Day three of The People vs. David Morales sat in the courtroom, just begging for tension. The stakes had never been so high, and both sides knew it. The prosecution had painted a compelling picture of Morales as the cartel's enforcer—responsible for the execution of eleven murders on behalf of the Torres Cartel. Uriel Zander wasn't about to let the DA's narrative stand uncontested.

Reporters were still swarming the building, their cameras popping off as Uriel, Karen, and Jake walked in. Inside, the gallery was filled with excited spectators, all waiting and wondering which way the trial would go. As Uriel sat down at the defense table, his mind racing through the day's strategy, he felt the weight of the pressure.

The five-million-dollar offer to drop the case still hung at the back of his mind, but he had pushed it aside, refusing to let such a thing stay his course. They had police watching their homes now, and though the threat loomed large, Uriel knew they couldn't afford to let their actions be dictated by fear.

Today, the trial would take a critical turn. The prosecution was about to call a key witness, an alleged accomplice of Morales, someone who had agreed to testify in exchange for a reduced sentence. An imperfect cross-examination by Uriel would be disastrous for the defense.

ADA Grace Mitchell got to her feet, tone now keen and sure, as she addressed the court. "Your Honor, the prosecution calls Javier Diaz to the stand."

The doors at the back of the courtroom opened, and a man—thirty-five, thirty-six years old—entered with two officers flanking him. Diaz was a member of the Torres Cartel and had been in custody two years earlier on drug trafficking charges. His deal with the DA's office depended on his testimony today—testimony that would tie Morales directly to the murders.

With Diaz sworn in and seated on the witness stand, the courtroom took on an uncomfortable silence. Uriel watched him closely—hands that shook just a little, eyes that refused to look in the direction of Morales. This was a man who had his back against the wall and was now being used to put Morales away for life.

ADA Mitchell didn't mince words. "Mr. Diaz, can you tell the court how you know David Morales?"

Diaz cleared his throat; his voice betrayed even a slight shakiness. "I worked with him. In the Torres Cartel."

"And what was Mr. Morales' role inside the cartel?" Mitchell pressed.

Diaz glanced sideways at Morales and away. "He was one of the enforcers. He took care of things... people. When the boss wanted someone gone, Morales handled it."

Mitchell's face was coldly professional. "And by 'handled it,' you mean he killed them?"

Diaz nodded now, his voice more quiet. "Yes. He killed them."

The jury hung on her every word. Mitchell had spent the last two days laying the groundwork, and now, with Diaz's testimony, she was hammering in the final nails of her case.

"Mr. Diaz," Mitchell said next, "can you tell Mr. Morales that he committed the eleven murders for which he is indicted today?"

Diaz swallowed hard but nodded again. "Yes. He was."

Mitchell stepped back, a job well done. "No further questions, Your Honor."

The jury was spellbound, as if nailed to the spot, and just drank in the weight of Diaz's words. Morales, next to Uriel, looked straight ahead, his face a mass of tension. But no skin from Uriel was ruffled. He had seen it all before, witnesses like Diaz who would say whatever it took.

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Now it was his turn.

Uriel stood and began to button his jacket as he walked toward the witness stand. His face was a mask of calm, and his voice measured in tone as he began his cross-examination.

"Mr. Diaz," Uriel said in a neutral tone, "you have admitted to being in the Torres Cartel, correct?"

Diaz nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"You've also admitted to committing crimes for the cartel, including drug trafficking."

Diaz shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes."

Uriel paused a moment, allowing the jury to experience Diaz's admission, before continuing. "And so currently you are facing some charges yourselves?"

Diaz hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."

"'And as part of your deal with the DA's office, you're testifying against David Morales in exchange for a reduced sentence. Isn't that right?"

Diaz's eyes flickered uncertainly. "Yes."

Uriel nodded to facts that seemed so obviously stated but laced the question with an undercurrent of sharp rancor. "In other words, your testimony here today may be the very factor that decides whether or not you spend the next twenty years in prison."

Diaz clenched his jaw, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the questioning was going. “I guess so.”

Uriel’s voice remained calm, but his words were cutting. “You guess so? Or is it a fact that your testimony against my client is the only thing standing between you and a long prison sentence?”

Diaz's face screwed up tight. "It's part of the deal, yeah."

Uriel turned to the jury, making sure they were following. "So, you have every reason to say whatever the DA's office wants you to say, don't you? Even if it means falsely accusing David Morales."

Diaz's voice took on a defensive tone. "I'm not lying. Morales did those things. He killed those people."

Uriel nodded reflectively as he paced in front of the jury. "And how do you know that, Mr. Diaz? Did you see him commit these murders with your own eyes?"

Diaz hesitated; he looked to Mitchell apparently for guidance, but the ADA gave him no help.

"No," Diaz said grudgingly. "I didn't see it."

"So you are testifying to this jury that David Morales committed eleven murders, and you didn't actually witness him kill anybody."

Diaz's voice began to quiver. "I know he did it. Everybody in the cartel knew it."

Uriel cut off, pivoting to face Diaz square, "The thing is, you don't have any proof, right? You have no evidence placing David Morales at these murders beyond hearsay and word of mouth from cartel members."

Diaz was silent.

Uriel pressed on. "And you're asking this jury to take your word for this, while it's your freedom that depends upon their concluding that Morales is guilty."

Diaz wriggled in his chair, the assuredness stumbling. "I know what happened."

Uriel took another step closer to the witness stand, his voice even colder. "Or perhaps you merely say what the DA wants to hear so that you may save your skin."

The courtroom was quiet as Uriel let his last words converge in the air. Diaz looked disturbed, and Uriel knew the jury caught on to the breaks in the prosecution's star witness.

"Thank you, Mr. Diaz," Uriel said, his voice softening once again. "No further questions."

As he sat down, Uriel could feel the air in the room shift. No longer was it a foregone conclusion that the truth of the prosecution argument, as it had been that morning, and Diaz' credibility were questioned. And so, Uriel, Karen, Jake, and Leo reconvened back at the office after a grueling day in court, bone-weary but cautiously optimistic. They'd undercut one of the key prosecution witnesses, but the trial was far from over. Jake was still testy from the letter they received yesterday. He had spent his day keeping tabs on everybody's security, making sure the police kept watch over all their residences.

"They're getting desperate," he said, pacing as he updated the team on security measures. "Offering five million is only the opening salvo. If they think you're getting too close to something, they'll try again—and it won't be just money."

Uriel nodded; he knew Jake was right. This was one of those cases where the cartel wasn't just going to take things lying down, and the closer they got to the truth, the more dangerous it would get.

"We'll keep our guard up," Uriel said firmly. "But we stay the course. We're getting somewhere."

Karen turned to him, lines furrowing her face with concern yet determination etched on it. "Diaz was a big blow to their case. But Mitchell's not going to back down. Tomorrow's going to be tough."

Uriel leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing through the possibilities. "Let her come at us. We're ready."

As the team continued to further brief and strategize for the next day, Uriel felt the weight of the trial weighing down, knowing they at least had a fighting chance. For today, the prosecution had done its thing, and Uriel had responded. Of course, the battle was far from over. But Uriel Zander had just gotten going.

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