I have to go to court soon, I am really worried! I am only 14 and my parents are on

C

Courtney Brooks

New member
a business trip...? HELLO! Ok my name is Courtney and I am 14 years old.

My parents are on a business trip until the end of the month. So I stay home alone, but I spend A LOT of time at my friend Chloe's house and I sleep over there a lot so it's like I am living there until my parents come back.

Maybe two weeks ago (three or four days AFTER my parents left), I went to a party. I emailed my mom and asked her if I could go and she said sure no problem. When I went there, this girl I hate so much named Jane was there and her friend Jennifer. I was sticking around near my boyfriend but Jane and me got in an argument.

Later, she pushed me and Jennifer was strangling me (Jennifer is 16) I smashed a plate on her head and ran away.

Then caught me and they literally tied me up, and as a joke, threw me in the back of the car, and drove for 20 MINUTES and left me in the middle of no where in a pizza pizza parking lot.

My legs were tied up, so were my arms, and they grabbed me by the hair and dragged me across the parking lot and left me near a dumpster.

This girl and her boyfriend found me and they untied me and they were SO nice. Jane and Jennifer threw my purse in the dumpster before they left. They went into the dumpster and got my purse for me and I called my boyfriends brother and asked him to please pick me up.

Then I went home.

The day after (exactly two weeks ago) I called me mom and dad and told them EVERYTHING. My dad is a lawyer, and my mom is an OB/GYN. My dad said that I need to stay at Chloe's house from now on. I need to get my things and stay there just to be safe.

Then he said I need to call the police and press charges and file for a temporary restraining order against Jane and Jennifer. He said I need to visit Lindsay Valentine (Lindsay Valentine is a family friend and she is so nice and me and her daughter are kinda friends and Lindsay is a lawyer). And I need to press charges.

So I called Miss. Valentine and me and her filed a police report and they called my parents and Lindsay issued a temporary restraining order which was passed.

Jane and Jennifer were not allowed to come like 500 m near me or something which was TOUGH SINCE WE GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL! But Jane and Lindsay got suspended anyways so they just stayed at home.

TODAY is my trial. I am going to go to court with my aunt, and Miss Valentine. Miss Valentine and me are going to go out for lunch in like 20 mins and she is going to talk me through everything that is going to happen at the trial. The trial is in 2 hours.

I am soooo nervous... Because I have to talk in front of EVERYONE and lawyers and stuff. Lindsay even told me that the other laywers will GRILL me and try and turn my words upside down and I need to stay calm.

OK here are my questions:

~ What should I wear? Like should I wear jeans or something or should I dress up kinda business womanish or should I just wear a skirt or something?

~ Should I also tell them that Jane pushed me down the stairs at school 6 months ago?

~ Should I tell them that Jennifer smokes weed and her car doesnt have a license plate? (thats not really my business)

~ My friend Ashley took pictures of the party and Miss. Valentine wants me to bring them on my phone. Should I bring all of the pictures or just the ones of Jane doing illegal stuff? (some of them are of Jane stripping on a table)

~ Should I try to get like really emotional and cry?

~ What should I do when the other lawyer starts to grill me and ask me hard question and turn my words upside town?

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE THERE ARE:

Miss Valentine (my lawyer)
My Boyfriend
My Best Friends Ashley and Chloe
My Aunt and her boyfriend and her daughter Natasha
The GIRL who found me tied up in the pizza pizza parking lot (her boyfriend is out of the country)

AND:

Jane (who did the crime)
Jennifer (who did the crime)
Jane's Parents
Jennifers Parents
Jane and Jennifers Lawyer (I dunno if they both have the same lawyer)

PLEASE HELP I AM SO WORRIED AND TO MAKE THINGS WORSE I AM ON MY PERIOD RIGHT NOW AND I HAVE REALLLLLY BAD CRAMPS! =O(
 
i think your main concern is if your parents will have issues when they come back. or that you'll end up in foster care or with family members. i think your parents will be in even more trouble. when parents are gone, stay on the down low and off the radar. wow
 
1. if i were you i would wear like womanish clothes and hair in a bun and everything! make yourself look mature and the judge and lawyers and stuff will treat you that way.

2.yeah you should tell thin she pushed you down the stairs so they can understand this is not the first time something like this has happened to you.

3. even though telling them that stuff would make you fell good it really isnt neccissary unless they ask you like questions about her and stuff.

4. bring ALL pics. off jane that will defend yourself nicely

5. no dont get emotional that might make you look pathetic but if you cant help it make it look natural and at the right time not so planned though

6. when the lawyer tries to twist your words make sure that you keep re-innerating what you said. you may have to say the same thing 1,000 times but never change what you first say or they can say you were lieing

Hope that hgelps and dont forget you pad/tampon!
 
tell them everything. even the evidence of you being pushed down the stairs. wear something that screams "i'm mature!" if you want to get emotional, you can but im sure that might help you with your case. bring the pictures, because they are some key evidence. best of luck.
 
You need to bring everything that can be used to illustrate what all happened... let your lawyer go through it and weed out the excess.

The other lawyer is not going to grill you... he will ask a bunch of slanted questions that you will have to answer "yes or no" to... and your own lawyer will object when they are too slanted or not appropriate. Just remain calm and answer the questions.

You need to wear the nicest, most straight-laced clothes you have... we're talking job interview or church type stuff, simply styled with as little embellishment as possible.
 
Just answer the truth idk what to wear. Don't cry if you don't have to. Only show them stuff thats relevant like the illigial if it has to do with the case.
 
Well....

The whole point of court is that you let people know exactly how you feel about the situation. Don't say it was nothing etc say how you felt, it'll be more convincing.

To answer your questions:

- I'd dress up buisness womanish formaility's always better in court.
- Definately tell em she pushed you down some stairs a while ago. This will affect the punishment she probably needs some anger management.
- Forget the license plate, but ye tell em she smokes weed, that again affects her behaviour and might of affected weather she did this crime.

- Don't force any emotions. But if you feel like crying, cry, its more convincing. Just show exactly how you feel. Don't try to make yourself seem stronger. Only do it if you genuinely feel like crying, don't exaggerate too much.
- Yes, bring all photos, especially those showing her doing illegal stuff, that gives the judge an insight into her peronality and convinces him this is the kind of stuff she does.
- Don't change your story, stick to it. This is vital. Don't say anything incriminating against yourself.

Good luck.
 
everything will be okay.
jane & jennifer will get in trouble..it's their faults.
 
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