Cyntoia Brown-Long on the 5 Excruciating Days of Her Trial
‘The overwhelming consensus among the world was something must be wrong with me.’
In an excerpt from her forthcoming book Free Cyntoia, Cyntoia Brown-Long recounts her 2006 trial for killing a man who picked her up for sex when she was 16. Public figures like Rihanna drew attention to her case as an example of a minor victimized by sex trafficking and failed by the legal system. She ultimately served 15 years of a life sentence and was released earlier this year. Here, she shares what was running through her head during the five days of her trial.
Standing outside the courtroom, I was dressed in nice pants and a blouse. This was it. After nearly two years of waiting, my trial was about to begin. Acid burned in my stomach and I chewed a Tums Wendy had given me in a futile attempt to put out the fire. I tried not to think about what the next few days would mean for my future. Just get through today, I thought.
I was as ready as I would ever be. Rich and Wendy had trained me to keep my composure no matter who was testifying or what they said. I knew the slightest eyebrow raise could turn the jury against me. I was instructed to keep my mouth shut as long as we were in the courtroom. Rich gave me a notepad and told me to write down any questions…
