Judge Harrison sat back heavily in his leather chair. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. The silence stretched for a full minute. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, but it carried the absolute weight of the state.
"In my thirty years on the bench," Judge Harrison began, looking at Elijah with profound respect, "I have never seen a more egregious abuse of prosecutorial power than what I am looking at today. And I have never seen a more brilliant deconstruction of a case by any attorney, let alone a 19-year-old representing himself."
The judge picked up his gavel.
"The charges against Sarah Cross are hereby dismissed with prejudice. They can never be brought again. Furthermore, the court grants the defense's motion: I am issuing an immediate injunction releasing all of Mrs. Cross's assets, and let the record reflect that this court finds the application of Municipal Ordinance 409 in this matter to be wholly unconstitutional, establishing an immediate precedent invalidating the city's current civil forfeiture protocols."
He turned his fierce gaze to Dana Pierce.
"As for you, Ms. Pierce: you are stripped of your standing in this courtroom. I am referring you immediately to the state bar for disbarment proceedings, and I will be forwarding this transcript to the Department of Justice to investigate you for criminal civil rights violations under color of law."
Judge Harrison raised the gavel high. "Case dismissed."
Bang.