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“Mr. Gat, “ Judge Bosko announced with his deep, booming voice, “upon reconvening with the jury, this court finds you guilty of all charges.”
Johnny winced as the judge slammed the gavel, which echoed throughout the courtroom. Several gasps could be heard coming from behind him where the media and public had been watching the trial. The gang member could make out the obnoxious voice of Channel 6's Jane Valderamma as she gave her team notes to write down. Under any other circumstances, Johnny would have charged over there and assaulted them for treating this pivotal moment in his life as a spectacle. However, he felt no emotion right now. He couldn't care less about what those assholes had to say or thought of him. No anger, no sadness, no defiance. He had already known the verdict was going to be guilty going into this. How couldn’t it be, given the severity of his case and the mountain of evidence to support it. But hearing the judge say it out loud suddenly made it feel so much more real and overwhelming.
“I’d like to motion in arrest of judgement!” His lawyer, Legal Lee declared in a last ditch effort to protect his client.
The judge let out a tired sigh, “On which basis, Mr. Lee?”
“Mr. Gat did not murder these people, the bullets killed them!”
If Johnny hadn’t been so beside himself, he would have smacked Lee over the head for such a stupid defense. Instead, he just stood there, staring off into the distance. His mind was no longer on the trial. All he could think of was that he had just finally made up and gotten together with Aisha again, but all that was taken away from him in an instant, he wouldn’t be able to be with her anymore.
He didn’t have the heart to turn around to look at her, but he could hear her silent sobbing coming from the gallery in the back. Since faking her death, she barely ever left the house, but she had made an exception by dressing up in an inconspicuous disguise to watch the trial and support her boyfriend.
“Denied;” the judge slammed his gavel down again as he overruled the lawyer’s feeble attempt, “Mr. Gat’s sentencing will take place in eight days from now. Until then, the defendant is to be held at Stilwater Penitentiary. Due to the severity of his charges, no parole will be granted.”
So back to jail it was. Johnny swallowed hard at the prospect. He had spent several months there already, even lost count of exactly how many.
And now he’d have to go back in the hole again. Other inmates and even the guards had given him a hard time in there, forcing him to toughen up both physically and mentally. It was no secret that the warden had grouped him with former Vice King members on purpose, making every minute behind bars a living hell for the Saint. But ever since that snake fuck Troy had become chief, things had surprisingly improved for him.
Not that any of that mattered anymore. Not being beaten or shanked in prison was the least of his problems right now. He had no doubt the judge would push for the death penalty. All he could do was try to appeal the charges, but even he knew it would be a futile attempt at freedom.
Keeping his life was all he could hope for at this point. At least it would buy him a little more time. Who knew, maybe a miracle could yet happen.