Ethan looked terrible. He had lost weight, gone gray. His eyes had lost their sparkle. There was nothing left of the arrogant lawyer.
In his testimony, he tried to justify himself several times. “I did not want to hurt my wife. I was confused. I was influenced.”
“Influenced by whom?” the prosecutor asked by Ortega. “He forced me to join the scheme. He threatened me.”
“And the attempted murder of your wife, did he force you to do that, too?”
“I was not going to kill her. They were just words.”
“We have text messages with the hitmen. You paid a down payment of $100,000.”
Ethan was silent. There was no point in justifying himself. The evidence was overwhelming.
Ortega was more dignified. He did not justify himself. Did not blame anyone. He remained silent or answered in monosyllables.
“Do you admit your guilt?” the judge asked partially.
“In what exactly? Incorruption. The rest let the court decide.”
The trial lasted three months. During that time, dozens of witnesses were questioned. Hundreds of documents were reviewed.
The sentence was harsh. Nicholas Ortega was sentenced to life in prison. Ethan Hayes to 31 years in prison. Pamela to 3 years.