Review: House Rules by Jodi Picoult, The Trial

Rather the review specific chapters, I thought I would look at the trial that Jacob goes through starting with his arrest. Once Jacob understands that he needs a lawyer while being questioned by Det. Matson everything gets crazy! His mother and his new lawyer bust into the Det. office but it's too late. Jacob has said some things that seem pretty suspicious; almost a confession even.

Jacob is then sent to jail to await arraignment which doesn't go well. Once his cellmate touches him, he goes berserk, banging his head on the bars until he is finally stopped by guards and brought to a padded room. The time he spends in the padded room is told from his point of view. He describes that when he normally goes to another place to get away from it all, it's like another planet. Once he wakes up in the padded room though, he thinks he's dead until he goes through a list of question like asking himself why he would be breathing if he were dead. He gets frustrated that he can't be like everyone else and cry.

Once his mother and his lawyer find out how jail has been for him, they find a way to go back to court to request he be released. They manage to get him out which makes me wonder about real life. If this book were nonfiction, how would the real Jacob deal with staying in jail rather than being released to his home? I cannot imagine what would happen. What would inmates do? What would be his mental (or even physical) state once the actual trial started several months later? It makes me sad to think someone like that could potentially end up in jail while waiting. 

Before the actual trial finally starts, Oliver (the lawyer) manages to negotiate some accommodations to help him through the trial. He has a sensory room in the courthouse which can be access at almost any time. The trial is separated into shorter time frames and a shorter day. His mom is also allowed to sit at the bench with him although she isn't allowed to speak. These things actually allowed Jacob to have a mostly smooth trial. He had a few meltdowns but they were all triggered by things he had a lot of trouble with normally (crumpling paper, missing Crime Busters).

The whole time they are prepping for the trial and proceeding in the trial I was a little annoyed that Jacob didn't get to talk about his actions or that no one ever asked him what actually happened. I understand the whole lawyer/perjury thing but no one else asked him. Picoult put so much emphasis on how he always told the truth yet the one time he needed to say the truth, no one asked!

As the book nears the end, the jury goes into deliberation. Three or four days pass and Theo has a birthday. Jacob gives him a special gift that changes the whole trial! As the family and Oliver rush to the courthouse to stop everything I wonder again about a real life trial. Would they have convicted Jacob? The longer a jury takes, the harder I (usually) think it is to come to a decision. Of course I was glad that Jacob didn't actually commit murder but I kind of wished she would have included what happened next. The last case she included helped the outcome become a little clearer.