“A few years ago, when I first started at the Department of Justice, I was placed at the bottom of the totem pole.” His lips quirked in a self-deprecating smile. “A place that, I would come to learn, held more purpose than I could have imagined.”

The jury watched him with growing fascination as he shed the polished facade they’d come to expect. Even Daniel, from his position at the plaintiff’s table, found himself leaning forward slightly, caught despite himself by this glimpse behind the curtain.

“You see,” Roma’s tone edged into raw honesty that made several jurors shift in their seats, “I entered public service in the aftermath of unprecedented change. Political upheaval. Social transformation. A series of high-profile prison escapes that shook our very understanding of justice in an age of extended human lifespans.”

He approached the jury box, “The Department was compelled to undertake a complete review of its sentencing practices - particularly those involving life and ‘longer-than-life’ convictions.” His hands sketched shapes in the air, mapping out the complexity of the challenge. “Imagine - a justice system built for eighty-year lifespans suddenly confronting three hundred years of human potential.”

Sophia’s pen had stilled completely as she watched Roma build his argument with devastating precision. This wasn’t the superficial charm offensive they’d prepared for - this was something far more dangerous. The actual truth being told in a courtroom.

“Public demand for reform surged,” he continued, his voice carrying them through the transformation. “Especially in cases where inmates no longer posed a threat to society. The ethical implications were staggering - perpetual incarceration in an age where medical advancements had fundamentally altered the very nature of human behavior and longevity.”

He paused, letting the weight of those words settle over the courtroom.