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Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

For the next two hours, Anderson lays out the State’s evidence. But rather than drive home the most damning details from the sheriff’s and EMT’s reports, he focuses instead on the science behind porn addiction: why videos are so dangerous, how technology feeds on the brain, how watching porn predisposes young men to dehumanize women.

“You will learn that the defendant sees his first pornographic video at age seven. You will hear evidence that he continues to watch, compulsively, for the next sixteen years. Witnesses will testify that by the time he meets Diana Holly, he is watching pornographic videos for hours at a stretch. This behavior disrupts his schoolwork, social life, and extracurricular activities. He stops tutoring. He is kicked off the track team. He is deeply depressed. He watches more than eighteen hours a week. He is caught in a cycle of binge-watching, shame, attempts to quit, and relapse. You will hear from the State’s expert how pornographic videos came to rule the defendant’s life.”

I glance at Eleanor. She appears unimpressed by this. So does the jury. Earlier, they were hanging on Anderson’s every word; now they shift in their seats. One guy is dozing; another is scrolling through a phone hidden inside his notebook.

My confidence surges. The DA’s presentation is lackluster and one-note. He uses too many words to say what he means and repeats the phrase “pornographic videos” to the point of distraction. Even as he bashes Billy into a pulp, even as he graphs Billy and Diana’s relationship from flirtation to violence, even as he walks the jury, moment by moment, through the alleged rape, Anderson can’t hold the room.

Finally, McKay cracks his gavel. “We’ll adjourn for lunch.”

41

IN THE AFTERNOON, IT’S OUR TURN FOR OPENING STATEMENTS. DeFiore has implored us to take every day as it comes, but the second he stands up and buttons his jacket, I know we will win. Once again, he’s pulled himself together. He’s no lumpy, dumpy mobster; he’s Peter DeFiore, Esquire, polished in his courtroom blues: a well-fitted navy suit, a navy tie of appropriate length, and heirloom cuff links. While Anderson relied on hysteria and theatrics, DeFiore zeroes in on evidence. He is measured, thoughtful, and persuasive.

Watching DeFiore address the jury, I wish Haggerty were here, if only to relish the shock on his know-it-all, Ichabod Crane, lemon-sucking face when Billy is acquitted.