#criminal injustice system

[ytcomments-archive]

#oj simpson #youtube comments #nicole brown simpson #police #oj: made in america #fd signifier #twitter #rich people #black people #lapd #criminal injustice system

[jollyrebelwinner]

#england #english #britain #british #criminal #justice #system #injustice #free speech #freedom of speech #1a

[alwaysbewoke]

#Kalief Browder #Trump #criminal justice system #solitary confinement #racial disparities #injustice #systemic racism #racism #discrimination #racial inequality #social justice #civil rights #racial bias #racial prejudice #racial discrimination #racial justice

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The top judge of New Brunswick's Court of King's Bench offered her "sincere apology" on Friday to two men who served lengthy prison sentences for a 1983 murder they didn't commit. Chief Justice Tracey DeWare said the justice system failed Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie, who were convicted in 1984 of second-degree murder and received life sentences in the killing of George Gilman Leeman in Saint John, N.B. The federal justice minister overturned those convictions last month and ordered a new trial. "I wish to thank Mr. Mailman and Mr. Gillespie for their perseverance, while acknowledging this recognition is little comfort for the decades they spent under the shadow of this murder conviction," DeWare wrote. Her four-page decision came a day after the Crown announced it would not enter evidence in a new trial and she found the men not guilty.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #nova scotia #criminal justice #judicial system #injustice #police #acab #false conviction

[comehithercornking]

People are sometimes so quick to forgive historical figures with the argument of them being a “product of their times” and saying we know better now. So like. Where are the people who know better now? They certainly aren’t in our governments, because if we knew better Israel wouldn’t be committing genocide with the support of multiple world leaders. This is no different from the displacement and genocide of the Native American people, the Inuit, the Aboriginal Australians—I could literally go on and on. The only difference between us and our ancestors is that our weapons of mass destruction are more effective.

#free palestine #palestine #don’t stop talking about palestine #how can you look someone inn the eyes and say you’re different while allowing genocide #there is nothing I hate more than hypocrisy #not to mention the current criminalization of peaceful protests across college campuses #when did free speech and the right to assemble become conditional upon politics? #one would think the purpose of free speech would be to grant people the ability to speak out against injustices #and a corrupt political system #funny how ‘free speech’ is so lauded and defended when someone is committing hate speech #but the second someone thinks a little too critically about governmental actions they’re branded unconstitutional and can be detained #it’s not free speech if criticizing a governmental body is criminalized while bigotry and oppression is given free range

[intersectionalpraxis]

Isn't it important to encourage Americans to vote for Jill Stein?

https://www.jillstein2024.com/pledgetostopgenocide

I hope calling for an immediate ceasefire, ending the blockade, and making the IOF accountable for their genocide and war crimes against Palestinian people isn't just political lip service. This is the first time I'm hearing of Jill Stein, and I'm cautiously optimistic but wary about any politician who promises something as huge as this -especially since US imperialism has a long history of supporting the settler-colonial state of Israel (and I'm not saying Jill Stein is someone to be wary of -I just found out about her, but I'd say look for more transparency about their campaigning promises). For folks interested in learning more about this candidate, the website:

Let's hope more politicians (like Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia too) who want to take on leadership roles, will create these major systemic changes -it's beyond long overdue.

#feminist #feminism #social justice #free palestine #palestine #current events #settler violence #settler colonialism #us imperialism #us politics #us voting #green party #socialist party #us news #jill stein #systemic oppression #systemic injustice #israel is a war criminal #current news #politics

[ladymazzy]

My blind son was jailed for being at the scene of a murder. Halt this tide of joint enterprise convictions

From the article;

'Jordan had an eye condition called keratoconus that was so severe he was scheduled for transplant surgery in both eyes. Given that my son could not have seen the altercation, or run away from it, and did not come into contact with the victim, I assumed it was a no-brainer that he would be let off.

The prosecutor, Michael Chambers QC, thought differently. He wanted all five of the boys who had been charged to be prosecuted under joint enterprise, a 300-year-old common law doctrine, which was controversially brought back into use under the guise of prosecuting gang violence. Instead, it has led to innocent people – many young, working-class and black and minority ethnic boys – facing mandatory life sentences for crimes committed by others, as was the case for Jordan and so many others like him.'

#uk criminal justice #legal system #joint enterprise convictions #injustice #crown prosecution service #uk politics #guardian articles

[bpd00m]

ableism in the "justice" system: the institutional killing of disabled individuals

we need to have a conversation about the state of georgia's "justice" system, disabled individuals, and the death penalty.

first off, how does intellectual disability determination work in georgia? the georgia department of education defines intellectual disability as:

significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning (approximately 70 or below as measured by a qualified psychological examiner)

existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior that adversely affects educational performance

originates before age 18

(continued) intellectual disability does not include conditions primarily due to sensory or physical impairment, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, severe multiple impairments, cultural influences, or a history of inconsistent and/or inadequate educational programming.

the above criteria was directly copied & pasted from the georgia department of education's eligibility determination and categories of eligibility guide.

georgia is the only state in the country that requires defendants to prove intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt. oddly enough, the state hasn't had a single finding of intellectual disability at a trial regarding capital murder in approximately three decades- coincidentally the same time the law was passed.

this requirement is beyond ableist, cruel, and ultimately unattainable. this law ensures and seals the execution of intellectually disabled individuals.

the US supreme court ruled that intellectually disabled individuals should be exempt from execution as it would infringe upon their eighth amendment rights. the eight amendment prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment.

surprisingly, georgia became the first state to ban the execution of intellectually disabled individuals in 1988. even though that may seem progressive, the state has proven time after time that it is anything but.

the following is a list of some of the disabled individuals the state of georgia has executed.

jerome bowden: accused of robbing and murdering a 55yo woman and beating her bedridden mother at 24 years old. a 16yo boy told local authorities bowden played a part in the crime. when bowden heard from his sister, josephine, that the police had come looking for him, he went to them so he could try and help. they confronted him & he denied having anything to do with it. eventually, he broke down and confessed and signed a written statement. there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime- but there was evidence that incriminated the 16yo boy. he struggled to find an answer when later asked why he signed the confession. he was also asked if he read his confession, to which he replied "i tried." he was given an IQ test and scored 65. he was reportedly proud of his score and told his lawyers he tried the best he could. according to his lawyers, he did not fully grasp the concept of death but told them he was scared he was "going off to live on a little cloud." he was executed by electric chair june 24, 1986 at just 34 years old. in his last words, he thanked the people at the institution for taking care of him.

rodney young: in 2008, he drove from new jersey to atlanta and killed the 28yo son of his former girlfriend. young was a high school football star but struggled academically. he reportedly scored a 440 out of 1600 on the SAT. when he took the test, students got 200 points for filling their names out on each section. his lawyers fought hard and found several of young's teachers from high school to testify his disability emerged before he turned 18. one of his teachers testified that he underwent regular testing and assessment while in the school's special education program- as well as being assigned a psychologist, learning disabilities councillor, and social worker that met with his teachers every year to discuss his qualifications. the prosecution, led by layla zon, based their entire argument on how young could read and write, watch crime tv shows, and work at a factory by putting labels on cans- which, according to her, proved that he was of average intelligence. he was convicted on all charges and sentenced to death in 2012. his team petitioned the US supreme court to review the rule. i believe on february 28 2022 the court denied.

warren lee hill: in 1990 he was serving a life sentence for the fatal shooting of a former girlfriend when he killed a fellow inmate and was tried in 1991- but his lawyers failed to mention intellectual disability. this subject was raised in state habeas and seven experts testified at the evidentiary hearing. hill's four testified that he met the criteria while the state's three did not. the court sentenced him to death in 2002. less than a month later the US supreme court ruled that the execution of intellectually disabled individuals is a violation of the eighth amendment (atkins v virginia). he requested reconsideration once more & the habeas court agreed. the court found that he was intellectually disabled and granted him relief. the georgia supreme court reversed the decision on appeal and decided that atkins v virginia did not change the original finding. he was sentenced to death again. the state's three experts that decided hill did not meet the criteria changed their minds, meaning all seven experts agreed hill met the criteria and should thus be exempt. but the court decided that the new evidence was too late in 2013. he was executed via lethal injection on the 27th of january, 2015.

robert wayne holsey: convicted and sentenced to death in 1997 for the armed robbery of a convenience store and the death of a county sheriff's deputy. his lawyer, andy prince, chose not to present defence based on his disability, never presented evidence from a retained psychologist, drank a quart of vodka each night of holsey's trial, brought in an inexperienced attorney to handle mitigation the night before the penalty phase, was given $3,500 USD by the state to hire a mitigation specialist but decided not to. prince had also stolen $100,000 from a client & was arrested after threatening to shoot his neighbours yet he was still personally chosen by a judge to represent holsey. prince was later disbarred, sentenced to 10 years, and testified he shouldn't have represented holsey to begin with. holsey was executed by lethal injection on the 9th of december, 2014.

all four of these men were disabled and black (which is not a coincidence, disabled individuals executed in ga have been predominantly black). all four of these men were executed because of some backwards loophole that ensured their death- and will ensure more in the future. unless something is done, the state of georgia will only continue the capital killing of disabled individuals. this is just a ripple in an ocean of injustices that have and continue to occur in this state.

#disabled #intellectual disability #georgia #atlanta #injustice #death penalty #capital punishment #innocent until proven guilty #ableism #ableist #ableist bullshit #acab #all cops are bastards #justice #justice system #crime #criminal justice #us court #makes no sense #atkins v virginia #social justice #blm #black lives matter #eugenics #law and legal system #systematic failure #usa #america

[remembertheplunge]

Continued from 4/17/2023 post

4/10/23. Monday. 8:53pm

Kind of a magical day…a total “the mysteries plan” type day (The Intuit Indians say there are two plans everyday. Your plan and the mystery’s plan). Jury duty morphed into a possible 3 week trial experience on a different case later this week! Although, the chances of me being chosen are less than infintesimal. In Department 6, three jurors told profound criminal justice system failure stories.Two said they could not be fair in a case where police officers testified. The third through her eyes welling with tears, said “police killed my son or brother after a high speed chase in Oakland. The judge asked her if she could be fair in the this trial in light of what happened to her son/brother? The woman, still very emotional, said yes. In saying yes, she screamed out “The system is NOT working!” The three potential jurors collectively pointed to a total systems failure. Shortly thereafter, we were asked to return to the jury assembly room, where we learned that the case settled.

The jury selection in Department 6 became a  trial  of the  criminal justice system. The system was convicted of being broken. Useless. We potential jurors shared an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge (The jury instruction definition of reasonable doubt).

First warm day in an ice age. Really warm. After leaving jury land, I treadmilled at Valley Gym for 36 minutes. It helped me to process the huge  Department 6 experience.  On the way home, at Palendale and Mc Henery, a major intersection, I stopped for the red light. Near my car was a homeless man and his dog,. He was “flying a sign” (a term the homeless use when they create a sign asking for help and stand by the roadway). I gave him $5 and two bottles of sparkling water. And, as I sat there waiting for the light to change, he drank. He drank in the heat. And, as he drank, I was healed. He healed me. It was the perfect gesture “at” …….”.At”  the callus hardness of the court house experience today. The homeless man, a white male maybe 35 years old, was blackened from sleeping outside. It’s been a brutal, cold ,wet, long stretch out there. But, today, it was warm and he and his dog now had water.

End of entry

Notes. 4/13/2023

I was back for the second trial toady as a potential juror. Got seated in the jury box right away. But, the judge said the parties had decided to excuse me in light of the fact that I knew the judge, the DA and one of the defense lawyers in the case.  

Returning to the jury assembly room to be sure I was released from jury duty, I ran int the Da from Monday’s trial in Department 6. He said “that was the worst jury selection experience that he had ever had.”  He was referring to what the 3 potential jurors said about not being able to be fair. He is a seasoned trial attorney. He has probably picked countless juries, including the one in my last jury trial. He was the Da in that case. If he was blown away by what happened April 10 in Department 6, then it just underscored the fact that people are seeing the police as being out of control and they have lost faith in the courts to ensure justice.  The Da told me that the reason we were asked to leave the court room was because that, after the 3 jurors spoke,  the defendant told his lawyer that he wanted to represent himself.  The Da said , if I heard him right that the case involved the defendant hitting some cars with his car and then getting involved in a 100 mile an hour chase by the police. The defendant apparently has psychiatric issues. He ended up pleading for 2 years in prison I think the Da said.

But, it’s possible that what the 3 jurors said sparked the defendant to want to represent himself. It may have cause him to lose faith in the system, including his lawyer.

The Da asked me today if any other jurors from department 6 on Monday were in the jury pool today for the second trial. I said yes. I think that he was concerned that what the Department 6 jurors heard on Monday could impact their ability to be fair in the second trial. The 3 department 6 jurors were that powerful because they spoke the truth about the way the world is now.

The Da said he checked out the facts re: the juror who said her son was wrongfully convicted. It was true. Her son was accused of murder in a gang case. The only thing connecting him to the killing was that a green van was involved that he sometimes drove. But, at that time of his trial, the jury could hear evidence to prove that a gang existed. The jury heard a few hours of facts about unrelated gang crimes. The Da said that is why he was convicted. The laws have changed. I believe now, The gang evidence is heard only after a person is concvicted. That is why his conviction was overturned. His mother, one of the Department 6 jurors who spoke, was right in saying she did not now believe in the system.

#4/13/2023 #journaling #criminal justice system #homelessness #injustice in court

[thatstormygeek]

I'm sure Fox News calling BLM protests riots has nothing to do with this. The Conservative Mediasphere has people convinced cities were burned to the ground in 2020.

I'm sure corporate media's credulous reporting on the retail industry's lies about shoplifting has nothing to do with this. I've been told about the "smash and grab gangs" more than once.

I'm sure the drumbeat of bullshit surrounding what "defund the police" meant has nothing to do with this. When liberals deepthroat the boot as hard as conservatives, there's no reaching them.

A rising tide of fascism is threatening the US along with the rest of the fucking planet, but yeah. Let's recriminalize some drugs and reclassify some crimes from misdemeanors to felonies. That will fix EVERYTHING.

#us politics #this is my brain on life #criminally injustice system #image described in alt

[carriesthewind]

Thank you for your detailed post about the US SOR list. It’s a subject that I had never given much thought to, but now I’m going to do a bit more research on the topic. Thanks for putting up with all the vitriol to put good, nuanced information out there.

(Slowly answering old asks)

You are welcome! It's a tough subject for a number of reasons, not least because 1) the US sex offender registry is presented as a needed solution to a real problem (how to protect people from sexual assault); 2) defending the human rights of sex offenders is never a popular stance (for extremely obvious and sympathetic reasons) and; 3) there is a very long and very real history (and present) of society, legal systems, and systems of power favoring and prioritizing sexual abusers over sexual abuse victims. (Also, like many criminal legal solutions, it is difficult to scientifically study its actual effects.)

(I do want to make clear though: while I got a couple nasty messages, there was never a ton of hate and most of the messages were thoughtful and/or supportive. And to the extent that I did get hate, it really genuinely did not bother me.)

#sex offender registries #the criminal injustice system #ask #anonymous

[gwydionmisha]

#Los Angeles #Trans Activist #Police Criminals #Injustice System #News

[theerurishipper]

Actually Batman shouldn't kill. The reason he doesn't kill is because he believes wholeheartedly in the good in humanity and the sacred value of all life. His belief in rehabilitation and second chances is meant to put him in contrast with the corruption in Gotham, both with regard to the corrupt justice system/police force and the criminals, who all take lives with no regard for its value. Being surrounded by such fatal violence and corruption on a systemic level and even being affected by it on a personal level, and yet finding the strength to not only rise beyond it, but to fight for a way to fix and save the very cause of such unfathomable pain is what defines the character of Batman. Batman is about protecting the innocent and fighting against injustice so that what happened to him never happens to anyone else. Batman is about breaking the cycle of killing and rising beyond it to become a beacon of hope for a better future. Batman killing and taking justice into his own hands is literally the antithesis to his character. If your Batman kills, then he is not Batman.

#What part of killing makes you no better than the ones you are fighting do some people not get #He believes in rehabilitation not punishment #That trait is fundamental to his character and if you take it away you take away what makes Batman Batman #I'm sure everyone knows the “punisher in a funny hat” quote so please remember that again #DC #DCU #Bruce Wayne #Batman #Batfamily #Batfam #Meta #My meta #DC Comics

[absynthe--minded]

The thing about every modern Sherlock Holmes story is that it doesn’t understand that “disdain for the existing criminal justice system” is not only a fundamental part of the themes of the ACD stories it’s vital to making the whole concept work.

Holmes, when we first meet him, is on the bleeding edge of forensics for the 1880s, and this continues on into the ‘90s (the planted thumbprint in ‘The Norwood Builder’! the Sherlock Holmes test for hemoglobin in A Study in Scarlet! the use of pigs as substitute cadavers in ‘Black Peter’!) and beyond. He’s flippant about and disrespectful toward the police because he knows how criminology is a science and forensics matter and the cold hard facts are significantly more important than intimidating witnesses to extract coerced confessions, or deciding on a theory and bending the facts to make them fit, or relying on racist stereotypes to explain how people act and who’s most guilty (all things that really happen in the canon, btw). He’s smarter than everyone else because he’s doing things no one else understands yet, he’s made a study of crime and he understands how and why policing is a flawed institution.

This is why he’s not a cop, only occasionally allied with cops, and so often complaining or explaining that a moral injustice and a legal one are two different things. There are multiple antagonists (Sir George in ‘The Beryl Coronet’, Charles Augustus Milverton, Dr. Roylott, the parents in ‘A Case of Identity’) who he can’t catch in the jaws of the law but wishes he could, and at least one criminal he overlooks because he knows prison would only force them deeper into crime.

But. But.

In the 21st century, forensics are not only the backbone of police investigation they’re common knowledge to any average police procedural enjoyer or true crime fan. Holmes’s once-cutting-edge chemistry and geology are passé and ordinary now. If he’s going to be smart, he’s got to be looking ahead.

And what does that look like? It looks like knowing about the flaws in forensic analysis, like knowing about fingerprints maybe not being totally unique, like arguing over DNA evidence being misinterpreted and innocent people being sentenced for crimes they didn’t commit, like calling for the defunding and dissembling of police forces, like siding with the underclasses every. single. time.

Holmes shouldn’t be working with the cops, he should be trying to destroy them, and fighting to prove why they’re obsolete with science and quick thinking and research. Not doing that is spitting in the face of his roots and missing the whole point of what he’s working for.

#sherlock holmes

[robertreich]

5 Crises Republicans Made up to Distract You

Here are five totally made-up “crises” Republicans have invented to distract from the real crises facing Americans today: the growing concentration of wealth, the worsening climate crisis, and the undermining of our democracy.

Fake crisis #1:  Anything they claim is “woke.”

Although Republicans struggle to define what “woke” even means, they’re constantly using it as a weapon to combat anything that seeks to foster tolerance and acceptance.

Pride flags? Woke!

Books about Rosa Parks? Woke!

Green M&M’s? The wokest!

Fortunately, most Americans think being informed and aware of social injustice…which is what being “woke” really means... is a good thing.

Fake crisis #2: The panic over trans people.

Trans people just want the right to exist safely as their true selves, like everyone else. And despite the lies spewed by some Republicans, there’s not a shred of evidence that they are a threat to anyone. But they’ve become easy scapegoats for the GOP, who vilify them and threaten to criminalize their very existence.

Fake crisis #3: Critical race theory

In reality, critical race theory is mostly taught in universities — like quantum physics or philosophy. It's really not taught in K-12, nor is it dangerous.

It’s merely a framework to understand the role that race and racism have played in shaping America’s laws and institutions. But Republicans have deliberately turned this obscure academic phrase into a weapon to silence any discussion of race they don't like.

Unfortunately, this includes teaching many basic historical facts.

Fake crisis #4: “Couch potatoes.”

Republicans are whipping up anger over welfare recipients supposedly abusing the system.

The reality is most people who collect benefits already hold jobs and work exceedingly hard.

Like Ronald Reagan’s claim about so-called “welfare queens”, the “couch potato” myth is a cruel racial dog whistle. In fact, the vast majority of Americans who receive government benefits are white.

We should be asking why so many jobs pay such low wages that workers need government help to get by?

Fake crisis #5: “Out of control government spending.”

Another lie. Apart from mandatory spending like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, government spending has actually fallen more than 30% in the past 50 years as a percentage of our total economy.

[9.6% in 1973  vs. 6.6% in 2022, a decrease of  31.25%]

Yes, the national debt is a problem, but in recent years, among its biggest drivers have been the Bush and Trump tax cuts, which have added nearly $10 trillion to the debt since their enactment.

All five of these so-called crises have been manufactured by the GOP. They’re entirely made up.

Why? To deflect attention from the near record share of the nation’s income and wealth now going to the richest Americans.

As the wealthy pour money into politics — largely into the GOP — they don’t want the rest of America to notice they’re rigging the economy for their own benefit, that their greed is worsening the climate crisis, and they’re undermining our democracy.

So the game of the Republican Party and their major donors is to deflect attention — to use fake crises to disguise what’s really going on.

Don’t let them get away with it.

#youtube #videos #video #politics #Republican #Trump #Taxes #government

[fkinavocado]

put a price on emotion

The Honourable Judge Styles has a dark secret. He prides himself on being notorious for his cutthroat sense of justice. But is he really any better than the ones he imprisons? Or is he a victim much like the ones he acquits?

Put a price on emotion - Masterlist, Author's Notes & Warnings / alternatively, read on wattpad

Prologue (word count: 1.1k)

“All rise. The court is now in session. Honourable Judge Styles presiding. Please be seated.”

The imposing man nodded to the bailiff and the other members of the courtroom as he took his seat at the bench. “Thank you, you may all be seated. Call the case.”

“Your honour, criminal case number 23234- People of Chicago, Illinois versus Grace Gwyneth Cohen for homicide.”

The judge did a quick scan of the courtroom as he opened up his notebook for his case notes, and landed his gaze on the defendant. She’d waived her right to a jury trial, which didn’t make any sense to him. It made much more sense for her to want a jury trial. Her chances of convincing that many more people of her innocence were exponentially higher than persuading the state’s notoriously cutthroat judge. 

The man usually presided over hung jury cases. It was his expertise, mostly because he was known for being just and, yes, cutthroat. In all the cases he’d presided over, not once did he have even a shadow of a doubt over who was in the wrong. He’d always served justice, he was sure of it, and as much as he’d have liked to have his innate judge of character take all the credit for it, he had to admit he’d not been this attuned before. 

It was hard to tell anymore, mainly because, well, it had been such a long time since… before. If anything, he could attest that he’d always had an affinity towards justice, doing the right thing, advocating for the right cause, but now, well, he could read right through the bullshit.

He could read people like open books. 

As could all vampires.

So, really, it was nothing special. What was special, though, was that not all vampires chose to put these sharpened abilities to good use. The fact that he’d chosen to do so was still something mind boggling to his… community. But Harry couldn’t fathom just doing nothing for all eternity, like they did. Sure, after a couple hundred years everyone kinda gets tired of trying to spruce things up. But he’d done it all- tried everything in the book- and at one point, you just need to try and give your existence meaning. And this, judging, was a way he could put his abilities to good use, in a meaningful way, giving him a sense of purpose.

And that was pretty valuable when you were immortal. 

And besides, he couldn’t lie; the added bonus of making humans squirm- particularly those that deserved to be crushed by the law- under his gavel, albeit metaphorically, was quite thrilling. 

But most of all, he enjoyed ensuring a bit of balance in this unfair world- the world that chose this existence for him. He’d not chosen this for himself, after all. He was a victim. He’d suffered a great injustice, maybe the biggest of them all- he’d been robbed of his right of living a normal life. He’d been forced into immortality, and there was nothing he could do about it. No one to turn to, no one to give him justice. There simply wasn’t any. And that had always bothered him deeply.

Sure, they had a system. The vampire that had turned him did suffer some consequences. But, really, there wasn’t much you could do to an immortal being to make them really repent. It wasn’t like they were going to be put away for “life”. You couldn’t exactly incarcerate someone for all eternity. The prospect of a death penalty was more of a treat than a threat to most vampires. And so, outside of being ostracised by their community, which ensured an even lonelier existence, there wasn’t much else a vampire could fear in this afterlife. Most of them stayed within lines and regulations just so they wouldn’t have to face the rest of eternity alone, be it as it may in a state of the art manor and not some dingy prison cell.

So what had made this young woman waive her jury trial? Had she not heard of his reputation? Looking at her, he recognized she was an outspoken person, a very headstrong personality, from the way she didn’t seem to pay any attention to her lawyer.

He recognized the defence attorney. He was someone the state had provided the young woman with, so he wasn’t her own choice. Their body language told him all he needed to know. She was not going to heed her council’s advice. He wondered if the man knew it too, but if he had to guess he’d say he was suspicious of it at the very least.

This was going to be tricky, Harry thought to himself as he narrowed his gaze and decided to proceed.

“Is the accused in court?”

“Yes, your honour,” the bailiff announced.

“Alright, arraign the accused.”

The young woman was brought to the defence panel, the bailiff addressing her “You are the accused in the trial number 23234 entitled People of Chicago, Illinois versus Grace Gwyneth Cohen, and the information charges you of the crime of homicide committed as follows: that on the night of 27 of July, current year, in Chicago, Illinois, the above named accused, with intent to kill, did then and there, wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously attack, assault and employ personal violence upon the person of one Silvian Montgomery, by then and there stabbing him with a sharp silver switchblade on the right portion of his torso, thereby inflicting upon him a serious and mortal wound which was the direct and immediate cause of his untimely death as per the autopsy report conducted by the state appointed pathologist. Contrary to law. What is your plea?”

“Not guilty.”

“You will address the bench in doing so.”

The young woman cleared her throat and turned to face the judge who was watching her intently. She took a quick breath, meeting his icy glaze. “Not guilty, your honour.”

“The accused enters the plea of not guilty, your honour.”

The young woman rolled her eyes ever so slightly, muttering something about how she’d literally just said that. And she’d been subtle about it, but Harry was extremely observant. And his preternatural hearing capabilities didn’t hurt, either.

But he was willing to let it slide, because, well, he had an affinity for innocent people.

It felt a bit like cheating, this whole ordeal, a feeling he wasn’t accustomed to. Because he was about to preside over a case knowing the outcome from head start. He knew what his verdict would be. He knew before he’d even been assigned the trial.

Not guilty.

Chapter 1

A/N: well, well well. the day has finally come. i've been planning on this fic for over a year now! i was going to post the epilogue for halloween, but life got in the way. in a way i'm glad i didn't because, well, this isn't just another vampire fic to me. it's so much more than that. it's smutty (of course), it's angsty (duh, it's me), but honestly... for a guy whose heart stopped beating a long time ago Harry sure doesn't act like it. and as for the original main character this time around, Grace... well, we'll just have to discover her alongside Harry, won't we ❤️

beta'd by the lovely @adorebeaa ❤️

special bday gift for @freedomfireflies ❤️ btw the name i chose for the mc is coincidental 😅

💕 like & reblog if you’re enjoying this, lovelies, and most importantly, please come share your thoughts on it here 💌

🧛follow me on wattpad to get notified whenever i post something new/update!🧑‍⚖️

#harry styles smut #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fic #harry styles vampire #vamprry #judgerry #vampirerry #harry styles writing #harry styles judge #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles imagine #fanfiction #fanfic #harry styles #fkinavocado #prologue #put a price on emotion