Jarkko Sipila - Nothing but the Truth

“Good morning,” said Judge Tuomela. “Are you Mari Lehtonen?”

“Yes.”

“Could you please approach the bench?”

Lehtonen did so. Just in front of the bench, resting on its own lectern, was a large, open Bible.

“Do you belong to the church?”

“Yes.”

“Then typically you would take the oath, but you can also choose a secular affirmation.”

“The oath is fine.”

“Good. Repeat after me. I, Mari Lehtonen.”

Before she began, she wondered if she should put two fingers on the Bible like they did on TV. Apparently not, since the judge hadn’t mentioned it. Lehtonen felt a mixture of confidence and self-doubt. She was confident she could relate what she saw, but the circumstances made her doubt herself.

“I, Mari Lehtonen.”

The drill was a familiar one for the judge and he rattled it off at a quick pace. Lehtonen repeated dutifully. “Swear by Almighty God…that the evidence I shall give…shall be the truth…the whole truth…and nothing but the truth.”

“Keep this oath in mind and tell the unvarnished truth,” said the judge, and he directed Lehtonen to take the stand. “Please sit. We’ll be recording your testimony, so speak clearly into the microphone.”

Lehtonen looked at the microphone, the same kind used by Formula One drivers in post-race interviews: a stand with a long stem and a small capsule. A red light on the base popped on.

“Prosecution, go ahead,” said the judge.

Muuri began, “Mari Lehtonen, you were on Porvoo Street on Sunday, the seventeenth of September, at four-thirty in the afternoon. Tell us in your own words what you saw.”

“Okay. Well, I was going to the convenience store and there, kind of in front of it, was a blue Mazda that was double parked. I wondered what it was doing there and so I looked inside. There was a man behind the wheel, so I figured he was just waiting for someone from the store. Then I went home.”

Muuri cringed a little at that last part-Lehtonen had just revealed that she lived nearby. At least she hadn’t recited her address. Muuri brushed it off and continued, “Take a look at the individuals in this courtroom. Is the man you saw in the car present here?”

Lehtonen let her gaze wander until it came to rest on Korpi.

“That’s him,” she said, nodding.

“Which one?”

“That one, right there.” Lehtonen extended a finger in Korpi’s direction and their eyes met. She disliked his cold stare. It was the same stare he had in the photograph, the same bald head and rigid features.

“Let the court note for the record that the witness is pointing to Risto Korpi. I’d like to ask again, are you absolutely certain? And remember the oath you just took.”

“Yes, I’m absolutely certain.”

“What was the man doing in the car?”

“Nothing. He was sitting in the driver’s seat with his hands on the wheel.”

“How did you get in contact with the police?”

“I saw an article in the newspaper and I remembered the car. The police were asking for eyewitnesses, so I thought I should call.”

“How did you identify Korpi once you were at the police station?”

“The police had me look through a bunch of

photographs. Then the next day I came in for a police lineup.”

“In those two instances, were you just as certain as you are now that the man in the car was Korpi?”

“Yes.”

“Then I have no further questions.”

“Defense, your turn,” said Judge Tuomela.

Martin stood up. “I have a few questions, too,” he said in a plucky tone. “What sort of work do

you do?”

Lehtonen was somewhat taken aback. “Uhh, I work in an office.”

“For what company?”

Muuri interjected before Lehtonen could respond. “The question has no bearing on the case.”

“Yes, it does. It’s my responsibility to evaluate the reliability of the witness. A janitor can work in an office, too.”

“A janitor’s testimony is every bit as reliable as anyone else’s,” said Muuri.

“She said that she works in an office-that will suffice,” said the judge dryly.

“I noticed that you’re not wearing eyeglasses. Do you wear glasses at work?”

“No. I don’t need them.”

Martin paused briefly and glanced at his papers. “When was the last time you went to an optometrist?”

Muuri cut in before Lehtonen could respond. “Objection. Irrelevant.”

“Sustained. Let’s stay on topic.”

“Well, then,” Martin grumbled. “How can you be so certain that the man in the car was the same as this man here, sitting next to me?”

“Uhh, well… Because I saw him.”

“Just like that, you saw him?”

“Yes.”

The lawyer’s questions were beginning to annoy her, but she tried to stay calm like she had been told.

“Would you say you have a sort of photographic memory?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that. Maybe.”

“In psychology, the term ‘photographic memory’ refers to an ability to remember an image in vivid detail. Some people can memorize a page of a telephone book in minutes. Do you have that ability, Ms. Lehtonen?”

“I don’t think I could memorize a telephone book.”

“So you don’t have a photographic memory.”

Muuri spoke up again, “Objection, leading. The witness never claimed to have a photographic memory.”

“Martin, get to the point,” the judge said.

The attorney fixed his eyes on Lehtonen’s. “Keep your eyes on mine for the time being. If your memory is as good as you claim, you should be able to describe Ms. Muuri’s clothing, right? Go ahead, no peeking, please.”

Muuri tried to object, but Lehtonen had already begun. Her eyes never wavered from Martin’s, “She’s wearing a gray pantsuit with a white shirt and a necklace with a reddish stone. She’s not wearing glasses and her hair is brown and medium length.”

Martin was dumbfounded by her answer-there was a pause of a few seconds. “What was the license plate number of the Mazda you saw?”

Lehtonen recited a plate number beginning

with K.

“How many stacks of paper does Ms. Muuri have in front of her?”

“Three.”

The judge interjected this time. “I think we’ve had enough of your memory games, Martin.”

“Then I have no further questions.”

“Alright,” said Judge Tuomela, turning to Nyberg’s counsel. “Aaltonen, would you like to cross-examine?”

“No, thank you.”

The judge nodded and turned back toward the witness stand. “Do you require any compensation for expenses or loss of wages? You’re eligible for half a day’s pay.”

“No, thank you,” said Lehtonen, though she could have used the money. She felt a wave of relief, and all she wanted was to get away from the tension of the courtroom.

“Alright, then,” said the judge. “In that case, the court thanks you. You are excused.”

Lehtonen nodded and rose. Before she closed the door behind her, she heard Judge Tuomela saying, “The court has now heard testimony from all witnesses and will take recess for lunch. Court will be back in session at one-thirty to hear closing arguments. The verdict will be delivered later on today.”

Joutsamo was waiting in the hallway. “How did

it go?”

“Good, actually,” said Lehtonen. Only now did Joutsamo detect a slight tremor in Mari’s voice as her body defused the tension. “Did you hear? They’re going to have a verdict today already.”

“Really? That’s kind of rare. Well, were you excused?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re free to go. I can drive you home or to work, your call.”

* * *

Takamäki arrived at work around twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Joutsamo was already there to report on the trial. Apparently, everything had gone smoothly, though according to Lehtonen, Korpi’s counsel had tried to rattle her on the stand.