Nineteen Minutes

The narrative continues with the trial. Patrick testifies as the police detective. He gives an account of the weapons used and the evidence retrieved, and he explains how he apprehended Peter. When Jordan cross-examines, Patrick tells the court that when he apprehended Peter, all Peter said was “they started it” (399). Curtis Uppergate, a forensic psychiatrist, testifies next for the prosecution. He explains how, in his professional opinion, Peter knew exactly what he was doing during the shooting. Uppergate makes a compelling case for premeditation. Jordan cross-examines him and gets Uppergate to admit that, despite being a psychiatrist, he never met personally with Peter, even though he had with other shooting victims, and even though an important part of his profession is seeing clients face-to-face for assessment.

Dr. King Wah testifies next for the defense. He is a well-known forensic psychiatrist, and well respected. Wah testifies that Peter was in a dissociative state during the shooting. In other words, Peter was suffering from PTSD. His only haven, the computer, had become a nightmare right before the shooting. This threw him into an altered state. Peter suffered the effects of battered-woman syndrome as well, meaning that he thought a bully was a threat even when the bully wasn’t actively threatening him. For Wah, who did interview Peter, Peter’s actions are indicative of a child who thinks on impulse, and Peter’s asking for his mother after the shooting is a sign that he had left his dissociative state once arrested. Wah also points to the fact that Peter was letdown by thosecharged with protecting him: his family and theschool. Diana cross-examines and questions the theory that Peter was in a dissociative state. She comments on how he didn’t choose random locations to shoot; he shot people in the same places he was bullied. She also comments on how Peter was supposedly suicidal yet killed many people, and had the potential to kill more, and also never killed himself.

Later that night, Peter receives a letter from Angela Phlug, a girl he shot in the back. She tells him that she’s moved out of town and will never be the same. She hopes that he goes to jail because it’s only fair. She says she remembers him from class and that she thought he was mysterious and had a nice smile.

Lacy takes the stand the next day. She’s an emotional wreck. She breaks protocol and walks over to Peter and caresses him. She then explains how she never thought Peter would come to this, and how she and the family were in no state to realize how much he was hurting, as they were still dealing with Joey’s death. She also admits that they compared Peter to Joey, which was a mistake. As Lacy is testifying, she looks at her son the entire time. Suddenly, a man stands up in the gallery and begins shouting at her. He shouts expletives at her and tells her that if she did her job, he could be doing his job and that his daughter, Maddie, would still be alive. He calls Peter a monster and is escorted out of the courtroom. The court takes a recess. Jordan tries to get a mistrial, but the judge doesn’t believe the outburst will damage the case.

Selena takes Lacy to her favorite room in the court to try and calm her nerves. Lacy must face cross-examination and she can’t look so sad and feeble while doing so. Selena lets Lacy hold Sam, which makes Sam feel better, and then is surprised by Alex entering the room. Lacy is alright with Alex being there, and Selena watches in near awe as the two opposites—Alex and Lacy—converse. Alex comforts Lacy and tells her that Diana won’t ask much. She then says that she will sit in the front row and that Lacy can focus on her during the cross-examination. Meanwhile, Patrick visits Peter and learns that Peter wants to testify. He’s against it, but Peter says that he wants his voice to be heard if he’s going to be found guilty anyway. Though Jordan knows it’s a bad idea, he relents.

Diana has no questions for Lacy, which Jordan knows is a kind act on Diana’s part. Jordan then shocks everyone by calling Peter to the stand. Peter is supposed to stay on script, as the two discussed, but goes off script, confusing Jordan. Jordan realizes that he cannot win the case with Peter. Peter doesn’t realize that the things he says sound differently to others than they do to him. For instance: Peter refers to the entire trial and event as a “game” that he and Jordan can still win. Jordan sees jurors turn away at this, and he knows that the trial is lost. Peter thinks he did a great job, and Jordan doesn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. That night, Jordan can’t eat his usual dinner. He wants a way to salvage some of the case and comes up with the idea to put Josie on the stand.

Selena serves notice to Josie and Alex the next day, angering Alex. Josie is horrified. She didn’t think she would have to testify. Alex and Josie visit Jordan’s office and, when Selena drops her diaper bag and its contents fall out, Josie has a breakdown and balls up in a corner. Everyone is baffled, and then Josie informs them that she remembers more about what happened on the day of the shooting than she has told them. She says that Peter’s backpack fell on the day of the shooting and a gun fell out. Matt fired at Peter but missed, and then Peter fired and killed Matt. Jordan realizes that Josie’s story corroborates his PTSD theory as Peter was being attacked by Matt, who fired first.

Alex sits with Josie later and tells her that, despite her lying, if she tells the truth from here on out, everything will be fine. Patrick visits Alex that night and hears the story about Josie lying and remembering how Matt’s death unfolded. Patrick, as a detective, mulls the details over. He tells Alex that he has to get work done, though he doesn’t want to tell her what he must do specifically. Patrick knows Diana will be angry with the new developments. Part of him wants to find evidence to corroborate Josie’s story so that things won’t be as bad for her on the stand. Another part of him, however, knows that if Matt fired a gun, there should be another bullet. He personally saw to the crime scene and there was no additional bullet found. He returns to the school, plays out the scenario as Josie mentioned it and tries to find another bullet. He realizes that Josie can still be lying. He sees that Matt couldn’t have reached the fallen gun from where he was killed. He then uses a laser pointer and a mirror to trace the bullet’s possible trajectory, and he finds that the bullet could have landed outside. He calls Diana and tells her to stall the trial the next day.

Diana tries to stall the trial, but Jordan wants to proceed. He shocks everyone by calling Josie to the stand. Alex is terrified as a mother but tries to remain calm. Josie then explains what she remembers.