“Your Honor, he made me promise never to tell anyone. But I can’t let him go to prison without you hearing the truth.”
I reached into my purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“Please. There’s something you need to know.”
The judge allowed me to speak.
I pointed toward a young woman sitting in the back row. A little boy slept against her shoulder.
“Her name is Sarah. She’s raising three children alone,” I said. “Her husband left two years ago. She cleans offices, but sometimes she barely earns enough to feed her children.”
Walter closed his eyes.
“Margaret, please.”
“Those things he stole weren’t for himself,” I said. “He was taking them to Sarah’s house.”
Sarah looked up, confused.
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