Grandmom Carmen comes over to help calm the kids. "Granddaddy Felix will get that bad man to jail, so Grandmom Carmen is taking her grandkids outside for Ice Cream!"
Hales shouts, "Oh Yeah! My Grandmom Carmen has the best Ice Cream in the world." as eight happy kits take off after the adults.
Several people in the courtroom comment, boy those Children don't like this Travis Johnson one bit, so he must be a horrible person. Maybe we'll learn the full story tonight on the TV evening news. This is a great day for us to visit the court, getting ring-side seats for this wild sideshow scene.
Chance and I watch this drama unfold, thinking Ronnie's hand is deeply into these children in crisis display. Most of the action comes from Char and Ronnie until Hales chimes in loudly at the end. Also, Moms Onna May and Nancy never seem to show much concern or try hard to reel the girls in. Chance and I read Home School
Staged Theatrics
all the way.
***
Mom Mindy reaches in from behind, handing me a note, which I peek at and show Chance with a smile.
Just then, the Court Clerk instructs me, Chance, and our Attorney, to follow her to the Judge's Chamber.
We enter her Chambers, where Travis's attorney, the Federal Court Prosecutor, and Judge James await. The Court Clerk informs Judge James Travis Johnson and the Milwaukee group are detained by US Marshals on her order, who await further instructions.
Judge James sighs, "Today's hearing went off the rails, which is on me for allowing Ms. Meredith to address the court. This is a complicated case, and I am somewhat at a loss on how to move forward."
She continues, "I'm upset with Ms. Meredith using her court address request, for coaching the two girls, Ronnie and Judy to lecture the court, out-of-order.
Mere explodes, "Judge James, I have been on bivouac, knee-deep in the field observing and assessing a classified GB-SFAS training course for the past month. This classified SFAS training was at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg/Camp Mackall, NC. So, how am I supposed to teach my girls speeches, when not physically seeing them for a month? Chance and I speak briefly with our girls and Ronnie once a week by secure phone, otherwise, it's complete silence."
Chance sarcastically, "Are you serious Judge James? That drunken idiot, Travis Ray Johnson, threatens and promises to kill Mere and her daughters. Judy and Char were only 2 and 4 years old on that night, and you worry about their speaking out in court."
Judge James sternly, "I remind you, Ms. Chance, these chambers are an official part of the Federal Court, so please show respect."
Chance, "With all due respect Judge James, my current opinion of this court is
zilch
, since it seems two very young children's lives are significantly less important than the drunken raving maniac supposedly father, who threatens their lives."
I rein Chance in, "Let's cool down sweetie since we're not helping our cause or girls by pissing off the Judge."
Chance calmly, "I apologize for my heated comments Judge James, but I hear from Judy, her and Char's terror firsthand, running for their lives in the dark of night. This travesty happens two weeks before Christmas, so I'm stunned beyond reason that a Federal Court Judge questions my girlfriend about her little girls giving speeches. Just look out in your courtroom, where a vicious domestic violence abuser sits smugly free!
"So the Nashville Federal Prosecutor halls Mere into court to charge her with kidnapping, and you willingly go forward without asking why. I feel my girlfriend, Mere is 100% right, feeling the US Court system is a joke. Just so we are clear Your Honor, I am a UK Citizen, living in the USA on a Diplomatic Visa."
Mere, looks fiercely at Judge James, "My four-year-old, Judy suffered her drunken father verbally debasing her since she is two. He slaps me six different times over a few months, while verbally abusing my four-year-old daughter to the point of calling her an
ungrateful bitch
."
Chance's hot under the collar, "Mere's daughter Judy, not yet 5, opens up to me knowing I am helping protect her mom. Judy suffers emotionally, and spiritually from Travis's abuse of Meredith for nearly two years. She cries and cries out, for not being big enough to help her mom when Travis slams Mere into the living room wall. Those vivid memories of her screaming and running from Travis as fast as her chubby little legs can move are burned into Judy's brain.
"Ronnie repeats in court today what Judy tells most of our family. Putting it simply Judge James, your justice system failed my girlfriend, Mere, and her girls Judy/Char. Also, from reading USA newspapers, this same system fails millions of mothers and their children every year, many having been killed later on by their abusers."
Chance finishes, "
MOM ONNA MAY ASK I READ YOU FROM RONNIE
."
"I'm Ronnie, spending many years in the cold and dark at this home for blind children. We were hit and hurt a lot, not knowing why. Our world was mostly cold, dark, lonely, and painful.
When I am seven a lady saves my life, taking me away from that place late one cold winter night. My sense of wanting to live, tells me to trust this lady who will help me run away from the pain. I am with her for two days, when we eat, sleep, and hide in her car running from the bad people. This good lady takes me to the big Nashville Library, where Mom Aim works. I am sitting alone and Mom Aim takes me in her arms. I cry and cry, begging Mom Aim to never leave me. Then, Mom Aim and Dad Rollin adopt me, ending all the pain, cold, and darkness, saving my life."
"I love my little sisters Judy and Char and will help protect them from that monster named Travis. I hurt a lot before the good lady and my Mom and Daddy saved me. So I will help protect my two little sisters from being hurt. Judy and I wrote this note, on what we will do in the court together today because our baby sister Char is still too young. Travis Ray Johnson tried to hurt and kill, Judy, Char, and Mom Mere, and that's the truth from my little sister, Judy's mouth."
***
Before Judge James can ask Chance questions about Ronnie's note, the bailiff enters the chambers whispering to Judge James, who nods yes.
The bailiff escorts Dads Felix and Wayne slowly into Judge James's Chambers.
Wayne introduces themselves, stating Felix and his wife, Carmen have legal custody of Chance by order of the US State Dept; also, me and my wife, Mindy are currently adopting Mere. Once her adoption is final, Mindy and I also will be legally responsible for our grandgirls, Judy and Char."
Wayne explains to the Judge, "I'm an inactive Green Beret-SF Operator and will try resolving your self-made courtroom disaster with the press, while you court officials prepare an official statement on this boondoggle. I am certain, TV news will be flooded with reports of abused children painfully crying and screaming in Nashville's Federal Court.
"This court hearing should have never been placed on the docket. There are reams of evidence including photos confirming Travis Ray Johnson's abusing his family, and he should be serving prison time. Instead, he's preening like an idiot in your courtroom"
Wayne presents Judge James his GB-SF Military Card and a legal package, "Please review the contents as follows, a) Germantown, WI Police Sargent's body camera, and her incident report, b) CCTV video from the street intersection near Mere's house, c) STH Domestic Violence Client Report and d) Germantown bar security video from that Friday night, featuring a raging drunk Travis Ray Johnson, still guzzling alcohol like a sieve.
Wayne smiles, "I'm taking our daughters, Mere, Chance, and my two grandgirls with me, by orders from the US Dept of Defense (DOD) and State Dept."
Please Have A Nice Day
!"
***
The appropriate Federal Authorities launch a targeted investigation into the entire handling of Travis Ray Johnson's arrest, bond, and plea deal. Travis is held in Federal Custody in Milwaukee, WI, and several Germantown Police officers are suspended without pay. There's a question of double jeopardy in Travis's case, but he also faces Federal Charges, since he crossed State Lines, accusing me of kidnapping Judy and Char.
Life moves forward for me and I have no personal interest in what happens to Travis. But hope he gets a few deserved years in the slammer for abusing us.
