(open) shot-gun trials and foreign legal wiles

[feyted]

Date & Time: December 28th - January 2nd.
Location: Franziska's state of the art courtroom; law offices; the city.
Characters: ALL. Tag in when you tag in!
Summary: Jesse Pinkman goes on trial for murder. Some people want to see him convicted. Other people want to see him acquitted! Evidence will be presented, witnesses will be questions, the defendant himself will take the stand! All while being observed by a jury of peers, any lookers-on who so decide to attend, and the hapless just-made-temporary-judge who has to watch over all of this to the bitter end.
Warnings: Potential language, complete ridiculousness, and standard insanity.
Notes: THE ORDER OF EVENTS as they happen in the comments here are unimportant. As long as the subject lines are labeled in the initial comment to this post, go wild doing whatever makes the most sense or most fun to and for you. There is a timeline for when things should generally be happening, along with an OOC post to discuss specifics! Top comments will be linked in this top post, and updated once a day because Ish is slow.

Please comment to this post with one of the following subject lines and the IC date in order to inform those others tagging in what your character is available for. They are as follows (and may be added to at your discretion):

On the Witness Stand
At an Attorney's Side
In the Recess Alcove
In the Audience
Among the Jurors
Interrupting the Trial Proceedings
(anything else you can come up with falling outside these categories)

Characters on witness stand may be as character witnesses, as experts in a given field of study, as presenters and explainers of new or established evidence, or because someone got desperate and pulled them in off the street. Those who were interested in having their characters offer evidence, testimony, or assistance, even if it's totally ridiculous, are welcome to get On the Witness Stand.

ROUGH TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

December 28th
Opening statements from attorneys; presentation of initial evidence.
Character witness testimony begins.

December 29th
Experts in given fields give testimony. Autopsy, ballistics, crime scene investigation information presented today.

December 30th
Assorted other witnesses give testimony.

December 31st
Jesse Pinkman takes the stand.

January 1st
Closing remarks are made by both attorneys. Penguins invade. Holy shit there's penguins.

January 2nd

Jesse Pinkman is found Innocent of the murder of Amal Singh.

ROUGH LINK LIST:

tbc

Comments

Dec 28th (backdated): Rin Asano, character witness

[payback]

[Rin very evidently looks like someone who's uncomfortable and trying hard to mask it as she takes the stand. But there's no outright expression of panic - that should be a plus, right?

She told Jesse she'd be a character witness and she'll see it through. She's not sure she's ready, but likely she's as ready as she'll get.]

[feyted]

( You can keep it together, Miss Año! Mia loosk affable for all she's professional in stance and command of her portion of the courtroom. She's politely attempting to forget how she'd ducked earlier when one of the holograms had come flying her way.

Ahem. )

If you could introduce yourself for the court record, Miss, and state how it is you came to know the defendant?

[payback]

Miss Asano Rin. [She fiddles with her fingers a little, restless. Mia's confident expression settles her a little. Well, they are on the same side, right...?] I met him when he arrived. [She's not sure whether to call him by name, by surname... or both? Pronouns it is.] You know how they bring in people in big clumps, right? I met him with that batch. We got sandwiches.

lmf sorry for this

[feyted]

Then you could say you've known him for a fairly long time, as these things go. What was your initial impression of Jesse at that time?

Why would you be

[payback]

He seemed... [Like something the cat dragged in? Completely out of it? Abused? Terrified?]

... like he was in shock, which I don't know anyone can blame another person for. Being dragged to another world by surprise is pretty shocking.

December 28th, on the witness stand. Claire Bennet, character witness.

[breakablegirl]

[Claire doesn't seem nervous at all. A little anxious, sure, but a part of her definitely feeds on the energy of all the eyes of the courtroom on her when she walks up to the stand. Her hands are steady, and there's a subtle fierceness behind her attentive, muddy green eyes. Claire's determined and ready, and she makes sure not to engage in any eye contact with the defendant yet, otherwise she might lose her momentum.

She does, however, take a long glance at the jury, looking for faces she may recognize, and noting the ones she certainly doesn't. Claire manages a tense, brief smile in their general direction, before falling serious again and focusing one hundred percent on the lawyer who will be questioning her first.]

[feyted]

( Good. Juries aren't part of what Mia has had to work with before, but an audience? Audiences were anywhere they thought there'd be a show. Trials, particularly high profile murder trails, always attracted attention.

This was similar, but those were the people to impress with the truth behind appearances. )

Thank you for joining us today. If you could introduce yourself for the court record, and state how it is you came to know the defendant?

[breakablegirl]

My name is Claire Bennet. [She glances around the courtroom.] When I first got here, about, uh two months ago, he invited me over to help finish eating his cookies.

[A brief pause and a tiny nod.] We've been friends ever since.

[feyted]

During that time, would you say Mr. Pinkman has gone out of his way to instigate arguments among the people he meets?

sorry for laaaate

[breakablegirl]

[Blink. Well sometimes he kind of does but they totally deserve it. A quick shake of her head and she replies with confidence.] No.

December 29th

[feyted]

( An audience one day means an audience the next. In this case, partly attracted by the showmanship, partly attracted by the idea of drama, the streets leading to Franziska's courtroom are crowded with the curious and the more belligerent as the second day of the trial comes to an open.

Mia does her best to make sure she doesn't frown as she and Jesse set out that morning. It's the last few blocks that have her slightly on edge, something she downplays with the same steady pace and determined smile that says I'm confident and nothing can shake me and we are getting this done. That she makes sure to keep within potential touching distance of Jesse has more to do with how she hopes she's not reading the crowd than concern for herself.

But it's not like anything would happen, would it? Not when the police are so clearly involved, and they were attempting to find the truth behind the victim's untimely demise. )

Keep your focus on where we're going. Whatever people say ( out here ), we both know you're innocent, and so will the jury.

( She almost said judge, barely switching at the last minute. Convincing 13 people over 1 was a different sort of majority rules ballgame.

Distracted by that thought, Mia doesn't catch sight of the stir in the crowd as an older man hobbles forward, cradling a bag of produce to his chest. )

Fiend!

( Such a quaver in his voice, the old man straightens, spittle flying from his lips. )

Dirty, twiddlefitting, slouch-backed ne'erdowell!

( A cabbage came flying through the air... to hit the ground in front of them and roll toward Jesse's feet. )

[hostage]

[A slightly younger and less experienced Jesse might have reacted with violence - or at least with the return of insults. But the Jesse of today, with his mind focused solely on the trial and the bleak future ahead of him, looks nothing but bewildered when the produce starts flying. He turns his head to see where the cabbage came from and that's it for a moment, while he wraps his mind around they think I killed one of them and they really hate me.

Then, of course, it hits him that cabbage might be the least of their concerns, if the crowd's as angry as it looks. Jesse glances over to Mia and quickly moves to put himself between her and the cabbage-thrower, shielding her from anything else that might come flying. Then he looks all around, searching for signs of something worse. Rocks, maybe. Or guns. He doesn't know. The only thing he says is to Mia, quietly:]

Stay behind me.

[acemedium]

[Couldn't they have thrown some real food? Honestly, all this trial stuff was working up her appetite... but she really could have used a burger or some ramen or something! Not just plain cabbage!]

[Anyway, Maya pops into this scene from behind - she considers putting herself between Mia and any errant cabbages, too, but realizes that even though she'd like to protect her sis from bad food..... Well, she can't really cover her. Not like this guy. So Maya pops behind Mia, effectively leaving Jesse to shield]

Good morning! [This is so weird.... To be doing this with Mia and not Nick... but it's not a bad kind of weird]

[feyted]

( Something soft and round flies through the air, hitting the ground by their feet. The tomato had seen better days. Impact causes it to burst, spraying the both of their calves and feet with juice and pulp. Mia manages not to jump - barely.

Or because Maya is there behind her and now she's got a smile with more easy warmth for her sister, and the tendency to reach for both Maya's arm along with Jesse's. )

Morning, Maya. Fairly nice weather out, wouldn't you say?

( Let's tug and get them both in motion. Waiting would only invite more things their way, and while Jesse was sweet to offer to be a shield... he was also the biggest target. )

Stay with me.

Any day

[acemedium]

[So, as defense assistant, Maya's there the entire trial! She'll mostly be sticking to Mia as a dutiful little sister-sidekick, but you can expect her present for the proceedings, either to make sassy remarks, be weird, or cheer Jesse or Mia on.]

[ALL IN A DAY'S WORK.]

Re: Any day

[pantyraid]

Ah! Maya! You're here, too?!

[ Trucy couldn't resist a good trial. She might seem a bit out of place here, but she's doing her best to blend with the crowd and stick to the people she knows. Anyway, she promised Edgeworth she'd show him her special ability — what better place to do it than a genuine trial?

She has to say, though, she certainly wasn't expecting her manager to be here. Did she dabble in managerial justice, too? ]

It's been a great game so far, but looks like we're down in the 4th inning.. I wonder if we can make a comeback.

[acemedium]

Of course I'm here, I'm practically the coach! [This would work better if it were Nick and not Mia defending, but.]

Don't worry, the other time might have the ball now, but we'll get it back and score a touchdown in no time! [Maya this is the incorrect sport]

December 31st

[hostage]

[Jesse's finally called to defend himself, and he has to force himself not to turn his head and look back to Mia for some final assurance or comfort or guidance. Really, he knows what he's supposed to do. It's his first actual trial but between Mia's advice and everything he ever learned from Saul back home, he knows how he ought to behave. Answer the question and only that question. Look at the person you're talking to. Don't fidget. Don't argue. Don't argue. Don't argue. Arguing is the lawyer's job. It's that last one that's the hardest to keep in mind, but Jesse takes a breath and swears to tell the truth and he's ready, calm as he can manage with his life on the line.]

[perfectionisms]

[ She waits for him to speak when he gets to the stand. She tries to be patient. He'll slip up eventually. They always do.

But patience was never her strong suite, and they were wasting precious time. ]

And? Is that all that you have to say about your guilt?

[hostage]

[Is that even a valid question? Jesse resists a glance to the judge, answering the prosecutor firmly instead:]

I'm not guilty.

[perfectionisms]

[ And if she were intimidated by that, she didn't show it. ]

So said almost every defendant I faced. Tell me, what is it that you do when you're not getting arrested for murder?

[ Note that she didn't outright call him a murderer this time, not after that clusterfoolishness of clumsy evidence work from the police. ]

[feyted]

Mr. Pinkman, thank you for joining us today. If you could introduce yourself to the court and state your general profession to the court?

( I'm smiling encouragingly to you in the hopes you don't start this off with, "Hello, I'm Jesse Pinkman, yo, and I cook meth for the Initiative." You're a chemist working in the Initiative's labs!

A chemist making methamphetamine, but we're going to try not to keep that highlighted even if most people here don't know what meth is... )

[hostage]

[It's a relief to be talking to Mia. He's visibly more relaxed when he speaks to her, and the words come easily. He knows what to do. He's not actually that stupid.]

I'm Jesse Pinkman and I'm a chemist and crystallographer. I synthesize pharmaceutical products for the Initiative's medical division.

[Medical. See, he knows his shit.]

[feyted]

( Bless your heart, Jesse, you do indeed. )

How long have you been in the employ of the Initiative's medical division?

December 28; Opening Statement

[perfectionisms]

Your Honor, people of then jury and those of you who are here just to watch, the defense would like you to believe that the defendant is not an evil man. But that is irrelevant to the case at hand. We have here all the evidence that we need, and all evidence points to one irrefutable fact: that this Jesse Pinkman [his name is spoken with much contempt] is guilty for the murder of Amal Singh. You would be a foolish fool to foolishly believe otherwise. No matter how many heart-warming tales of kindness the defense might be able to wring from their witnesses, solid evidence is superior to petty sentiment.

The case is a perfectly simple one. Jesse Pinkman is a criminal and he will not be able to escape the consequences of his misdeeds, not on my watch.