Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Theo goes home by himself and heats up leftover spaghetti, though he barely eats any. He chats for a bit with April, then settles into bed, tired from nightmares the day before. He falls asleep only to be woken by his father when he comes home.

He thinks about his promise to Julio and his cousin, wondering if he should just take the gloves to Judge Gantry, because a mistrial would then certainly be declared. He wonders if the cousin could make a deal. He thinks of Mrs. Duffy, killed by her husband wearing the two gloves, and then thinks of his own mother. If Mr. Duffy was convicted, he could never be tried again and would get $1 million from the life insurance policy.

On the other hand, he thinks, he could wait until after the trial is over—when Mr. Duffy will likely be free—and send him the gloves with an anonymous note that says, “We know you killed her and we’re watching” (170). He pushes this thought away. Eventually, he manages to fall asleep, but wakes again when his mother comes home and says goodnight.

The next morning, Mrs. Boone is making breakfast when Theo wakes, which is rare. He tells her that he didn’t sleep well because of a big test—a white lie—and she expresses concern but assures him that he’ll do well. He eats breakfast and then hurries over to Ike’s, giving him an update on the gloves. Ike promises again to go to the courthouse and update him.

Theo arrives at school a few minutes late, but class has not started yet. Mr. Mount asks him to give an update on the trial later, which Theo doesn’t want to do but agrees anyway.

Another boy in his class, Woody, stops Theo and asks for advice. Woody has a B average but also already smokes and may have a tattoo. His home life is crazy, and he tells Theo that his brother was arrested for having drugs. Theo recommends getting a lawyer, but Woody explains that his stepdad has threatened to stay out of his brother’s troubles since this is the second time he’s been arrested. When Theo gets to Spanish, he feels grateful to have a stable home. Then, he thinks about the gloves.

During Geometry, Theo is called to the office, where his uncle is waiting for him, having given the excuse that they must go to a funeral. When they get into his car, Ike says that his advice is that they go see Theo’s parents, and he concedes.

The four Boones gather for a family meeting, and Ike prefaces with the information that Theo shared about the new witness before Theo tells them about the gloves hidden downstairs. He also explains that he can’t give them the name of the witness. When Mrs. Boone turns to him and asks what he thinks they should do, he admits that he thinks that they should tell Judge Gantry everything. His parents agree, though they wonder if the judge will hold him in contempt, meaning that he would be in trouble for not revealing the witness’s identity.

Theo also adds that the witness is an undocumented immigrant, and his parents tell him that he should keep his name a secret, but his father figures out who the witness is on his own.

For once, Theo is reluctant to enter the courthouse, feeling nervous about his reason for being there. He and his family go to Judge Gantry’s office and ask his secretary to speak with the judge as soon as possible. She resists at first, citing how busy he is, and eventually she concedes to speak with him at the end of the lunch break.

While Theo waits, he emails Woody about his brother’s case, explaining that the maximum sentence for his brother is 10 years, but he could perhaps plead guilty and only serve two. He also emails Mr. Mount and April. He then wanders up to the old county law library, which is dusty and abandoned. It also has a secret view into Judge Gantry’s courtroom. When he comes down, he and Omar Cheepe cross paths again.

When the judge returns, he appears tired and irritated. Both of Theo’s parents explain that the matter is urgent but apologize for interrupting Judge Gantry’s busy schedule. They all sit down and begin explaining why they’re here. Theo then adds that he’s the only one who knows the witness’s identity. The judge tells him to explain what he knows.

Once Theo is finished, Judge Gantry asks his secretary to inform the court that he will be delayed by half an hour. He confirms again that the Boones have the gloves but directs them to hold onto them for the moment. He then asks why the witness won’t come forward, and Ike replies that “the witness is an illegal immigrant, one of many around here. He’s skittish right now, and you can’t blame him. Any whiff of trouble, and he’ll vanish into the underground and be gone forever” (199).

Judge Gantry then concedes that he can’t stop the trial over a “phantom witness” (199). Ike then suggests that, instead of holding court tomorrow, the judge could delay until Monday, which is standard practice for trials. They could use that time to come up with a plan for the witness. Judge Gantry says that he’ll think about it and then thanks them, since this “presents a unique situation, something I’ve never encountered before” (201). He then helps them get seats to watch the rest of the trial.

Sitting between Ike and Woods, Theo settles in for the trial. The last witness is called, and it is Pete Duffy, who takes the stand. Theo remembers that defendants don’t take the stand in most trials because they’re often guilty and/or have a prior criminal record.

They discuss the life insurance policy, which Duffy suggests was his wife’s idea, as well as his marital and financial troubles. He also testifies to his preference for playing golf alone to dispel the theory that he played alone as part of a premeditated plan to commit murder. Theo keeps thinking about how they know that Duffy did it while Ike wonders what they can possibly do to stop him from walking. Woods wonders how they can get the witness to testify.

When it comes to discussing the day of the murder, Duffy breaks down crying, and Theo thinks that he’s got the jury feeling sympathetic toward him. Nance finishes his questions, and the prosecutor asks for a 15-minute recess.

As the trial resumes, Hogan questions Duffy. He first asks about his financial troubles, bringing up the many attempts Duffy made at bailing himself out only to make one bad deal after another and becoming the target of lawsuits from his partners.

When the subject turns to Duffy’s marriage, Hogan brings up his separation from his wife, which Duffy states as having begun the previous July and lasted only a month. However, Hogan presents him with a lease for an apartment signed by a secretary, who lives at home with her husband. The lease began the previous June and was a long-term agreement, showing the lie in Duffy’s testimony, though he won’t admit how long he stayed there.

At the end of the cross-examination, Judge Gantry adjourns until Monday, when closing arguments will take place and deliberation will begin.