"In the opinion of the Court," he thundered, "the proposed
demonstration would be irrelevant, immaterial and without substantive
basis in law. Unless the People proceed with their case in the proper
manner, the Court will dismiss this complaint!"
"Objection!"
"Objection!"
The word was spoken simultaneously by both the D.A. and the Professor.
Then the defendant bowed toward the District Attorney, and asked him to
continue.
* * * * *
For one of the few times in his life, Walhfred Anderson found himself
faced with the same objection, at the same time, from both prosecution
and defense. What a morning! He felt like turning the court over to a
Cyber judge right here and now, and stomping back to his chambers. Let
Holmes try getting along with a Cyber!
The D.A.'s voice slashed into his thoughts.
"The People object on the grounds that there is ample precedent in law
for the type of court demonstration to which we have agreed...."
"For example," spoke up the Professor, "People vs. Borth, 201 N.Y.,
Supp. 47--"
The District Attorney blinked, and looked wary again.
"The People are not familiar with the citation," he said, "but there
is no reason to be in doubt. The revised Judicial Code of Procedure
provides for automatic and immediate review of disputed points of law
by the Cyber Appellate Division."
CAD! Walhfred Anderson customarily used every legal stratagem to avoid
the indignity of appearing before CAD. But now he was neatly trapped.
Grumbling, he visaphoned the Presiding Judge, and was immediately
assigned to Cyber V, CAD, fourth floor.
Cyber V presided over a sunlit, pleasantly carpeted courtroom in the
south wing of the Justice Building. Square, bulky, with mat black
finish, the Cyber reposed in the center of a raised mahogany stand.
Its screen and vocader grill looked austerely down on the long tables
provided for opposing counsel.
As Walhfred Anderson belligerently led the Professor and the D.A. into
the courtroom, Cyber V hummed softly. A dozen colored lights on its
front grid began to blink.
Judge Anderson angrily repressed an instinct to bow, as he had done
in his younger years when appearing to plead a case before a human
Appellate Court.
The Cyber's soft, pleasantly modulated voice said:
"Please proceed."
Curbing his roiled feelings of rage and indignity, the Judge stepped to
the stand in front of the vocader grill and tersely presented the facts
of the case, the reasons for his ruling. Cyber V blinked and hummed
steadily, assimilating and filing the facts.
The D.A. followed the Judge to the stand, and, from long habit,
addressed Cyber V with the same emotion and voice tricks he would have
used in speaking to a human judge. Walhfred Anderson grimaced with
disgust.
When the D.A. finished, Cyber V hummed briefly, two amber lights
flickered, and the soft voice said:
"Defense counsel will please take the stand."
Professor Neustadt smiled his ironic, exasperating smile.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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