The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Courtroom Three.
Beneath the high, vaulted ceiling hung a massive brass chandelier. Its light, filtered through frosted glass shades, cast a soft, solemn glow upon the dark red wainscoting.
The gallery was packed, with reporters holding stenography pads even crowding the aisles.
Every media outlet in Pittsburgh was present, along with reporters from several major newspapers in Washington and New York.
They had keenly scented blood in the water. A trial involving a star mayor, a corporate oligarch, and antitrust law was more than enough to dominate the front pages for the next week.
The judge's bench sat high and imposing.
The judge sat in a massive high-backed chair, a gavel in his hand.
And in the center of the courtroom, two armies faced off.
At the plaintiff's table sat the legal team for the "Pennsylvania Free Trade Promotion Association."
But this was just a front.
