Chapter 6 - The Court Confrontation
The emergency custody and protection order hearing took place two weeks later.
David showed up in his best suit, playing the role of the exhausted, heartbroken father. Margaret sat right behind him in the gallery, wearing a neck brace—a prop that made my lawyer physically roll her eyes.
David’s attorney, a loud, aggressive man, stood up and painted a picture of me as a hysterical, violent woman.
"Your Honor, my client's mother was simply trying to protect her grandson from the erratic behavior of the respondent," the lawyer boomed. "Mrs. Sterling violently attacked an elderly woman and kidnapped her child. We are asking for immediate full custody for the father, and a restraining order against the mother."
The judge, a stern older woman, looked over her glasses at me. "Mrs. Sterling, these are severe allegations. Assaulting a senior citizen is a criminal offense."
My lawyer, Amanda, stood up gracefully. "Your Honor, we do not deny that my client struck Margaret Sterling. We claim it was the defense of a minor child, in response to a brutal, unprovoked assault."
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David’s lawyer scoffed loudly. "A lie! The child tripped! We have Margaret's sworn affidavit!"
"We don't need an affidavit, Your Honor," Amanda said, pulling a flash drive from her briefcase. "We have the nanny cam footage. From two angles."
