Chapter 4 - THE ARRAIGNMENT
The courthouse in Denver was swarming with media. The story of the "Ice Cold Grandparents" had gone viral. Every major news network was covering the arraignment.
I walked into the courtroom holding my head high, dressed in a sharp navy suit provided by a victims' advocacy group.
My parents were brought in wearing bright orange county jumpsuits. The heavy silver chains around their waists and wrists clinked loudly. My mother’s perfectly dyed hair was a tangled, greasy mess. My father looked pale and terrified.
When they saw me sitting in the front row, looking perfectly healthy, absolute terror flashed across their eyes.
Their high-priced defense lawyer tried to plead for bail, claiming they were upstanding citizens with deep ties to the community.
Marcus Vance stood up, turning on the courtroom projector. He played the traffic cam footage. He didn't say a word. He just let the silence of the courtroom absorb the horrifying reality of the video.
The judge banged his gavel with furious force.
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“Bail is denied,” the judge boomed, glaring down at my parents as if they were cockroaches. “These defendants are a severe flight risk and a danger to society. Remand them to county lockup until the trial.”
My mother wailed, a high-pitched, pathetic sound, as the bailiffs dragged her away.
