The jury was not asked to convict on outrage alone.
It was asked to examine evidence.
That distinction mattered to Simone.
It was the distinction her brother had been denied.
Ethan Brooks testified on the fourth day.
He wore a borrowed blazer and shoes that pinched his feet.
His mother sat in the second row.
The prosecutor asked why he began recording.
"Because the officer was yelling at her."
"Did you know Ms. Carter?"
"No."
"Did you know Officer Matthews?"
"No."
"Did anyone tell you what to record?"
"No."
"Did you alter the video?"
"No."
The defense attorney approached.
"Mr. Brooks, you've received attention because of this recording, correct?"
Ethan shifted.
"Some."
"Thousands of people watched your video."
"Yes."
"People praised you."
"Some did."
"That must have felt good."
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
"I guess."
"So you had a reason to make the incident seem dramatic."
Ethan looked toward the judge.
Then back at the attorney.
"I didn't make him do anything."
The attorney paused.
Ethan continued.
"I was recording basketball. He started yelling. I turned the phone. That's what happened."
The courtroom became still.
The defense attorney asked another question.
But the answer remained.
Ethan had not created the confrontation.
He had documented it.
When Simone testified, the courtroom was so quiet that the turning of a page sounded unusually loud.
The prosecutor asked her to describe the afternoon.
She explained her run.
Her clothing.
Her gym bag.
Her smoothie.
Her phone.
She described the officer's arrival.
His demand for identification.
Her request for clarification.
His command to kneel.
The handcuffs.
The slap.
The packet.
The arrest.
Then the prosecutor asked about her protected status.