"All rise!" the judge enters the chamber taking his seat, the bailiff continues, "You may be seated" to the few scattered spectators. The judge nods to the bailiff mumbling softly, "first case."
"Your honor, the first case is the people versus George Bailey. The state alleges George Bailey; a resident of Bedford Falls, New York is guilty of the following charges. It is alleged that George Bailey knowingly embezzled funds from the Bailey Brothers Savings and Loan. It is further alleged that George Bailey did knowingly set up a private, unlicensed charity trying to cover losses from the Bailey Brother's savings and loan.
George Bailey is also charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, as well as public intoxication. On the night of December 24, George Bailey was involved in a bar brawl at a local eatery known as Martinis. The state will prove that Bailey had been drinking heavily, before being ejected by the management. George Bailey had previously driven his vehicle into a tree arguing incoherently with the property owner, before abandoning the vehicle.
George Bailey also struck a police officer in the commission of his duties, before fleeing the scene. It was at this point Mr. Bailey in a drunken rage assaulted a local bridge tender, so frightening the poor man, he ran off into a snow storm. A witness had seen George Bailey running down the middle of Main Street shouting, "Merry Christmas" at the top of his lungs, disturbing the peace and creating a public nuisance
The judge asked, looked away from his blackjack, "How does the defendant plead?"
A teenager rose from the desk, "Your honor, he said straightening his clip-on tie; I have been appointed as Mr. Bailey's public defender. Mr. Bailey pleads "not guilty" by reason of temporary insanity. Your honor, may I approach the bench?"
"You may,"
"Your honor, trust me, he's nuts. Full tilt Bozo, know what I mean? I've known my client for over 20 minutes and he's speaking incoherently about bells and angels. He claims to have this friend he calls Clarence. When I asked him where Clarence is now, he told me he's an angel, that he helped Clarence get his wings! If you ask me, when the snow melts, we're gonna find Clarence."
The judge looked back at his computer screen, "I'll take your recommendation under advisement, we should play a few hands, I mean, hear more evidence before I make my ruling. Is the prosecutor ready at this time?"
"Yes, your honor. George Bailey had operated his savings and loan scam, targeting low-income borrowers for years and when it all began to unravel Bailey snapped. In a sworn deposition, Mr. Henry F. Potter, a director on the board of the Bailey Brothers Savings and Loan said he'd become aware of Bailey making no documentation loans to a Ms. Violet Biggs. Mr. Potter has sworn that he became alarmed by the events at Bailey Brothers, because of the company's history of financial irregularities and the co-mingling of funds.
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