Ezoic“You did it perfectly,” I said. “You were the bravest person in this whole building.”
Judge Halloway took her seat. She waited until the courtroom was completely quiet.
“I’ve reviewed a recording,” she said. “It was made inadvertently by the child during a weekend visitation, in the respondent’s home office, while the respondent conducted a phone call in the child’s presence.”
She paused.
“It appears to show,” she said, “that the photograph submitted as Exhibit C was deliberately staged. It appears to show
that the respondent arranged for false statements to be made to the petitioner’s employer. And it appears to show that he paid the petitioner’s landlord to provide a false report to this court.”
The courtroom was silent.
“Mr. Carroway has informed me that he is withdrawing as counsel effective immediately,” the judge continued. “I’m granting that request.”
At the other table, Mr. Carroway quietly closed his briefcase. His associates gathered their binders. None of them looked at Grant.
“Mr. Bellamy’s petition for full custody is denied,” Judge Halloway said.
I
closed my eyes. Nolan grabbed my hand under the table.
“Primary physical and legal custody will remain with Mrs. Bellamy,” the judge said. “Mr. Bellamy’s visitation is suspended pending a full review. Any future visitation will be supervised.”
She looked at Grant.
“The court is also very interested,” she said, “in a man who wears a watch worth more than ten thousand dollars while reporting that he can afford only two hundred dollars a month in support for his child.”
