Chapter 7 - The Deposition
Six months later, the criminal trial against Vanessa began.
She arrived at the courthouse wearing a modest, conservative dress, wearing thick glasses she didn't need, trying to look like a fragile, innocent victim. My parents sat behind her in the gallery, glaring daggers at the back of my head.
Vanessa’s defense attorney tried to paint the incident as a tragic accident. A misunderstanding. "A loving aunt trying to encourage her niece to walk, unaware of the medical fragility."
Then, the prosecution called Dr. Evans to the stand.
He was brilliant. He didn't show anger; he showed absolute, undeniable expertise. He presented the X-rays to the jury. He explained the exact pounds of force required to rip the velcro straps of that specific medical brace.
"It was not an encouragement," Dr. Evans testified, staring directly into the jury box. "It was a violent, deliberate yank. I watched the defendant tear the device off with malice, and then I watched her mock the child as she lay screaming on the floor with a fractured leg. It was, without a doubt, the most callous act of child abuse I have witnessed in my career."
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Vanessa’s lawyer tried to cross-examine him, attempting to suggest Dr. Evans was biased or had a personal vendetta. Dr. Evans simply read off his credentials, his decades of experience, and the undeniable radiological evidence of the fracture.
By the time he stepped down, Vanessa was pale, and my parents were staring at the floor. The defense was completely decimated.
