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 SENTENCED TO CHASTITY.

   Carmenica Diaz





   SYNOPSIS

   Imagine a future where the prisons are so overcrowded that home
confinement becomes the norm for those convicted of white-collar crime. 
Imagine if this punishment is seen as soft and that legislation is passed
to allow Judges to become rather creative with their sentencing.  Human
nature being what it is, the Judges would become competitive to see who
could be the most creative.  Don is convicted of illegal tax avoidance and
Judge Bluestone sentences him to one year of complete home confinement and
to one year of chastity - both sentences to be served concurrently.  A
year! Don discovers that Sandy, his long suffering wife, doesn't appear to
be overflowing with sympathy.  It's going to be a long, long year.









   01.  Take him away, Henry!

   Don felt sick!  Staring at Joseph, his lawyer who sat behind his desk
opposite him, he gasped, 'you can't be serious!  Plead guilty?' Joseph
shrugged.  'The evidence is overwhelming.  You have avoided tax in an
illegal manner for two years.' 'It was a mistake!  That's all, a stupid
mistake!' Joseph sighed.  'They can show that you planned to hide revenue,
that you set up bank accounts under assumed names to do just that.  Here's
a hint,' he added strongly, 'if you plan to steal, don't get caught!  Give
it up, Don.  Plead guilty.' Don stared at the desk, the noise of a busy
legal office slipped in under the closed door.  'What will I get?' he asked
quietly.  'No one can say for sure,' Joseph said.  'But you can guess?' Don
pressed.  'I used to be able to but with the new legislation coming into
force, it's anyone's guess what the judges will come up with.' The prisons
had become overcrowded over the years and there had been a greater use of
home confinement instead of prison as a sentence.  The newspapers had
picked up that white collar criminals received home confinement while other
criminals received prison.  The inference was that home confinement was not
really a punishment, that these white collar criminals were laughing at the
system.  The outcry that followed forced the government to address the
issue and pass legislation which enabled judges to add further penalties to
the sentence of home confinement.  A bank teller convicted of embezzling
was sentenced to two years home confinement but was allowed out each day to
wash the cars parked in the street.  Every day!  People drove from miles
around to park in the street to watch him and to have their car washed by
the embarrassed criminal.  The television and the newspapers covered his
humiliation every day until the civil libertarians jumped on the bandwagon
and, from then on, privacy was enforced.  No names were released but
details of the sentences were and the judges became competitive, seeing who
could come up with the most ingenious and devious sentence.  It seemed that
everyone hated white collar crime.  'So you can't predict what the sentence
will be?' Don asked.  'It'll be home confinement,' Joseph said, 'but what
the additional sentence will be, we don't know.  The judges have gone crazy
with power and their imaginations.' He looked guilty around the private
office.  'Of course, he quickly said, 'I never said that.' 'Home
confinement and what?' Joseph shrugged.  'It depends on the judge.  There
have been,' he said in a conspiratorial whisper, some strange sentences,
let me tell you.  It's all on public record although we don't know who the
poor bastards are.  One judge sentenced some bloke to be naked for a year!
A whole year!  Imagine that, forced to walk around his house naked while
his wife and the rest of his family, if he had one, wore clothes!' I could
put up with that, Don thought, lying around naked, no clothes to wash and
just watching television all day.  That wouldn't be a problem.  ''So who's
the judge that's overseeing my case?' 'Judge Emily Bluestone.' 'Oh no!'
'What's wrong?' Joseph immediately asked when he saw his client's shock. 
'Do you know her?' 'No,' Don groaned, 'but I think Sandy does!' 'Sandy? 
Your wife?' Don nodded sadly.  'But that could be a good thing,' Joseph
said excitedly, 'she may be able to influence the judge's decision.  Not
that she could do so openly of course,' Joseph said hurriedly.  'Maybe,'
Don said quietly, 'maybe.'

   'Darling?' Don tentatively asked that night.  Sandy was reading her book
on the living room sofa and didn't even look up to reply.  'What?' Her
voice was still crisp and ice-cold and Don knew she hadn't quite forgiven
him yet.  'The court case...' 'What about it?' she snapped.  'It is next
week, I have to be there, of course.' Sandy closed her book and looked
coldly at him.  'I think this is the stupidest thing you have ever done! 
And you've done some big ones before but nothing like this!' 'Darling...'
he said weakly.  'Don't darling me!  You'll end up in prison and I'll have
to twiddle my thumbs!' 'We have enough money,' he protested, 'you'll be all
right but,' he added, 'I don't think it will be prison.  It'll be home
confinement so at least you'll see me.' 'Oh joy!' Sandy said sarcastically.
'You'll be at home all the time but unable to go anywhere?' 'It won't be so
bad, will it?' he pleaded.  'It's better than prison.' 'I suppose,' she
said grudgingly and he smiled, moving closer to her until she said sharply,
'I still haven't forgiven you so keep your distance.' 'Of course, darling,'
he said hurriedly, moving back on the sofa and Sandy reopened her book. 
'Darling?' he said after a moment.  'Yes?' 'You know Emily Bluestone, don't
you?' 'Emily Bluestone?  Emily Bluestone,' Sandy said as she thought. 
'yes, that's right.  She plays sometimes at the tennis club.  Tall woman,
if I recall.  Why?' 'No reason,' he said innocently, 'except the judge at
the trial is Emily Bluestone.' 'Emily?  A judge!  Well, I never.' 'You
didn't know?' Don said, surprised.  'I'm trying to read, darling,' Sandy
said a little crossly.  'Sorry, darling.  Will you come to the trial?'
Sandy smiled at him.  'Of course sweetie, I'll be there to give support.'

   Don nervously paced up and down the corridor while Sandy and Joseph sat
waiting and watching him.  'I don't see why I have to wait,' he said.  'I
pleaded guilty, I don't see why she just can't sentence me...' 'It's
protocol,' Joseph explained patiently.  'The Judge must consider the
sentence carefully and then announce the punishment.' 'I'm sure it will all
work out well, darling,' Sandy said.  A door opened and a burly man in a
blue uniform motioned to them.  'The Judge will see you in her chambers. 
This way, please.' 'Her chambers?' Don whispered to Joseph as the three of
them followed the bailiff.  'New privacy regulations.  The sentence must be
pronounced in private, although the legal representative, immediate family
and the bailiff are present.' The bailiff opened the door and three passed
him as they walked into the room where Judge Bluestone sat behind her desk.
'Donald Jones, Your Honour, for sentencing.' Very good, Henry.  Good
afternoon, Mister McLeod,' she said to Joseph who nodded.  'Good afternoon,
Your Honour.' 'You are Sandy Jones?' Judge Bluestone said to Sandy.  'Yes,
Your Honour.' They don't know each other, Don thought moodily, there's no
influence there at all!  'I would emphasise,' Judge Bluestone said to the
three, 'that this sentence must be applied in strict privacy and must not
be disclosed to anyone.  The facts of the sentence will be incorporated
into the public record but personal details will not be revealed.  To
reveal any details of this case to anyone will be seen as contempt of court
and you will be severely penalised.  Is that understood?' All three nodded
and Joseph said, 'yes, Your Honour.' 'Good, you two may sit,' Judge
Bluestone said, waving her gold pen at Sandy and Joseph.  'Mister Jones,
please step forward.' He did so and she looked down at her papers.  'I have
considered all the facts and even though you have pleaded guilty, I feel
that you must have an added incentive not to re-offend.  Are you ready to
receive your sentence, Mister Jones?' 'I am, Your Honour,' Don croaked. 
'Very good.  I hereby sentence you to twelve months home confinement from
today's date.' Don's heart pounded excitedly.  Only twelve months!  A piece
of cake!  'I am also sentencing you to twelve months of enforced chastity.
Both sentences will be served concurrently.  You will be taken from here
and fitted with both devices.  Take him away, Henry.' 'Yes, Your Honour.'
Don felt faint and Henry seized his arm and led him through a side door
before he could say anything.  As he was about to protest, a man and a
woman in a white coat stood on either side and he felt a prick on the back
of his hand.  'What the...' He staggered and Henry held him up as the man
and woman smiled at him.  'What did you give me...' Don spiralled into
darkness

   Sentenced To Chastity by Carmenica Diaz Available from cafe Boudoir
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