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Just a heads up before we begin, this episode does contain some spoilers, so if you haven't yet listened to the full series, I'd recommend going back and doing that first.

In the few weeks since we've released this podcast, we've been blown away by the number of listeners who've reached out to check in on Micah and Ava, especially to ask if there's been any news about Ava's trial.

I think it's fair to say that many are hoping her legal nightmare might be over.

Well, the verdict came out on Thursday, June 26, and it wasn't what any of us had hoped.

So we arrived at the courthouse at 8.30 and I was really quite excited because I felt, oh, we are coming to the end.

I felt like quite confident that I'd be acquitted because there's so much proof to support that I am innocent and I'm already thinking in my head after I am free, I'm going to bring my kids to the beach and we're going to celebrate.

So I was really looking forward to the end of this at the courthouse.

And when I was sitting there and when I was waiting there, I was so ready to receive and to hear what the judges had to say.

By 9am, all the defendants, 24 in total, had reached the courthouse.

But Ava's lawyer, somebody who was working pro bono, had still not arrived.

I thought the lawyer was going to come and at 9 o'clock I didn't see him so I gave him a call and he told me that in the call that he wasn't going to come.

So I actually went to ask the prosecutor is it At first,

Ava wasn't worried that her lawyer hadn't shown up.

She was just waiting for the judges to arrive.

And at 10am, they did.

But for procedural reasons, the case was actually delayed until the afternoon.

Finally, at about 2 p.m., the judges were ready.

The judges started reading the verdict and they read it for about 30 minutes.

There were 24 people and previously there were 26 people, but two persons had actually pleaded guilty.

So there were 24 of us in there.

Each defendant was assigned a number.

Ava was number three.

So the judge said, number one to number six, and number nine to number 12, you are guilty.

And the verdict is two years and 16 months in jail for scamming.

Guilty and 40 months of jail time.

It was, it is a crushing disappointment.

All the more so because it was so unexpected.

Like Ava, I had felt pretty confident that she would be acquitted.

I was looking forward to putting this episode together.

How could she not be?

The evidence in her favour seemed so clear.

Do we know if there was something that this lawyer did or didn't do properly that led to this?

Yes.

Not all the defendants were found guilty.

Nine were acquitted, and among the nine was Ava's uncle.

In the court case, Ava's uncle was defendant number eight.

As you might remember, Ava's uncle had been trafficked to Scenicville and trapped in the same compound with her.

Their cases are almost identical.

So why was he acquitted when Ava was not?

So the judge said, you have the proof from a policeman that you were human trafficked into scamming.

So when I heard that, I knew those were my documents and the lawyer had put my documents for my uncle because we went together, but those were my documents.

I immediately knew that there was something wrong.

that he didn't hand in the documents.

As far as we can tell, Ava's lawyer had simply not submitted any supporting documents in her case.

But the same supporting documents submitted in her uncle's case had been enough to get her uncle acquitted.

And when I heard the verdict, I just felt, why?

Is this true?

Why?

Why me?

Why?

Why?

So they cuffed my hands, and they said, you cannot go see your relatives.

You must walk down with us.

They can go see you downstairs.

And at that instant, I collapsed.

I cried.

I was brain dead.

I didn't know what to think.

It was like I was in a dream.

I felt like my brain wasn't operating.

I wasn't hearing anything.

my mind just like jammed a while and then I just I really like frustrated yeah really we are really innocent and then when this kind of thing will be finished in my life when I need to bring Eva back to my hometown to see my parents and then My parents are getting older and older already in three years already.

We got the document that proven Eva was really innocent.

And then just only the step because of the lawyer, he didn't submit the things that the Eva name.

Yeah.

And then, yeah, I don't know.

I really like, I don't know.

Ava's lawyer hasn't contacted her since the verdict came out.

She registered her intent to appeal and Micah borrowed yet another 100,000 Thai Baht as bail.

So for now, she's back home with Micah and her kids.

She has less than 30 days to file an appeal.

If she loses the appeal, she'll have to serve her sentence.

In our most recent call, Micah said something that moved me deeply.

when I asked him what his first thoughts were post-verdict.

He said,

Just think about that.

Oh, not again.

So we need to fight again.

They've done so much fighting and now they need to fight again.

But here's the thing.

This podcast has never just been about those who are thrown into the fight of their lives.

It's about those who choose to step into the fight with them.

So we're going to try something we've never done before.

As a production team, we're stepping in too.

And we're inviting you to join us.

We've set up a GoFundMe to raise money for a proper paid criminal defense lawyer for Ava.

Someone who will handle this appeal properly.

Someone who will show up Submit the documents, cross the T's, dot the I's.

We've already started getting quotes from Thai lawyers and it looks like if we can raise about 5,000 USD, we'll be able to cover the cost of the appeal.

Things have been incredibly hard financially for Micah and Ava these past three years.

Ava hasn't been allowed to work because of the case and with kids to support, they've been stretched beyond their limits.

So, anything we raise beyond that 5,000, and we really hope we do, will go straight to Micah and Ava.

What I want most is for Micah and Ava to feel it.

That they're not forgotten.

They're not walking this road alone.

That there's a community out there, one that believes in justice, and one that is willing to fight for it with them.

So, will you come on this extra little journey with us?

with Micah and Ava.

The link to the GoFundMe is in the show notes, or you can go to fightofmylifepodcast.com and we'll put a link in there.

If you give, would you leave them a little note too?

Let them know you're with them.

I have no idea how this will unfold, but I am hopeful, and I'm grateful to have you with us.

We'll let you know what happens next.