Here's how it played out:
They had to switch prosecuting DAs at the last moment, so I got a man named B.J. something. He told me the process would be him asking questions, easy questions, regarding the contract and events.
Before the trial, the attorney asks if a bargain can be reached. He wrote up a deal that said the man has to spend 60 days in jail, on weekends no less, and will pay $2,000 (back monthly payments plus attorney fee and vet check). Apparently the man looked at it, said "I can't spend 60 days in jail, I have a kid!" and snubbed it. The kid is not his...it's his girlfriend's. In no way even related to him. So, we went into the hearing.
I could hardly understand what they were saying, but I was called up to the witness stand, sat down and pulled the microphone towards me. The prosecuting attorney asked about the terms in the agreement, where the horse was kept etc. The defending attorney, I don't know what he was on...
He asked questions such as:
"Why did you not check on your horse during the months of June or July?" I said "I called several times during that period and could never get an answer. It states quite specifically in the contract that I could see Max when an appointment was made. I could get no appointment made. During May, I was preparing for graduation from college and moving elsewhere in Fayetteville, AR.
"Have you ever changed your phone number?" No.
"Have you ever changed your address?" My Oklahoma address has not been changed.
"Did you ever try to contact Mr. *insert*?" Yes, when I found out he had changed his phone number, I went to his address and found out he and his girlfriend had split up, although I was told she was his wife.
"Did Mr. *insert* ever contact you after you found out your horse was allegedly sold?" Yes, to tell me that he sold my horse to his uncle at the end of April, approximately 10 days after I went to see my horse, and that I would never get my horse back.
Mind you, he's wiping sweat off his brow at this point.
"You say you went out to see your horse at the end of April, do you have any witnesses to that?" Yes, the few people Mr. *insert* had around his truck, my boyfriend was on the phone with me and I also took photos of that day that are dated according to my phone and computer.
He stopped questioning at that point... :wink
And:
He apparently stated that Max bucked him off around day 16 and that he called me to take Max back. I had to leave the courtroom otherwise I would have started yelling.
BUT, nothing was done. He says he has witnesses for the bucking incident, and I must remember to ask him why he would allow his "son" to ride Max unsupervised across a highway to a convenience store, if Max was so untrustworthy...
So, the hearing has been moved to a later date. I don't have to go back for the defendant part, but will need to go back when it goes to an actual trial.