PART 17

A judge eventually scheduled an evidentiary hearing on my post-conviction petition.

Before the hearing, Lena prepared me for questions that would feel painfully familiar.

Opposing counsel could challenge my memory, the chain of custody of files, the meaning of timestamps, and the motivations of new witnesses.

“You are not on trial again in the exact same way,” she said, “but don’t expect the process to feel gentle.”

I spent evenings reviewing the timeline, practicing how to explain Buckeye’s approval procedures without sounding like I was giving a speech.