No one said anything for about ten seconds after the judge left. I was starting to shake and felt like throwing up.
As Jennifer and her daughters stood to leave, she leaned forward and whispered, "I am going to enjoy this, fucker" right in my ear. As they headed to the door, her daughter Jessica turned and stuck her tongue out and then gave me an evil grin as she sarcastically waved goodbye. They then left the courtroom.
I asked Barbara if this was really possible. She said it was, and she told me that prior to the sentencing, she had given up the right to appeal the judge's sentence, in an attempt to show remorse and get leniency. It had been a gamble that had failed spectacularly.
"While the corporal punishment option has only been around for a couple of years, I am pretty sure no one has ever been given such an extreme sentence. I am shocked. I am so sorry, Jason. You did something perverted and reprehensible, but this sentence is completely outrageous. It is sickening."
"So what are our options?" I exclaimed. "Surely there are options, right?! This cannot be happening! Eighteen cane strokes? Forty whip strokes and FIVE to my fucking junk???! Naked? With an audience??!? What the fuck!!!?"
"Jason, language!" After a long pause, she said, "I am sorry. I have failed you. We should have retained a real defense attorney. I was in over my head. The sentence is horrible, but I think it is within the law. I don't believe there are any options but to take the punishment. I will consult my colleagues. But you will survive, Jason. And as your lawyer, I will be allowed to stay with you throughout much of your punishment. I will make sure no one does anything that is out of bounds or against the law."
Fuck. Great. I started to gag and even dry heaved a bit.
Finally we drove home. As she dropped me off, Barbara said, "I will spend the next few days learning the details about how these punishments are conducted and I will contact the punishment center to learn the timeline. I will meet with you as soon as I have more information."
I went inside my townhouse, closed the curtains covering my sliding doors, and tried to fall asleep.
I sleepwalked through the next couple of days of work. I was not eating, and barely sleeping. I would nearly have panic attacks whenever I contemplated the details of my upcoming sadistic judicial punishment. I got so upset, I vomited in the bathroom at work on several occasions. I tried to call my mother to explain the whole situation, but it went to voicemail each time. Two days later Barbara called and said she was coming over tonight to discuss "getting this over with."
Easy for her to say.
That evening, as we sat at my kitchen table, she started by taking a deep breath and taking my hands in hers. "Jason, I have had time to discuss your sentence with some lawyers who have more experience in this area than me. They were also shocked at the severity of your sentence. No one had ever heard of anything so cruel. Unfortunately, it seems to be within the sentencing guidelines, so none of them had any great ideas for getting the sentence decreased. Since we agreed to accept her sentence unconditionally, we cannot appeal. I am sorry." I thought I was going to cry.
After a pause, she continued. "I thought that the faster we get this over with, the faster you get back to your life."
How the hell was I going to 'get back to my life,' with a potentially scarred body and a bunch of people in my town having seen my naked ass being tortured?
"I took the liberty of scheduling your punishment. It will take place in exactly 7 days. It has to happen sooner or later, Jason. Also, since the county has not yet built an auditorium for the public punishment of males at the Men's Punishment Center, your punishment will take place at the Women's Punishment Center. Right now, they are the only place set up to carry out this kind of unusual public corporal punishment. Since the people who work there are almost all female, this means that you will certainly be placed in some situations with very embarrassing exposure of your body to the female prison staff. But there is no other choice.
The schedulers there were also surprised at the severity of the sentence. It seemed as if no one could recall anyone getting both a caning and and whipping together, much less each with the maximum number of strokes. I think that is why they want you to arrive two nights before the punishment for 'preparations.' I don't exactly know what that means."
I was trying to come to terms with how this was really happening, and sooner than I expected. My hands started shaking again. My mouth was very dry. I said nothing.
After she let that all sink in, Barbara went on. "Have you ever heard of the 'Victims' Rights Act of 2022?'" I had not. "Well, in another attempt to reduce crime, our government passed a law allowing victims of crimes to observe and sometimes assist in executing the sentences of the perpetrators of the crimes committed against them."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"It means that Jennifer and her daughters can be present and possibly assist throughout your punishment. It is ostensibly supposed to help the victims 'heal.' But it is really just a way to sadistically punish and humiliate criminals even more. The staff of the Women's Punishment Center let me know that Jennifer and her daughters plan to take full advantage of this law. They have exercised their right to observe the entire day of your punishment. They will be allowed to see and participate in all of the punishment preparations, I am assuming with you fully nude the entire time. It is unfair, but that is the law."
Well this just went from bad to worse. So those little bitches will be able to torment me even more?
"I can't say I disagree, Jason. They were harmed by your sick behavior and have every right to see retribution. Try to sleep and try to eat something, Jason. You need to keep up your strength. I think this is going to push you to your limits. My colleagues are worried for your physical and mental health. In five days I will take you for your punishment. I am allowed to stay with you throughout the day of the punishment, so I will arrive back at the center early on that day, and I will check in with you the prior day. I will make sure they adhere to the letter of the law. However, due to the nature of your punishment, you will likely also be exposed to me at some point while completely naked. It is entirely possible that I will be unable to avoid seeing your buttocks, anus, scrotum, or penis." She squeezed my hands tightly and looked into my eyes. "I need to know if this OK, Jason. Do you give me permission as your lawyer to attend your punishment, even though there will likely be situations where you may be unclothed in front of me? It will be very uncomfortable for both of us, and humiliating for you, but I would recommend it strongly."
What choice did I have? "Yes. I guess that would be smart." The idea that this fit, attractive, older woman, who had known me since childhood, would possibly be giving me legal advice while she was clothed and I was naked was more than embarrassing. How could I ever look at her again?