2024, Part 13
Anton, a tall gaunt man with a pronounced square jawline in his early 30s, stood in the dock. He had been standing there for the last two hours. His hands were tied behind his back with a nylon tie. They had been tied behind his back for the last two hours. He wasn’t allowed to talk. All he was allowed to do, was listen to the prosecutor list the crimes he had committed against the State. He wasn’t allowed a defence. Any defence he would put up was deemed against the better interests of State. He was however allowed to have a defence attorney present. It was his father. An esteemed attorney general in the prior administration, but he wasn’t allowed to talk.
Whenever his father went to stand up and object, he was told by the judge to sit down. The last time he stood up to object to the characterisation they were making of his son, the judge stopped the proceedings and told Mr Grant that the next time he stood up, he would be removed from the court and sentenced to thirty days in prison for contempt of court.
“Then why am I here sir?” he asked not concerned about his safety. His only concern was that his son received a fair trial on made up charges. “Why am I here?” He then turned and addressed the jury of 11 men, handpicked by the prosecutor, “why am I here, if I cannot mount a defence to the charges I feel are completely bogus.”
The judge glared at him. He waved to the bailiff to remove him. Once he had been escorted out of the room by three burly men, it took that many to do the job properly, the judge forced a smile and addressed Anton. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. I had made an accommodation to your father because of his position in the last administration, but he knew the rules. He knew he wasn’t allowed to mount a defence, as no defence is permitted. But he went against those rules and so unfortunately, I had to remove your father from the room.” He continued after glancing at the jury who remained stone faced. “However, I shan’t give him the 30 days in jail he deserves.” He then turned to the prosecutor, “Mr Mayer please proceed.”
The prosecutor smiled, bowed his head and again began to list the offences of which there were many. Anton let a tear roll down his face. No one noticed and if they did, they did not care. He stood there waiting for the proceedings to end so he could go back to his cell and await his sentence.
Anton was dressed in a bright red jumpsuit. All political prisoners had to dress in that manner, so that they stood out amongst the prison population as those who needed special treatment. They had gone against the orthodoxy of the State and had to be punishment. Besides prison time, they had to be sent to re-education camps where they would be shown the errors of their ways and indoctrinated on how to lead a normal life. A life in accordance with the doctrine laid down by the Party at the last convention. A convention both Anton and his father stayed away from even though they were considered ‘privileged individuals.’
That was so long ago. Now they were nobodies. Anton’s father had lost his job. He was the managing partner at a prestigious law firm. He had refused to drop a client who he felt was being wrongly accused of a crime. A crime bill that had been forced through the Legislature under the Crimes Against the State Act. The opposition party had gone along with the wishes of the government. He was asked to leave his office and stay home until the law firm had been advised by the government if he was to be prosecuted as well under that law. He was escorted out of the building by security. A firm he had founded thirty five years ago.
Ten years ago he was tapped to be the next attorney general of the state much to everyone’s delight, but when there was a change of government, he lost his credentials and all the trappings that come with his prior office. He was somewhat glad to get out of government and back into private practice, but he soon found that the new administration did not care either for the law or for any decorum. The jury knew all this. They raised no objections to his removal from the court.
The prosecutor droned on for another half an hour or so before the judge told the bailiff to take Anton back to his cell. His sentencing was slated to happen the next day. He was in the courtroom when they had served lunch at the prison. He now had to wait till dinner at six. He would have to remain hungry.
They cut off the plastic tie and he sat down on his bunk. He was in solitary confinement. There wasn’t anything for him to do, so he swung his feet on to his bunk and lay down. Another tear slipped from his eye and rolled down his cheek. He felt awful for his father. A man who had fought for his country both in and out of uniform and now was treated as being a traitor. There was a knock on the door. Anton remained silent. He had found out it didn’t matter. They would do what they wanted. He heard the bolts on the door being withdrawn. He had his eyes closed. He didn’t care who was there. He didn’t have any friends anymore.
“Hello Anton,” he heard his name called. It was the Prosecutor Saul Mayer. Anton didn’t open his eyes. The man stood at the door. The jailer stood behind him. “I’m sorry Anton,” said the prosecutor. “You know I didn’t want to do this, but I was forced to.” Anton opened his eyes briefly and then closed them again. He knew Saul Mayer. He knew Saul Mayer very well. They had been to the same high school together. They were the best of friends all through university and when they went to law school. They shared a room all through those university years.
Saul’s wife, Patricia, was once briefly Anton’s girlfriend. In fact, he had introduced the two of them. He was Saul’s best man. Anton folded his arms and turned his body so he lay on his left side facing the wall away from Saul. He didn’t want to see him. Saul stood there in silence for a few more seconds before he turned and left the cell. Anton heard the door bang shut. He heard the bolt slam and then and only then did he turn on to his back again. It pained him to no end that his best friend had been sucked into the darkness by the forces who were now in power and who demanded complete obedience to the Party. Any dissent was treated harshly. Saul towed the line, Anton and his father refused to. Subsequently one was the chief prosecutor in the current regime, while the other two were non entities. A few minutes later Anton had fallen fast asleep.