Hearing

``Now tell me Mrs Boyd, did you or did you not hear the gun shot?'' The prosecutor asked with ice in his words. Mrs Boyd stood at the witness stand, her face flurried and confused, obviously in distress. Her direct testimony with the defense lawyer was relatively smooth-sailing, scoring quite a few points for the defendant, but the cross had been rather debilitating so far. Each question that the prosecutor asked elicited the same confused and befuddled response that made Mrs Boyd look as though she were covering up something or for someone, whether or not it were the case.

``Well,'' the Judge said from his position. ``Witness, you must answer the question or I will have to find you in contempt of the court.''

``I... I think I heard what sounded like a gun shot,'' Mrs Boyd stammered out.

``No, Mrs Boyd, allow me to repeat my question once more. Did you or did you not hear the gun shot?''

``Objection! Your Honour, the prosecutor is badgering my witness and causing her distress!'' The defense lawyer shouted as he leapt on to his feet.

``Your Honour, this is a very simple and crucial question that the witness should be able to answer easily. We are just establishing facts of the case that the defense did not bring up during their direct examination.''

``Overruled,'' the Judge replied before glaring back down on Mrs Boyd sternly. ``Mrs Boyd, consider this your final warning before I bring forth the contempt of court charges upon you. Please answer the prosecutor's question directly.''

Mrs Boyd took a big gulp of air. She did not like the look on the Judge's face. Turning away from him, she looked ahead. The defense lawyer was trying his best to not look at her, while the prosecutor was staring at her in contempt, as though silently daring her to speak the truth.

``Yes. I think it was a gun shot I heard,'' Mrs Boyd said finally.

The prosecutor could not wipe the smirk of his face.

``Mrs Boyd, do you need to wear a hearing aid normally?''

The room started to gasp. They could see just what was coming along.

``No, I don't usually wear a hearing aid.''

``But you have to?''

``Objection!'' The defense lawyer was up once more. ``Prosecution is asking irrelevant questions.''

``Your Honour, if she needs a hearing aid, and did not wear one when the crime was committed, then it will be clear that she was not really able to differentiate between a tyre bursting from a gun shot. Which means that she is no witness, even though she may prove useful for the alibi of the defendant!''

(Based on an exercise generated by WriteThis - 2014-03-24 18:02:11)