Chapter 18 - DIANE’S APPEAL
Diane appealed one financial restitution component.
Not the child-assault conviction.
Her attorney argued several grocery purchases had been wrongly classified as personal when texts showed implied approval.
The appellate court sent that portion back for recalculation.
Restitution decreased by $640.
Headline:
DIANE BENNETT WINS APPEAL.
Evan was six.
He could read some words.
“Diane wins?”
“Part of a money question.”
“Does she still trouble?”
“Yes.”
“Did she still hit me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why win?”
“Because courts fix mistakes even when the person did something wrong.”
He frowned.
“That’s weird.”
“It’s important.”
“Still weird.”
Fair.
Diane’s supporters treated the ruling as vindication.
It wasn’t.
Her lawyer did not claim that.
The child conviction stood.
The fraud plea stood.
Most restitution stood.
Accuracy stood too.
I was glad.
Not emotionally.
May you like
Principally.
If we demanded people tell the truth about what Diane did, we also had to tell the truth about what she did not owe.
