Most importantly, neither knew that Judge Evelyn Carter had already read every page of their case file.
And she had watched the recordings.
All of them.
The first witness was Marcus Reed, a twenty-seven-year-old electrician who had been saving money to purchase his own home. He entered the courtroom wearing a dark blue suit that was slightly too large in the shoulders. His hands trembled as he raised his right hand to take the oath.
Daniel watched him with an expression of mild irritation.
Marcus looked nervous, which Daniel considered an advantage.
Nervous people forgot details. They contradicted themselves. They struggled to distinguish what they remembered from what they had been told afterward.
Daniel had used those weaknesses before.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Rachel Morgan, approached the witness stand.
"Mr. Reed, could you tell the court what happened on the evening of June fourteenth?"
Marcus took a breath.
"I was coming home from work. I parked outside my building, took my backpack out of the passenger seat, and started walking toward the entrance. The officers pulled up behind me."
"What happened next?"
"They asked me where I was going."
"And what did you tell them?"
"I told them I lived there."
Rachel nodded.
"Did they ask you for identification?"
"Yes."
"Did they explain why they needed it?"
Marcus looked down briefly.
"No, ma'am. They just kept asking questions. When I asked whether I was suspected of doing something wrong, Officer Brooks told me I was making the situation difficult."
Daniel shifted in his chair.
Rachel continued.
"What happened when you asked if you were free to leave?"
"Officer Turner moved closer to me. Officer Brooks told me not to walk away. Then they asked me to open my backpack."
"Did you consent to a search?"
"No."
"What did you say?"
"I said I didn't understand why they wanted to search my belongings. I told them I hadn't done anything."
Marcus's voice grew quieter.
"Then Officer Brooks grabbed my arm."
The courtroom became still.
"What happened after that?"
"They pushed me against the wall. My shoulder hit the brick. My backpack fell on the ground, and my tools spilled everywhere. They kept telling me to stop resisting, but I wasn't fighting them."
Rachel allowed the silence to remain for a moment.
"Mr. Reed, were you arrested that evening?"
"No."
"Were you charged with a crime?"
"No, ma'am."
"Did the officers issue you a citation?"
"No."
Rachel looked toward the judge.
"No further questions at this time."
Daniel's attorney rose to begin cross-examination.
"Mr. Reed, you admit that the officers asked you questions, correct?"
"Yes."
"And you admit that you did not immediately provide identification?"
"I asked why they needed it."
"That wasn't my question. You did not immediately provide identification, did you?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Not immediately."
The attorney walked toward the jury box, although this hearing was before a judge alone.
"So, instead of simply cooperating with two officers performing their duties, you decided to challenge them."
"I wanted to know why I was being stopped."
"Yet you raised your voice?"
"I was frightened."
"Isn't it possible that the officers interpreted your behavior as aggressive?"
"No. I was trying to understand what was happening."
"Isn't it possible that you moved suddenly when Officer Brooks approached you?"
Marcus looked directly at him.
"I moved because he grabbed me."
A few people in the gallery shifted in their seats.
The attorney smiled faintly, as if Marcus had confirmed something useful.
"No further questions."
Judge Carter made a note.
"Mr. Reed, you may step down."
Marcus returned to his seat beside Rachel Morgan. His mother, who had taken the morning off from her job at a nursing home to attend the hearing, reached for his hand.
Daniel exhaled.
The witness had sounded emotional. His answers had been incomplete in places. The defense had introduced enough uncertainty to make the encounter appear less straightforward than the prosecution claimed.
Daniel felt his confidence returning.
Then Judge Carter spoke.
"Counsel, before calling the next witness, I would like to address the recordings submitted as evidence."
Daniel's stomach tightened.
The recordings.
He had hoped the court would focus on the written reports.
Evelyn opened a separate folder.
"I have reviewed the department's incident report, the body-camera footage from both officers, the apartment building's exterior security footage, and the recording provided by a resident of the building."
Michael's fingers curled around the edge of the table.
Evelyn continued.
"There are several discrepancies between the written report and the available recordings. I would like both officers to pay particular attention to the sequence of events."
She looked at Daniel.
"Officer Brooks, your report states that Mr. Reed repeatedly attempted to walk away after receiving a lawful instruction to remain in place. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Your report also states that you used physical contact only after he attempted to push past you."
"That's correct."
Evelyn nodded.
"Very well."
She turned toward the courtroom clerk.
"Please display the first recording."
The lights dimmed slightly. A large monitor at the side of the courtroom flickered to life.
The image showed a street outside an apartment building. A car pulled up behind a parked vehicle. Two uniformed officers stepped out.
Marcus appeared in the frame carrying a backpack.
The recording had no sound, but the movements were clear.
Daniel approached Marcus. Michael remained several feet away.
Marcus pointed toward the apartment entrance, then toward himself. He appeared to be explaining something.
Daniel gestured toward the backpack.
Marcus shook his head.
Then Daniel stepped forward and grabbed Marcus's arm.
The backpack struck the ground. Several tools scattered across the pavement.
Marcus raised his hands.
He did not swing at either officer.
He did not run.
He did not push anyone.
He simply stood against the wall while Daniel held his arm and Michael approached.
The video continued for another forty seconds before the officers released Marcus and returned to their vehicle.
When the screen went dark, nobody spoke.
Judge Carter looked at Daniel.
"Officer Brooks, would you care to explain the moment at which Mr. Reed allegedly attempted to push past you?"
Daniel cleared his throat.
"Your Honor, the camera angle doesn't show everything. He was moving unpredictably, and I believed he might become a threat."
"Was he armed?"