The courtroom is tense, filled with spectators murmuring among themselves. Onlookers include members of the press, curious citizens, and family members of both the defendant and the deceased. The room is abuzz with anticipation as the proceedings are about to begin.
Clerk of Court: All rise! (Everyone stands as the judge approaches the bench.)
The session is declared open, silence is hereby enjoined.
Judge: (knocks the gavel) Order in the court! Call the cases.
Clerk of Court: (reading the calendar of cases) Crimimnal Case No.RTC-20-008
The room falls silent. The judge, a middle-aged man with a stern but fair demeanor, surveys the courtroom with a watchful eye.
The courtroom settles, and the judge looks down at his papers, adjusting his glasses.
Judge: We are here to continue the trial of Bernadette Lacuesta Cuevas, charged with homicide in the death of Clarissa Villar. Counsel for the defense, you may proceed.
Atty. Santos, a seasoned lawyer with a calm, authoritative presence, rises from his seat next to Bernadette. He nods respectfully to the judge.
Atty. Santos: Thank you, Your Honor. The defense calls Bernadette Lacuesta Cuevas to the witness stand.
A hush falls over the room. Bernadette, a woman in her late thirties with a calm yet resolute expression, rises from her seat at the defense table. She walks with measured steps toward the witness stand. The Clerk of Court steps forward to meet her.
Clerk of Court: Please raise your right hand.
Bernadette raises her right hand, her face composed but showing signs of emotional strain.
Clerk of Court: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Bernadette: I do.
Clerk of Court: Counsel your witness
Bernadette takes her seat at the witness stand, adjusting herself to face both the judge and the courtroom. Atty. Santos approaches her with a reassuring nod.
Atty. Santos: For the record, please state your full name and other personal circumstances.
Bernadette: I am Bernadette Lacuesta Cuevas, married, I am the wife of Maxim Cuevas, of legal age, businesswoman with address at Pink Meadows, Davao City.
The courtroom murmurs at her words, a mix of shock and judgment. The judge bangs his gavel.
Judge: Order in the court!
Atty. Santos: Thank you, Bernadette. Can you please tell the court what happened on the night of the incident?
Bernadette takes a deep breath, her hands gripping the edge of the witness stand.
Bernadette: It was late in the evening. That day though I informed Maxim That I will not be able to come home for my check up, but I changed my mind, I went home.
Atty. Santos: What happened next?
Bernadette: I went directly to the master's bedroom to have my rest.
Atty. Santos: What happened next?
Bernadette: I opened the door.
Atty. Santos: What you found out when you open the door?
Bernadette:I found them... Maxim and Clarissa... in our bedroom, on our matrimonial bed. They were... they were...
Her voice falters, and she pauses to regain her composure. A few gasps echo through the courtroom.
Atty. Santos: Take your time, Bernadette.
Bernadette: (painfully) They were engaging in a carnal act. I... I was in shock. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I saw them naked, Clarissa on top of Maxim...
Atty. Santos: Did they noticed you?
Bernadette: No... They were engrossed with their acts.
Atty. Santos: What happened next?
Bernadette: My vision darkened... I tremble...
Atty. Santos: What did you do then?
Bernadette: I remember grabbing the gun from my bag. I didn't think. I just... acted. I was devastated, hurt... and everything happened so fast.
Atty. Santos: And what happened next?
Bernadette: (Bernadette's eyes well up with tears, but she maintains her composure) I... I fired the gun. I didn't aim; I didn't even realize I was pulling the trigger. It was just... a reflex. The next thing I knew, Clarissa was on the floor... bleeding. I... I didn't mean to kill her... to kill them... I was... I was lost in that moment.
Atty. Santos: That you committed the killing under extreme emotional disturbance rather than with premeditation?
Atty. Santos nods, giving her a moment to collect herself.
Bernadette: Yes.
Atty. Santos: Bernadette, would you say that you acted out of a premeditated intent to harm or kill Clarissa Villar?
Bernadette:(vehemently) No, never! I never intended to harm anyone. I was just... I was overwhelmed. It was a moment of insanity. I loved Maxim with all my heart... despite everything. I just... I just wanted the pain to stop.
Atty Santos: So you committed the crime in a state of "temporary insanity" or "diminished capacity"
The prosecutor, a determined woman in her late forties, stands up with a look of skepticism on her face.
Prosecutor: Objection, Your Honor. The witness is clearly biased and attempting to mitigate her actions.
Judge: Sustained. The court will disregard any statements about the defendant's intent unless substantiated by evidence.
Atty. Santos: Your Honor, if I may?
The judge nods, permitting him to continue.
Atty. Santos: Bernadette, how would you describe your emotional state during the incident?
Bernadette:I was distraught, devastated... I felt betrayed in the deepest sense. It was like my world was crashing down around me. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was just... reacting.
Atty. Santos: Thank you, Bernadette. No further questions at this time, Your Honor.
Judge: The court will take a fifteen-minute recess before we proceed with further testimonies. Court is adjourned. The witness may step down.
Bernadette stands, her face pale but resolute, and she walks back to her seat beside Atty. Santos. The judge turns to the courtroom.
He bangs the gavel, and the courtroom erupts into a buzz of conversation. The tension remains thick as the crowd begins to disperse for the break.
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