Chapter 8 - THE PRELIMINARY HEARING
Two months later, the preliminary hearing for The State of New York v. Delaney Ward and Marin Vance took place in the Westchester County Courthouse.
The courtroom was packed with journalists, legal commentators, and curious members of the public.
Delaney sat at the defense table in a navy blue suit, her head bowed, looking small and defeated. Her maid of honor, Marin, had already taken a plea bargain the week before, agreeing to testify against Delaney in exchange for probation and community service.
I sat in the front row of the gallery alongside Bellamy, June, and Sarah Klein.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Vance, laid out the state's evidence with devastating efficiency.
He presented the physical tiara, the three silver-painted wire fragments extracted from my scalp, the medical reports from the ER, and the high-definition video recorded by June in the bridal suite.
Then, ADA Vance called his key witness to the stand: Marin Vance.
"Miss Vance," the prosecutor asked, "did Delaney Ward instruct you to alter the tiara?"
"Yes," Marin testified, her voice shaking as she looked at the jury box. "Three days before the wedding, Delaney bought rusted wire from a local hardware store. She told me to cut it into sharp segments and attach them to the inner combs. She said she wanted Sloan to bleed on camera so she could edit the footage to make Sloan look unstable and aggressive."
Gasps echoed through the gallery.
Delaney’s defense attorney tried to argue that Delaney had no idea the wire would cause severe injury, claiming it was an 'artistic prop gone wrong.'
Judge Miller didn't buy a single word.
"Miss Ward," Judge Miller said, leaning over his bench with a look of stern condemnation, "your actions were not a prank. They were calculated, cruel, and physically dangerous. Your willingness to inflict bodily harm on your sister for online engagement shows a profound disregard for human safety."
The judge ruled that there was more than sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on felony counts of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and tampering with evidence.
Faced with the overwhelming evidence and the threat of a five-year prison sentence if convicted at trial, Delaney’s attorney requested a fifteen-minute recess.
When they returned, Delaney agreed to a binding plea agreement:
Three years of probation. Five hundred hours of community service at a trauma recovery center. Full financial restitution to the estate of Juniper Ward. A mandatory five-year restraining order prohibiting any contact with Sloan Ward or Juniper Ward. A permanent ban from monetizing content on any social media platform during her probation period.
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When the judge finalized the sentence, Delaney broke down into silent, convulsive tears.
The influencer who had built her life on viral drama was officially silenced by the state of New York.
