The prosecutor looked like he’d been punched in the stomach. His entire case had just disintegrated. He stood up, his hand shaking, and addressed the judge. “Your honor, the state moves to dismiss all charges against the defendant immediately. Furthermore, we request that Mark and Carol Peterson be taken into custody on suspicion of child endangerment, fraud, and conspiracy.”
The courtroom erupted again. The Petersons’ lawyer was yelling objections, but no one could hear him. As two bailiffs walked toward the parents, Mark Peterson jumped up and tried to run, but he was tackled to the ground within three steps. Carol started screaming, a high, desperate wail. “We did it for our baby! We needed the money to give him a better life! He should have just paid us and none of this would have happened!”
The judge hammered her gavel until a semblance of order was restored. She formally dismissed all charges against me “with prejudice,” meaning they could never be brought again. Then, her voice hard and cold, she issued a bench warrant for the Petersons’ arrest on a litany of charges, including child abuse, fraud, attempted extortion, and perjury. As they were handcuffed and led away, the mother was sobbing for mercy, but the father just stood there, head down, utterly defeated.
