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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

The judge and attorneys have a heated, protracted discussion. We’re not privy to the content, but it’s clear DeFiore has crossed a line. “Understood,” he repeats. “It won’t happen again.” Eventually, the underwear is ruled inadmissible, and the testimony is stricken. Even so, the jury can’t un-see what they’ve seen.

51

TRUE TO HIS WORD, DEFIORE MOVES QUICKLY THROUGH the rest of his witnesses. Over the next three days, we hear from Billy’s friends, professors, coaches, and classmates. All offer similar details: Yes, Billy’s excitement about Diana was short-lived. Yes, Diana constantly talked about the future. No, Billy didn’t reciprocate. Yes, Billy broke up with her. Yes, she was shattered. Yes, she sent threatening texts. No, he didn’t tell the authorities.

“Why?” DeFiore asks Darnell Lansing, Billy’s former teammate. “If Billy had concerns, wouldn’t it make sense to call the police? Or campus security?”

“Honestly, sir, the idea of calling the police never occurred to me.” Darnell is a serious young Black man in his first year at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He has a sculpted flat top, a heavy brow, and the nervous tic of rubbing his eyes.

“Did you not take Diana’s threats seriously?”

“No, I did, absolutely. But I doubt the police would, not in today’s climate.”

“What do you mean by ‘today’s climate’?”

“You’ve heard the expression hashtag-believewomen? At Princeton, women are not doubted, no matter the circumstances. If a woman says she was raped, cops swoop in, guns blazing. It’s not the same for men. If I were to complain that a former girlfriend was threatening me, the cops would laugh in my face.”

“Objection!” Anderson is on his feet. “Speculation.”

“Sustained.” The judge turns to DeFiore and opens his mouth as if to speak but merely shakes his head.

For some reason, this rattles DeFiore. “Mr. Brown . . . uh . . . Darnell . . . Excuse me, please.” At the defense table, he rifles through his notes. “Darnell,” he says but falters again. “. . . no further questions, Your Honor.”

Until now, McKay appeared neutral. But DeFiore’s attempt to introduce Diana’s underwear has exposed the judge’s bias. He repeatedly sustains the State’s objections and admonishes our side for petty infractions. Worse, the jury is following his lead. Every time DeFiore talks, they cross their arms and sit rigidly in their chairs.