Turning back to the jury, Judge Larch said, “On count two, in the death of Leonard Diggs, the charge is murder in the first degree. How do you find?”
“We find the defendant not guilty, Your Honor.”
“This is bullshit!” Binx shouted. “I saw it with my own two eyes!”
“One more word and it’ll be contempt of court, Ms. Binx,” Larch said, standing and glaring at her.
Binx shook her head in a rage, but she said nothing else.
“On count three of the indictment,” the judge said, “attempted murder of Claude Watkins, how do you find?”
“There was reasonable doubt. Not guilty, Your Honor.”
The courtroom erupted. I let out my breath long and slow and hung my head in deep gratitude, thanking God for my deliverance, before spinning around and reaching across the bar to kiss Bree, who was grinning through tears.
“Welcome back from the edge, baby,” she said.
“This is a travesty of justice!” Claude Watkins shouted. “I’ve got a piss bag and he’s frickin’ not guilty? He guns down three and he’s not guilty?”
Larch banged her gavel, said, “That’s enough, Mr. Watkins.”
“I reject this!” Watkins roared, and he spun his wheelchair around and headed out. “I do not recognize this jury or this court!”
“Neither do I!” shouted Binx, and she stormed after him.
The judge called to the officer at the door to the hallway, “Fuller, arrest them both. I want them held on suspicion of conspiracy, murder, and perjury.”
/> Binx whirled around and shouted, “You can’t be serious! This is insanity!”
“It’s government persecution, that’s what it is,” Watkins said. “They cooked up that whole pack of lies to bury us. It’s what the police state does! Shoots you down, then makes up a goddamn excuse for shooting you down!”
As Binx struggled against the zip cuffs around her wrists and a second officer restrained Watkins in his wheelchair, my gaze snagged on Soneji’s son. Dylan Winslow was on his feet, looking back at Binx and Watkins as they were taken from the courtroom. The fingers of the troubled teen’s left hand trembled as he tried to grip the bench in front of him.
He was part of it, I thought. He’s got something to hide.
The prosecutor was on his feet and furious as well.
“Your Honor,” Wills said. “The verdict is the verdict, but I echo Ms. Binx and Mr. Watkins. This is a travesty of justice, one you can undo by vacating this verdict and demanding a retrial.”
“What? And undo double jeopardy?” Anita cried. “On what constitutional grounds, Counselor?”
Larch held up her hand to stop further argument. Then she tugged her glasses down the bridge of her nose and gave the prosecutor a withering stare.
“Mr. Wills,” she said. “As far as the Court is concerned, this entire trial has been a travesty of justice. Because of the naked ambitions of yourself and Ms. Carlisle, as well as the government’s need for a scapegoat for the country’s rash of police-involved shootings, the two of you and your bosses not only bought into a sophisticated framing of the defendant, but fully participated in a rush to justice. I anticipate someone investigating both of you very soon.”
For once, the federal prosecutors were speechless.
“Dr. Cross?” Larch said.
“Your Honor.”
“I am sorry this happened to you.”
“Thank you, Judge Larch. I am too.”
“Go and enjoy your freedom. Take care of that son of yours.” She banged her gavel. “The jury is released. Case closed.”
I threw my hands up and whirled around to see Bree, Jannie, Damon, Nana Mama, and my dad cheering behind me.