The judge did not say anything at first. The judge just sat there. Did not say a word.
The man sat behind the bench his eyes were looking down. He was turning the pages of a file that he already knew very well. The room was quiet. You see courtrooms are really good at being quiet. They can make the silence go on for long that it starts to feel weird. The defendant was standing below wearing an uniform, from the jail and he was moving his weight from one foot to the other he was clearly getting impatient the defendant was.
The public was watching the thing. People everywhere saw what was happening. The public watched.
The lawyer did not say a word. He just stayed quiet. The lawyer was being very quiet.
The judge just kept on reading the papers in front of him. The judge was really focused, on what the judge was doing.
The silence really mattered it was a deal and it meant a lot more than most people actually understood about the silence.
When judges do not speak away it usually means they are giving someone time to either save themselves or make things worse.. In this case the wrong choice came quickly. The judges are giving someone time to think about what they did. It looks like this person made things worse for the judges and, for themselves the judges and the person who made the wrong choice. The wrong choice was. Now the judges have to deal with it the wrong choice. What happens next for the judges and this person.
I do not want to follow those rules. The rules are not something I want to do. I will not be following those rules.
The words came out loud. They were not screamed,. They were sharp and clear. They sounded defiant. This was the kind of thing that does not just answer a question it actually challenges the people in charge. A few people, in the gallery looked up. The lawyers shoulders got tense. The defendant did not stop talking.
I do not want to do it. The thing is, I just do not feel like doing it. I am not going to do it. Doing it is not something I want to do.
That was the moment when everything in the room changed. The room was different, after that moment. The moment the room changed was a moment that stood out.
The judge stopped turning the pages of the book. He did not turn any pages. The judge just stopped.
He did not look up away. He let the silence settle in again. This time it felt even heavier. That pause was not because he was confused. It was not because he was surprised. It was because he was holding back the silence was a result of his restraint the restraint that he had on himself the restraint that he had on his feelings the restraint of the moment and that moment was filled with the weight of his restraint.
The judge lifted up his head then. He was looking at something. The judge raised his head to see what was going on.
His face was fully visible now. It looked calm. It was also firm. His face was not red with anger. It was not shaking. It was controlled irritation. This is the kind of irritation that people get when they have been patient for a time and someone has pushed them too far. The patience of this person has been tested one time many that is why he has this controlled irritation on his face this irritation that comes from being patient, for too long and having to deal with something or someone that is frustrating the kind of irritation that his face is showing now the irritation of the person, his irritation.
This court does not put up with people who do not listen. The people in charge of this court will not accept behavior like that from the people who come before them. This court is very serious. It will not tolerate defiance, from anyone.
He said it clearly. He said it slowly. Each word was said in a way his lips moving together with the sound that was filling the room. There was no doubt about who was doing the speaking and no doubt about who the words of the speaker were, for. The speaker was speaking to someone. It was obvious who that someone was.
The defendant opened his mouth like he was going to say something.. Then he stopped. It is too late to fix the situation. The defendant realized that what he said was already, out. The defendant wishes he could take it back. The defendant knows that is not possible.
The judge reached for the file. He wanted to look at the file. The file was very important to the judge. The judge needed to make a decision, about the file.
He did not do it aggressively. He did not do it dramatically. The man simply moved the file to the side of the bench. It was a movement but it meant the discussion was over. The file was not being talked about anymore. The file was done.
The judge said that bail is not going to be allowed for this person. Bail is denied.
The words just landed without any stuff. They were really plain the words were.
No long explanation.
No lecture.
No warning.
Just a decision.
The judge did not stand up. The judge did not raise his voice again. The judge stayed seated with his posture straight. His authority intact.
“Take him back to jail.”
That was it.
The defendant just stopped moving all of a. He was still. The defendant did not say a word.
The confidence he had a little while ago is gone now. His shoulders are not straight anymore. They just dropped. His eyes are looking down too. He thought being defiant would help him. The defiance did not do what he wanted it to do. The defiance actually did the opposite of what he thought the defiance would do.
He sat down slowly like a machine.
Not angrily.
Not protesting.
Just defeated.
The lawyer did not look at him. The lawyer stared down at the table already understanding the damage that the lawyer had seen. The public gallery was really quiet not because people were scared. Because the people, in the public gallery knew there was nothing left to say about the situation.
This hearing did not come to an end because of the evidence that was presented. The evidence was not the reason why this hearing did not finish. This hearing, the one we are talking about did not end because of the evidence.
It did not end because of a technicality. The legal technicality was the reason it did not end. The thing that made it not end was a technicality. This legal technicality is what stopped it from ending.
It came to an end because of the attitude. The attitude was the reason it stopped. Everything was fine until the attitude got in the way. That is when it ended.
Courts are not places where rules are applied. These courts are actually places where the behavior of people is measured. The judges do not listen to the words that people say. They also listen to the tone of their voice their posture and how well they can restrain themselves. The judges notice who really understands how serious the situation is, in the court and who is treating the court like a stage where they can perform. The courts are places where behavior is measured. The judges are paying attention to everything that people do in these courts.
The person who is being defiant does not look very powerful when they are, in court. Defiance does not seem to be working for them in this situation.
This thing looks like it is going to cost a lot of money. The price of this thing seems high. I think the cost of this thing is too much.
The defendant had every right to say what he wanted.. The way he said it was more important than the actual words. When someone will not follow the rules in a courtroom it is not about them making a personal choice. The defendant not following the rules is a deal because it shows if the defendant can be trusted when he is not in the courtroom. The defendant speaking in a way matters because it shows what kind of person the defendant is outside of the courtroom, with the defendant and how the defendant will act.
Bail is built on one idea: that people should be able to get out of jail and go back to their normal lives while they are waiting for their trial. The idea of Bail is really important because it helps people who have not been found guilty yet. Bail is a way for people to pay some money to get out of jail. The main point of Bail is to make sure people show up for their trial. Bail is like a promise that people will come back, to court.
This person needs to follow the conditions that are set for them. The question is can they actually do that. It is about following the conditions that are, in place. The person has to be able to follow these conditions if they want to. So the main thing is the conditions. Whether this person can follow the conditions.
The answer to the question was given in a few seconds. This happened fast the answer was given to the question, in just a few seconds.
No.
The judge did not need to shout.
He did not need to threaten.
He did not need to walk.
Authority does not always have to shout to be heard. Sometimes authority will actually speak softly.. Then it will close the door really quietly. Authority is like that it does what it wants. It does not have to be loud about it. Authority can be quiet. Still get what it wants that is what makes authority so powerful the fact that authority can be silent and still be, in control.
The defendant sat still as the officers moved closer to him. The yellow uniform he was wearing had seemed like ordinary clothing earlier but now it felt really heavy. People, in the public watched the defendant leave. They did not look at him with judgment but rather with the quiet understanding that some things the defendant did cannot be undone some moments cannot be undone and the defendant has to live with that.
One sentence.
That is all it took.
I do not want to follow the rules. The rules are not something I want to do. I want to do what I want to do. That is it. I am not going to follow the rules of anything. The rules are just that rules. I do not have to follow them if I do not want to. I will do what I want. The rules will not stop me.
In a courtroom the words do not sound brave. The words the person says in a courtroom do not sound brave all. When you are, in a courtroom the words you choose are very important. The words this person chose do not sound brave.
The decision sounds final.
And as the judge remained seated the bench was steady the file was untouched one truth settled over the room: the judge was not going to make a move. The room was waiting for something to happen but the judge just sat there the file in front of the judge and the truth was that nobody knew what the judge was thinking. The judge and the file and the room were all just waiting. The truth, about the judge and the file was not clear.
In a court of law people do not usually lose their freedom in a manner. Freedom is often taken away quietly in court. The loss of freedom, in court is not something that you can hear it is something that just happens.
It’s lost calmly — one choice at a time.