The third day of the People vs. Caden Spears trial dawned no different from any other. Still, from day one, there had seemed to be something hanging over the courtroom. Today felt different: an energy, an underlying determination that somehow had taken root in Uriel Zander. He strode through the courthouse doors with a purpose, Karen at his side, both ready for another round in the ring.
Day two had been a small but important victory for Uriel; he’d chipped away at the investigation of the FBI and cast seeds of doubt in the minds of the jury. Today, he needed to nurture that doubt,
and make it grow. Yesterday’s performance no doubt gave the lawyers of the FBI grey hairs, and Uriel knew they wouldn't take this lying down. They would come back much stronger.
But Uriel was ready. He had refined his strategy overnight, honing in on the inconsistencies in the FBI’s case and preparing to tear down the credibility of their star witnesses. If they were to win this trial, Uriel needed to reveal the weakness in the FBI’s use of informants-criminals who had cut deals to save themselves.
As Uriel and Karen entered the courtroom, the familiar buzz of conversation greeted them. The press was still in full force, and the public was now watching closely, a feeling that something was about to shift. Caden sat fidgeting at the defense table, but Uriel gave him a reassuring nod as he took his seat.
“Today is the day we turn this around,” Uriel said quietly to Caden, “Stay calm, we’ve got this.”
The first witness for the prosecution that day was Luis Ortega, a former associate of the trafficking ring. In and out of jail throughout his life, now Ortega was cooperating with the FBI in exchange for a reduced sentence. His testimony had been central to the FBI’s narrative that Caden Spears was a key player in the trafficking organization.
The scroungy, leather-hardened Ortega, his face a topographic map of years of illegality, took to the stand with a mix of defiance and nerves. Marlowe, lead prosecutor for the FBI in the case, took him through his testimony story that painted Caden as one of the key organizers of the trafficking ring, in charge of arranging shipments and keeping in contact with other members of the network.
“So, Mr. Ortega,” Marlowe said, his voice silky-smooth, “you’ve already testified that Mr. Spears was directly involved with the operations. If you can, describe his function within the trafficking organization.”
Ortega shifted in his seat, his eyes flicking to Uriel for a brief second before he replied, “He was deep in it. He handled a lot of the logistics-moving drugs and people, whatever needed to be done. He had connections, made things happen.”
“And how do you know this?” Marlowe asked, turning her back to Uriel and focusing entirely on the witness. “Were you present during these transactions?”
“Yeah, I saw it all,” Ortega replied. “I was there when the deals went down. Caden was running things.”
Marlowe smiled-satisfied with the answer. She stepped back and looked over at Uriel, allowing him to take over into cross-examination.
Smooth and unruffled, Uriel rose from his seat and strode to the stand. The courtroom hushed in one fell swoop as Uriel began to zero in on undermining the credibility of the prosecution’s star witness.
“Mr. Ortega,” Uriel began, his voice certain, “you’ve testified that you saw Mr. Spears masterminding deals and taking care of logistics for the trafficking organization. That is your testimony, isn’t it?”
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Ortega nodded. “Yes, that is.”.
“And you’re currently cooperating with the FBI in exchange for a reduced sentence?”
Ortega shifted in his seat, while his defiant expression remained. “That’s right.”
Uriel nodded, his tone smooth, and firm. “Let’s talk about that. You’ve spent most of your life involved in criminal activity, haven’t you?”
Marlowe shot to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor. Irrelevant.”
The judge turned to Uriel. “I’ll allow it for now. But tread carefully, Mr. Zander.
Uriel nodded slightly and advanced. “Luis, you were convicted of drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, and assault. Correct? “
Ortega’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Yeah, I’ve done my time.”
“And now you’re here, testifying against my client in exchange for a reduced sentence?”
“Yes.”
Uriel took a moment to let the tension rise before pushing on. “Isn’t it true your testimony today is your get-out-of-jail-free card from a much harsher sentence?
Ortega leaned forward with his jaw clenched. “I am just telling the truth.”
Uriel smiled faintly, knowing that this was precisely what he wanted from Ortega. “Let’s get one thing straight first, Luis. You are not just ‘telling the truth.’ You are testifying to save your own skin, aren’t you? And you’ll say anything the FBI needs for you to say to make that happen.”
The flashes of anger were immediate in Ortega’s eyes, though he said nothing.
Uriel plunged ahead. “You’ve spent your entire life in and out of prison. You’ve lied, stolen, and hurt people to get ahead. And now we’re supposed to believe that you’re here in this courtroom simply to tell the truth? Or are you here because the FBI offered you a deal you couldn’t refuse?”
“Objection, Your Honor!” Marlowe snarled, pushing to his feet. “The defense is badgering the witness!”
The judge scowled. “Sustained. Mr. Zander, watch your tone.”
Uriel nodded, pulling back slightly, but he was making the point. He turned to the jury, holding their eyes a beat. “Luis Ortega is no hero, not a man of honor. He is a criminal, trying to save himself. And his testimony is the bedrock of the FBI’s case.
He stepped back from the stand, his final words hanging in the air. “What does that say about their case?”
Uriel returned to his seat, satisfied that he had shaken the jury’s faith in the star witness for the FBI. Ortega had been revealed as a man with a motive, but that motive was not to tell the truth; it was to buy his freedom.
Later in the day, the prosecution called another witness, Carla Velez, an associate who claimed to have witnessed Caden Spears in a number of illegal dealings. But Uriel was prepared for her also:
He cross-examined her testimony with surgical precision, using the information Jake had dug up about her history of giving false information in previous cases. By the time Uriel was done with her cross-examination, the jury had been given yet another reason to doubt the witnesses offered up by the FBI.
The momentum had turned. Uriel could feel it. The jury was no longer looking at Caden with that same surety of guilt anymore. The threads of the FBI’s narrative were growing frayed.
Meanwhile, at the Public Defender’s Office, Tom Reardon watched the trial coverage with a different expression: his doubt was now disappearing, to be replaced by a glimmer of hope. Uriel had taken over the trial today, and he had clashed with the FBI witnesses in a strategic, ruthless way.
“Perhaps this kid’s got a bit more fight in him than I gave him credit for” he mumbled to himself as he continued to watch the screen, his faith in Uriel slowly being restored.
That evening, news networks across town went abuzz with the day’s events. The legal experts now broke down Uriel’s cross-examinations, praising the way in which he managed to undermine the prosecution witnesses.
“Zander’s strategy today was textbook defense work,” Greg Hamilton said. “He discredited two of the FBI’s most important witnesses by revealing their motives and leaving people wondering about the integrity of their testimony.”
Linda Monroe nodded. “The jury is starting to see the cracks in the FBI’s case. Zander’s defense of Spears is building momentum, and if he can continue this tomorrow, the prosecution will have to work much harder to maintain control of the narrative.”
The coverage was watched in silence by Uriel and Karen, the exhaustion that had set in giving way laboriously to cautious optimism. They were not out of the woods yet, but today had been a big step forward.
Tomorrow, further challenges would come, but one thing was certain for now, according to Uriel: they were still in the fight.