Despite her obvious guilt to many, Janelle Stone seemed to have incredible luck when it came to some of her court cases. Some that could have gotten her locked up for years. The beating of the neighbor was one of them.
Janelle refused to allow anyone to represent her, saying that she “learned” that the only one who could help her was her own self and that she was the only one she could count on. People advised her against representing herself but Janelle’s response to that was that at least she would have only herself to blame if she lost the case.
The jury consisted of both genders and different races. The black victim came into court sporting leftover bruises and a limp from the attack from Janelle. You could see he felt embarrassed due to being a guy and so much taller. He may have had five or six inches on Janelle, but Janelle was likely heavier not to mention crazy, and crazy often had amazing strength.
Upon giving her opening statement to the jury, she concluded with, “I have been harassed year after year from the same old earth-shattering, ear-splitting pounding bass coming from that vehicle. That vehicle in which the owner could have taken the responsibility of having a little common courtesy for those around him by reaching for the volume upon coming and going. Really, how hard could that have been? How hard could it have been to reach out and turn the volume down?” Janelle demanded, voice bordering on hysteria and obvious that this was very personal to her. “Yet from just a few feet away, I was continually pummeled with these insanely loud brain-rattling sounds. I couldn’t hear myself think. No matter how polite I was, no matter how kindly I asked, no matter how many times I asked, they simply didn’t care. Everyone has their breaking point. Everyone. I’d simply been pushed way too far and that was a result of that.” Janelle pointed to the victim.
Sadly, if the victim had hoped to garner any sympathy from the jury, it was lost when he took a swing at Janelle in frustration as he passed by her.
Not at all surprisingly, Janelle took advantage of the swing by swiftly ducking and moving away with a horrified expression on her face as if she genuinely had to fear for her safety and couldn’t simply break the guy in half as she damn near already had.
Because of the guy’s actions, it cast doubt in the minds of the jury and Janelle was soon free to go after time served for lesser charges of lying to the police.
“Next Thursday I’ll be released?” she asked the judge.
“No, this Thursday, but you’re to stay away from your neighbors at all costs. If you have any problems, you’re to call the police.”
That Tuesday, as she was about to be led from the courtroom to serve her remaining two days, she glanced at her husband and said, “See you then,” and then her eyes quickly glanced at the neighbors directly behind him before returning to her husband. But her subtleness had been obvious enough to both her husband and the neighbors.
Two days later, she reappeared in court for her final release and orders to stay away from the neighbors at all costs. She agreed and then walked over to her husband who had observed the court proceedings with a jubilant and triumphant smile on her face. Her smile dropped in an instant when she noticed her husband didn’t sport the same happy smile. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” her husband said dubiously.
“What’s wrong?”
He simply shrugged.
“Have the assholes done anything to you or to the house?”
“No. They moved the next day.”
“Oh my God, really? You mean a couple of days ago, the day after I was last in court?” Janelle asked smiling with surprise and excitement.
Steven nodded. “Got a U-Haul and cleared out.”
“That’s awesome. Why do you still seem so down, though? Did something happen?”
“Well no…”
“Well, there must be some reason you’re not so enthusiastic about the outcome.”
“No, but I’m glad you got lucky.”
“Or maybe luck didn’t have anything to do with it,” Janelle said, offended that her husband would suggest she’d simply gotten off lucky. “Maybe I really didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Are you saying otherwise?” Janelle asked with confusion.
Again her husband shrugged.
“I don’t understand.”
“I know.”
“Then explain it to me,” Janelle said with frustration. “Why is it always so hard to get information from you and why wouldn’t you be happy? You afraid of retaliation or something?”
“Well, we’ll see.”
“Relax. We won the case. Things are good. You should be happy. Enjoy the moment. As you always love to tell me, stop looking for things to be wrong.”
“I’ll try.”
“If they do anything to us, that only makes them look bad and it would be rather obvious that it was them.”
“Oh,” Steven said in which Janelle mistook his faint sarcasm for sudden understanding.
“Yeah, duh,” she said with a smile. “As you also love to say, you can’t control others or spend your time worrying about what they might do.”
“Oh, okay then.”
Janelle smiled fondly at her husband. Now he understood. Now he was happy for her.
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