Two Different Worlds

What Happened to My Life? “Case Number 10784490...Life Sentence.” Pause. “Case Number 10784670...Life Sentence.” .... The judge droned on and on, case after case. Gwen just sat there in a fog, numb all over. After the first couple of cases, she was hardly aware of what was going on. Somewhere through the fog behind her she could hear her Mom screaming and crying. She was also vaguely aware that Fred was sitting back there somewhere. What had happened? Fred hadn’t even testified. Come to think of it, neither had her sister. Her court appointed lawyer had presented none of the defense they had given him. He had implied (although he would later deny it), that he had had conversations with the judge and district attorney’s office, and that if Gwen chose a trial without a jury with this judge, he would give her no more than a 40 year sentence. She later found out that her lawyer had lied to Fred and her sister, telling them that Gwen did not want them to testify. They had not even been allowed in the trial, until the final statements, as they had been sworn in as witnesses then forced to leave. Her lawyer had also not allowed her family psychiatrist to examine her and testify, free of charge. Then his closing statement had sounded more like a statement for the prosecution, and he hadn’t even cross examined any of the prosecution’s witnesses who were clearly coached, and in several cases, clearly lying. In fact, he had forced her to plead “guilty” to one charge where he knew very well she had had no involvement. Something was wrong! Horribly wrong! But aside from this terrible betrayal of a trial, how did she get here anyway? Obviously her attempts at “suicide by cop” had gone terribly astray, and now instead of being dead, she was facing life in prison. But at least Fred had come back to her, they were remarried, and his support gave her life some hope amidst the overwhelming desperation. What had happened to her life?!?