So Help Me God

by Larry D. Thompson

  "Ms. Burton, I am confident that we are on the right side of these issues, not just in this trial, but with the enormous issues facing our country. I am certain that Lucy Brady will prevail. What happened to her shouldn't have happened to a dog in the street. As to the slander allegations against me, I'll tell you and everyone in America that I always tell the truth. I don't need an oath. I don't need to be sworn. I speak the truth. If I were ever to lie, then you should disregard every word that comes from my mouth for I would have violated my sacred oath to my Father, and that's the one that counts."

  The interview ended and T. J. joined Johnny Bob, a smug look on the preacher's face.

  CHAPTER 61

  Johnny Bob and Claudia set aside Friday afternoon and evening to study the jury information cards and questionnaires. The information on the cards was basic: name, address, occupation, marital status, number of children, involvement in lawsuits, personal injuries, length of residency in county and, perhaps of most importance in their case, religion. One by one, they went through the cards and attached questionnaires, rating each juror on a scale from one to ten, with ten being their best possible juror. They red-flagged any questionnaire where a prospective juror gave a positive answer about abortion, figuring that Judge O'Reilly would dismiss most of them for cause at the very beginning.

  ***

  At the fire station, Tod, Wayne and Jan were going through the same exercise. After Tod and his team had gone through the juror cards and questionnaires, Tod turned to Marilyn. "Call Ralph and tell him to give us the works on each juror, including pictures. Tell him we'll need the information on Sunday night. We'll pay whatever it costs to get it done."

  Ralph was a private investigator and computer whiz. By Sunday night they would have more information on the prospective jurors than any juror could possibly imagine.

  ***

  On Saturday morning, Johnny Bob's preparation was interrupted. He had set aside the day to work with T. J. Fifteen minutes before they were to meet, T. J. called to say that he was expecting an important guest that would delay the meeting. Not normally prone to fits of anger, this time Johnny Bob slammed the phone down and cussed a blue streak out the window.

  The campaign plane carrying Governor Peter Vandenberg, the Republican presidential candidate, had departed Jackson, Mississippi, bound for Albuquerque, New Mexico, when it veered south and landed at Ellington Field outside of Houston. Met by a black limousine, the candidate was escorted by four Houston policemen on motorcycles and trailed by a Suburban occupied by the Secret Service. The small caravan had no trouble navigating the quiet Saturday morning traffic as it made its way to the lofts. The candidate's press people had alerted the media that he would be making a short stop in Houston before flying to Albuquerque. The candidate wanted to discuss his party's platform plank on abortion with Reverend Luther. The trial was imminent. He would not mention it, but he wanted to lend assistance to The Chosen in this hour of need, especially since T. J. had endorsed him for the presidency only the week before. Clearly, the candidate expected to impact the trial in a way that could only be favorable to T. J.

  Johnny Bob had been watching the press assemble outside his window for over an hour. Television vans joined the throng. When the noise grew to a low roar, he looked out his window to see a limousine stopping at the curb. Men in black suits opened the back door and Governor Vandenberg stepped out.

  "Holy shit!" Johnny Bob watched as T. J. left the building entrance to shake the hand of the candidate and pose for pictures. "Son of a bitch! Does this mean that I'm gonna have to voir dire the jury on who they are supporting for president?" The words were said out loud to no one in particular. If T. J. was going to march his own drummer, at least he could let his lawyer pick the music.

  T. J. and the candidate visited in T. J.'s loft for about an hour and left the building to face waiting cameras and microphones. As T. J. stood beside him, the candidate answered a few questions.

  "Sir, what was the substance of your discussions?"

  "Frankly, the details must remain private. As you know, the president just recently invited Reverend Luther to the White House to begin a dialogue on one of our most volatile social issues, abortion on demand. Since I expect to be the next president, I was looking for an opportunity to express to Reverend Luther that I wanted him to take the lead in the continuation of those talks after my election. As it happened, I had a few hours between campaign stops and found him available this morning."

  "Sir, is there any correlation between the trial that starts on Monday and your stopping by to visit with Reverend Luther?"

  With a disgusted look, Governor Vandenberg answered, "None whatsoever. While Reverend Luther and I see eye to eye on the abortion issue, I certainly would not want my presence to interfere with a fair trial. It is the American way that issues like this are resolved in a court of law, and I am sure that justice will prevail. That's all, ladies and gentlemen. I have to get on to New Mexico."

  ***

  The evening news in Houston headlined the visit from the presidential candidate and emphasized his alignment with The Chosen on abortion issues. Johnny Bob cussed his client and debated his response if the other side moved for a continuance until after the election. Still, T. J. had violated no rulings from Judge O'Reilly. An argument could certainly be made that he was entitled to continue his national agenda even as the trial progressed. He and Claudia finally decided that if a continuance was requested, he would just leave it to Ruby, whom he hoped would deny such a request. Win or lose, Johnny Bob was ready to get back to the piney woods of East Texas and leave Houston in his rear-view mirror.

  Tod, Jan, and Wayne watched the six o'clock news in silence as they ate pizza at the fire station. When the "T. J. and the Candidate" show ended, Tod switched off the television, and they debated what to do. After an extended discussion, they concluded that most of the strong pro-lifers would honestly admit their opinions and would be stricken by the judge. As to the others, if they were going to try to hide their opinions anyway, nothing the candidate did was going to change anything. Besides, he had a client who wanted the trial over. They decided to ignore the issue.

  ***

  At ten on Sunday morning, T. J. knocked loudly on Johnny Bob's door. He opened it to find his client dressed in white slacks, a white golf shirt and white running shoes. Only his dark sunglasses contrasted with his outfit.

  "T. J., do you own anything that isn't white?"

  "I think that you've seen me wearing a red tie, Counselor. Everything else is white." T. J. beamed with excitement. "Now, tell me, what did you think about our little visit yesterday? I started to invite you down for an introduction until I thought better of it and decided that we didn't want to be so obvious in mixing his visit with the trial. Not very often, is it, that a defendant is paid a call on the eve of trial by the next president of the United States?"

  "Come on in, T. J.," Johnny Bob growled as he turned and sat at the coffee table where he had been going over his trial notes. "Just as well you didn't introduce me. I'm a Democrat, anyway. Sit down. We've got work to do. Claudia will be along shortly."

  As if on cue, the door opened and Claudia entered, dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt with gold lettering, announcing, "Never trust a man who doesn't wear boots and a cowboy hat."

  Seeing her shirt, T. J. greeted her. " I see my lawyer is becoming a real Texan."

  "When in Rome, T. J.," she smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined them. "Nice little show you put on yesterday. Did you invite him, or did he just drift off course somewhere over Louisiana?"

  "Let's just say that the Lord works in mysterious ways, Claudia. Do I need to go out and buy boots and a Stetson for trial?"

  Before Claudia could reply, Johnny Bob interrupted. "Let's talk about some of the trial issues that involve you. In spite of being a man of the cloth, the jury is going to evaluate your credibility just like every other witness. If Tod can catch you hedging on the truth just a li
ttle, he'll blow a little lie up so big that you could drive a fleet of Hummers through. If you don't listen to anything else, hear this good. I can handle about anything in a courtroom except lying. I expect nothing but the truth to come out of your mouth, no matter what the question. Understood?"

  "Counselor, how many times do I have to tell you that I always speak the truth? I know no other way."

  "Then, let's cover some of the issues that you'll be grilled about at trial," interjected Claudia. "First of all, you didn't heal Lucy, did you?"

  "Certainly, I did. I can show you the videotape if you like."

  Her exasperation showing, Claudia replied, "Come on, T. J., I've read the medical records. She was fully capable of walking. She just didn't want to get out of the wheelchair."

  "Very true, my dear. I don't just heal bodies, however. I also heal the spirit and until I commanded her to do so, she would not walk."

  "Then how about giving a little credit to the doctors when you get on the witness stand so the jury knows it was her mind that you were working on, okay?"

  "Understood. You should also understand that illness and healing often take place in the mind."

  "Okay, let's turn to your comments from the pulpit that got you, your church and the others sued. I don't expect you to retract those statements at this late date. I think that for purposes of trial, the words can be the same. The tone and manner can be soft peddled just a little."

  "I don't mind changing how I deliver it, Claudia, as long as you understand that I will never change the message. The doctors who perform abortions, the clinics, anyone who assists or participates in abortion must be condemned to a life in hell."

  They worked into the late afternoon with Johnny Bob and Claudia covering T. J.'s relationship with the Brady family and with Aunt Jessie along with the coalition of anti-abortion organizations and T. J.'s involvement in organizing them. They spent the better part of the afternoon trying to teach T. J. just to answer questions and not launch into a sermon with every response. As to the latter, they met with little success. Johnny Bob thought they should just pray for a miracle.

  CHAPTER 62

  Monday arrived at last. Tod, Jan and Wayne were at the fire station early. They spent Sunday evening sifting through all of the information that Ralph had provided and Marilyn had loaded in the computer. Now they knew whether a juror lived in a house or an apartment, and who lived with him or her. If the juror lived in a house, they knew the amount of the mortgage, and if mortgage payments were late. They knew the number and type of vehicles owned by the juror. They did a credit check on each juror and knew what credit cards he or she possessed along with the balances. They also knew the type of restaurants favored by each prospect as well as where they bought their clothes. If a juror subscribed to magazines, they knew which ones. If a juror had vacationed recently, they knew whether it was in Galveston or Europe. They knew whether the jurors voted regularly and in which primary. They even had investigators drive by the residence of each juror and discreetly photograph it as well as any vehicles in the driveway. Whether the house was well maintained with fresh paint and a manicured yard, or otherwise could be important. They also wanted to see any bumper stickers on vehicles. With the exception of the pictures, it was all there for the taking on the Internet. Under other circumstances, it might be called snooping or invading privacy. The reality was that there was very little private about anyone anymore. It was a big case, and anything they could learn that would help them identify potential biases of jurors was fair game.

  Johnny Bob approached jury selection differently. He had used computers and high priced jury consultants on several occasions and had determined that they were not worth the time and expense. After thirty-five years of picking juries, he had returned to his roots. He figured that he could size up a man or woman about as well as any computer or psychologist, and relied on his own instincts. His results proved that his instincts were pretty damn good.

  On the morning of jury selection, he laid out a dark blue suit, white shirt, a blue tie and his favorite red suspenders.. He always wore the same outfit for jury selection. Not that he was superstitious, just that he saw no reason to change a good thing. He also had a reason for wearing his red suspenders other than just to hold up his pants.

  ***

  At seven a. m., the crowd started gathering in the street in front of Population Planning. T. J. was there bright and early, decked out in his usual white outfit, but he had added white ostrich leather boots and a white, broad brimmed Stetson. He made the additions as a gesture to Claudia and also figured that a Texas preacher decked out in white, including boots and cowboy hat, would look good on national television. As the crowd assembled, T. J. tried to shake each of their hands, thanking them for support. He also signed his autograph, "With Love, The Chosen," on everything from a man's business card to a baby bassinet.

  At seven-thirty, he used a bullhorn to address the throng that he estimated to be in excess of one thousand. "My friends and faithful followers, it's time to roll out. Before we begin our journey, let us pray." The crowd bowed their heads. "My Father, it has been a long, difficult and tortuous path. Yet, I have always followed where You have led me. I now understand why You let me sleep for so many years and brought me back in this time of crisis. I understand that my primary purpose on this earth is to end the murdering of pre-born children and to put death chambers like the Population Planning Center out of business. I understand my mission, and with the aid of Your followers, like those who are assembled here, we will triumph. In Your Holiest of Names, Amen.

  "Now, my friends, march with me to victory!"

  There were very few people out on the street at seven-thirty in the morning. One man out walking his dog paused, curiosity on his face, as T. J. and his followers marched by. A woman in a bathrobe with her hair in curlers had stepped out of her apartment to get the morning paper and was shocked when a man wearing a white suit and white cowboy hat, walking down the middle of her street, smiled and said good morning. When she saw what was behind him, she forgot her paper and hurried back into her apartment, slamming the door. Most of the people on the street were Houston police officers stationed to block each intersection as the parade passed. The small crowd didn't bother T. J. What was important was that the media had cameras rolling. He had been told that his march was being broadcast live on the network morning shows. People all over the country were watching him as they ate breakfast and prepared for the day's activities. The Chosen was in his rightful place, leading the grand entry as the circus was about to begin.

  As the demonstrators finished their two-mile walk, they could see another crowd gathered in front of the law school where each side of the street was barricaded and manned by police officers. The middle lane remained open to separate the protestors and permit police officers to patrol between the two groups. It also permitted access to the building although the lawyers and the jury panel had been advised that a side door would be open as an alternative. As T. J. approached, he saw that the pro-choice forces already occupied one side of the street. As he had promised, Herbert Wells, the Democratic presidential candidate, was with them, standing prominently in front and surrounded by police officers and the Secret Service. Both groups carried signs and had been talking among themselves. A strange thing happened as T. J.'s followers approached. Everyone fell silent. The police escorted the anti-abortion protestors to their side of the street, and as the two groups eyed each other, it was completely quiet. No cheers. No name-calling. No chants. Then Johnny Bob and Claudia arrived. They walked by the side door to the crowded street and made a grand entrance. It was the main event and Johnny Bob was not about to sneak into the building. As they approached, T. J. joined them, causing their followers to erupt in cheers. Boos rang out from the other side of the street.

  "Nice hat, T. J.," Claudia commented.

  "Bought it just for you, Claudia. Boots, too," he replied as he paused and pulled up one pants leg to show off the white ostri
ch leather boots.

  As they entered the building, Tod, Jan and Wayne rounded the corner and made their way up the center lane. This time the boos and cheers were reversed. When they walked through the metal detectors, Tod muttered, "Is this how the gladiators felt when they entered the coliseum?"

  To which Jan replied, "Don't know, Tod, but I damn sure hope we're the lions and not the Christians."

  The prospective jurors, identified by badges given to them on Friday, also began to arrive at about the same time. Some found the side entrance and were grateful to avoid the mob. Others went up the center lane between the two groups and were escorted by deputies through the metal detector. Three prospective jurors drove close to the law school, saw yelling masses of people and turned their cars around, never to be seen again. The lawyers found the courtroom packed. The only seats that remained were in the rows reserved for the jury panel. Lucy and her family were already seated in chairs immediately behind the counsel tables.

  Johnny Bob greeted his client and her family with handshakes. "What time did you get here, little lady? You all must have left Texas City at the crack of dawn."

  "Yes, sir. We did. We didn't know how bad traffic was going to be and didn't want to be late. We've been here since seven-fifteen," Lucy said.

  "Well, you just have a seat and relax. It'll be a little while before we kick this thing off."

  Tod, Wayne and Jan were sitting at their counsel table. They had their jury lists out and were comparing them to faces of prospective jurors when Dr. Moyo, his wife, and two daughters entered the courtroom. Dr. Moyo looked around, not sure what to do. Tod smiled and motioned them down. Then, he went halfway up the stairs to greet them and show them to their seats. It had taken Tod nearly a week to convince Dr. Moyo to bring his wife and children to trial, at least for voir dire. His trial strategy called for creating an image of his client as a caring doctor and a strong family man. Tod didn't want the girls to sit through the whole trial. However, he wanted to be able to introduce them to the jury on the first day. As to Marian, she was expected to be at her husband's side throughout the trial. Johnny Bob looked at Dr. Moyo's family and thought to himself that Tod had made a nice move. Nice looking family. Hard for anyone to believe that they would have anything to do with a "baby killer" or a "murderer."