Chapter 18: Law and order

Alice's employer had suspended her, pending the outcome of the lawsuit. If she were found guilty then she'd be fired, otherwise, since her reputation was already destroyed due to all the rumors, she'd be generously compensated and laid off. In that event she'd also have the option to sue the Richards for damaging her reputation and get compensation from them, but everybody realized that the likelihood for that was close to zero.

It'd require more than a miracle to have the judge find her not guilty. Alice was at least glad that the school still paid her income until, she had to appear for the court.

As Mrs. Lewis had suggested, she had resigned herself in her likely destiny and taken her precautions accordingly.

Mentally she was still very unstable, she missed John a lot and knowing that he was so close, yet unreachable due to the restraining order, made her feel very miserable. It wasn't uncommon that she broke out crying at any given moment of the day. The smallest thing could set her off, a picture that reminded her of him, a woman kissing her loved one on TV, or even just being in her bedroom, where she had spent so many pleasurable moments with him...

It all seemed like it was in a different life now.

John had managed to contact her through e-mail and Alice had desperately wanted to respond, but she knew it was a risk she couldn't take. If anybody found out about that she violated her restraining order, she'd lose her bail and she really needed that money.

She did really appreciate his e-mail though; it was fair to say that it saved her life. Alice had become suicidal, but reading that John still loved her, and explained her how he had been forced by his mother and the police officer to testify, had helped her a lot. He wrote how they had drawn every detail out of him, but he had constantly stressed how he took the blame for many of the things they had done, hoping that she'd get a lighter sentence that way.

He really missed her and wished that he could spend time with her. He promised to send her letters if she were really sent to jail and how they could still be together after she got out. His e-mail had meant the world to her and it was what pulled her through the weeks, waiting for the lawsuit.

The day of the lawsuit finally arrived and Alice felt combative. She may have lost almost everything she cared about, but she was determined to make it through this dark period of her life and after that she could still be together with John. She was really clinging on to the words in his e-mail, even though she hadn't received any other e-mails from him afterward.

I guess Anna found out about him and probably prevented him from sending more messages ... That has to be it! John wouldn't stop for any other reasons. That bitch, trying to keep true love apart ... Well, if she wants a fight in court then she can get one too! I might get sent to prison, but this isn't the last she's gonna hear from me.

The taxi Alice had called arrived right on time. In preparation for what was to come, Alice had not only sold her house, but also her car, most of her furniture and pretty much everything else except a few items with sentimental value and her camping gear. She had too many good memories from their hiking trip to separate from that. Not to mention, one of the first things she planned, after she got out of prison, was to go on a long hike through the nature reserve, in which she had spent so many wonderful moments with John. She'd revisit every place they'd have been and she hoped that she could take John with her again.

The taxi dropped her off before the courthouse and confidently she walked up the stairs, where Mrs. Lewis was already waiting for her.

She wasn't the cheapest attorney, but she was definitely one of the best. She had consoled Alice a lot these past few weeks, helping her take care of a lot of details and generally giving her good advice. Getting rid of her house on such a short term had been the hardest part, both financially and emotionally. However, Alice had already decided that even if a miracle happened and the judge let her go, that she'd move to a different city and build up a new life there. After John turned eighteen, she hoped to include him too, but those details would have to wait till later.

Several people were already in the courtroom, waiting her to appear. Alice walked confidently, with her head held high, down the path. She recognized several of the people in the audience as colleagues from school, or neighbors that were interested.

She also saw John, Anna and Harry sit behind the prosecutor. She offered John a weak smile when he looked at her, but after a poke from Anna he lowered his eyes demurely again, staring at the ground. All three of them were wearing their Sunday best, Harry and John were wearing a black suit and Anna an expensive dress, which she normally only wore when going to church.

Alice found it hard to read John's face, it'd been the first time that she saw him in weeks and he hadn't smiled back at her, when he saw her.

He's probably oppressed by Anna. She really should open her eyes and see that he's no longer a boy, but a man, who is capable to take care of his own business and decide for himself who he wants to love, Alice thought, with much frustration.

Mrs. Lewis guided her to their seats and prepared her papers and everything else she needed, to properly defend Alice.

A few minutes later the bailiff announced, "All rise for Judge Henderson."

A relatively young woman walked graciously to the big desk and seated herself behind it. Alice guessed her to be somewhere between forty-two and forty-eight, it was hard to tell her exact age.

"You may all be seated," the woman announced with rich, authoritative voice.

With that the session was opened and Judge Henderson introduced the charges and what the lawsuit was about, after which she handed the word over to the prosecutor, Mister Russel, who started his case. Alice was mostly silent through it all, listening interestedly at what everybody had to say about her, John, their relationship and how things should proceed from here. Anna was called in front to have her say about how she suspected something had happened during John's and Alice's vacation and Harry was also asked to give his view of what happened.

After going through all the evidence about whether or not Alice was guilty, Judge Henderson asked, "How does the defense plead, guilty or not guilty?"

Mrs. Lewis stood up and announced, "Guilty, Your Honor."

"Very well, then let's move on to establishing the punishment. Mister Russel, I understood that you have a psychological report?"

"Yes Your Honor, I'd like to call Mrs. Coleman in front as a witness, she is the author of the report."

Mrs. Coleman sat behind the prosecution and stood up to take her place in the witness stand.

After her oath was taken the prosecutor asked her, "Mrs. Coleman, we have heard several facts so far today that proved that Miss Evans is indeed guilty of having sex with a minor and therefore is considered a sex offender."

Alice flinched when she heard those words, she had heard them several times already these past few weeks, but that still didn't make it any easier.

I'm not a sex offender, loving somebody should never be an offensive! she thought vehemently.

"Is the boy, in your professional judgment, hurt by the relationship he had with his teacher?" the prosecutor asked, with a passionate tone of voice.

The look of disgust he gave Alice was clear in his face, but Alice only gave him a determined glance back, the fury clear in her eyes. The prosecutor frowned, not expecting this woman to be defiant till the last.

"I have carefully analyzed the boy and counseled him on several occasions. Every time I spoke to him he made it very clear that he was largely responsible for the turn their relationship took," Mrs. Coleman stated.

"John!" a stifled gasp from Anna sounded through the courtroom.

John flinched slightly, but instead of looking at his mother, he studiously aimed his gaze at the floor.

"I have talked with Miss Evans and John alike and my findings are that John genuinely thinks this, I have not found any evidence that Miss Evans influenced or manipulated him in any way to say this. I've also analyzed his situation and mental well-being, but I can only conclude that he wasn't mentally damaged by Miss Evans' actions. Of course it's still to early to say what the long term consequences are, but I don't think that John will be traumatized by this. The only trauma he suffered was after they got caught and received his mother's severe admonishments."

The prosecutor hadn't really expected this and was slightly taken aback. Trying a different, tact he next asked, "Does this mean that the boy loves her? What if they are separated long term?"

Why does he keep calling John a boy? He's not a boy! He's a man!

"From what I can conclude John confused lust with love. He lusted after her, but I don't get the impression that he was after a life time commitment, if that's what you were asking."

Alice really had to bite her tongue at that comment, That can't be true ... He must love me. Hmm ... John is very smart, did he manage to influence Mrs. Coleman, so that I would get a lighter sentence and I'm able to get out of jail faster? We did actually talk a few months ago about this situation and what might happen if we got caught ... John knows that they won't sentence him, but that his mental well-being will have a big influence on the final verdict...

"Hmm..." the prosecutor didn't sound too pleased, he seemed intend on getting Alice locked away as long as possible.

After he gathered his thoughts for a moment, he tried yet another trick, "In your evaluation you say that she's mentally unstable, can you explain this further?"

"Yes, certainly. It's very obvious that Alice is deeply in love with John and cares much about him. I don't think she ever intended to hurt him at any level. She never gave him alcohol with the intention to get him drunk and take advantage of him, if anything it was the other way around. I do think that she can be declared to be in a state of diminished responsibility and I would personally recommend intensive counseling."

The prosecutor seemed frustrated by Mrs. Coleman's judgment and Alice was very glad that she had taken her attorney's advice to have her psychologically analyzed. It definitely seemed to work in her favor and she lightly squeezed Mrs. Lewis' hand to thank her.

"But what if she gets out of jail in say, ten years and encounters a new boy, wouldn't he fall victim to her then?"

"I deem the likelihood of her repeating the offenses to be extremely small. Miss Evans fell for John's personality, but she's not a pedophile. She doesn't lust after young men in general and until now she doesn't have a criminal record either that would suggest as much. Despite having had more than enough chances as a teacher, she never seduced any of her other students. According to John she is one of, I quote 'the hottest teachers at school and all the boys in her class lust after her', he said he was just the lucky one to score."