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// The Verdicts & Sentence 
// Story: Sweet Revenge 
// by StormLuna 
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The following morning arrived and everypony had arrived in the courtroom by 8:45.  Legal Eagle was talking with Twilight and Sweetie Belle.  He had a smile on his face, "You know Princess, you know Chief, a quick verdict like this normally means they are guilty.  It looks like we're going to have a victory here." 

Twilight replied, "Good.  Maybe this conviction will get my friends to realize that I was right all along about her.  Maybe after this they will welcome me back into their lives and things can be like they used to be." 

Sweetie added, "And this will be karma's way of teaching her to never betray anypony.  Murder is one of the worst forms of betrayal and with any luck, that money her dad willed her will go into the treasury." 

Twilight commented, "I certainly hope so!  I don't know what she would do with that kind of money if she is locked up, especially in a super-max!" 

The three began to laugh over the comment.  The three felt like justice was going to be served and that life could hopefully return to normal for everypony.





On the defense's side of the courtroom, Moonstone was talking with a clearly nervous Silver Spoon.  "Silver Spoon, I want to warn you that quick verdicts like this generally don't bode well for the defendant and if you are convicted, please don't have any outbursts.  You have had enough already and any further ones will only add to whatever you get sentenced to." 

Silver had her head held low and sobbed quietly, "Ok, I just hope that if I am convicted that they will put me in a prison where I will still get to see my family." 

"Hopefully so but if you get sentenced to a super-max, it would take the act of a princess to free you from that fate and I can tell by the way she behaves that Princess Twilight certainly won't grant you one."  

Silver asked, "What about Princess Celestia, Princess Luna or Princess Cadence?"

Moonstone replied, "I'm not sure about Celestia, she tends to side with the district attorney and simply waking Luna up in the day to tell her about this would anger her.  When it comes to Cadence, I don't know if she even could.  She rules in the Crystal Empire which is kind of its own separate city state.  I know she works very closely with Equestria's princesses but I doubt she has any kind of power like that here." 

Silver held her head low and continued to sob quietly.  Before everypony knew it was nine and the bailiff announced, "All rise.  The verdict is in and presiding over this is the Honorable Balanced Scales." 

The judge came in and got sat down before stating, "You may be seated." 

Everypony got seated before the judge turned towards the jury and asked, "Has the jury come to a verdict?"

Morning Glory stood and replied, "We have your Honor." 

Morning Glory had been a juror multiple times, including the foreman in a couple so she handed the verdicts to the bailiff.  He then began to read them. 

"In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count one of murder in the first degree. 

In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count two of murder in the first degree. 

In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count one of murder in the second degree."

After the convictions on the counts of murder were announced, not only did Silver Spoon start to cry in agony but so did Shadow Blast and Apple Bloom.  This did not sit well with the judge, "Order in the court!  Silver Spoon, I am once again holding you in contempt of court.  This will add another five years onto any sentence I give you.  Shadow Blast and Apple Bloom, calm down or I will hold both of you in contempt of court, which will result in you getting thirty days in the minimum security prison down in Ponyville." 

Shadow and Apple Bloom nodded their heads signaling they understood while Silver Spoon continued to cry.  Balanced Scales finally grasped her in his aura to silence her.  He sighed, "Very well.  Now about the verdicts for the mutilating of a corpse." 

The bailiff then began to read those off, "In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count one of mutilating a corpse." 

"In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count two of mutilating a corpse." 

"In the case of Equestria v. Silver Spoon, we the jury find the defendant guilty on count three of mutilating a corpse." 

Balanced Scales grabbed the verdicts in his aura and began to read over them.  He went silent as he began to think of what would be an appropriate sentence for such heinous crimes.  He knew that the district attorney had been hoping for the harshest sentence possible under Equestrian penal codes.  

He then looked up and addressed the defendant, "Silver Spoon, the crimes you have been convicted of are very severe.  Never before have I dealt with a pony who has committed as many crimes as you, not to mention such heinous crimes.  For the crimes you have committed, I have no choice but to sentence you to life in prison with no chance of parole in the Mares' Super-Max Prison just north of Whinnyapolis."  He banged his gavel and said, "Court is adjourned."  He then turned to Sweetie Belle and said, "Chief Belle, Princess Twilight Sparkle, would you mind transporting her to the prison?" 

In unison the two replied, "We would be happy to."

Sweetie Belle then grasped Silver Spoon in her aura and said, "Come on Spoonie, let's get going.  Twilight and I want to get you transported as soon as possible." 

Balanced Scales left the courtroom and some ponies in the courtroom erupted in cheers of joy while others began to cry in agony.  As she was being forced out, Shadow Blast and Apple Bloom rushed towards Silver but would be stopped when Twilight put up a force field.  Shadow Blast cried, "Twi-Twilight, please give her a pardon!  Think about her family, think about her business, think about her friends!" 

Silver Spoon tried to talk but Sweetie strengthened her hold on her, preventing her from speaking.  Twilight had a bit of a bite to her voice as she replied, "You know what, if I was to pardon a pony who was convicted on SIX horrible crimes, I would have ponies thinking I am soft on crime and I do not want that.  I do not want ponies thinking they can get away with multiple counts of murder thinking they can get pardoned so no I will not pardon her."

Apple Bloom too cried, "But Twilight, ya know she was wrongfully convicted.  There is no way she could've committed those murders!" 

Twilight ignored her and suggested, "Sweetie Belle, how about we get going before we have anypony else begging me to pardon her." 

Sweetie agreed, "Yes, it is a long ways to Whinnyapolis and chances are we will have to house her in a couple local jails on the way while we stay in a hotel." 

Twilight replied, "Alright, let's get going." 





Once they got Silver Spoon out to the cruiser they would be transporting her in, Sweetie Belle proceeded in getting Silver Spoon handcuffed and belted in.  She gave her a hateful glare and began, "You know what Spoonie, had you never cheated on me in college none of this would have ever happened.  You'd have a clean record, you'd have me as a loving wife, you'd be a successful singer but instead you chose disloyalty and paid a very hefty price for it." 

Silver Spoon broke down crying realizing that Sweetie Belle did make a point.  It was right after her cheating on Sweetie that her life began to go downhill.  She sobbed, "I-I'm sorry Sweetie. Could y-you please talk to Twilight about pardoning me?"

Sweetie laughed, "No, you brought this upon yourself.  Let this be a lesson that betrayal will lead to nothing but disaster."  She had her belted in and gave her a smirk before closing the door, "Karma's a bitch, isn't it Silver Spoon?" 

Sweetie closed the door and got in the driver's seat, with Twilight beside her in the passenger seat.  Sweetie started the car and said, "Well Twilight, it looks like we have a horribly long drive ahead of us."  She paused before adding, "Too bad we don't have a way to get there quickly." 

Twilight replied, "I do know teleportation but Whinnyapolis is well over a thousand miles away.  The only one who could do that would be Discord and I have a feeling that he may not care for me too much since Fluttershy doesn't." 

Sweetie sighed, "Well let's get this thing a full tank of gas and get going." 

Once they gassed up and got on the road, Silver Spoon saw only one thing in her future, darkness.  She knew that the chances of any of the princesses giving her a pardon was zero.  She knew Twilight despised her, she knew that Celestia would likely side with the district attorney and she knew that disturbing Luna during the day would be a grave mistake.  She also knew that when it came to Cadence, that she likely didn't have the power to grant somepony in Equestria a pardon.