Read Broken: A story of hope and forgiveness Page 47

  Chapter 33

  One Little Victory; One Big Decision

  Jacob quickly stuffed his files into his brief case, not bothering to be neat, and rushed out of the courtroom as fast as he could. He refused to say “bye” to the prosecutor, and waived off the press. Unlike most attorneys, he hated the media.

  Barbara gingerly organized her stacks of files, all relating to the Thomas case, and carefully put them in her wheeled brief bag. After she finished packing up her files, she pulled a cell phone out of her suit jacket’s inside pocket and dialed the DA’s witness liaison office number. “Kimberly?” she inquired after the ringing ended.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Barbara. Thomas pled so you can release the witnesses.”

  “Do you want to talk to any of them?”

  “Only if they insist.”

  They didn’t.

  Barbara looked toward the back of the courtroom as she continued packing up her files. She loved the press and desperately wanted to give a statement, something akin to “Justice is served.” But Jackson would have none of that. That was his job, one that would lead to bigger and better things for him at least. She saw him open the back door and wave to the reporters as he exited, which caused her to frown slightly as she imagined what it would be like to have a bunch of microphones and cameras shoved in her face. She silently rehearsed what she would say if she had her boss’ job. “Justice is served,” she realized, would just be her opening statement. She sighed as she watched the reporters rush out of the courtroom to take a statement from him, flashes going off everywhere and a sudden cacophony of voices shattering the solemnity of the courtroom. It was time for the consummate politician to score points with his constituents.

  “I do the work and he gets the glory,” she said quietly. “That figures.”