“Valerie was in another room when the fall happened,” Vance said, checking his gold pocket watch before throwing a patronizing glance toward my bench.

“She’s currently suspended from her thirty-four-thousand-dollar county clerk job pending administrative review, and she’s trying to use this sad accident at home for financial gain.”

Prosecutor Jenkins rose calmly from her seat.

“The state strongly objects to defense counsel’s characterization, Your Honor.”

“On what grounds, Ms.

Jenkins?” Judge Alvarez asked.

“On the grounds of physical and digital forensic evidence,” Jenkins said, picking up a black USB drive from her table.

“We ask permission to play the raw audio file recovered from the security system at the neighboring property line.”