Chapter 8 - The VerdictThe jury deliberated for a remarkably short time—just two hours and fourteen minutes.
When the buzzer sounded, signaling a verdict had been reached, the courtroom fell into an absolute, breathless hush. You could hear the faint hum of the air conditioning vents high above the ceiling.
Cameron was led back into the courtroom, his wrists shackled, his eyes red-rimmed and hollow. He didn't look at the gallery. He kept his eyes locked on the floor.
The jury foreman, a stern-faced middle-aged man, stood up and handed the folded white paper to the bailiff, who in turn handed it to the judge.
The judge adjusted his glasses, scanned the document silently, and then looked up, his expression like granite.
"In the case of The State of Wisconsin versus Cameron Vance," the judge read aloud, his voice echoing through the silent room, "on the counts of felony criminal negligence resulting in death, domestic endangerment, and abandonment of a vulnerable person..."
Cameron stopped breathing.
"...the jury finds the defendant, Cameron Vance..."
He closed his eyes, bracing for the hammer to fall.
"...GUILTY on all counts."
A low murmur of approval rippled through the gallery.
The judge didn't bang his gavel for silence. Instead, he looked straight down at the defense table, his eyes boring into Cameron’s soul.
"Mr. Vance, your actions demonstrate a level of callous narcissism and sociopathic disregard for human life that this court rarely witnesses," the judge stated, his voice ringing with cold fury. "You abandoned your wife while she was in medical crisis, prioritized vanity over human life, and directly caused the preventable death of your own newborn son. Under state law, I sentence you to twenty-five years to life in the maximum-security state penitentiary, with no possibility of parole for the first fifteen years."
Bang.
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The gavel came down with a final, echoing crash.
Cameron didn't scream. He didn't protest. He simply slumped forward in his chair as the bailiffs grabbed his arms, hoisted him up, and led him away through the side door, leaving the courtroom behind forever.
