Chapter 626 - Stay in jail? (3)

10 June, Municipal Courthouse, City K

A couple of minutes later Bronwyn heard the phone being hung up, and stood up before saying "Sir, what did the judge have to say?"

"She told me to inform you, the military have no jurisdiction here and therefore you are to get out of her courtroom.  Additionally, she said, if you refuse to leave, we are to have the police arrest you."

Based on John's few comments before she left him, she expected this.  But she had her orders, and said "That is fine, but as I am following orders if she has me arrested, I will immediately be requesting that the matter be transferred to the military courts."

The court security officer shrugged his shoulders and which his general presentation Bronwyn knew he was wishing her luck with this judge.  Bronwyn sat down in the row behind the prosecutors table and waited for everyone to file into the courtroom.  The last person to come into the courtroom before the judge and her key staff was Madam Mo, led in by two court security officers.

The moment that Madam Mo noticed her, she had a smile on her face that told Bronwyn she had a plan and that would include playing on her connection to Colonel Pang.  The military did not want to have to deal with her.

Less than two minutes later the balance of the court staff followed by the judge.  Bronwyn knew from the Judge's expression the moment she had been spotted because of the scowl that came across the judge's face.  As the judge sat down, she immediately said "Security, immediately remove that military officer from my courtroom.  She has no basis to be here."

Bronwyn stood up and firmly said "Madam, you may not want he here, but I am guessing that your defendant may want my presence here."

"You have no grounds to speak in my court.  No military officer does."

Restraining her reaction, Bronwyn calmly said "I am a military lawyer who also is licensed to practice in civilian courts.  I have every right to be in this courtroom, and I will remain.  But if I disrupt the proceedings without justification, you will not have to have me removed, I will leave on my own account, but I think the press will be more interested in this case, Madam, rather than hearing you argue with a lawyer."

A few laughs came from the press, and immediately Bronwyn knew that she had made her point to the judge and although she did not like it, she did not want the matter to become a spectacle in the press.

Bronwyn sat quietly as the initial formalities were gone through before she heard the judge say to the prosecution "I have read the preliminary material filed by both parties.  I will hear both parties, but I will tell the prosecution now, I agree with the defence position that the defendant should be released without any conditions and the restraining order is to be vacated. "

"Madam…" came the female prosecutor.

"You should know well enough, I hate interruptions when I am speaking, and this is your only warning.  While I find it implausible that the events in the historical s*xual offences charges occurred, the suggestion in the defence submissions that the charges should be dismissed is something that I cannot agree with at this stage.  But I will warn you, you need more evidence than what you have outlined and unless it presented soon, I will dismiss them and order each person who has made a statement to pay compensation."

"Further, as to the restraining order matter, clearly it is a situation where there is a small dispute between a mother and teenage daughter.  A courtroom is not the place for such a dispute, but as another judge granted the order, I must deal with it.  But I do not see it as so serious that it requires detention until it is dealt with, and that the order is not needed."

Looking directly at the prosecution team, she added "You have your opportunity to convince me that I should change my position."

As the female prosecution lawyer stood up, Bronwyn noticed that she was prepared for this, and said "Madam, as to the restraining order there are two components to the charges.  There is the contact and telephone calls and then the incident at the Mall.  The latter is straightforward, and as you note from the summary of evidence, we have multiple witness statements and the CCTV footage.  The breaching action is that the defendant, after seeing the victim, remained within the specified distance, without taking any effort to move away.  As to the contact and telephone calls…"

"There is no need to summarise what is in your preliminary evidence disclosure.  Get on with it, or I will dismiss everything and throw out the restraining order as well."

Without blinking the female prosecution lawyer said "As I was about to say, we have a police witness who will give evidence as to the impacts of the final telephone call in a series of harassment of the victim.  He is a friend of the victim's husband and was at their home with his girlfriend a lawyer to talk through the victim's options to deal with the matter and heard her abuse."

Bronwyn noticed in that moment; Madam Mo shrank slightly in her seat and her defence team were surprised with.  Her lawyers quickly got over their shock, before the lead lawyer stood to his feet and said, "That is totally inappropriate witness to call, because the officer in question has his own agenda to make himself a more credible person, given the fabrication of a statement that he has made against our client in the historical matters."

Before the judge could respond, the female prosecutor said "We also have his girlfriend, to give evidence.  And before the defence say a thing, her career would be over if she lied in court as a lawyer, so she has to be considered an appropriate witness to hear about the situation."

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