In front of everyone, the young prosecutor tore the veteran’s medals from his chest and accused him of a crime he had not committed. However, what transpired next stunned everyone 
The hush in the courtroom was tense. An old man with gray hair and gleaming military medals on his breast was sitting on the defendant’s bench. Throughout his long life, he had faced many hardships, defended his country, lost friends, and each medal represented a different aspect of his fate. However, he was now charged with grand theft.
The young and ambitious prosecutor, who had just been appointed, chose to make the case into a show trial even though everyone knew that this claim was baseless. There was dread in the room as he spoke.
The prosecutor angrily stepped forward the veteran and said, “You are a criminal, a traitor.” — Men like you have no right to flaunt bravery and hero medals! You bring shame to the nation. A criminal should be imprisoned, not exalted!
Abruptly, he grabbed the elderly man’s chest and tore the medals off. The metallic clang of their impact on the floor reverberated across the room in the silence.
Everyone froze. The veteran stood with his head bent, fighting back tears. His palms shook because these medals represented more than just bits of metal; they represented the years he had dedicated to his nation and the times he had put his life in danger for others. And now he was stripped of his most valuable possessions and humiliated in front of everyone.
An irate murmur echoed across the audience as the judge’s eyebrows sprang upward. The prosecution, however, grinned smugly, believing he had won. He was unaware of what was going to occur.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
The lawyer for the veteran stood up. He spoke in a firm voice:
— Your Honor, there is indisputable evidence from the defense that my client is innocent.
He produced a flash drive and gave it to the clerk of the court. Video from a nearby building’s security cameras showed on the screen. The fact that the theft had been performed by a different man was obvious. The cameras clearly captured the face of a young man wearing a sweatshirt.
There was a gasp in the courtroom. Confusion appeared on the judge’s face for the first time as he gazed at the prosecutor.
The judge firmly announced, “Let it be noted in the protocol: the charges against the defendant are dropped.”
The prosecutor’s lips quivered and he went pale. He attempted to defend himself by speaking, but the words became lodged in his throat. Finally, he muttered:
Please pardon me. I was mistaken.
However, it was too late. Everyone had witnessed his conceit and the veteran’s humiliation.
The attorney walked over to the soldier, picked up the medals off the ground, and gave them back with dignity. Everyone in the courtroom stood and cheered. The people’s gaze shifted from the prosecutor to the elderly man, who once more raised his head with pride and straightened his back.
In the eyes of the populace, he was once more a hero.
