Noelle nodded and said firmly,“ I do.”
Frederick Stavros spoke up quickly, as though afraid of being left out of the procedure.“ Your Honors, my client wishes to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.”
The President turned to regard Larry.“ Do you wish to change your plea to guilty?” Larry glanced at Chotas and then nodded.“ Yes.”
The President studied the two prisoners, his face grave.“ Have your attorneys advised you that under Greek law the penalty for the crime of premeditated murder is execution?”
“ Yes, Your Honor.” Noelle’ s voice was strong and clear. The President turned to look at Larry.“ Yes, sir,” he said.
There was another whispered consultation among the judges. The President of the Court turned to Demonides.“ Does the Prosecutor for the State have any objections to the change of plea?”
Demonides looked at Chotas a long moment, then said,“ None.”
Noelle wondered if he were in on the payoff also, or whether he was simply being used as a pawn.
“ Very well,” the President said.“ This Court has no choice but to accept the change of plea.” He turned to the jury.“ Gentlemen, in view of this new development, you are herewith released from your duties as jurymen. In effect the trial has come to an end. The Court will pass sentence. Thank you for your services and for your cooperation. The Court will recess for two hours.”
In the next moment the reporters began to tumble out of the room, racing to their telephones and teletype machines to report the latest sensational development in the murder trial of Noelle Page and Larry Douglas.
Two hours later the courtroom was packed to overflowing as the Court was reconvened. Noelle glanced around the courtroom at the faces of the spectators. They were watching her with expressions of eager expectation, and it was all Noelle could do to keep from laughing aloud at their naïveté. These were the common people, the masses, and they really believed that justice was meted out fairly, that under a democracy all men were created equal, that a poor man had the same rights and privileges as a rich man.
“ Will the defendants now rise and approach the bench?”
Gracefully Noelle rose to her feet and moved toward the bench, Chotas at her side. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Larry and Stavros stepping forward.
The President of the Court spoke.“ This has been a long and difficult trial,” he began.“ In capital cases where there is a reasonable doubt of guilt, the Court is always inclined to let the accused have the benefit of the doubt. I must admit that in this case we felt that