He also knew the parents of the perpetrators were considered upstanding citizens of Blessings, but in his eyes, their progeny did not get a free pass because of their parents’ reputations. He could see the four boys had been coached to be on their best behavior. They were sitting upright, hands in their laps and appropriately penitent expressions on their face. And then there was Brooks Pine. Smallest kid in the room by far and looked like he’d been run over. And he was scared. Judge Brothers had seen plenty of scared kids in his courtroom during his career, and it was clear this boy was the victim, not the perpetrator. “Good afternoon,” Brothers said as he began. “Just to be clear, this is not an opportunity for lawyers to plead their cases because guilt has already been recognized and admitted. As I adjudicate sentencing, I don’t want to hear a parent speak out in argument or a lawyer interrupt what I have to say.
