Betrayal - Fern Michaels [64]
“Order! Ma’am, you’ll have to leave my courtroom if I hear another outburst like that! Order!” She banged the gavel hard, three times.
Kate looked to James. He hadn’t told them sentencing would be pronounced at the time of the verdict! The son of a bitch! He knew all along and hadn’t told them. Kate had never felt such rage in her life. She wanted to kill James, she wanted to kill the goddamn judge, but more than anything, she wanted to suck the life from Sara Winter. She wanted to watch the little bitch beg and plead for her life!
Alex was guilty! No! Sobs racked her body. James turned around and motioned for her to be quiet.
“Drop dead, you inept SOB! You lied to us! I’ll see you disbarred if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Bailiff, remove this woman from my courtroom immediately!”
“Your Honor, please. This is my client’s wife. She is understandably upset. I beg of the court, please let her remain. There won’t be another outburst from her.”
“Mrs. Rocket, can you remain silent?”
Kate nodded. She’d agree to whatever they asked as long as she could remain at Alex’s side. She wasn’t the least bit sorry for her outburst. She could not wait to get James Conroy out of the courthouse. He’d be sorry he ever laid eyes on her. She’d tell Gertie’s brother what a loser he was. She’d make it her life’s goal to ruin him.
When the courtroom settled down, Judge Stowers spoke. “Mr. Rocket, once again”—she looked directly at Kate—“is there anything you would like to say before your sentence is pronounced?”
Kate’s heart broke into a million little pieces as she watched her husband stand before the court to accept a punishment for a crime he wouldn’t commit if his life depended on it. Kate had always believed in goodness, righteousness, and honesty. Right then and there, everything she’d spent her entire life believing and supporting was revealed as nothing but a lie. All lies. She would never trust again. Never.
“I am not guilty of the crimes I am charged with.” Alex turned away from the judge, searching for the Winter family. He saw Debbie and Don seated in the back of the courtroom with big smiles plastered across their faces. “Don, we were friends most of our lives. You know me, or I thought you did. The things your daughter accused me of are atrocious, perverted, and vile. I can only pray that she is able to live with herself as she ages and realizes how her lies have hurt me and my family.” He turned around to face the judge. “That’s all, Your Honor.”
“Mr. Rocket, the crimes you’ve been found guilty of are horrendous. The state of Florida allows for a set of guidelines to be followed when sentencing. It’s at my discretion to sentence you to the maximum or the minimum required by the state. I know you have no criminal history, you’ve never even received a traffic violation. You’re an upstanding citizen in the community where you live. I’ve read affidavits of more than one hundred people. None of them were negative in any way. However, I must also take the child into consideration. These crimes you’ve committed upon her will follow her for the rest of her life. She will never again live as a carefree young girl because of you. When you chose to commit these horrendous acts upon this child, not only did you throw your future away, you threw that child’s future away as surely as if you took her last breath from her. I have no sympathy for men like you, Mr. Rocket, therefore I feel I must impose the maximum sentence on you. Six felony counts of sexual battery against a minor, for this offense I sentence you to the maximum time of twenty years for each crime. Each sentence will run consecutively. For the record, Alex John Rocket has received one hundred twenty years, the maximum allowed by the state of Florida. There will be no possibility of parole for twenty years.” Judge Stowers banged her gavel one last time before sweeping out of the courtroom.
Two sheriff’s deputies surrounded Alex. James stepped aside to allow them access. They pulled Alex’s hands behind his back and handcuffed him. This was far worse than the