Just Take My Heart - Mary Higgins Clark [64]
He paused, his tone becoming even more serious. “You have heard the testimony of Jimmy Easton. You have heard about his prior criminal record. You have learned that he has cooperated with the prosecutor and that he will receive a benefit as a result of his cooperation. He will receive a substantial reduction in his own sen?tence.”
Emily was studying the seven men and seven women in the jury box. She wondered which two would be randomly selected to be?come the alternates after Judge Stevens was finished. She hoped that jurors number four and eight would end up as the alternates. Both women seemed to cringe when the judge referred to the reduction in Easton's sentence. She knew that they could picture him ransack?ing their own homes. She doubted very much that they would be?lieve a word that he said.
She looked back up at Judge Stevens. She was grateful for his businesslike tone when he spoke about Jimmy Easton. If the jurors detected even a hint of disapproval of his testimony, it could be very-damaging.
“You will consider that substantial reduction,” the judge was say?ing, “as well as all of the surrounding circumstances, when evaluat?ing his testimony. This testimony must be scrutinized carefully. As with any other witness, you may believe all of it or you may believe none of it. Or, you may believe some of it and reject the remainder. Again, ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate determination of the cred?ibility of his testimony is completely up to this jury.”
This morning the courtroom was less than half full. There is no excitement for spectators in hearing the legal instructions to the jury. Emily thought. The real drama is in the testimony during the trial — and in that moment when the jury files back in with the verdict.
Judge Stevens smiled at the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have completed my legal instructions to you. We now have reached the point where I know that it's going to be very disappointing for two of you. We are now going to select the alternates. Your juror cards have been placed in this box, and the court clerk will now randomly select two cards. If your name is called, please have a seat in the front row and I will then give you further instructions.”
Emily crossed her fingers under the table and prayed that the num?bers four and eight would come up. The court clerk, a slight woman of about fifty, her expression emotionless and professional, rotated the box and, when it had stopped, opened the top, looked away so that the jurors could be assured this was random, and took out the first card. “Juror number fourteen,” she read, “Donald Stern.”
“Mr. Stern, please sit in the front row of the courtroom,” Judge Stevens directed. “The clerk may now indicate the second alter?nate.”
Once again looking away, the clerk reached in the box and retrieved a second card. “Juror number twelve, Dorothy Winters,” she read.
“Ms. Winters, please sit in the front row of the courtroom,” Judge Stevens said.
An obviously reluctant and visibly frustrated Dorothy Winters rose from her juror chair and, shaking her head, walked to the front row and sat down next to Donald Stern.
Turns out I really dodged a bullet getting rid of that lady, Emily thought. From the way she's been looking sympathetically at Aldrich and Katie, she probably would have led the charge to acquit.
Emily only half listened as Judge Stevens addressed the alter?nates, telling them that they would remain with the case. He ex?plained that if any of the deliberating jurors became ill or had a family emergency that prevented them from continuing, it was important that alternates still be available to deliberate.
“You are instructed not to discuss the case between yourselves or with anyone else until all of the proceedings are finished. You can remain in the central jury room on the fourth floor while the delib?erations are ongoing.”
God forbid that