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THE
TRIAL OF THE 21ST CENTURY Author’s
Note: This is the first fanfic I’ve made with someone else’s
assistance. CHAPTER
1: THE TROUBLE BEGINS
In the fall of 2006, the season had ended in the USCFL. As it now
became a custom, Five’s A Mob Legend quarterback Daphne Blake returned
to her home in suburban Atlanta. Daphne and her husband Fred Jones and
their three and a half year old son Fred Jr. was about to settle down
for family time. Daphne spent the day registering Fred Jr. for nursery
school and was dead tired from also getting caught up with her personal
life after a grueling football season.
Just as Daphne had popped in a movie into the DVD player, there
was a knock at the door. Daphne was up and told Fred that she would
answer it. As Daphne opened the door, she was surprised to see an old
friend, ally, and rival from the USCFL for it was She-Ra Princess of
Power paying Daphne a visit.
Daphne said with a surprised look on her face and tone in her
voice, “She-Ra this is a surprise! What are you doing here?” She-Ra
replied with reserve in her voice, “I’ve come to pay you this visit
for something major is happening right now, and it involves both of
us.” Daphne then said as not to make her neighbors suspicious,
“Please come in and we’ll talk about it. I noticed Swift Wind came
with you or more like he brought you here.” Daphne took a peek out the
front door and said, “Swift Wind, good to see you again. Please fly
over to the backyard. I can explain about She-Ra, but I don’t know how
to explain about a flying, talking winged unicorn.”
Swift Wind understood and complied with Daphne’s orders. As he
flew into her back yard, Daphne said, “Swift Wind if you’re hungry,
my backyard grass is your dinner table.” Swift Wind thanked Daphne for
her offer and made himself at home. As Daphne closed the patio door,
Daphne said jokingly, “Swift Wind’s doing me a favor. I was planning
to mow the lawn tomorrow. Now She-Ra to what do I owe this visit?”
Before She-Ra said anything, she asked Daphne if Fred and Fred
Jr. could leave the room for what she had to say was confidential. As
Fred and Fred Jr. left the room, Daphne began to get upset by her
friend’s unusual behavior and said, “She-Ra you’re acting strange.
Stranger than you were aboard that cruise ship last year”. She-Ra
said, “I’m wanted by the FBI.” Daphne replied with a weird look on
her face, “say what?!”
She-Ra handed Daphne an Atlanta newspaper with her picture and
Daphne’s on the front page. The color in Daphne’s face went away and
looked very pale for she had read that she and She-Ra were both wanted
for the murder of Verona Dimpsey aboard the Pacific Princess Cruise ship
the previous summer. Daphne handed back the paper to She-Ra and said
nervously, “I think I’m going to be sick.” Daphne ran to the
bathroom in the hallway on the ground floor where She-Ra heard Daphne
getting sick like she said.”
She-Ra didn’t fully understand why her friend got sick all of a
sudden and said, “Daphne either you’re pregnant again, ate something
that didn’t agree with you or this is how you stay so slim.” After
Daphne came out of the bathroom, she said with an angry tone, “Bag it
Blondie! You came over here to deliver such devastating news and
you’re making ridiculous remarks! She-Ra you’re supposed to be
intelligent, what’s up with the dumb blonde act?”
She-Ra replied, “I don’t know Daphne. I haven’t been myself
since I came home to find the Feds casing the Coliseum.” Daphne said
now with concern, “She-Ra the Feds were hanging out at your stadium?
What happened next?” She-Ra replied, “My brother told them that I
was out of town and had no idea when I would return. Most of the others
conferred with him.”
Daphne asked, “Now He-Man is in on this too?” She-Ra replied,
“No he always tells the truth. I haven’t been home since the season
ended in July. After the final game was played, I wanted to go to
Florida and pay Gil a visit. I promised him we would always stay in
touch. Once I arrived in Miami, he read in the paper about my being
wanted for murder. He also told me that he would back me and you up for
if you remember he was at Verona’s mercy too. Daphne for the first
time in my life, I’m scared, really scared.”
Daphne didn’t have much of a response to what She-Ra had said.
Daphne knew whenever Shaggy or Scooby got scared a Scooby Snack would
always do the trick. But since there’s no such thing as a She-Ra
snack, Daphne was dumbfounded in what to do about this crisis. Then
Daphne said, “She-Ra, the FBI has a big office in Atlanta, in the
morning we will both go over there and get to the bottom of all of this.
I promise you we will get through this together.” END
OF CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER
2: THE NEXT MORNING
Daphne invited She-Ra to spend the night in her house while she
made several phone calls. Among them was to her father in Coolsville.
Another was to Virginia to inform He-Man that his sister was safe and
sound. He-Man wasn’t available but his girlfriend and ally Teela was
and she agreed to pass on the news. And finally Daphne phoned Seattle
and informed her coach Lisa Carlson about the situation.
Lisa asked Daphne if there was anything she could do but Daphne
told Lisa that she would keep her informed if she can. Daphne didn’t
sleep well that night but as for She-Ra, she slept as if she hadn’t
for weeks and that was mainly the case.
The next morning, there was a knock at the front door. Daphne
went downstairs to answer it. At the door was Daphne’s father’s
attorney and general counsel for Blake’s Bubble Bath Inc, one J. Henry
Fitzgerald. He had come at her father’s request for he had heard about
what happened before Daphne called him. Moments later, She-Ra awakened
and Daphne introduced her to Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Fitzgerald was pleased to meet The Princess of Power and
said, “My youngest daughter collected all of your action figures back
in the 80’s. And she never missed a single episode of yours.” She-Ra
replied, “Thank you sir. I would like for all of this to end as
quickly as possible.” Mr. Fitzgerald said in confidence, “That’s
what I’m here for. Daphne, your father agreed to also have me act as
She-Ra’s attorney on this case.” Daphne replied, “I’m glad to
hear that Mr. Fitzgerald. It’s not everyday that a super hero is tried
as a murderer.”
Mr. Fitzgerald said, “Actually my dear, it’s you who’s
wanted for murder and She-Ra as an accomplice.” As the three sat down
in the dining room, Mr. Fitzgerald wanted to make sure he had all of his
facts straight.
“Well ladies,” the lawyer told both women, “As I understand
it, this alleged ‘murder’ occurred in international waters between
Seattle and Honolulu. That being the case, the passengers and crew would
then be subject to the laws of the nation whose flag it was flying, in
this case Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a territory of the United Kingdom
meaning the case would be heard in either Gibraltar or England.
And I’ve done some checking. Vernon Dimpsey, Verona’s father,
filed the complaint with the British Consulate in Chicago. They assigned
an investigator with Scotland Yard to look into the case. My guess is
that warrants will be issued for your arrests shortly and both of you
will be extradited to the UK to stand trial.”
Then Mr. Fitzgerald asked, “Is there anything else I should
know about at this time pertaining to this case?” She-Ra said,
“Actually there is Mr. Fitzgerald. When our group was in Boston during
our goodwill tour last year, Daphne was kidnapped by Verona. I have the
ability to sense when others are in trouble. I found Daphne bound and
gagged in a suburban Boston home. That sort of pissed off Verona.”
Mr. Fitzgerald said, “That’s interesting, go on.” She-Ra
continued, “That’s the beginning. In Rhode Island, Bart Simpson
nearly got killed off a rocky bluff while skateboarding at a seaside
park. I examined the board and discovered the axles were tampered
with.” Mr. Fitzgerald got really interested and told She-Ra to
continue. “Then about a month later in Las Vegas, I helped Daphne win
a small fortune at the crap table. I was there mainly for “eye
candy” as Daphne put it.
Three days later, I was approached by two security guards. At
first I thought Daphne or I was in some kind of trouble for winning so
much at the crap table. The one guard named Kyle, I didn’t get his
last name told me that his sister was a big fan of mine back in the
80’s like you told me today about your daughter. He asked me out and
showed me the sights of Las Vegas. Kyle’s partner thought I was some
kind of showgirl because of my costume. Kyle pointed it out to me at a
show in another hotel where we had dinner.
When he dropped me off at Caesar’s Palace where we stayed, I
found out the next day by his partner that Kyle was killed by a drunk
driver in which he died of his injuries that day I heard it on the
evening news. Mr. Fitzgerald’s curiosity peaked at that point and
asked She-Ra to continue. “Then as we were aboard The Pacific
Princess, I was still devastated about Kyle’s death. He was a nice
young man who still had his whole life ahead of him. Then Daphne found
an old friend of hers named Gil Lopez.
Daphne and Gil were talking for several minutes before she
introduced him to me and The Smurfette who was with me and Daphne at the
time. Gil’s eyes lit up as we were introduced as were mine. Gil and I
became an item shortly afterwards. I was in love with him, and he was in
love with me. He was on the ship as a performer and we spent time
together when he wasn’t working.
One night after a show, he was abducted. I even accused Daphne of
trying to take him away from me. I bashed in her cabin door. Later,
Daphne found Verona on the Promenade Deck. I arrived minutes later
behind Verona as she and Daphne were exchanging words. She abducted Gil
and I wanted to fight her to get Gil back.
Daphne insisted on battling her because she was her enemy, not
mine. Daphne even dressed in a costume similar to mine but in purple.
Daphne and Verona agreed that if Verona had won, Daphne would be her
prisoner, and if Daphne won, Verona would let Gil go and turn herself in
to the ship’s crew.
Daphne and Verona let it all out in front of hundreds of
passengers, crew and the group we were with. Daphne got one good kick in
and sent Verona packing over the side of the ship and drowned. Mr.
Fitzgerald, Daphne isn’t a murderer. She should be commended for
putting such an evil woman out of commission like that.
As for me, your daughter will even tell you this, I would never
harm a living thing even if they are evil. So what do we do?” She-Ra
asked Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald answered, “My advice to both of you is to
turn yourselves in, if they haven’t already arrested both of you, and
to waive extradition proceedings.”
Daphne then asked, “Mr. Fitzgerald, I thought you just
practiced corporate law. Are you sure you can represent us in this
matter?” Fitzgerald laughed, “Ladies I assure you I’m licensed and
qualified to practice in all areas of the law, including criminal. And I
have argued cases in British courts on behalf of Blake’s Bubble Bath,
so I am familiar with British law. I’m certain I can provide you with
proper counsel”.
“Mr. Fitzgerald”, She-Ra inquired, “Since I’m known as a
superhero, and as far as I know, neither my brother He-Man nor I have
any weaknesses, I can escape from any jail or prison they can
incarcerate me in.” If you attempt to escape or run,” Fitzgerald
answered, “that would be considered circumstantial evidence of your
guilt, which would make their case stronger against you.
My advice to you is to play by their rules. If they incarcerate
you, stay put. That way, it’ll make it easier for you to prove your
innocence and clear your name. Don’t worry I’ll be here when you
need me every step of the way. I’ll see to it that your rights are
protected here and in the UK. And I’ll do my very best to see that
both of you ‘beat the rap’”.
Daphne and She-Ra seemed pleased with what Mr. Fitzgerald was
telling them. Then Mr. Fitzgerald said, “And with the extra
information you gave me She-Ra, you should have no trouble in court.”
She-Ra replied with some relief, “I hope so.” Daphne then said,
“We were about to go to the FBI office downtown, but now that we have
spoken to you, we can wait until tomorrow.”
Mr. Fitzgerald then replied, “I’ll be right with you.
Get a good night’s sleep. If either of you need anything, Fred should
get it for you. Now I understand She-Ra that you have a flying unicorn,
where is he at the moment?” Daphne answered the question and said,
“Look out in the backyard.” Mr. Fitzgerald said, “She-Ra in your
best interest and not to make Daphne’s neighbors suspicious, he should
fly back to Virginia.”
She-Ra replied, “He will leave after midnight tonight and not
to arouse suspicion like you said.” Mr. Fitzgerald grabbed his hat and
briefcase and told Daphne and She-Ra that he would wait for them the
next day at the FBI office. Later that night, She-Ra did what Mr.
Fitzgerald told her to do and sent Swift Wind back to Virginia.
She-Ra informed Swift Wind to have the Sorceress contact her if
she needed to. And most importantly, She-Ra told Swift Wind to tell
He-Man not to attempt a jailbreak as she would play by the rules like
Mr. Fitzgerald had told her. She-Ra said goodbye, but the real question
was if the goodbye would be forever. END
OF CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER
3: AT THE FBI OFFICE
After She-Ra said her goodbyes to Swift Wind and flew back to
Virginia, she and Daphne tried to sleep that night but couldn’t
because of what was waiting for them the next day. Shortly after dawn,
Daphne and She-Ra drove into the downtown area to the FBI office. Mr.
Fitzgerald was waiting outside the main entrance for them.
Mr. Fitzgerald had the opportunity the previous day after his
meeting to talk to his youngest daughter and asked her if she remembered
anything about She-Ra that would help him in this case. His daughter
remembered a lot and told him about the sword She-Ra carries with her.
Mr. Fitzgerald asked She-Ra to give him the sword to put in the trunk of
his car until the meeting that morning was over with.
She-Ra complied and as she gave him the sword, Mr. Fitzgerald
took a quick look at it and was impressed by it. It was exactly as his
daughter described it. Once inside, Mr. Fitzgerald told the receptionist
what his business was and a security guard escorted him and the ladies
to the head of the Atlanta office, a man named Barry Lancaster. A man
with the FBI for over thirty years and had a reputation of being tough
but fair.
Mr. Lancaster said, “Now then Mr. Fitzgerald, I was handed this
case personally by my superiors in Washington. And I have orders to
arrest Miss Blake and how do I address this other person?” Mr.
Fitzgerald replied, “She is known simply as She-Ra sir.”
Mr. Lancaster then continued, “To have Miss Blake and She-Ra
extradited to England for trial. But I have authority to delay this
order for one week so Miss Blake and She-Ra can wrap up any final
personal matters upon leaving the country. Ladies you have until noon
one week from today to report to the FBI office in Washington and placed
under arrest and flown to England. Do I make myself clear?”
Both Daphne and She-Ra understood everything that was said to
them. Mr. Lancaster said to Mr. Fitzgerald, “Since you are assigned to
be their attorney in this matter, you are personally responsible for
them as of right now. If anything should delay this “grace period”,
I shall have you arrested for obstructing justice. Do I make myself
clear sir?’
Mr. Fitzgerald replied with confidence, “Mr. Lancaster, I have
spent my entire life dedicated to justice you have my word that they
will be in Washington at noon one week from today. But She-Ra lives in
Virginia and I will accompany her there as will Miss Blake.” Mr.
Lancaster said, “Good, you are free to go for now. Good luck to you
all.”
Daphne wasted no time to get all her affairs in order. But that
was what she was doing before this started, she got everything under
control in two days. Daphne said goodbye to Fred and assured Fred Jr.
that she would be home and soon. Daphne has never lied about anything
she wants to keep her promise especially to her son.
As for She-Ra, she had a lot of business to wrap up. Daphne and
She-Ra went with Mr. Fitzgerald to Virginia and help She-Ra out. She-Ra
was not looking forward to this because she wouldn’t know how her
friends and especially her brother will feel about her after she tells
them what was truly going on. END
OF CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER
4: NO HONOR FOR GREYSKULL
It took Mr. Fitzgerald less than a day to drive from Atlanta to
Richmond. Daphne and She-Ra sat in the backseat talking quietly amongst
themselves. She-Ra was not looking forward to this at all. She was
afraid that no one would support or stand by her once she arrived at The
Crystal Coliseum.
Once at the stadium, She-Ra was greeted by her brother He-Man.
They hugged each other for several minutes while Daphne and Mr.
Fitzgerald looked on in the car. Mr. Fitzgerald said in amazement, “I
think that’s the first time I have seen a brother and sister love each
other as much as they do. I haven’t spoken to my sister in over twenty
years.”
Daphne replied, “I can top that, I’m an only child. I envy
She-Ra for having a brother so loving as He-Man”. On the way over to
the stadium, She-Ra had thought about something long and hard and said
to He-Man, “I need to see the Sorceress immediately brother. I have to
tell her something really important. I’m going to ask her to strip me
of my powers.”
He-Man couldn’t believe his ears as was Daphne and Mr.
Fitzgerald. Daphne asked, “She-Ra are you sure about this? I don’t
think it’s necessary.” She-Ra replied, “Daphne it is. For me it
is. If we go to prison, I will have to be like everyone else. But if we
are found innocent, she can reinstate my powers.”
At that moment the Sorceress appeared before the group and said,
“She-Ra please come forward. Who is this stranger?” She-Ra replied,
“This is my attorney Mr. J. Henry Fitzgerald, Mr. Fitzgerald, this is
the Sorceress. This is the woman who made me and He-Man who we are
today.”
As Mr. Fitzgerald met the Sorceress, he said, “I wasn’t aware
of She-Ra’s intentions of her being stripped of her powers. But if I
may say this in your presence, She-Ra and Daphne are both in my opinion
innocent of the charges against them. From my own investigations and the
information I’ve collected, the prosecution has a very weak case. Most
of what happened was circumstantial at best.
I’m acting on both of their behalves and I can assure you, that
She-Ra’s good name will be cleared as will Daphne’s. I guess she
feels that if she is imprisoned, she won’t be able to escape. Since
She-Ra and her alter ego are now two separate individuals, changing her
back isn’t an option anymore. However, stripping her of her strength
would be a wise idea at this time.”
The Sorceress agreed but although disappointed in She-Ra, she was
convinced of Mr. Fitzgerald’s words that She-Ra would be cleared of
all charges. At that moment, The Sorceress put her hand on She-Ra’s
forehead and removed her physical powers but not her mental powers. The
Sorceress felt that she still needed to be in contact with The Princess
of Power.
She-Ra tried a test to see if her strength was taken from her.
She-Ra attempted to kick in a brick wall and nearly hurt her leg in the
process. That was all the proof she needed. Her other powers were still
intact like for example her ability to heal the injured and her
telepathic powers. And She-Ra also gave the Sorceress her sword until
the crisis has or if it ever will pass.
Daphne’s mind was going a zillion miles an hour. She thought it
would be a big mistake. If anything were to happen, She-Ra would be as
helpless as a cat up a tree. But She-Ra said it herself that no jail or
prison could hold her if incarcerated. The Sorceress was satisfied by
She-Ra’s decision and remained cordial with She-Ra until it was time
to leave for Washington.
All of She-Ra’s and He-Man’s friends were supported and if
asked, would testify at her trial. Mr. Fitzgerald promised to advise The
Sorceress of any developments as they happened. Over the next three
days, She-Ra prepared for her possible final trip. Daphne assisted as
much as she could. At the end of the third day in Virginia, She-Ra was
also ready to proceed on to Washington and what would happen next. END
OF CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5: HEADING OVER ACROSS THE POND
Mr. Fitzgerald made sure that Daphne and She-Ra got to Washington
on time. Once in Washington and at the FBI office, Daphne and She-Ra
were officially placed under arrest and Daphne was charged with murder
and She-Ra with accessory to murder.
The FBI agreed to waive the extradition to England as the accused
agreed to go peacefully. They’re flown on a commercial flight chained
to their seats from Washington’s Dulles Airport to London’s Heathrow
Airport. From there they’re transported into the city and thrown in a
holding cell until their court appearance the next day.
Accompanying them on this flight was an agent from Scotland Yard,
a matron (in case one or both of them had to visit the restroom on
board, this matron would accompany them), and Mr. Fitzgerald. En route
to Heathrow, the girls and their attorney exchanged some small talk.
Fitzgerald was at the Go for the Gold game where Dick Dastardly
delivered his infamous “cheap shot” upon Daphne. Fitzgerald reveals
that while his law degree is from Harvard Law School, he did his
undergraduate work at Michigan State University at the same time Magic
Johnson was playing his college ball there. One of his biggest thrills
was to see Magic and Larry Bird (of Indiana State) play against each
other for the men’s college basketball national championship in 1979.
Once in court, the Crown Judge rules that since the incident
occurred in international waters, the Crown Court didn’t have
jurisdiction per se over the case, but the matter could be brought
before a maritime court on board the ship with the ship’s captain
presiding and the Crown Court Judge acting as a legal advisor. Any
verdict reached by such a trial would be binding under British law, and
any sentence handed down would be served in British prisons, if need be.
The ship’s captain stated that before Vernon Dimpsey brought
his complaint, the matter over the catfight between Verona and Daphne
was over and done with, as far as he was concerned. He was only
reluctantly going along with these proceedings. He then states that the
Pacific Princess was currently in Liverpool undergoing maintenance and
minor upgrades, which would be completed any day.
The “shake down” cruise could be used for maritime trial, and
any spectators who wished to attend this trial (up to 250) would be
welcomed aboard this cruise for a nominal price. The Judge then read the
charges against Daphne and She-Ra, one count of murder for Daphne and
one count of accessory to murder for She-Ra, and asked if both
understood the charges. Both said they did.
The Judge then explained the possible sentences they would face;
15-30 years for Daphne and 8-15 years for She-Ra. The judge sets bond
for both girls; 25,000 British Pounds for Daphne (Or about $50,000 US
Dollars), and 12,500 Pounds for She-Ra (Or about $25,000 US Dollars).
Daphne being a millionaire in her own right, agreed to get the money by
the end of the day, which was acceptable to the Court.
The Judge explains that both would be confined to the city limits
of London until it was time for the trial, once set free. They were
instructed not to discuss the case with anyone other than their
attorney. When it was time for the trial to begin, both were to travel
(by overnight train) to Liverpool and board the ship, which would then
weigh anchor and set sail for international waters (southwest of
Ireland), where upon the trial would be held.
The captain explains that when aboard, the women would have free
run of the ship, but would be given quarters segregated away from any
prospective witnesses as much as possible. The two were then remanded
back to their holding cell until the bond money arrived. Two days later,
the two women attended jury selection, which took six hours to select a
panel of twelve jurors and two alternatives. END
OF CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER
6: PREPARATION FOR TRIAL
The trial would be held in one of the ships dining halls, which
was converted into a courtroom. At the front of the room, the ship’s
carpenters had constructed a raised platform of 1 X 6 boards to which
was nailed sheets of half-inch plywood topped with carpeting. The sides
of this platform were covered with wood paneling. This platform, running
widthwise across the room, would serve as the “bench” area.
The bench itself was a buffet table, topped with a
microphone-equipped podium for the captain, who would sit behind this
table, along with the Crown Judge. To the right side of the bench, from
the point of view of the captain, was the witness chair, which had a
microphone set up next to it. Behind the bench, on a flag stand, was the
British flag, the Union Jack.
Looking out into the “courtroom” from the captain’s point
of view, on the left side of the room was a roped-off area with fourteen
chairs; this was the “jury box”. Directly in front of the bench, yet
another microphone was set up; this was for the attorneys when they were
making their presentations. Behind this mic stand, looking further out
into the room and to the left was another buffet table with a chair;
this was the prosecution table.
To the right was yet another table with three chairs; this was
the defense table. Behind these tables, rows of chairs were set up for
the spectators attending this trial. The first row was reserved for the
press. Among the media attending this trial were the likes of the BBC
World Service, CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, ABC News, the AP, The USCFL radio
and television networks along with newspapers from Miami, Atlanta,
Washington, New York, Seattle, London, and Liverpool.
For some strange reason, the Richmond paper couldn’t get press
credentials, but another paper in Virginia, one out of Roanoke did. The
captain and Crown Judge had ruled that no live cameras would be allowed
at the trial, but they did allow live microphones, so the USCFL Radio
Network provided live gavel to gavel coverage of the proceedings to its
200+ station network, many of which did just that. (Because of the time
difference, the USCFL network provided the coverage on a tape delay
basis, since otherwise the trial would occur during the middle of the
night in the states; 5 hour delay in the East and Midwest, and 7 hour
delay on the West Coast.)
When assigning quarters for the trial participants and
spectators, the defendants and both attorneys were assigned space on one
deck (meaning they had the deck all to themselves), the jurors on
another, the prospective witnesses on yet another and the members of the
media and the spectators on yet another deck. Daphne and She-Ra were
told avoid contact with the jurors and prospective witnesses, and also
instructed to not discuss the case with any one but Mr. Fitzgerald.
Otherwise they had free run of the ship. END
OF CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER
7: OPENING STATEMENTS
For nearly a week, Daphne and She-Ra spent their days walking
through the streets of London. Daphne as she normally does spent her
time shopping. She-Ra spent most of her time helping Daphne with the
bags. But this was no ordinary shopping trip. Daphne needed new clothes
for the trial. Daphne also wanted to get She-Ra some new clothes for the
trial as well.
At first She-Ra felt that her normal costume was appropriate
enough. But Daphne knew the judge wouldn’t understand a tall,
attractive woman appearing in a court of law half-dressed. She-Ra’s
normal costume is revealing to say the least. But Daphne had a good
point and got She-Ra some new clothes anyway just in case.
Mr. Fitzgerald got word that the Pacific Princess was finished
with its maintenance and was ready to embark. The next day, Mr.
Fitzgerald, Daphne, and She-Ra boarded a train for Liverpool. From
there, the ship set sail and stopped once it hit international waters.
The ship went twenty-five miles away from the British Coast and out of
the boundaries of the Irish Sea.
The next morning, the trial was about to begin. A good crowd was
on hand to see the proceedings. The media was ready with notepads and
tape recorders. Daphne and She-Ra both were as nervous as a pair of
long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. Mr. Fitzgerald looked
calm and was ready for anything. Vernon Dimpsey looked confident as he
felt that he would prove Daphne and She-Ra guilty of his only
daughter’s death.
The prosecutor named George Hardcastle was ready to get the
proceedings started. The USCFL radio network was finished wiring the
courtroom with microphones to get all the action. Then at the stroke of
nine o’clock, a man entered the room looking like a Beefeater appeared
and said as loud as he could, “Hear ye, here ye, all rise. This court
is now in session, captain and judge has entered the courtroom”.
The Judge then said, “Please be seated. Good morning ladies and
gentlemen, this is a case between the people of The United Kingdom VS
Daphne Blake who resides in Atlanta, Georgia USA and She-Ra Princess of
Power who resides in Richmond, Virginia USA. At this time, I will hear
opening remarks from both attorneys.”
At that moment, Mr. Hardcastle got up and said, “Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, I’m George Hardcastle prosecutor for this
trial. This is more or less an open and shut case. A grieving father
brought this case to trial for the defendants’ two young, attractive
ladies had a jealous row with the deceased. We will prove that they
planned to murder Verona Dimpsey in an attempt to keep her quiet. It
worked as Verona has been forever silenced.
The murder happened a little over a year ago aboard this very
ship. Even the captain sitting next to the Judge had dismissed this
after Verona was killed. Miss Blake delivered the fatal blow due to
watching her co-defendant do the same on videotape. Hundreds of
spectators watched as they fought it out on The Promenade Deck. Nothing
was done to stop Miss Blake from fighting the deceased. You may be
asking yourselves, ‘What part did She-Ra play in all this?’ Well, I
am going to tell you right now. The evidence at this trial will indicate
that She-Ra told Daphne, ‘Go get her, Lucky.’ These four
little words both implicated and incriminated her. Super heroes
like to dedicate their lives to upholding truth, justice, and the
American way. Did She-Ra adhere to these ideas in this case? Hardly, the
evidence at this trial will show that She-Ra instead engaged in a
manifesto of lies, injustice, and violent death. Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, it is your civil duty as subjects of the British Crown to find
these Americans guilty of murder in the second degree and be punished to
the fullest extent of the law. Thank you.”
Moments later, Mr. Fitzgerald stood up and said, “Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, I’m J. Henry Fitzgerald defense attorney for
this case. The only thing that I agree with the prosecution about that
this will be an open and shut case, only difference will be that my
clients will be found innocent.
These co-defendants both have a reputation to fighting injustice
in their own ways. Daphne Blake makes up one fifth of America’s most
successful mystery solving team and She-Ra is a super heroine who has
spent years fighting evil doers with more powers than Superman. Both
took part last year in a goodwill tour put together by The United States
Cartoon Football League or USCFL for short. In 2005, the league
celebrated its Silver Anniversary season with this tour.
This tour was going relatively well until they reached
Providence, Rhode Island where Bart Simpson was nearly killed in a
skateboarding accident. She-Ra discovered that the axles on the
skateboard were tampered with. Then in Boston, Massachusetts, Daphne was
kidnapped from her hotel room and held captive by the deceased. She-Ra
and the rest of the group found Daphne in a suburban Boston home bound
and gagged.
While in Indianapolis, Indiana, an old friend of Daphne’s was
badly beaten by a man paid by the deceased to attempt to do Daphne harm
but failed. In Las Vegas, Nevada, She-Ra was nearly killed in a car
accident in which her date that evening lost his life. The deceased paid
a man to get good and drunk, drive and deliberately struck and killed
the innocent bystander who dropped She-Ra off at Caesars Palace just ten
minutes before.
Then onboard this very ship, Daphne found an old friend who she
introduced to She-Ra to keep her company while at sea. But She-Ra fell
in love with the young man. There was a jealous confrontation, but with
the co-defendants and not with the deceased. Then Miss Dimpsey abducted
the young man after a show he was commissioned to do while on board.
Daphne found Verona on The Promenade Deck and confronted her.
There was an exchange of words and both agreed to settle it by fighting
for the young man’s freedom. Daphne only intended to rough her up a
little bit but under no circumstances kill the deceased. Miss Dimpsey
went overboard and died on impact with the water.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the true injustice here was
Verona’s unbelievable acts against my clients. The prosecution may
make Verona look like an innocent victim, but in reality was the guilty
party in question. In fact, the deceased engaged in a pattern of lies
and deceptions long before she even met the defendants. I will introduce
several witnesses who will testify to such, including a young man who
was framed for cocaine possession just for his wanting a date with her.
But She-Ra had nothing to do with her death and Miss Blake was only
defending herself. After all is said and done here, you will agree that
Verona’s death was in self-defense only. Thank you for your time.” END
OF CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER
8: THE PROSECUTION PLEADS ITS CASE
After the opening statements, Mr. Hardcastle was instructed by
the Judge to call his first witness. Mr. Hardcastle called Vernon
Dimpsey to the stand. Mr. Dimpsey approached the witness stand, took the
oath to tell the truth and was told to be seated.
For the questioning of this witness, Mr. George Hardcastle will
be identified by “Q” and Mr. Dimpsey by “A”.
Q. “Please state your name for the court Mr. Dimpsey.”
A. “Mr. Vernon Dimpsey.”
Q. “You’re father of the deceased, am I correct?”
A. “That’s correct.”
Q. “Please tell us a little about your daughter, Mr. Dimpsey.”
A. “Well, uh, she was always a very smart girl. She always got
straight A’s in school, always interested in science and forensics.
When she was nine years old, I wanted to get her a Barbie doll for her
birthday, but she wasn’t interested in that. She wanted a science set,
so I went out and got her one. And the year after that, I gave her a
forensics set. W-why, she’d go out and do forensic pathologies on dead
birds and cats in the neighborhood.
Q. “And as she got a little older?”
A. “She kept saying that she wanted to be a forensic scientist,
wanted to attend Princeton or the University of Michigan to study
forensic pathology. Her head was always buried in books, or she was
doing research online. Hardly ever dated, went out to movies or dances,
like other kids her age.”
Q. “You mentioned she hardly ever dated. Did she have a steady
boyfriend?”
A. “Not really. There was a really nice kid who was interested
in her, one I would approve of taking her out. Jim Crowder was his name.
Was the star wide receiver for the high school football team, straight-A
student like my daughter, attended our same church, a member of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and worked after school at our local
Tastee-Freeze. I can’t say enough nice things about him.”
Q. “Did your daughter ever go out with him?”
A. “No I can’t say that she did. She kept saying she didn’t
have time for ‘dumb jocks’, and just went back burying her head in
those books of hers. I kept saying, ‘Give him a break, he just wants
to take you to a movie or something,’ but she’d always say,
‘I’ll go out with who I want to, Daddy.”
Q. “Did she ever get in trouble, Mr. Dimpsey?”
A. “Yeah, she did. In her senior year, she apparently used her
science kit to make a stink bomb, which she planted in Jim Crowder’s
locker. Well, I got a call at work to come to the school that several
students had seen my daughter picking the lock on Crowder’s locker,
and the principal was going to suspend my daughter for doing this. This
was after she was accepted into both Princeton and Michigan. Of course,
both schools withdrew their acceptance as a result.”
Q. “Did you punish your daughter for doing this to Mr.
Crowder?”
A. “Yeah I did. When I got her home, I not only grounded her
indefinitely, but I also tanned her little behind.”
Q. “I beg your pardon?”
A. “Let’s just say I played the bongo drums on her butt, Mr.
Hardcastle.” (That
remark brought a bit of laughter from the spectators in the courtroom.)
Q. “I also understand that not long after that, this Jim
Crowder fellow got in some kind of trouble. What do you know about this,
Mr. Dimpsey? And was Verona involved in this, in your opinion?”
A. “It was only couple of days after my daughter got kicked out
of school, Mr. Hardcastle. I was heading to work that morning when I
heard on the radio news that Crowder got arrested for possession of
cocaine. Our local cop stopped Crowder for a burned out license plate
light, searched his car, and ‘found’ the cocaine. I almost wrecked
my car when I heard this news; I couldn’t believe it. The prosecution
had the trial moved to a neighboring county on a change-of-venue, and
the jury there convicted him, and sent him to prison for five years.”
Q. “You still haven’t answered the last part of my question,
Mr. Dimpsey. Did you believe your daughter was involved with Mr.
Crowder’s having cocaine in his car?”
A. “I questioned her about it. She claimed that she didn’t
know anything about it, that she was surprised as everyone else. Though
people I know told me that they seen my daughter near his car on the
night of the drug bust---“ FITZGERALD:
“Objection, Your Honor! Hearsay.” THE
COURT: “Sustained.” Q.
“Since your daughter was denied a career in forensic pathology, what
did she decide to do for a living?” A.
“Well, she then enrolled in sewing and dress-making classes at our
local community college. With the money we saved to send her to the
university, she used it to open her own dress shop instead.” Q. “No
further questions.” THE
COURT: “You may cross-examine Mr. Fitzgerald.” (Fitzgerald
will now be the “Q”.) Q.
“You have my deepest condolences Mr. Dimpsey. But I must ask you this,
had Verona ever been examined by a doctor for any mental problems?” A.
“No.” Q. “At
any time in her life, did Verona try to be the “Top Dog” so to
speak? A.
“No.” Q.
“How did Verona meet the co-defendants?” A. “In
2003, Verona met and worked with Miss Blake and her Mystery Inc. friends
as they were trying to solve a mystery. Verona turned out to be the one
who was the bad guy and sent to jail. I got word from the prison warden
that Verona escaped and was on the run. I taught her better than that.
As for the blonde, Verona obviously met her onboard this ship or before
that, I’m not sure. Q. “No
further questions.” THE
COURT: “The witness may step down.”
Throughout the course of the day, Mr. Hardcastle called two other
witnesses to the stand. One witness was a former teacher of Verona’s
and the other a former classmate. Among the questions Fitzgerald asked
of both witnesses was if they had ever recalled Verona being in any sort
of fist fight. Both testified that they couldn’t recall Verona ever
using any sort of physical violence, just sarcasm and verbal abuse.
There was time to call one more witness before adjourning for the day,
and it was a witness that Mr. Fitzgerald wasn’t expecting. MR.
HARDCASTLE: “I would like to call Lisa Carlson to the stand.” MR.
FITZGERALD: “Objection, Your Honor! Miss Carlson is a witness for the
defense.” MR.
HARDCASTLE: “I’m calling Miss Carlson as a hostile witness.” THE
COURT: “Objection overruled. Miss Carlson, please take the stand.” As Lisa
came up to the witness stand, sworn in and was seated, Mr. Hardcastle
was indeed hostile towards her. Q.
“Please state your name and occupation.” A.
“Lisa Janet Carlson. Head coach for the Five’s A Mob Legends
Football Team of the United States Cartoon Football League.” Q.
“How do you know the co-defendants?” A.
“Miss Blake is a member of The Five’s A Mob Legends football team
and She-Ra is a quarterback and captain of a team known as The Masters
of Power.” Q.
“You witnessed the death of Miss Dimpsey correct?” A.
“Yes I did.” Q.
“Isn’t it true that you designed the costume Miss Blake was wearing
when she killed Miss Dimpsey?” A.
“Yes it is.” Q.
“And isn’t it true that you heard She-Ra say to Miss Blake “Go get
her Lucky?” A.
“Yes I did, but---“ Q. “No
further questions.” THE
COURT: “Your witness Mr. Fitzgerald.” (Fitzgerald
is now the “Q”.) Q.
“Miss Carlson, what were you about to say when the prosecution cut you
off like that?”
She-Ra wasn’t thinking too clearly because of her being in
love. It was her first time having a relationship with any man, she was
just inexperienced. When Daphne’s mind was made up to fight Verona,
She-Ra only said that to wish Daphne luck.
In the animated world, Daphne was known as “Danger Prone
Daphne”, but on our team we called her “Lucky” because she brought
us good luck not bad. Daphne was injured in this fight too and spent the
last two days of the cruise in the infirmary. I never knew Daphne to
posses that kind of strength. I made her the costume because if she was
to be the hero, she should look the part. I made a costume similar to
She-Ra’s but in Daphne’s colors of pink, green and purple.
But at no time did I or anyone else talked Daphne into a fight
with anyone. But Daphne was determined to beat a nemesis that was a
thorn in her side. But not in her wildest dreams would Daphne kill
anyone.” Q.
“Thank you Miss Carlson. I have no further questions at this time.
However I reserve the right to recall Miss Carlson during the defensive
phase of this trial.” THE
COURT: “Request granted. I remind the defendants that they are not to
discuss this case with anyone but their attorney, and to avoid all
contact with prospective witnesses and jurors if at all possible.
Jurors, do not discuss this case among yourselves, and avoid contact
with all other parties in this prosecution if at all possible. We are
adjourned for today. We reconvene at nine o’clock tomorrow.” END
OF CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER
9: LATER THAT EVENING
The surprise calling of Lisa Carlson to the stand as a hostile
witness was devastating to Mr. Fitzgerald, Daphne and She-Ra. Daphne and
She-Ra were not upset about what Lisa had said. But they were upset that
Lisa’s testimony came too soon in the case. After court was over, the
two women and their attorney ate dinner together but no one was really
in the mood to eat heartily.
Just before they wrapped up their meal, a knock at the door
revealed a crew member with a note to Mr. Fitzgerald. The note was from
Lisa asking him to join her for a drink in a lounge on another deck. Mr.
Fitzgerald agreed to meet Lisa but after midnight when most of the ship
was asleep. Mr. Fitzgerald quickly wrote a message stating that he would
agree to meet Lisa after midnight on another deck and handed the message
to the waiting crew member.
Daphne asked, “What did that crew member want Mr.
Fitzgerald?” Mr. Fitzgerald with a sigh replied, “Lisa Carlson wants
me to meet her later tonight for a drink in a lounge on another deck. I
told her that I will meet her and find out what she wants.”
She-Ra then asked, “Should we go with you?” Mr. Fitzgerald
replied sternly, “No! You two must remain here as it might be
considered as witness tampering. I’m risking her as a credible witness
by seeing her you two should try to get some sleep if you can.” Daphne
then said with concern, “Can you let Lisa know that She-Ra and I
aren’t upset with her.” Mr. Fitzgerald replied, “That I will do
for you ladies.” It’s almost midnight now, I’m going below deck,
see you in the morning.”
As Mr. Fitzgerald met up with Lisa, Daphne and She-Ra had the
entire eighth deck all to themselves. But Lisa asked to meet Mr.
Fitzgerald on the sixth deck where most of the deck was where the
witnesses were staying and almost all of them were in their cabins
sleeping except Lisa.
The bar was empty except for Lisa and Mr. Fitzgerald. A bartender
came up to them and asked what they wanted to drink. Lisa ordered a
white wine and Mr. Fitzgerald ordered a scotch on the rocks. After the
bartender brought back the drinks and left the table, Lisa said in
disbelief, “I can’t believe the prosecutor called me as a hostile
witness.”
Mr. Fitzgerald replied, “I can’t believe it either Lisa. But
I was asked by Daphne and She-Ra to tell you that they aren’t upset
with you. But they are stunned as well. It puts me behind the eight ball
so to speak.” Lisa said, “I took an oath to tell the truth. What
else could I do? I hope this doesn’t make them both look bad.”
Mr. Fitzgerald said with confidence, “I believe Lisa that maybe
what you said might not be as bad as I first thought. Did you really
make a costume for Daphne that looked like She-Ra’s costume?” Lisa
replied, “Yes I did. I only made the costume in the event Daphne and
Verona squared off. Verona wanted a piece of Daphne believe me. Daphne
was only trying to defend herself. Since Daphne is no fighter, I thought
if she looked like She-Ra, then she would feel like a redheaded
She-Ra.”
Mr. Fitzgerald said, “I believe you Lisa, but what still
concerns me is that I thought Daphne had more confidence since she
joined your group twenty years ago.” Lisa replied, “She does have
more self-confidence but not enough still to defend herself. But like
She-Ra, Daphne has always outsmarted her foes with her mind than with
her fists.” Superman uses his muscles but She-Ra and He-Man both used
their minds first before they used their strength.”
Mr. Fitzgerald finished his drink and said, “I should get back
to check on Daphne and She-Ra. Thanks for the chat and drink.” Lisa
replied, “You’re welcome. But please return back if you can and I
might have some more information for you.”
Lisa remained in the bar for another two hours before turning in
for the night. Lisa thought long and hard to figure out what her next
move was to be before she was called to the stand again. But Lisa still
felt that what she said on the witness stand still seemed damaging to
Daphne and She-Ra’s cases.
Once Mr. Fitzgerald returned to the cabin to check on Daphne and
She-Ra found them both sound asleep but noticed twitching in Daphne’s
face as if she was having a bad dream. She-Ra didn’t look that way but
she also was having some kind of dream as well. She looked as if she had
a smile on her face, dreaming of the time she had last year was Mr.
Fitzgerald’s guess. But when morning came, Daphne and She-Ra could
only imagine what else could be said by the prosecution. END
OF CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER
10: DOUBLE WHAMMY! Both
women only had to wait until court resumed the following morning to
discover the next surprise Mr. Hardcastle had in store for them. He
called one Jenny Sanchez, a native of Colombia, and an aspiring Latin
singer to the stand. (Here,
Hardcastle is “Q.” and Jenny Sanchez will be known as “A”. Q.
“Please your full name for the record, please.” A.
“Jennifer Sanchez.” Q.
“I’ll cut right to the quick, Ms. Sanchez. Did you know the
deceased?” A.
“Yes. She and I are, were best friends. We’ve been best friends
since middle school.” Q. “Do
you know Gil Lopez?” Q. “I
do.” Q.
“How so, Ms. Sanchez?” A.
“I auditioned
for his band.” Q.
“And…” A.
“Mr. Lopez was very polite, and thanked me for auditioning, but he
didn’t need a female vocalist for his combo right now.” Q.
“Where did this audition take place, Ms. Sanchez?” A. “In
San Juan, Puerto Rico.” Q.
“Did the deceased know Mr. Lopez?” A.
“Yes, he did. In fact, they were lovers.” There was an audible gasp
in the courtroom. Daphne’s, She-Ra’s, and even J. Henry
Fitzgerald’s mouths hung open in total disbelief. The prosecution’s
motive for doing this was clear; they wanted to show that Verona’s
death was a result of a jealous row between her, Daphne, and She-Ra, and
not Verona’s provocation, as the defense was claiming. Daphne turned
to her attorney and whispered to him, “What on Earth do we do now?”
Fitzgerald turned to the redhead, and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll
impeach this witness on cross-examination.” Still, Fitzgerald was
taken aback by this turn of events, unsure of exactly how he’d counter
her damning testimony. (Impeaching a witness means to have caught the
witness making prior inconsistent statements; in other words, changing
his or her story on the stand.) THE COURT (Banging the gavel):
“Order.” After the murmuring had subsided, “You may continue, Mr.
Hardcastle.” Q.
“Thank you, Your Honor. Now, Ms. Sanchez, when did the deceased and
Mr. Lopez start having this ‘affair’?” A.
“Since the fall of 2004.” Q.
“How did Ms. Dimpsey and Mr. Lopez meet?” A.
“When I went to San Juan to audition for Mr. Lopez’s band, I took
Verona along with me, us being best friends and all. The two laid eyes
on each other, and it was love at first sight.” FITZGERALD (Out of
desperation, trying to keep out Ms. Sanchez’s damning testimony):
“Objection. Leading and suggestive, calling for a conclusion, and
hearsay, and I move to have all testimony concerning Ms. Dimpsey’s
relationship with Mr. Lopez struck.” THE
COURT: “Overruled, and the motion is denied. You may continue, Mr.
Hardcastle.” Q.
“Thank you. Ms Sanchez, I understand you have photographic proof of
Ms. Dimpsey and Mr. Lopez being together. Care to enlighten us on
that?” A.
“Certainly. When they were recording that album, they had set up Mr.
Lopez’s conga drums for a photo shot for the album art. Gil asked
Verona if she’d like a momento of their newly found friendship. The
result is this picture I will now show you.” At this
point, Ms. Sanchez produces a manila envelope and pulls out of it a
glossy 8 X 10 photograph. She hands it to Mr. Hardcastle, which he then
shows to the spectators and the jury. It showed Mr. Lopez drums, and
sitting on one of them was Verona, dressed in a skimpy white bikini.
Standing next to the drums and the skimpily clad girl was Lopez. Again,
there was an audible gasp in the room. This was more than Daphne could
take. She stood up and shouted for everyone to hear: “THAT PICTURE IS
A FAKE! EVERYTHING YOU SAID UP THERE IS A BLATANT LIE, MS. SANCHEZ AND
YOU KNOW IT!!” THE COURT (Banging the gavel
repeatedly): “Order! Ms. Blake, you will sit down and come to order,
or I’ll have you removed, and confined to quarters for the rest of
this journey. I shall not warn you again, Ma’am, do I make myself
clear?” DAPHNE (In a meek voice, and
almost in tears, ashamed of her tirade): “Perfectly. I-I’m sorry,
I-it will never happen again, I p-promise.” THE COURT: “Apology accepted.
Jury, please disregard Ms. Blake’s remarks of just now. Mr. Hardcastle,
you may continue.” Q. “Thank you, Your Honor. I
ask that this photograph be entered into evidence.” THE COURT: “Granted.” Q. “Did the deceased and Mr.
Lopez continue dating after that?” A. “They did. As far I know,
they continued seeing each other until the day Verona was killed.” Q. “I have no further
questions of this witness at this time.” THE COURT: “Mr. Fitzgerald, do
you wish to cross-examine?” Fitzgerald indicated that he
would cross-examine. He now will become known as “Q”. Q. “Ms. Sanchez, that photo
you showed us, when was it taken?” A. “October, 2004, I
believe.” Q. “Taken at the record
company in San Juan?” A. “Yes, it was.” Q. “Who took that picture?” A. “I did.” Q. “Using what kind of camera?
Film or digital?” A. “Digital.” Q. “Did you ever date Mr.
Lopez yourself?” A. “Once. I found him a very
nice gentleman, and I was in awe of his stature as a bandleader, but I
didn’t love him.” Q. “I see. No further
questions.” HARDCASTLE: “No questions.” THE
COURT: “The witness may step down.” After
that, the prosecution called only one more witness; the ship’s
physician, who testified as to Daphne’s injuries that landed her in
the infirmary for the last two days of the cruise. He also testified
that several spots of blood found on the deck matched the blood types of
Daphne, Verona, and a ship’s maintenance man who cut his wrist while
cleaning up the glass from the window the two women crashed through
while fighting. The prosecution then rested its case. The jury was
excused for the rest of the day while both attorneys argued motions
before the Court. Among the motions Fitzgerald brought forward, he asked
the Court to declare a directed verdict of not guilty for both
defendants. That being denied, he then asked for a mistrial. That motion
was denied as well. Finally, he then asked that certain statements made
by the prosecution’s witnesses and certain evidence be ruled
inadmissible. That, too, was denied.
Fitzgerald really had his work cut out for him now. Before the
surprise testimony of both Lisa Carlson and Jenny Sanchez, he felt
confident that the Court would dismiss the case for lack of evidence.
After the double whammies that Hardcastle had dealt the defense, there
was now a very real possibility that both defendants could get
convicted. Now it would take all of Fitzgerald’s training and
experience, plus some crafty legal maneuvering to get Daphne and She-Ra
“off the hook”. END
OF CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER
11: THE EFFECTS ON FRIENDS AND FAMILY
After two very surprising testimonies by Lisa Carlson and Jenny
Sanchez, it was more than the people close to Daphne and She-Ra could
handle. In both Miami and Seattle, Five’s A Mob members both current
and legendary emailed Mr. Fitzgerald to let him know of their
displeasure. Several members of both teams wished to be subpoenaed to at
least be character witnesses for Daphne.
In both Coolsville and Richmond, yellow ribbons appeared not just
around oak trees, as in the Tony Orlando song, but also around utility
poles, lamp posts, railings, and sign posts, among other things. And
speaking of the song, “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak
Tree”, radio stations in both cities began playing it three or
four times a day, the disc jockeys dedicating it to Daphne and She-Ra.
Signs appeared in store windows and marquees, proclaiming the
defendants’ innocence. Protestant ministers and Catholic priests alike
began praying for the accused, asking that both be found innocent in the
name of the Lord.
Daphne’s mother Elizabeth was rushed to a hospital for an
anxiety attack, the stress of reading and listening to these vultures
rip her only daughter apart caused her such grief that it made her sick.
In Atlanta, Fred was listening to all of this but could do nothing about
it because of his marriage to Daphne. But he was furious at the fact
that he was hearing of how Daphne killed Verona because of jealousy.
As for She-Ra, the feeling was mutual in Virginia, several
members of The Masters of Power team also wanted to be called upon to be
character witnesses including He-Man. Since He-Man is She-Ra’s
brother, he would know better than anyone else that she doesn’t get
jealous. But he wasn’t aware that She-Ra did in fact get jealous but
of Daphne and not Verona.
The other team captains who took part in the Goodwill tour in
2005, also wanted to voice their opinions in court as well. As for Mr.
Fitzgerald, his assistants stayed behind to further research certain
details about the case and get more witnesses to testify. They got
willing participants from the Mob, Masters of Power, and Daphne’s
father also agreed to testify.
In an unprecedented move, more than six hundred people who were
on that ship, saw or heard about the fight between Daphne and Verona and
wanted to testify that Verona wanted the fight and got what she deserved
and agreed to testify.
After the ship’s doctor was called and the Prosecution rested
its case, Mr. Fitzgerald got more than he bargained for but was ready to
take the initiative and begin the defense’s case. A dingy brought out
to The Pacific Princess, over one hundred of the witnesses subpoenaed by
Mr. Fitzgerald’s staff with more to come.
A supply ship soon followed with extra food and supplies to take
care of the extra passengers. And as for Daphne and She-Ra, they were
beginning to feel that this was more than they could handle. Neither one
felt that they did anything wrong but in reality, had doubts themselves.
But once Mr. Fitzgerald began his part of the trial, they would have
their day in court and truly defend themselves. END
OF CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER
12: THE DEFENSE BEGINS ITS CASE
One thing that the defense had over the prosecution was exhibits.
Not one single piece of evidence was brought in by the prosecution
except that picture Jenny Sanchez showed. The picture was in Mr.
Fitzgerald’s opinion doctored, but Mr. Fitzgerald had exhibits galore.
He called Lisa Carlson back to the witness stand as his strategy for her
had changed. Lisa was now to be a character witness as well as a witness
to what she saw onboard last year.
The Judge reminded Lisa that she was still under oath as Mr.
Fitzgerald began his questioning. (Mr. Fitzgerald is “Q” and Lisa is
“A”.)
Q. “How long have you known both defendants”?
A. “I’ve known Daphne nearly fifteen years, but I don’t
know She-Ra personally.”
Q. “Daphne filled a void within The Five’s A Mob organization
is that correct?”
A. “After I graduated high school in 1985, I spent three years
as a Merchant Marine and went to college for four years and studied to
be a teacher. Once I returned to the team in 1992, that’s was when I
first heard about Daphne’s arrival in Miami and how she was stuck in
limbo.
Q. “What do you mean stuck?”
A. “My husband and the team’s doctor both explained to me of
how Daphne came to the real world with little or no possibility of
sending her back to the animated world. Once I got to know Daphne a
little better, she too explained it to me but she wasn’t clear as to
how it happened or why. But the team’s doctor found a way to send her
back and she went back in 1998.”
Q. “The Mob’s doctor gave Daphne this knowledge to her before
returning?”
A. “That is correct. Daphne gave this knowledge to Velma so she
could perfect a device to allow Daphne to come or go at anytime and stay
as long as she liked. I’m not a scientist, but I find it very
interesting that Daphne has this ability.”
Q. “In the time that Daphne did spend with your group, what was
your feelings about her?”
A. “I think very highly of her. Daphne is one of the best
friends I’ve ever had. Polite, courteous, caring, generous to a fault,
always willing to help out, I can’t say a bad thing about her.”
Q. “If I call other members of your team to the stand, will
they more or less say the same?”
At that moment, Mr. Hardcastle objected to the question for it
would be hearsay, but the Judge overruled and allowed the question to be
answered.
A. “I believe that if my friends and teammates were called up
here, in their own words would tell you how much respect they have for
her.”
Mr. Fitzgerald brought into evidence a jersey worn by Daphne for
Go for the Gold XLII in which Lisa had designed herself.
Q. “Now then Lisa why did your team in last year’s
championship game wore a jersey like this since it’s not your team
colors?”
A. “We played Daphne’s old team The Hanna-Barbera All-Stars
for the title. After we had a regular season game against them and booed
Daphne off the field, as the head coach, I wanted for the team to back
Daphne up and be in her corner. So I designed this jersey for that very
purpose. The design resembled the outfit most of Daphne’s fans are
used to seeing her in.”
Q. "You said in your testimony during the prosecution’s
phase of the trial, that you also designed the costume Daphne wore when
she killed the deceased. Why exactly did you do it?”
A. “Daphne asked me to design a costume similar to She-Ra’s
but in her colors just in case she did have to confront Verona. After
her friend Gil Lopez turned up missing, She-Ra accused Daphne of taking
him away from her and she grabbed Daphne and threw her to the ground in
this very room last year. She only wanted to prove to Verona and to the
others in the group that she wasn’t as helpless as her fans have seen
her to be on television.
I never thought that way, but Daphne always had that shadow of
doubt hanging over her head. After her kidnapping in Boston, Daphne felt
that if she did meet Verona again, she would show her that she wasn’t
afraid of her and could defeat her. But I was as shocked as everyone
else when Daphne kicked Verona over the side of the ship like that.
I only made the costume to give Daphne a boost of confidence but
not to kill. Daphne wouldn’t harm a fly, ninety-nine times out of a
hundred she wouldn’t have done this or even thought of this, but if
you get someone mad enough, they will fight back. I know Daphne is
sitting there with a million thoughts in her head right now thinking how
she could’ve done such a thing. I’m sure that she’s very
remorseful and if she could, would’ve handled the situation
differently.”
Q. “One more thing Ms. Carlson, if She-Ra had fought Verona
instead, would the outcome had been different?”
Again Mr. Hardcastle objected to the question for it called for
speculation since Lisa wasn’t familiar with She-Ra. The Judge
sustained this objection and Mr. Fitzgerald had no more questions. (Mr.
Hardcastle is now “Q”)
Q. “Do you make or design costumes for a living?”
A. “No, like I said, I’m a teacher by profession and a head
coach. I designed the jersey we wore in last year’s championship game
for moral support and I made the “She-Ra” costume for Daphne to
boost her confidence. They were both coincidences nothing more.”
Q. “Ms. Carlson, did Miss Blake had any feelings towards the
male members of your team other than a professional relationship?”
A. “If you mean was she fooling around the answer is no. Daphne
was like one the guys with the male members and was one of the girls
with the female members. Daphne had only one man in her life and she
eventually married him, we all knew who Daphne was and even if she did,
we knew that no other man would have pleased or satisfied her. She was a
friend to all of us.”
Q. “Why did it take Miss Blake so long to marry?”
A. “Adult fans of her show all think that she and Fred were
lovers but it was never shown. After all it was a show for kids. It’s
the same in She-Ra’s case too. I took a look at her TV show during
this voyage and I saw the exact same pattern. We helped Daphne and Fred
to finally realize how much they truly mean to one another and the
result was their marriage.”
Q. “Isn’t it true that you and your teammates weren’t
invited to the wedding?”
A. “Yes it is, but…
Q. “That’s all Ms. Carlson no further questions.”
Mr. Fitzgerald wanted for Lisa to finish her answer and asked for
a redirect. Lisa finished her answer by replying that Daphne gave the
team a copy of her wedding video so the team could always see and
remember what they did for them. Lisa also explained that they got
married in a small, dignified ceremony with family and close friends.
Daphne’s father even explained that he would’ve wanted the team
there, but it was customary to have small gatherings such as the
ceremony Fred and Daphne had. But all Five’s A Mob members didn’t
feel jilted or upset by the decision.
Mr. Fitzgerald ended his redirect and Lisa stepped down from the
witness stand. Mr. Fitzgerald called two more witnesses for both
defendants. Another Five’s A Mob member also testified and backed
Lisa’s claim that Daphne was a true, down to earth friend. And a
witness for She-Ra testified that she would never hurt anyone even if
they’re evil and uses her mind to outsmart her opponents. The Judge
called an end to the day’s proceedings and would reconvene the next
morning at nine o’clock.
That evening, the appetites of Mr. Fitzgerald, Daphne and She-Ra
had greatly improved. Lisa came up to their table and asked if she could
join them. Mr. Fitzgerald didn’t mind and allowed it since Lisa was
done as a witness. Lisa told Daphne and She-Ra both that she hoped that
her testimony for the defense would help the situation. Both Daphne and
She-Ra felt confident that it was good damage control. She-Ra wasn’t
upset with Lisa for saying that she doesn’t know her personally.
It was true. By the time She-Ra came onto the scene in the USCFL
in 1987, Lisa was still in the military and couldn’t watch the show
even if she wanted to. But Lisa only knows of She-Ra by observing her on
the field. But for Lisa, watching She-Ra’s show on videotape helped to
give Lisa a better understanding. Lisa left soon afterwards and said
that she would remain in the courtroom as a spectator and pray for a not
guilty verdict. END
OF CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER
13: THE DEFENSE CONTINUES ITS CASE
Over the course of two days, more witnesses testified on
Daphne’s and She-Ra’s behalf. The videotaped testimony delivered by
The Sorceress was objected to by the prosecution. Mr. Hardcastle claimed
that the Sorceress was some kind of weird circus performer because of
her being dressed in a “bird suit”. Mr. Fitzgerald pointed out to the Judge that the Sorceress is powerless away from The Crystal Coliseum and would have to take the form of a bird if she did go away which was why her testimony was videotap |