner of his eyes, he was frowning in deep thought. "Didn't you watch TV with Vance?" Griffin asked. "I told you, he's been busy hitting me." "Sorry, I meant at other times." "Oh, yes, he has all those channels." "And what's your favorite movie, Miss Howard?" "Your Honor," said Knapp, pointing to the jury, "I don't see how this question has anything to do with the case." "But Miss Howard must answer." Griffin replied. Trish eyed the witness.Howard looked rather depressed.However, when Trish turned his head to look at Renault, he found a strange smile on his face, as if he was the only one who knew the meaning of Griffin's question. "This is cross-examination, Mr Knapp," said Judge Dale, "and I must give Miss Griffin some leniency." "Can you go ahead and answer this question?" Griffin asked the witness, "What's your favorite movie?" "I... I don't know." The prosecutor pulled a letter-sized piece of paper from her file folder. "How about 'Honeymoon Beach'? Have you seen it?" "Well!" Howard's attitude was very cautious. "Can you tell the jury what that movie is about?" "Your Honor, this is going too far," cried Mr. Knapp, while his client was shivering in the witness box, "this is no 'Heathkel and the Albert Show'! " "I promise you, I will tell everyone about the relationship later." Although Griffin said so to the judge, her eyes never left Mary Howard. "Defendant's attorney's request dismissed. You may proceed with your questions, Miss Griffin." "Is 'Honeymoon Beach' a comedy?" Griffin asked. "Ok." "Is it the story of two young couples who are honeymooning at a seaside resort and they switch partners?" "Ok." "Where did you see this movie?" "On those movie channels!" Griffin walked towards Howard, "Then, you watched it twice in a row." After speaking, she handed over the paper she was holding to the witness. "What's this?" Howard asked. "Copied from Vance Phillips' phone bill, there were two calls to the pay-TV channel. Honeymoon Beach ran from five-thirty to seven the day you killed him. before that, at four-fifty, someone used Mr. Phillips' phone to order the movie. So, please, before or after you cut him in the throat, Ever seen this movie?" "I haven't watched any movies." Howard insisted. When Griffin was about to speak again, Raynor jumped to his feet and slipped out of the courtroom. "Someone must have watched "Honeymoon Beach," Miss Howard. According to your testimony, only you and Mr. Vance were in the room at that time, and the pay-TV channel changer was only available in the bedroom. Then, when Mr. Vance was busy raping and beating you, did he call to order this film?" "No!" Howard yelled, "I told you, no one was watching movies at that time." "Or did you watch it when John John was torturing Mr. Phillips about the whereabouts of the money?" Howard glared at Griffin furiously. "Did you deliberately arrange to see Vance after John John found out about the money? Then you stabbed him in the throat while he was lying in bed watching Honeymoon Beach?" "Liar! That's not true." Howard yelled at Griffin with a red face, "I haven't watched any movies." "Someone must have seen it, Marie, because someone called and ordered it. It wasn't you, who do you think it was?" Abby Griffin was poring over a stack of police notes when Multnomah County District Attorney Jack Stein stepped into Mary Howard's office the day after her conviction .In less than twenty-four hours, the weather unexpectedly changed from mild to hot, and the air conditioner in the courthouse failed, forcing Stan to take off his leather jacket, pull down his tie, and roll up his sleeves .Even so, he looked rather despondent and uncomfortable. The district attorney was about five feet eleven inches tall, thin as a stick, and single.All his enthusiasm seemed to have been spent on the law and the long walks, and the wavy brown hair had begun to thin out at the top.However, because he still has those clear and bright blue eyes, it makes him look younger than his actual age of thirty-eight. "Congratulations, you caught Howard!" Stan said, "It's really neat and beautiful." "Thank you. But why do you say that?" Abby replied with a smile on her face. "I hear Knapp is complaining to the bar." "Oh?" "He said you didn't inform him about the pay-TV bill before court." Abby grinned at her boss, "When I found out about this bill, I sent someone to send a copy to the egomaniac. He was too stupid to notice the importance of it." Sex. I guess he didn't even look at it. I don't know what I'm happy about, though—convicting Knapp's client? Or publicly humiliating that nasty fellow? " "Anyway, you've done both, and you can enjoy the fruits of victory as a matter of course. That's why I don't like being a messenger of bad news." "what's up?" "Look, I just got this." Stan hands Abby a file from the Oregon Supreme Court, which contains the Supreme Court's opinion on the state's case against Charlie Darren Diem.Abby got Tim convicted about two years ago.He was a violent psychopath who allegedly killed a witness and his nine-year-old daughter with a drum bomb.Because Dim was sentenced to death, the Supreme Court automatically reviewed the case, and the materials included in the file were copies of the Supreme Court’s special document for lawyers, which stated their verdict on the case.Before long, this Supreme Court judgment will be published in the Court Gazette, and then soon sent to various law-related libraries. Abby looked down at the file, from the title of the case, the name of the lawyer, to the line she was looking for. "Oh no!" "What's worse," Stein said, "is that they threw his speech at Rice." "This is a case that I have full authority to handle," Abby said in disbelief. "I can't let him be brought up for retrial." "That's right." Stan said solemnly. "Which judge wrote this shit?" Abby asked angrily.Her face seemed to be glued to the paper, carefully looking at the name of the judge who signed the judgment, so that Stan could not see her eyes. "Damn bastard!" she cursed so softly that Stan could barely hear her.Abby crumpled the entire submission in her hands, "I can't believe he can give in like this. He did it to embarrass me." "I don't know, Abby," Stan replied dryly, "but he still has to persuade the other three judges to second his opinion." Abby glared at Stan furiously.Her anger, disappointment, and frustration are so intense that Stan has to turn his face away.She threw the submission on the ground and walked out of the office angrily.Stan bent down to pick up the opinion and laid it flat on the table so that the name of the judge who signed it could be seen more clearly.It's Oregon Supreme Court Justice Robert Hunter Griffin, Abby's estranged husband.