At the appointed time Tuesday morning, the Court was in session. By that time, the viewer's Galley was packed with more than half the students of the School who had skipped classes to be here for the Hal's hearing. The entire Greaser Clique was present save for Johnny, along with their attendant girlfriends, and had taken up seats behind Hal's defense table. On the other side behind the Prosecution table were all the remaining Preps, including Gord. Various other Students had also come, Ted and a few from the Jock Clique, Melvin and a couple of Nerds, and even Trent showed up with Wade Martin tagging along. A good number of the newer Students had also showed up, the excuse to ditch classes proving too tempting. Some of the Non-Clique students were there, Ivan, Gordon, Trevor and Ray. Mr. Galloway was there, along with a few of the Teachers, plus Edna, who had been the one to find a beaten Biff at the end of the hallway near the Cafeteria. And also present was Tony
“Hear Ye, Hear Ye, all persons having business before the Honorable Judge Leonard Kasper of the Bullworth City Court, County of Washington, State of Rhode Island, draw near", the Clerk intoned. "Give your attendance and you shall be heard. All Rise !”
Judge Kasper entered and settled in his chair. "Be Seated", he said, and picked up the charge papers. “This will be Cause 0027....State of Rhode Island vs Halbert Esposito, on the charges of Assault and Battery with serious bodily harm on one Bifford Taylor at a State Institution, to wit, one Bullworth Academy.”
“Your Honor”, the man at the Prosecution Table began, “This defendant is charged with the brutal assault and grievous injury on Mr. Taylor sometime overnight between late Friday night and early Saturday morning just past, inside Bullworth Academy. We pray the Court to bind the defendant over for trial on these charges and the disposition of same."
“Thank you, Mr. Denton”, the Judge said. “Um...Miss Hall ? How does the Defendant plead ?"
"The Defendant pleads Not Guilty, your Honor", Miss Hall stated.
"So noted, Miss Hall, thank you", Judge Kasper said. He made a notation on the Charge Paper before him and turned back to the Prosecutor. "Do you have witnesses and evidence to support the binding of this Defendant over for trial ?"
"Yes, your Honor, we have several witnesses, and this Biker Hat that was found at the scene", Mr. Denton replied, pointing to the Cap lying on the table.
"Very well, call your witnesses", Judge Kasper said and settled back in his chair.
The first witness called was Edna. The Clerk read, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ?"
"Of Course I Do !", Edna's loud voice permeated the Courtroom. "What Else Would You Expect ?"
"Take the stand, please Ma'am", Judge Kasper winced. Edna sat down in the witness chair.
"Now, Miss Edna, what were the circumstances in which you discovered Mr. Taylor ?"
"If you're a-meanin' Bifs, I founds him right outsides the Cafeteria when I comes in that morning to fix the Ca...The Stew up for Sunday Brunch", Miss Edna started in. "He was a-layin' there with a whole mess o' dried blood all around him. Right beat up, he was, I'ma tellin' you."
"Your Honor, the Defense will stipulate that the witness found the injured boy at that location inside the Academy", Miss Hall said smoothly.
"That is acceptable to the Prosecution", Mr. Denton said.
"Very well", Judge Kasper said. "Do you have questions for the witness, Miss Hall ?"
"Most certainly", Miss Hall replied, rising. "Miss Edna, at the time you found Mr. Taylor, was there any indication of person or persons about which may have perpetrated this fowl deed ?"
"If'n yorn meanin' was there anybody around, why no, there weren't", Miss Edna replied, "Just Bloody Bif !"
"No further questions, Your Honor", Miss Hall said and sat down. Hal stirred uncomfortably beside her as the courtroom crowd murmured.
In turn, Mr. Denton called the attendants who had taken Bif from the School to the Vale Clinic, who testified about finding the Biker Hat at the scene next to Bif’s beaten body, and that only Greasers were known to wear such a cap . Miss Hall countered with a cross-examination that revealed that the attendants could not specifically say that they had seen Hal wearing a hat just like that, nor had they seen him on that morning.
Next, Officer Monson was called to the stand. Mr. Denton questioned him as to why Hal was arrested, and he told the court that the Greasers had been implicated in the attack by some of the Preps, and that Hal had been identified as the prime suspect, since he had engaged in a fight with their Leader Tad Spencer at the Carnival just a few weeks ago. Miss Hall’s cross-examination established that none of the Greasers and particularly not Hal had actually been seen by anyone doing any attacking on Bif at the times in question.
Gord Vendome was called to the stand next. He related under questioning that he had indeed seen Hal wearing a Biker Hat like the one in evidence in the past. But when questioned by Miss Hall, Gord was unable to say just when, in fact, was the last time he had seen Hal wearing such a hat.
Next, it was the defense’s turn to present witnesses, and Miss Hall called every Greaser to the stand, one after another. They all swore Hal was with them the entire night, which elicited the catcalls of the Preps. Judge Kasper banged his gavel in irritation several times to get them to stop, and finally they fell silent when he threatened to eject them from the courtroom. Mr. Denton on cross-exam was unable to shake the Greasers’ affirmations. Finally, he said, “Your Honor, the State will stipulate that this entire group will give only the same testimony. It is a waste of the court’s time to continue on with this charade, since it is very obvious that the defendant’s friends are only sticking up for him, truth or not.”
Anything further from the Defense ?”, Judge Kasper asked wearily.
Hal, who had been eying the Biker Hat laying on the Prosecution table, had a whispered conference with Miss Hall. She nodded and addressed the Court. “If we may beg an indulgence, Your Honor....My Client would like to try on the Hat.”
Mr. Denton smirked. It seemed like this dumb kid was going to make the Prosecution’s case for him. “The State has no objections, Your Honor.”
“I’ll allow it, then”, Judge Kasper said, “Let the defendant try on the Hat.”
Mr. Denton handed the Biker Hat to Miss Hall, who gave it to Hal and had him stand up and walk around in front of the table. Hal took the opportunity to look inside the brim of the Hat as he did so, and as he looked, a strange expression showed on his features as he slowed and stopped.
“Young Man ? Mr. Esposito ?”, Judge Kasper asked. “The Court is waiting. Go on, try on the Hat.”
Hal set the Biker Hat on top of his large fat head. As soon as it settled onto his hair, the whole Courtroom could see that it looked like some sort of Toy Hat. Tugging on both sides, Hal tried to pull the Hat further down to his hairline. “It...Don’t Fit”, Hal exclaimed, “It Don’t Fit !”
Gasps and cries broke out from those seated in the Galley. “If It Don’t Fit, You Must Acquit !!”, Hal chortled.
Outrage erupted from the Preps, while Joyful noises of glee came from the Greasers. The Greaser Girls were openly weeping as they were smiling, even Binky. The rest of the Courtroom seemed stunned at this turn of events. Mr. Denton was staring with his mouth open at the sight, then closed his eyes and hung his head with a facepalm.
“Order !!! Order !!!”, Judge Kasper called, repeatedly banging his gavel. “We will have order here !!!”
It took several minutes for order to be restored, however. Hal took off the Biker Hat and once more took a look inside it before moving over and laying it on the Prosecution table. Mr. Denton paid him no attention, he was too busy holding his head in his hands for agreeing to such a colossal blunder.
Judge Kasper rapped his gavel again. “Seeing as how there is no compelling or conclusive evidence against the Defendant, the charges are dismissed !! This Court is Adjourned !!!”
Cheers broke out from the Greasers while cries of Injustice came from the Preps. But, even though he was egging them on, Tad knew this was coming, and he was in fact counting on it. Now, he would be able to whip the need for revenge against all the Greasers in his newly-reunited Clique, not just one Greaser. It had all worked out perfectly.
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