One Too  Many

In the morning session, ADA Bartles tried to move on to her second point.

“Fact two,” she said, staring at the defendant. “Mr. Deiter was drinking underage the night of the crash.”

Deiter’s attorney, a short, pale, balding man named Trevor Jones rose to his feet to object.  He argued that Deiter’s age at the time of the crash was irrelevant. 

They attorneys argued for several minutes.  I looked at Deiter, wondering if he wished he’d taken a plea deal like Martin.  My eyes scanned the spectators.   Anger, sadness, frustration, and despair hung over the courtroom.

In Deiter’s shoes, I might have told myself I’d only had one drink too many, wishing I had known how much damage one too many can do. For me one was one too many.

Today I won’t underestimate the damage one too many can do.

Jury Duty © 2020 by Ken Montrose

Jury Duty is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/