An Unacceptable Conclusion

An intense courtroom drama...

Robert Jones had indeed enjoyed a full life. But after practicing for nearly half a century and after losing the love of his life, he was ready to shut down.

Nothing mattered anymore. His wife had passed. As the result of an automobile accident, he had lost his son and daughter-in-law. His only grandson had run away while a teenager and never been located. Robert had reached the point where he simply wanted to end it all and stop the pain.

But then came that phone call-the phone call that suddenly created a reason for living-his runaway grandson had been found. However, along with that phone call, came an obligation to practice criminal law, which, for him, would present a significant challenge. Robert was not qualified to practice in that area of law. The cases he handled in that field had turned into a disaster. With only a very few exceptions, Robert had never represented anyone charged with a major crime in all the years he had practiced.

Eventually, the lives of both Robert and his grandson, will rest in the hands of twelve jurors. For his grandson, if found guilty, the sentence would send him to prison for the rest of his life. For Robert, a verdict of guilty would, for all intents and purposes, mean the end of his relationship with his only living relative and a grandson he loves with all his heart. It all comes down to a verdict which will either send Robert into the depths of depression or reestablish his family.

In the final analysis, absolutely nothing mattered other than the verdict of those twelve jurors.