Chapter 18 - The Appeal
Lucas appealed.
One conviction was reduced because the jury instruction blurred attempted transfer of restricted mission rights with completed deprivation.
The false-certification conviction remained.
The bank-access fraud count remained.
Restitution adjusted.
Headlines:
CALDER WINS APPEAL.
Odessa was thirteen.
“Does that mean he didn’t do it?”
“No.”
“What did he win?”
“One legal issue.”
“Why does court help him?”
“Courts should correct mistakes even for people we dislike.”
She frowned.
“Annoying.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Good?”
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“Fine.”
I was proud of that conversation.
Not because she agreed.
Because justice cannot become family vengeance.
Verena did not appeal the child-related conviction.
She appealed part of the financial restitution.
She won a small reduction where tuition expenses could not all be attributed to unauthorized funds.
Correct.
Some tuition came from her own income.
Again:
May you like
truth in correct size.
No one was entitled to extra punishment because we hated what happened.
