Chapter 546 - 542: The Verdict

Time ticked by, second by agonizing second. For Zelda Warner, Cecilia Sterling, and the others, every moment of the wait was torture. Yet, no one spoke. They simply stood there, their eyes fixed on the solemn gates of the courthouse.

It wasn’t until twelve noon that Lawyer Quincy emerged from the courthouse again.

Zelda Warner shot to her feet and rushed forward. "Lawyer Quincy, how did it go? Is there a verdict?"

"The court is in recess," Lawyer Quincy said, looking at the group. "You don’t need to worry too much. The situation is still quite optimistic. All the evidence the prosecution has is within the scope of what we anticipated. In other words, what Jeb told me is perfectly consistent with what he told the police. He held nothing back."

"That means the police won’t be able to dig up anything else, which gives me ample time to counter the known charges. Right now, the most serious accusations Jeb is facing are intentional injury, forced transaction, and unlawful confinement."

"So many charges?" Mrs. Yates asked, startled, her face etched with worry. "Does that mean... he’ll be sentenced for many years?"

"Mom, calm down," Zelda said. "Let Lawyer Quincy finish."

The older woman nodded. "Please, Lawyer Quincy, continue."

Lawyer Quincy offered a small smile and explained, "Being convicted on multiple counts does increase the overall sentence. However, for the charges of intentional injury and forced transaction, Jeb kept records of his settlement agreements and compensation payments to the other parties. This significantly mitigates the maximum potential sentence for those counts."

"The trickiest charge right now is the unlawful confinement. The victim passed away three years ago from a terminal illness, and the police have direct evidence from their investigation. According to the criminal code, sentences for unlawful confinement range from three to ten years, depending on the severity. If it results in death, the sentence can be over ten years. This is the charge with the highest potential sentence Jeb is facing. Therefore, we have to successfully argue the ’unlawful confinement’ charge down to ’restriction of personal liberty’ to minimize the sentence."

"Lawyer Quincy, is there a difference between the two? They sound the same to me!" the older woman couldn’t help but press.

Lawyer Quincy explained patiently, "It’s the difference between ’deprivation’ and ’obstruction.’ Unlawful confinement is total deprivation of freedom, whereas restriction of personal liberty is merely an obstruction. There’s a significant legal distinction between them."

With that, Lawyer Quincy glanced at his watch. "It’s still early. You all should go get something to eat. The hearing will resume at two in the afternoon."

"Lawyer Quincy," Zelda asked, her voice trembling, "will they reach a verdict today?"

"I can’t say for sure. If the prosecution has no new evidence to submit and doesn’t request an extension for the investigation, then it’s highly likely a verdict will be delivered today. After all, this case has been in process for six months. All the files are complete, so the prosecutor has a solid basis for a sentencing assessment."

The implication was clear: if anything unexpected happened, the case would be delayed even further.

Zelda nodded. "Thank you. We’re counting on you."

After Lawyer Quincy left, the mood lightened slightly. His calm, collected demeanor had given them a much-needed dose of confidence.

No matter what, they knew Jeb had done many illegal things. They weren’t asking for an acquittal, only that Lawyer Quincy would use his skills to shorten the sentence as much as possible.

The afternoon wait felt even longer. The atmosphere grew tense again when reporters started showing up, staking out the courthouse entrance.

The name Wesley Yates carried serious weight in Lorcain. Even if the media couldn’t get inside, they wouldn’t miss the opportunity to capture even a single shot from outside.

At five in the afternoon, there was finally some movement.

First, several prisoner transport vans pulled in slowly, parking in a neat row in the open area before the courthouse’s stone steps. Then, more than a dozen armed officers formed a stoic line in front of the vehicles.

"Are they about to come out?" Mrs. Yates asked anxiously, craning her neck to see.

Zelda was trembling so hard she could barely stand, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she was gripping Cecilia’s arm, though she didn’t even realize it.

Cecilia’s own heart began to pound. As the first prisoners were escorted out of the courthouse, the crowd surged forward, only to be held back by a line of police.

The first to emerge were the core members of Wesley Yates’s crew. Heads bowed, they were loaded into the vans one by one. Only at the very end of the procession did Wesley Yates finally walk out.

His head was bowed, his hair shaved down to the scalp. His slightly thinner frame was clad in an orange prison jumpsuit, his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Jeb! Jeb! My son!"

Mrs. Yates was the first to break down, wailing as tears streamed down her face the moment she saw her son.

Hearing her voice, Wesley Yates looked up, his gaze instantly locking onto the small group. His eyes widened for a second before a sudden smile spread across his lips.

’My mother, my wife, my brother, Cecilia, Mr. Young, Duane...’

Zelda Warner held up her phone, a cute Phoebe on the screen. With tears smearing her makeup, she shouted, "It’s your daughter! It’s our daughter!"

Wesley Yates heard her and gave Zelda a nod.

But before he could get a longer look, an armed officer pushed his head down and shoved him into the van.

The door slammed shut. The van made a circle in the courtyard and departed through another gate.

Inside the van, Wesley Yates gazed longingly back at his family through the barred window, a smile of relief and contentment on his face.

Once the van was out of sight, Mrs. Yates collapsed to the ground, limp with grief. Tony Yates rushed to help her up. "Mom, don’t cry. Big Bro looks like he’s doing okay, just a bit thinner."

"Zelda, are you all right?" Cecilia asked, wiping her own tears as she steadied Zelda’s shoulders.

Zelda gave a firm nod. But the moment she wiped her tears away, a wall of cameras was shoved in her face. "Excuse me, are you Wesley Yates’s wife?"

"I’m a reporter with the Lorcain Evening Post. May I ask you a few questions?"

"..."

Seeing this, Mr. Young and Duane immediately stepped in front of Zelda to shield her. Mr. Young’s brow furrowed as he said sharply, "We’re not taking any questions."

"Zelda, get in the car."

Cecilia helped Zelda retreat to a car parked by the road. A moment later, Tony helped his mother get in as well. "Zelda," he said, "Mom refuses to go home with me. She insists on going with you to take care of you, so please just let her."

Zelda didn’t respond. Unoffended, Tony just smiled and closed the door for them.

About half an hour later, Duane came and knocked on the car window. "Cecilia, Lawyer Quincy is coming out."

Lawyer Quincy stood by the window and adjusted the glasses on his nose. Zelda watched him, too afraid to ask the question, her eyes fixed on his face.

"Lawyer Quincy, what’s the verdict?" Cecilia finally asked, her own heart leaping into her throat.

Everyone in the car held their breath, waiting for Lawyer Quincy to announce the result.

"Five years and eight months. This is the best possible outcome. There’s no need for us to appeal."