Ethan’s mother sat trembling in the back row, wringing her hands in silent despair. His father hadn’t bothered to show up at all.
As the prosecutor listed the charges, Ethan rolled his eyes, tapping his foot against the floor like he couldn’t wait to be somewhere else. When Judge Harmon asked him for his plea, his voice dripped with arrogance.
Ezoic
“Guilty, I guess,” he muttered, shrugging.
The judge’s brows arched. She had seen plenty of arrogance before, but Ethan’s indifference struck a nerve. This was a boy who thought the world owed him something, a boy who thought stealing was a harmless game.
“Mr. Miller,” she said evenly, “you think this is funny? You think stealing from hardworking people is a joke?”
Ezoic
Ethan smirked wider. “It’s just a store. They can afford it.”
The courtroom murmured in disbelief. His mother buried her face in her hands. Judge Harmon, however, remained calm—her silence heavier than any shout could have been.
An Unusual Sentence
The judge tapped her pen against the desk, weighing her options. Probation wouldn’t teach him anything. A fine would mean nothing. Juvenile detention would likely harden him.
Ezoic
Finally, she spoke.
“Mr. Miller, I will not be sending you to detention today. Instead, you are sentenced to forty hours of community service—at the very store you stole from.”
Gasps rippled through the courtroom. Ethan’s smirk faltered for the first time.
Ezoic
“You will work under Mr. Patel, the store manager,” Judge Harmon continued. “You will sweep floors, stock shelves, and do any task asked of you. If you fail to complete your service respectfully, you will return to this courtroom, and I will not hesitate to impose detention.”
The judge wasn’t finished. “In addition, you will attend a weekly accountability program. You will hear firsthand from people whose lives have been hurt by theft. After each session, you will write a reflection. Those will be reviewed by this court.”
Ethan tried to protest, but Judge Harmon cut him off sharply. “One more word, and I’ll double your hours. Do you understand?”
Ezoic
His voice, stripped of sarcasm for the first time that day, was barely above a whisper. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Facing Consequences
