Scales of Justice By Steam Train (steam_t2000@yahoo.com)
Part: 2 Enslaved
Judge William Mitchell had been annoyed by the intrusion on his routine of the tax audit. He knew it was a fact of life that the Internal Revenue Service conducted random tax audits on all strata's of the free community. However they were so under resourced that he was very unfortunate to have been selected. Most people went through their whole working life never having to under go the process.
He had had Mr Bunter and Mr Dubois collate all his tax receipts for the past seven years and had ensured that all the accounting books for `Jugobonito' were up to date.
It was therefore somewhat of a surprise to the Judge when his law clerk Rodney Ericson received a phone call at court inviting the Judge to an interview at the IRS office in downtown Eastbrook to assist with enquiries.
Judge Mitchell had his law clerk make an appointment for the following week. He wanted his close friend and lawyer, Bertram Avery to accompany him and besides he was deliberately controlling and setting the agenda not the IRS.
He wanted to ensure they would be left in no doubt who they were dealing with.
The next week, when Judge Mitchell finally got down to the IRS office, it appeared they no longer wanted or needed to ask any more questions. He had had his chance but in his arrogance and delay he had blown his opportunity. The senior investigating officer had been unable to wait till the Judge was available so had lodged his recommendations with his superiors in the state capitol. The chain of events had been set in motion.
An hour after Judge Mitchell had walked into the IRS office he found himself standing in a holding cell inside police headquarters in downtown Eastbrook, a stunned numbness spreading across every cell of his body. He had just been arrested, fingerprinted, and charged with 88 counts of tax avoidance.
Earlier at the brief meeting in the IRS office once the scope of Judge Mitchell's problems had been revealed, the Judge had stated, "My reputation is more important to me than anything. I'm quite prepared to write the IRS a check immediately for the amount of tax the IRS believes has been miscalculated.
The offer was immediately refused!
The IRS's legal counsel had conceded in private to Judge Mitchell's lawyer Bertram Avery that ordinarily with a gentleman of the judges standing, some arrangement like the judge had offered might in many cases be accepted, but in this case, the authorities at state office were emphatic. They had hard evidence of deliberate tax avoidance accompanied by perceived criminal behavior, they would get the money back anyway through a court order with interest, and they would also make an example in the criminal courts of Judge Mitchell, to assure the wider free community that no one was above the law.
The judge was alleged to have committed criminal activities with his corrupt business dealings with Dan Fitzpatrick but using the `Capone' principal, it was easier to convict him on tax avoidance as there was ample evidence of that, than the criminal activities which would be much harder to prove.
As the Judge was being escorted to his holding cell in the police headquarters, word had already been conveyed to the judges' clerk at the courthouse of the events that had just transpired.
Rodney Ericson, Judge Mitchell's clerk was soon contacted by Judge Trevenian now the most senior County Judge who instructed Rodney to organize for the court slaves to pack up all of Judge Mitchell's personal possessions and put them in storage as the Judge would most likely not be needing them again.
After organizing what Judge Trevenian had instructed Rodney took himself off to police headquarters to inform the Judge of his actions and too see for himself what had happened.
Upon being escorted into the holding cell he marveled how insecure the usually super confident Judge Mitchell already looked. "Sir I have come over to inform you that Judge Trevenian will be in contact with you later this afternoon after she has cleared her juvenile court cases. Your personal possessions are being boxed on the Judges orders and will be placed in storage, sir," he informed the Judge.
He received a terse grunt of acknowledgement from the Judge but no further conversation, the Judges mind was elsewhere.
What the Judge did not know was that it was Rodney Ericson who had copied the Judges secret accounts from the micro disk hidden in an old law book that resided within the antique bookshelf in the Judges Chambers.
Rodney Ericson was the half brother of one of the IRS junior investigators, Damien Mortlock. A junior investigator who was now set for a major promotion following his seemingly amazing detective work to prove the tax avoidance activities of Judge Mitchell.
Much later that afternoon back in the holding cell after he had perused the IRS evidence against his client, Bertram Avery reported his findings on his friend's predicament.
"Look, William," Bertram Avery said. "I've read the evidence documents that will be submitted to the court tomorrow morning. They've got all the evidence on the slave trading scam that you have undertaken for years with Dan Fitzpatrick with the assistance of Kim Dean from the County Legal Office".
"How could they know all this Bert?" a totally dumbfounded Judge Mitchell whispered out in shock.
"I don't know William, but when they bring your case into court, you and I will find out I guess. I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but the IRS have you William. Just like Al Capone back in the early twentieth century it is sometimes easier to prosecute for tax evasion than to piece together the complex web of your corrupt criminal dealings with Dan Fitzpatrick."
Judge Mitchell still couldn't believe what he had heard. "You can't be serious Bert; they can't enslave a person of my rank and standing."
`William, you'll get enslavement for the term of your natural life plus confiscation of all your assets to the IRS, I will bet my life on it" Bert Avery replied.
Then Bert Avery gave the Judge a look he reserved for criminals and is a low deep voice said, "I'd be real scared if I were you William, your about to experience the scales of justice from the other side of the bench."
Judge Mitchell's face turned white, he was getting scared. He knew the legal system thoroughly. With the reforms introduced by Ex-President Shelley the legal process now presumed guilt upon charging until acquitted. The whole legal process was now very swift and consumed a minimum of time.
"They want your hide William and for good reason as far as I can see. You were in a position of trust and you betrayed that trust. Now you have to pay the price of that betrayal. I have no sympathy for you William. You can judge your own intentions William but others are about to judge your actions. I have always looked up to you but not anymore. I feel betrayed too! "
Judge Mitchell was looking straight at Burt Avery's face when he said this. The Judges hand went up to his eyes and wiped away a tear, the Judge was crying and on the verge of breaking down completely.
Judge Mitchell felt at that moment like he had entered another world? A world where everything and everyone you trusted had turned against you?
"I'm sorry Burt," the judge blubbered. "It's my entire fault. I take full responsibility. There must be something I can do to stay out of enslavement". The Judge already knew from his years of experience that there was not, but still he asked in desperate hope.
"No William it is too late, soon there will be no William Mitchell, just a slave with memories of a life that was, toiling away to satisfy his masters every need. I fear that the press and the good citizens of this county, even perhaps the state are going to take great pleasure in witnessing you publicly humiliated in this way" Burt Avery replied.
Later that afternoon Judge Trevenian visited Judge Mitchell in his holding cell and by the time she departed Judge Mitchell was a Judge no more. The Mayor had requested his resignation before his conviction to save some embarrassment for his fellow judges.
Judge Mitchell spent the night in his holding cell all by himself. Technically speaking the judge was still a free citizen, so one of the guards provided him with a sandwich and a coffee rather than the slave chow fed to slaves. He didn't sleep well drifting off occasionally into a stupor between thoughts of panic and fear. Many a free person who was facing enslavement took their own life rather than face a life of total submission and service. In the local area the favored means was to jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Thus the newly charged were usually held overnight in a cell if their case could not be brought immediately to court the same day.
In the morning William ate nothing, nervous dyspepsia taking its toll. The overseer from "Juridique", Mr Morris Bunter arrived at his cell accompanied by one of the house slaves and a police guard. Upon his cell being opened the slave handed his former master freshly ironed and pressed clothes. A conservative white shirt, dark suit and navy blue and red tie. There were fresh underpants in the kit as well.
"Sorry to hear of your troubles sir. Thought you could do with a fresh change of clothing for your court appearance today" Mr Bunter politely stated.
They exchanged a few pleasantries but the conversation soon died and Mr Bunter soon left with the slave stating, "See you in court later sir"
William was sure he saw a smirk on the slaves face and for an instant wanted to wipe that disrespectful smile off the slaves face before realizing he was no longer in a position to do so.
Although he'd been in the cell for less than a day William had already began to grasp that the worst thing about losing your freedom is that you aren't in control of anything. Your words no longer carry any weight and no one considers asking your opinion.
When William Mitchell was brought into the packed courtroom the local media were prominent in numbers, as were a bevy of prominent local officials including the Mayor and William's former fellow Judges from the County Court who had hastily rescheduled their cases so they could attend the Federal Court session. The curious public filled the remaining seating.
The police escorted William over to sit with his legal counsel Bertram Avery. The prosecution lead by a stony faced very professionally looking woman in her late thirties dressed in a smartly cut tailored suit, flanked by two "assistants", one an older grey haired man and the other a fresh faced young graduate both of whom wore expensively cut dark suits with accompanying expensive silk ties.
Bertram Avery lost nothing to his opponents; he and William Mitchell like them were both impeccably dressed.
The court Bailiff soon shouted "All rise", His Honour Judge Alistair Zwecker presiding as the judge strode in and took his seat.
For William Mitchell the fact that the scales of justice had turned really set in at this point. He felt like someone was squeezing his heart. His breath was laboured and his body though freshly showered was sweaty and clammy.
William did not know Alistair Zwecker very well. Judge Zwecker was a Federal Judge and they had only met occasionally at professional legal forums. Judge Zwecker was not a resident of Tallahatchie County so they never socialised.
The Bailiff read out the charges, then the judge looked at Mr Avery and asked "How does the prisoner plead?"
"Mr Mitchell pleads guilty, your honour. He admits to tax fraud and is willing to make full restitution..."
Judge Zwecker then asked the lady prosecutor to proceed with her statement for the court.
The prosecutor then made a damming summation of William Mitchell's financial deceit, saying that the amounts of tax avoided were substantial and that it was necessary to bring such cases to court to remind everyone no matter what their status in society that they have a duty to pay tax on all their income and trading.
"This current shocking case" the prosecutor continued, "had only come to light as a result of the diligence of the IRS investigators in particular Mr Damien Mortlock who had uncovered the prisoners fraudulent schemes."
No mention was made in court of the relationship between Damien Mortlock and his half brother who was the Judges clerk, who had in snooping around the judges office discovered the micro disk containing all the incriminating evidence.
"A person of such high public prominence and trust needed to be made an example of, so that the citizens of our country continue to have trust and respect for the people and institutions that govern us" the prosecutor continued.
Bertram Avery gave a spirited but resigned defence on his clients behalf, citing the years of community service and other charity works that William Mitchell had undertaken.
The judge listened then signalled to the court Bailiff.
The Bailiff shouted "The prisoner will rise", and fear gripping his heart William Mitchell did so.
"William Mitchell, I find you guilty of the crimes as charged."
He paused dramatically for effect, and then added "To accept financial restitution alone would not be appropriate or desirable in this case, the normal and most common sentence for tax fraud is the forfeiture of citizenship. I therefore sentence you to be enslaved for the term of your natural life."
A gasp ran around the court, and the judge banged his gavel for silence before continuing "Slave" the judge intoned, "Your age means that you will fetch very little at auction so I intend to specifically order how you will work off your debt to society instead of ordering you to auction. You shall be allocated to serve the Tallahatchie County Legal Department in whatever role they desire, so that the life you once led and forfeited is constantly reminded to you as you toil away serving your new masters."
"Any order for the proceeds of the crime?" the judge asked the prosecutor.
"Yes, your honour" the prosecutor continued, "We ask that all the slave's goods and assets be seized and sold and used to offset the tax avoided and if surplus to that need be assigned to consolidated revenue to be used for the good of the community."
"So ordered", the judge replied. Then, turning to William Mitchell, he went on "This should be a lesson to you, slave, that attempting to defraud the citizens of this country of their due tax revenue will get you nowhere. I trust your new owners will rapidly teach you that as a slave unlike the behaviour you have exhibited in your previous life, that you are expected to show honesty and truthfulness or otherwise suffer the most severe of punishments. Though confronted with a life of slavery from this day on, remember that through loyal and obedient service you still have a chance to make your life meaningful. I urge you to turn this personal tragedy into a personal triumph by transforming your predicament to an accomplishment."
"Bailiff: the prisoner is now a slave. To emphasize his new status and prepare him for enslavement induction, slaves appear in court naked. Have the slave remove his clothes and induct him into enslavement."
Two bailiffs' approached the defense bench and roughly pulled William Mitchell over to the side of the judge's bench. They asked him for his wallet and all jewelry and valuables on his person. All had had already been taken from William when he was charged. At the charge bench in the police station he had handed over his leather wallet, a gold Rolex watch, and a gold ring which he had worn since graduating from college.
The Chief Bailiff then asked him to remove all items of clothing and hand them to the assisting bailiff, who came forward holding a wire basket.
There was hushed whispering from the visitors gallery as William first removed his expensive suit jacket and handed it to the bailiff, who folded it as he placed it into the basket. William undid his tie and removed it. He then started unbuttoning his white shirt. When it was unbuttoned, William took it off exposing his naked white skinned chest to the court for the first time and handed the shirt to the bailiff. Soft sobs could be heard emanating from William as he willed himself to complete this humiliating task.
William then bent down and removed his highly polished black shoes and then his black socks, and put them too in the basket held by the bailiff.
William Mitchell blushed profusely at this utter act of humiliation as he unbelted and unzipped his trousers. He stooped to remove them, exposing a pair of black silk boxers. As William started to pull down his boxers he instinctively tried to turn his back to the courtroom and cover his exposed groin, but one of the bailiffs redirected him so he was again facing the crowded courtroom and pulled his hands away and positioned them at his sides.
Once his boxers were off everyone in the courtroom could see his naked body. Of course William Mitchell looked nothing like a slave, having a free man's belly and figure; he carried his excess weight well however being tall. The hair on his chest was predominantly grey with a few dark streaks still visible. A thick darker haired happy trail descended from his naval down to meet a thick untrimmed scraggly pubic bush. The cool air of the air-conditioning had an immediate effect on Williams exposed uncut penis and scrotum as they shriveled to a tiny knob and a tight sack.
A lot of people smiled at William's humiliation, and some even let out titters of laughter which could be heard throughout the courtroom. People William called his friends, and others who relied on him for their living, and called him sir and obeyed his instructions, were now laughing at him or looking at him with expressions of open curiosity and contempt, these people no longer saw him as one of them. He had already become an object, to be bought, sold, used and beaten. All these eyes were glued on William as they watched him turned from powerful prominent citizen into a common serving slave.
Sensing this change in attitude William blushed a shameful shade of red all over his naked body.
One of the Bailiffs then handed William a large plastic tub and told him to stand in it. Another Bailiff went up to William with electric shears, plugged them into a specially provided socket, and started to cut the hair on Williams head.
As William's carefully styled hair tumbled into the tub around his feet, tears could be seen falling from Williams eyes into the tub as well.
When his hair was shorn completely so that all that remained was stubble the chief bailiff produced shaving cream and a razor and William's head including his eye brows was shaved down to the bare skin.
The bailiff with the clippers then began cutting from the neck down and quickly denuded William's upper body and arm pits of all the hair he could find. The bailiff then began clipping William's legs moving his way up to his pubic region and buttocks.
As the bailiffs continued with the clipping and shaving the chief bailiff intoned as was the custom at this point in the induction to William, "Without hair you are singled out as being different to free citizens".
In front of the viewing public in the court room, William's remaining masculine signs of free citizenship, his pubic, scrotal and buttock hair was quickly and efficiently removed.
Any remaining stubble was shaved off as the hands of the bailiffs went over the naked skin of William's trembling body, searching for any remaining hair or stubble.
When the shaving was completed William was too ashamed to lift his head up or to look at the enraptured crowd of visitors in the courtroom enjoying his humiliation.
One of the bailiffs' then pulled Williams hands to the back of him and cuffed him and then led him over to the collaring bench on the other side of the courtroom where he was forced onto his knees and made to lean forwards and place his head on a block that contained a collaring and locking device.
When his head was in place, one of the bailiffs stretched a length of colored plastic coated metal around his neck, pulled it tight so it ran just under his Adam's apple, and then cut it with a small guillotine. A lock was then applied. It took less than a minute for William Mitchell to be collared. The design and color of the plastic coating indicated Tallahatchie County where William's enslavement would be registered.
William Mitchell had seen so many slave collars they had long since ceased to arouse the slightest curiosity in him, yet they registered unconsciously to any free citizen that the wearer was a slave and need be shown no respect, and was without rights other than that of being owned. The first thing that William noticed was how easily the collar went on, just a soft click and how heavy it felt, and how tight it fitted.
One of the Bailiffs' then grabbed William very tightly by the ear and started pulling him to the other side of the courtroom. As he pulled him forward across the room, he also tugged downward on the ear. For the first time in his life, William had to stoop like a humble slave.
When the Bailiff tugging William got to the other side of the courtroom, William was pulled up onto a raised platform with a low padded hand rail. The bailiff had him turn his buttocks to the audience and bend over the rail. William was on view to everyone his cuffed hands trussed against his back, his buttocks sticking up, and his shaved scrotum clearly dangling between his legs.
Two of the Bailiff's came up on the platform and stood on either side of William. The Chief Bailiff selected a purpose designed punishment paddle from the implements cupboard. It was in shape and design similar to a large hair brush without the bristles and along it's surface were perforations that reduced the wind drag and maximized the impact on the recipient.
With his left hand the Chief Bailiff grabbed William's shoulder, while the Bailiff's standing to William's sides each grabbed an ear and did a very tight ear twist to hold William down in a stooping position over the rail. Once they had him secured by the ears, the Chief Bailiff swung the paddle and let the first stroke land.
The public in the visitors' gallery were mesmerized seeing for the first time such a prominent citizen and slave owner as William Mitchell having to endure a bare naked slave paddling in front of the general public. And what a sight it was for those gathered in the courtroom as William Mitchell kicked and flayed his legs as he lost all semblance of composure his once posh and refined voice screamed out, desperate to try and relieve some of the pain he was experiencing.
As the strokes reigned down on Williams ever reddening buttocks he was ashamed of his reaction. His penis was erect and throbbing and the pain was like noting he had ever experienced. Now he knew how all those slaves he had watched either in his own courtroom or that he owned had felt and why they acted like they did when punished. Soon despite himself he was bawling like a prepubescent boy and begging shamelessly for mercy from anyone who would listen whilst his virgin bottom received it's first ever slave spanking.
No one listened to his pleas of course. Slaves have to get bare naked paddlings all the time and the assembled audience knew that the pro forma paddling in the courtroom was the traditional way of assuring the respectable, law-abiding citizens watching that William Mitchell was now truly a slave.
William suffered an even worse fate as the paddling continued unabated, not only did he holler and scream and beg for mercy but his erect and aroused penis and very full testicles could stand no more arousal and in front of everyone he began to near an orgasm. His wail of anguish and his shuddering body signalled to the Bailiff's his approaching climax.
Bent over the punishment rail, naked before everyone, William's body shivered and shook as his body now with a mind of its own stimulated by his own uncontrollable thrusting against the rail reached a humiliating climax of orgasm. William raised his head and wailed aware of the utter humiliation of being forced to ejaculate in public. He seemed to have lost any semblance of control over his body; such was the intensity of his ejaculation. Spurt after spurt of semen shot out of his penis onto the floor in front of the raised platform.
"Filthy slave, put a collar on them, strip them, spank them and it's amazing how quickly they act like a slave isn't it" the Chief Bailiff responded to his colleagues. William's actions only succeeded in motivating the bailiff to even greater exertions.
When the paddling was over the Bailiffs stood William up and turned him around to face the public gallery. William was again totally erect and to add to his humiliation his nose was running and his buttocks were burning with a fierce pain. Unable to use his hands to gain relief William regardless of the humiliating spectacle did the dance of the spanked on the spot up on the platform before the assembled crowd in a vain attempt to ease the throbbing pain.
Some of the courtroom visitors laughed out loud at Williams juvenile antics and humiliating aroused state.
One of the Bailiffs then again tightly grasped William by his ear and led him around the courtroom allowing everyone to inspect the new slave in great detail whilst making William hunch over as the Bailiff pulled him by his ear, forcing him do that scrambling style of walk distinctive of slaves.
Finally when William had completed his tour of the courtroom he was lead out through the slaves exit of the courtroom down into the processing rooms below. It would be the last that anyone would ever see of William Mitchell.
The next time William Mitchell's former colleagues and friends would see him, he would have a new name and the person they once knew would no longer exist except in their memories.
End Part: 2
Acknowledgements:
`A Middle Class Slave Revisited' by Steam Train
`Alternative Deterrence' by Steam Train
`A Middle Class Slave' by Pete Brown
`Dad & Me" by Pete Brown
`You can't be Friends with a Slave' by Pete Brown
`The Best Laid Plans' by Richard Davis
`That Others May Serve' by Richard Davis
`My First Day on the Job' by Randall Austin
`A Portrait of Servitude ^Ö A Child's Questions' by Randall Austin
`Slave Maker' by Josh Ryan
`A Summer in Hell' by L. T. Richards
`What are Friends For?' by L. T. Richards
`Team Effort' by Sanibel Boys