Chapter 26: Trial...

The next day, Sunday, Beth and Joe brought some kiddy furniture and some organizers and some tables and chairs. Cathy and her boyfriend brought up an old carpet remnant and a white board from an old office. Another family brought up an old bunk bed. Venera volunteered to stock the refrigerator. (She had also discovered that oven worked). After about 4 or 5 days of work, the classroom was set.

Over the next two months the old clubhouse had completely grown into its new role as a day-care, a place of education. Dee and Warner proudly gave Lisa a beautiful new sign to go in front of the building. 'Sunny Acres Day-care' it proclaimed. Because the resort was so far from the city, the parents took turns car pooling out to the resort. Lisa also gained about ten more students from the members of Sunny Acres. Beth and Joy took turns working at the day-care and every parent took a turn volunteering, all in the nude.

"Order in the court! Docket 6730657; The People vs. Lisa Cummings – Judge Margaret Thatcher presiding. All rise!"

The judge was a severe, yet young looking woman ... They had opted for a trial by judge as, in Harold's opinion, the case would depend more on an analysis of legal precedents than on a big show 'a la Perry Mason' in order to lend a sympathetic atmosphere for a jury. This way, as well, Harold could avoid a whole spread of courtroom theatrics; he knew he was a good lawyer but he was still unsure of his capacities as a comedian. They had spent the last two weeks rehearsing, begrudgingly in Lisa's case, as she hated to be away from her school. Harold had even accepted to do more than half the rehearsals at Sunny Acres (and therefore nude, to Beth's obvious pleasure) so that she would be away as little as possible from her kids. In spite of that, he was still just the least bit anxious because he had not been able to research this woman judge well enough to have an educated guess which way she would swing. She had only just been named but most of her cases as lawyer had been in family law. This, he felt, had been a positive sign because, in all her cases, she had fought vehemently in favor of the child.

Harold had been relieved as well that it was not the District Attorney, Clyde Brooker, a grandstanding old fuddy-duddy who was representing the people but one of his assistants, Greg Fournier, a young up-and-coming lawyer, known for his technical expertise and level-headed behavior at court.

"Be seated."

"Mr. Fournier, Mr. Pettigrew ... are we ready to begin?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"In that case, will you please start off, Mr. Fournier?"

"The people rest, Your Honor."

As Harold had expected, Fournier's case had depended heavily on the opinion of several eminent and ultra-conservative religious leaders who made a great show of quoting from the bible where it condemned nudity and especially where nudity was directly related to carnal knowledge and sin. Fournier had called Eugene Crenshaw to the stand and had even cited as evidence photos of the naked children taken from the clip that had been shown on the news.

During cross-examination, Harold had waved the pictures away as being unimportant. Yes, the children were naked ... so what? His major coup had been to nail the most prominent of the religious leaders...

"Dr. Berkley ... how old are these children?"

"Oh, about four or five, at a guess..."

"You've written several excellent educational books on sex and the Bible, haven't you?"

"Why yes, thank you."

"For what aged children were these books written, Doctor?"

"Twelve, thirteen ... you know, the onset of puberty."

"Why is that?"

"That's the age at which it becomes important to follow God's guidance on proper behavior, to avoid going towards sin and debauchery."