Part 19: The Judicial Finality
The final administrative clearing for the residual Harrington network was held at 9:00 a.m. the following morning.
Marcus Vance sat at the defense table, his face a pale mask of exhaustion as the indictments were read.
Beside him, Richard’s corporate lawyers stood in absolute silence, their legal briefs looking entirely useless.
The federal judge reviewed the unredacted data forensic summaries for less than five minutes before striking her gavel.
"Based on the systematic violation of the corporate foreclosure orders and the intentional theft of trade secrets,"
"The court orders an immediate, total liquidation of all commercial entities associated with Vance Capital."
"The remaining asset reserves are hereby awarded to Mercer Analytics as permanent restitution for the breach."
I stood up from the gallery, looking down at the men who had spent decades treating data like their private currency.
May you like
They couldn't meet my gaze; their eyes remained fixed on the scarred wooden table as the officers stepped forward.
I walked out of the courtroom doors alone, the bright morning sun warming the granite steps of the plaza.
