Shrewd Judge
The wise judge looking after the case noticed the young girl’s wary look at her stepdad. The girl, Janet, wanted to live with him. She had her problems, but the judge saw the real worry in the stepdad, Roger’s expression. He was worried about Jasmine.
Also, the judge knew Roger’s lawyer wasn’t a good guy. Figuring out the issue was urgent and could significantly affect a child, the judge saw the need to dig deeper. So, he asked Jasmine to come back to the witness stand.
Three Words
“Jasmine, why do you want to live with your stepdad?” he asked. She took a breath and said three words that changed everything. “He hurt Rover,” she said. Her words started whispers in the courtroom.
Janet looked shocked. Jasmine cried, and the judge offered a tissue. “Thank you, Jasmine. Now we can start to understand. Please, continue,” he said.
