back at the courtroom full of strangers. Chris Ennis sat, arms folded over his chest and long legs extended beneath the seat in front of him. Therese, looking fragile, sat between her father and her mother, her posture upright, her eyes wary, as if she were a little bit intimidated by the courtroom. Joy had her arm draped protectively over the back of Therese’s chair. Alex had seen them come in quietly during Gathman’s presentation of the brief. ‘Amazing,’ she agreed. She doubted they were here in support of Dory, but Dory seemed so genuinely surprised. Alex didn’t want to spoil the moment for her.
‘Alex!’ Marisol hissed.
‘What?’ Alex asked, moving back to her seat.
‘Did you see the button Dory’s mother is wearing?’ Marisol asked indignantly. ‘What’s wrong with that woman? It’s lucky there’s no jury here to see that. It’s as if she is trying to sabotage us.’
‘I know. I saw it,’ said Alex. ‘And she’s sitting behind the prosecution table. But Dory is convinced that she came here to support her today.’
Marisol shook her head. ‘Talk about a blind spot.’
‘A lot of people showed up. That’s for sure,’ said Alex. She swept the courtroom with her gaze, and then her heart jumped as she recognized the familiar features of a dark-haired man at the back. He nodded at her.
‘Who’s that?’ Marisol asked, following her gaze. ‘He’s a hunk.’
‘Seth Paige. He’s a neighbor. Frankly, I’m surprised to see him here. I guess he’s curious about this dysfunctional family.’ But secretly, she was flattered that Seth had taken the time to come. ‘How long do you think we will have to wait?’ she whispered over the rail to Marisol.
‘Well, I can’t say for sure, but if he thought it was going to take all afternoon, he probably would have dismissed us. As it is, I think he’s going to rule pretty quickly. Let’s hope so.’
‘Right,’ said Alex. Dory glanced down in her direction, and Alex gave her a thumbs up. Dory nodded gravely.
‘Here he comes,’ Marisol whispered. ‘That was quick.’
Sure enough, the door beside the bank of flags opened and the judge strode in, glancing at no one and resuming his seat on the bench. A hush fell over the courtroom. Judge Nardone cleared his throat and looked out over the assembled spectators through his black-rimmed glasses. ‘I’m ready to rule on this case,’ he began. ‘There are times when it is in the best interests of a defendant to enter a guilty plea and avoid the risk of a jury trial. When a defendant pleads guilty, it is presumed that such plea agreement has been entered into with the sober advice of counsel, and it represents an informed decision on the part of the defendant reflecting their best interests. In this case the defendant was urged to accept a plea agreement, even though her attorney, who is now disbarred, made no attempt to represent her interests, conducted no investigation, and then assured her that he had. Defendants have a right to expect that their attorney will provide counsel. That is their right under the constitution. In this case, the defendant was deprived of that right.
‘The defendant is also entitled to a trial by a jury of her peers. If the defendant’s attorney had indeed been advocating on her behalf, he might have located this receipt, which was presented as evidence by Mr Gathman today, and used it in a jury trial to provide an alibi for his client. We will never know what the result might have been in such a trial, but it is fair to assume that, with this receipt entered into evidence, the defendant could reasonably have been found not guilty.
‘Thus, it is the decision of this court,’ he said, ‘that the defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel which influenced her decision to plead guilty. Her conviction and sentence are hereby set aside and this case is remanded to the fifth circuit court where it originated. The district attorney in that jurisdiction will have two weeks to decide whether or not to refile charges.’
Whoops and cries erupted in the courtroom, and the judge banged his gavel on the bench. Alex, who had been holding her breath, felt as if she had been struck by an electric shock. Marisol turned in her chair and they grasped hands for a moment. Then Alex looked at Dory. Her eyes were wide. She was staring at the judge as if she wasn’t sure she had heard correctly.
‘Order,’ the judge said sternly,