Chapter 21
As Judge Elizabeth Yee entered the courtroom
and opened the day’s session,
Holding a piece of paper in front of
her for the jury to see, Morgan said, “Despite education and public awareness,
violence against women is still a common occurrence in our society. This is a
partial list of women living in the greater
“Sara Grayson was afraid of her husband, and with good reason. Throughout their twenty year marriage, he beat and abused her on a regular basis. Should she have sought help? As outsiders we would say, of course, and it may be difficult for us to understand why she didn’t. Even after hearing from an expert about the psychological ramifications spousal abuse has on the one being abused, we may or may not understand her reasons for remaining in such a situation. But consider what Sara was faced with: The man she loved, who promised to love her, destroyed her self-esteem by continually subjecting her to brutal and humiliating treatment. He became, and forced her to become, a member of a radical group of people who condoned such behavior. The one person she did turn to for help implied the abuse was her fault and suggested she try harder to please her husband. You heard and saw for yourself the mentality Sara had to deal with when Reverend Fillmore took the stand. Faced with such overwhelming, daily opposition, Sara simply lived her life the best she could, taking care of her family obligations and trying to stay on her husband’s good side. And because Mitchell Grayson took all self-worth from her, she didn’t care enough about herself to try to change her situation.
“But when it came to her children’s welfare, Sara could no longer passively bear her husband’s mistreatment. When she began to fear for her children, she took action, at her own risk, and struck out at her and her children’s long-time abuser. In the prosecution’s eyes, her final action may seem far too drastic and unwarranted. But who are we to say what Sara felt? She had suffered in silence for years. Who can know what affect that had on her? In her eyes, she took the only course available to her in order to protect her children. Does she feel guilty for the result of her action? Of course she does. If a disturbed stranger decided to commit suicide by throwing himself in front of your automobile as you drove down a busy street, would you feel guilt and remorse? Certainly, we all would, even though we wouldn’t be at fault. Sara feels much the same thing. She lived with her husband for over twenty years, and at one time loved him very much. He was the father of her children. It’s perfectly understandable for her to feel remorse. But those feelings are not grounds to dismiss justification. Like the driver of that car, in her mind, she didn’t have any other option than the course she took.”
Morgan sighed and shook her head slowly. “Sara fully expected to be punished for what she did. She was resigned to spending much, if not all, of the rest of her life in prison. It took a great deal of persuasion to get her into this courtroom to tell you her side of the story. Don’t let her down. Don’t let the courage it took for her to come here be for nothing. Sara herself may feel guilt and regret at the action she was forced to take, but that doesn’t mean she deserves to be punished for it. Mitchell Grayson punished her undeservedly for over twenty years. She doesn’t deserve to be punished anymore. She deserves her freedom.”
After holding the jurists attention for a few seconds longer, Morgan resumed her seat beside her client.
She paced the length of the jury box, eyes on
the floor. “But after Sara Grayson took the stand yesterday, I doubt that
anyone who was present can say they don’t now believe that she was abused, or
weren’t moved with pity for what this woman endured. It’s normal human behavior
to feel compassion for the suffering of another.” She stopped and faced the
jurists once more, folding her arms resolutely. “But let’s not allow our
compassion to cause us to lose sight of the issue at hand. Mitchell Grayson is
not the one on trial here, although his actions would have given reason for him
to be if the situation had been handled correctly. Mitchell Grayson is dead
because his wife killed him. The justification of that action is the only issue
you are here to decide.
“Whatever Sara Grayson suffered or whatever she thought her children were facing, the fact is she had other remedies available to her that she could have taken advantage of, but didn’t. She never solicited the help of family or friends. She never even told them that she was being abused. She never took her children to any one of the numerous shelters that provide safe haven to abused women and their children. During all the years she suffered, she never reported any abuse to the police. And in spite of defense counsel’s claims about restraining orders, many more women have been protected by them than have not. The defendant had an obligation to at least give legal restraint against her husband a try before she took more drastic measures. But instead, Sara Grayson sought help for herself and her children from no one.
“You heard the defense’s own expert witness testify that most women who strike out at their abusers do so impulsively when they feel their life is in immediate danger and they have no other way out. In many of those cases, the abused ones turn themselves in and are then eager to confess and justify their actions. The fact that the defendant did none of these things suggests that she herself doubted the justification of her actions. The guilt that she now feels also casts a doubt on that justification, no matter what her lawyer tells you. In her own mind she has doubts.”
***Judge Yee handed the verdict slip back to the court bailiff and asked, “Has the jury reached a decision?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” the foreperson stated, accepting the slip from the bailiff. As Morgan and Grayson stood up, she unfolded the paper and read from it, “In the matter of People versus Sara Grayson, on the charge of murder in the second degree, we the jury find the defendant not guilty.”
As she was repacking her briefcase, she considered cornering Morgan and offering to buy her a drink as a kind of peace offering, but decided against it. When the time was right, she was sure Morgan would make the conciliatory gesture. So instead, she and Penland headed out into the mid-afternoon sun and back to the office.
***At the sound of a throat being
cleared,
Morgan strolled in with her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “I stopped by to see Jack but the receptionist said he isn’t back from court yet.”
“No,” Morgan answered casually as she sat down. “He and I are supposed to go to dinner. Sort of a celebration.”
Wondering if the purpose of Morgan’s visit was to rub her nose in the
loss,
Morgan stretched in the chair. “Oh, it’s just another day, another dollar.” She paused, mid-stretch and frowned slightly. “Well, actually, I guess it’s just another day since I didn’t get paid on this one.”
Catching the sparkle in her eye,
“That seems fair,” Morgan quickly agreed. She studied
“Yeah, I know what you mean,”
“Sure I can. I owe him one,” she shrugged. “I’ll call him later and explain. Are you anywhere near being finished for the day?”
“Well then, I’d better check the hallway to see if the coast is clear,” Morgan said with a smile.
While
Coming up behind her,
Glancing over her shoulder, Morgan answered, “All clear. Let’s make a run for it.”
“I’m right behind you,”