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The Consequences of Bad Company |
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Alan's heart was pounding as he was led into the courtroom by a policeman. He
glanced around the room, looking for his family, and spotted them sitting in the
second row. The officer instructed him to stand in the dock with his friend
Derick, and as he did so, he felt the eyes of everyone in the room on him. The
judge entered, and everyone rose to their feet as the proceedings began. Alan
and Derick were facing charges of shoplifting, having been caught trying to
leave a department store with an unpaid-for radio.
During the trial, Derick's lawyer claimed that Alan had been the one to come up
with the idea to steal the radio. Alan was stunned - he knew it was the other
way around. He never imagined that his good friend would lie to save himself.
When his lawyer addressed the court, he explained that while Alan had
accompanied Derick to the store, it was Derick who had initiated the theft.
Before Alan could react, Derick had grabbed him and rushed towards the exit,
where they were caught by the store's security guard and the police were called.
After both lawyers had finished addressing the court, the judge studied the
evidence before delivering his verdict. He revealed that Derick had two prior
convictions for shoplifting, and as a result, he would be fined and sent to a
correctional school to help him reform his ways. Alan, on the other hand, was
reprimanded for associating with the wrong people. The judge acknowledged that
Alan had a good school record and no prior criminal history, and so he would be
fined but allowed to go free. However, he would need to report to a probation
officer once a month to ensure he stayed out of trouble.
Alan was relieved that he wouldn't be going to jail, but he knew things would
never be quite the same with his family. They were uncomfortable around him, and
he sensed that he had disappointed them with his actions. His mother, however,
remained loving and supportive, reminding him to use the experience as a lesson
and focus on his studies.
Alan realized that he needed to make amends and earn back his family's trust.
The court trial may have been over, but the trial to prove himself as a person
of good character had just begun. He knew that he had to distance himself from
bad influences and surround himself with positive influences to stay out of
trouble in the future. |
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