Chapter 11 - The charges separate
Valerie’s criminal case was strongest.
She struck me with the pan.
Then raised it again.
Police witnessed second attempt.
Charges:
Felony assault involving a dangerous instrument.
Misdemeanor child-endangerment-related counts because violence occurred in immediate presence of Sophie and Owen.
Possibly additional harassment.
No attempted murder.
No fetal-homicide fantasy.
My baby was not injured.
Then Lucas.
Prosecutors took longer.
Could they charge him as an accomplice to Valerie’s felony assault?
They reviewed.
Problem:
Recording showed him saying:
“Step away.”
“I need her angry, not hurt.”
That undermined proof he agreed to pan violence.
Could he still be morally responsible for creating danger?
Yes.
Criminal complicity required more.
Prosecutors ultimately charged narrower offenses related to:
Attempted evidence manipulation/tampering based on disabling household camera, creating selective recording for anticipated litigation, then lunging for the hidden phone after police arrived?
Tampering required intent to impair evidence after an official proceeding/investigation context. Disabling camera before incident may not qualify.
So prosecutors focused on:
Attempted destruction/interference with evidence when he lunged for old phone after police presence.
A misdemeanor coercive/harassment-type count based on orchestrated threatening confrontation?
Statutes vary.
They also considered reckless endangerment for intentionally keeping children in escalating violent confrontation.
No immediate felony assault conspiracy charge.
That infuriated Natalie.
Andrea said:
“Your sister does not get sentencing votes.”
Natalie:
“I know.”
Andrea:
“She acts like she does.”
Accurate.
Then family court.
Different standard.
The recording mattered enormously even if criminal charges against Lucas stayed narrow.
He had used children as potential litigation witnesses.
He had exposed them to foreseeable conflict.
He planned to leverage their reaction.
That went directly to parenting judgment.
Then Lucas’s employer? He owned business.
His partner Eric learned.
He called me.
“I didn’t know.”
About affair?
“Yes.”
About payments?
“Some.”
About staging confrontation?
“No.”
Then:
“If you’re going after the company, please remember eighteen people work here.”
I almost hung up.
Instead:
“I am not going after employees. I’m valuing marital property.”
He apologized.
Good.
May you like
People around Lucas had already started translating accountability into destruction.
I would not.
