Regular bond hearings could potentially be a routine day but not in the bowels of our court system. Reality is often said to be better than fiction and today not even a marathon of SVU can beat this twist.
Valentine's Day is over, but the wearing of the green and every shade and variation of it has started a bit early. While the green defendant stands by her attorney on his bond motion to adjust the condition of her bond, I listen carefully. This one just might be a good one. The appearance alone made me take notice, usually it's only the preview of wackiness; today I am right.
Even the Defendant's nails were a bight limey frosted green specially planned and coordinated to wrongfully compliment her collage of green from head to toe including her green croc embossed pleather six inch stilettos with a gold heel. With that, a ruffled green eyelet skirt over a green leather mini and a green rabbit fur vest. Suddenly she starts addressing the court. I say addressing, but it was definitely ranting. She says, "This is interfering with my freedom and I have to be in Germany to perform. This is interfering with my ability to earn a living." The Judge asks her to explain and questions the German reference. She explains in her understanding but not his, "I am an entertainer and I go back and forth. I have to be able to go there." They go back and forth about need and necessity and the Judge is not buying it. He then hears from the government for their opposition and they are vehemently opposed to the motion. The Defendant starts going crazy. The Judge quiets her. The government asks to put on their witness and the Judge agrees to give them 30 minutes for a hearing at the end of the docket. The Defendant starts screaming her opposition, "You ain't got no withness. You be talking crazy cuz I know you aint got no witness." The motion is to be heard at the end of the docket. This one seems to be worth staying for.
The end of the docket approaches and I make sure to pop my head back in the courtroom. I have seen and heard the Defendant arguing with the attorney in the hallway. She claims the government must have a useless made up witness. I cannot figure out what the case is about but she seems rather firm and stubborn about it. I sit in the back of the courtroom wanting to listen to what on earth this reality Court episode holds.
The Judge starts the matter back on record. The Defendant's attorney makes his statement for the record. The government then tells the judge that they have three witnesses. The Defendant says, "Hell no, they said one. They can't change." The judge asks if it will take more time and is told no, it should be very brief. The Judge says, please call your first witness.
The first witness is an officer that takes the stand. He looks very young but well poised. He takes the stand and is asked a number or questions setting up the occurrence. He is then asked what he did when he got to the scene and he says, "I said somebody call 911." The government asked, "What?" He explained "As embarassing as it is, that is what I said. I had only been on the job three days and I had never seen anything like it in my life. " Then he explained that he realized he was 911. He went on to describe a horrific crime scene where a man was lying in a pool of blood with his innards being held in my the victim doubled over grasping himself in pain. He described the cut from stem to stern, how the paramedics arrived, then how he himself stepped out and became ill.
The second witness was another officer that was on scene describing the same. The defendant and her attorney were whispering to each other loud enough that I could hear the general jist of, "this is nothing that hurts you or connects you to this." The government then asks for a few minutes for the next witness. There is a slight pause and it is for the witness to come out of the witness room and walk into the court.
The next witness walks slowing into the court with two people on each side and a metal pole on wheels with an IV and colostomy bag attached. The Defendant was not looking, until the victim got closer to the stand. Then even I could not have seen this coming. The defendant stood up and squealed, "What the hell, I thought I killed you!" She turned into a rage of disbelief screaming and cursing in the court. The marshals stood behind her waiting for direction from the Judge. The last witness never had to take the stand and the bond modification was not granted, but instead the Defendant's bond was revoked.
