"All rise! Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Thompkins presiding," said the Bailiff.
After the judge walked behind her bench and saw everyone complying with the Baliff's request, she said, "Be seated," before sitting down and going over the documents in front of her.
"I see my docket has a priority request," said the judge, looking up to see the DA himself assuming a chair at the prosecution's table. "This must be important if you're handling this personally Mister Theropod."
"It is your honor," replied Simon, as he set his briefcase down on the table and opened it. "Miss Yvette Elizabeth Smith is facing multiple charges, the most severe of which is two counts of violating Moon Lake Statute 1A."
The judge turned and looked at the defendant's table. There, the Skulk lawyer Alfred J. Aredale stood next to a lady in a plain looking pink dress who sat in the chair next to him. Yvette looked bored to death, like she would prefer to be anywhere but where she was at the moment. Yet the fact there was also extra guards near the defendant's table indicated the woman should be considered more dangerous than she first appeared.
"Young lady," said the judge. "Are you aware how serious this situation is?" she asked, before looking at her bailiff.
The bailiff shook his head affirmatively, indicating that everyone within the courtroom was either were-friendly or a were-creature of some type themselves.
With that, Judge Thompkins added, "Two counts of turning a normal human against their will into a were-creature is almost paramount to murder. That's why our ancestors declared it Statute 1A, with murder itself being Statute 1. How do you plea?"
Yvette and the attorney looked at each other briefly, before Aredale turned to face the judge.
"Your honor," he began, "while I know my client's wishes in this matter, in all good conscious I cannot abide by them. We plead guilty on all charges, and ask that sentencing be postponed until the matter can be weighed in light of the results from full medical and psychiatric evaluations that we request be performed on the defendant."
The others gathered around the courtroom couldn't tell who was more shocked at hearing that. The DA, or the defendant.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Yvette, as she rose from her chair so quick and violently that it actually fell back and landed on the floor. "I'm not guilty of anything except missing and needing my William. Just let him and me leave now. We'll go peacefully, somewhere up North together, and you'll never see or hear from either of us ever again," she promised in a whiny voice.
William Anderson, who had been sitting in the rear of the courtroom with the Dean, Akane Tachibana, and the others, stood up and angrily shouted, "I never have been, nor will I ever be yours you stupid bitch!"
"You don't mean that honey," cried Yvette, as she turned to face where the voice came from.
"Order in the court!" yelled the judge, as she started banging her gavel.
Aredale tried to put a hand on Yvette's shoulder, as much to reassure her as to attempt restraining her, but Yvette turned and yelled, "Get your hands off of me you damn Judas!" before slugging him in face as hard and as fast as she could with her right fist. The blow didn't do that much physical damage, but it was enough to have the surrounding guards begin to move in.
"Stay away from me, all of you!" cried Yvette, as she fearfully changed into her werevixen form. The borrowed dress, which was barely the right size to begin with, started ripping along its hems until it was just tight patches of cloth stretched across her now furry body.
Yvette saw the guards move closer. Her fur bristled in fear even as she started growling, prepared to defend herself.
A quick look revealed that the only possible escape route was toward the empty jurors' box. It was a serious long shot, but if she could just leap over the small, waist high wall that separated it from the rest of the courtroom, Yvette felt she might have a chance of making it to the door the judge came in from. That might, in turn, lead to freedom.
As she started to make her move, Yvette tripped over the fallen chair she had been sitting in!
She landed on the floor, her head butting against the base of the jurors' box even as the closest guard moved in to restrain her.
Unconscious, Yvette started reverting back to her human form as the guard yelled for an ambulance.
Jenny Harper had been silently sitting with the others all this time watching the proceedings intently, wondering when arrangements for her completion would be mentioned, let alone made. As the call for an ambulance went out, she moaned before fainting into her fiance's lap.
Samantha, not knowing what else to do as emergency personnel came running into the courtroom, grabbed her cellphone and called her wife Frances.