Rei Ryghts: Rookie Attorney
The Ten-Year Turnabout
By Derald Snyder
Mock Trial
NOTE: Think of music from the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney playing during this trial.
March 27, 11:39 AM
Phoenix Law School
South Hallway
Rei wasn't sure if she should feel like a celebrity or a prisoner, being escorted by two large, burly men... one a security guard, the other being her boss... Still, it had the desired effect, as none of the passing students freaked out at seeing her, though there were quite a few stares and double-takes.
"Just stay calm, Rei," Bartholomew advised. "You're shaking like you're still out in the cold weather..."
"R-right," Rei took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. "I -just hope I d-don't make a fool of m-myself in f-front of th-the s-student body..."
"Hey!" One of the NPC students called from a safe distance. "Are you really that Rei Ryghts?"
"U-ummm..." Rei hesitated nervously.
"Yes, she is, and no, she's not a villain anymore," Bartholomew answered for her. "She's here to participate in the mock trial as the defense."
"What?!" Another student gasped. "No way! She's gonna take Adam on?!" The crowd began to murmur at this.
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard for you!" a female student declared. "You just have to do your evil laugh and he'll be quaking in his boots!"
"I don't DO that anymore!" the horned woman protested. "I-if I'm g-going to win in court, I'm g-going to d-do it fair and s-square!"
A few students laughed at this. "Prosecutors don't play fair!" another student stated. "Not in this nation, anyway! All they care about is 'guilty, guilty, guilty!'"
"Unfortunately, you are correct," a familiar voice spoke up, Michael Millhouse making his way through the gathered students. "At least I like to think I am an exception to that rule... and hopefully, Adam Prentiss will be as well." He then looked over the students with a critical eye. "And I would hope that would apply to the rest of you future prosecutors as well!"
"Y-yes, Mr. Millhouse!" Several of the NPCs responded, standing at attention. Just then, the bell sounded.
"Oh, crap!" one of the students cried. "We gotta get down to the Lecture Hall!" The crowd promptly took off leaving Rei and her companions alone.
"Sh-should we be g-going too?" Rei asked.
Millhouse just shook his head. "We have a few minutes, Professor Justus is going to give a brief lecture before the mock trial begins. He's going to be acting as the judge, by the way. Anyway..." He shifted his stance. "The reason I came here was to inform you about the trial itself. It's based on an actual case prosecuted by my deceased mentor, Clarence Robarts, from about ten years ago. I'll be blunt with you, Miss Ryghts, in the original case, the defendant was found guilty. However, there's enough ambiguity in the evidence that the defense can make a compelling argument..."
"I-is that right..." Rei grunted. (Doesn't exactly make me feel better...)
"It'll be fine, Rei," Bartholomew reassured her. "This is just a mock trial, after all. Think of it as a learning experience, even if you do end up losing. That doesn't mean you should be giving up too soon, though..."
"R... right, I understand." The former goddess nodded. "W-well, let's g-get down th-there before th-the p-professor f-finishes his l-lecture..."
March 27, 12:05 PM
Phoenix Law School
Lecture Hall
(Wow,) Rei thought as she looked at the large TV screens set up on the back wall of the brightly-lit hall. (It looks so futuristic compared to an actual courtroom...) She was brought out of her reverie by the professor banging a gavel.
"Order, order... settle down, students. This mock trial will now commence," stated the professor, dressed in a mock judge's robe, its black color contrasting with his head of white, curly hair. His black eyes looked over the benches as he adjusted his glasses on his slightly large nose. "The People v. Paul Peterman, charge is murder in the first degree. Are the prosecution and defense prepared to proceed?"
"Th-the d-defense is ready, Y-your Honor... I-I mean, Professor," Rei stuttered.
"Adam Prentiss is ready to roll, Prof!" declared Rei's opponent, a young man with combed, short brown hair, though one strand stuck up in the air. He was dressed in a red suit so elaborate, it seemed to belong more in a stage play than a courtroom.
"Adam," Millhouse spoke up, standing next to the law student. "This is supposed to be a murder trial, where a person's life is at stake, not performance for a movie audience." His voice was calm, yet chastising.
"Urk!" Adam faltered. "I-I mean... the prosecution is ready, sir."
"Better."
"Very good," Professor Justus nodded, looking over at the defense bench. "Miss Rei Ryghts."
"Y-yes, Professor Justus?" the woman stood at attention.
"I trust you understand that you're here not only because all the other students deferred, but also because both Prosecutor Millhouse and Mr. Samson have put in a good word for you. You're here to set a good example for the students, so try to refrain from doing anything... villainous."
"Eep!" Rei squeaked, sweating slightly. "O-of course I w-won't d-do that, Professor! P-perish the th-thought!"
"Good," Justus nodded. "Mr. Prentiss, your opening statement, please."
"Yes, Professor," Adam nodded, picking up a sheet of paper. "Let's see... the murder took place around... 5 PM on July 7, in an alleyway not far from the local branch of Third Fourth Bank. The victim was Rich Clark, a bank clerk, 31 years of age. He was apparently shot dead in an alleyway that he used often as a shortcut to his home..."
"Apparently, Mr. Prentiss?" Professor Justus inquired.
"Uh... according to the police report... the body was never found."
"N-no body?!" gasped Rei, causing the crowd to murmur.
"Then how do you know that the victim was killed?" Justus pressed.
"A large amount of blood and two shell casings were discovered at the scene," the student prosecutor explained. "According to forensics, the amount of blood lost makes it highly unlikely that Mr. Clark lived to see another day..." He set his papers down to look at the professor directly. "It could be theorized that one of the bullets pierced the victim's aorta, which would've caused him to bleed out very quickly..."
"An excellent inference, Adam," Millhouse nodded in satisfaction.
"Professor," one of the students raised his hand. "What's the aorta?"
"The main blood artery of the body," Justus explained, "which passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone."
(Wow, even I didn't know that,) thought Rei. (This Prentiss knows his stuff... no wonder he caught Prosecutor Millhouse's eye!)
"Moving on," Adam cut in, "There was a witness to the crime, which allowed the police to identify the prime suspect and take him into custody... a fisherman by the name of Paul Peterman. For his part he admitted being at the scene of the crime, but swore up and down that he didn't pull the trigger- he stated he did n't have a gun on him at the time, though he did admit to having a permit for .38 caliber handgun- the same caliber as the shell casings found at the scene."
"Hold it!" Rei cut in. "A-are you saying the p-police never f-found the murder weapon either?!" The gallery began muttering at this.
"Unfortunately, you are correct," Adam nodded. "However, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that. Your see, Mr. Peterman stated that he had gotten into his fishing boat and sailed out into the sea immediately after the murder- supposedly because he was 'freaked out' by seeing a murder in front of him. But the real reason is obvious!" He smacked his hand on the bench for emphasis. "The real reason he took his boat out to sea... was to dispose of both the body AND the murder weapon!"
"Ahhhh!" Rei recoiled, causing the student's chatter to increase, forcing Professor Justus to bang his gavel to restore order. Had Rei been a more experienced attorney, she might have pressed her opponent on if any blood had been found on the boat... but as it was, she locked up like a blue screen of death.
"Also, there is more evidence making this man the most likely suspect!" Adam continued.
"And what would that be?" Professor Justus asked.
"One of the bullets actually passed right through the victim and embedded itself in the wall, which allowed the police to trace it's trajectory," the student explained. "From that, they were able to deduce the height of the shooter... someone less than 5' tall! And Paul Peterman fits that description!" The crowd began to murmur again. "On that note, I have two black-and white photos of the crime scene- one from the shooter's perspective, and one from the witness' perspective." He gave the photos in question to Millhouse, who walked over and gave them to the professor, who briefly looked them over before allowing the prosecutor to hand them to Rei.
*Crime Scene Photos added to the Court Record.*
The first photo, from the shooter's apparent perspective, showed a large bloodstain on the ground, with a small crack in the brick wall above that had been circled in red, labeled 'Bullet'. on the left side was a dumpster with a stuffed-full trashcan with a few manila folders poking out sitting on top, allowing only a small window of visibility between it and the wall.
The second photo, from the witness' perspective, showed that same dumpster now on the right side, with the bloodstain slightly left-of-center, the small crack where the one bullet had impacted also labeled. On the left side appeared to be an old clown toy of some sort.
"And thanks to these photos, I was able to reconstruct a rough diagram of the crime scene," Adam continued, pulling out a laminated drawing which was also passed to Justus, then to the defense's bench.
*Crime Scene Diagram added to the Court Record.*
"Over here, on the left is where the witness stood. The dumpster at the corner is in the center. In the center-right is where the bloodstain was found, and near the bottom is likely where the shooter was standing. Also, I should point out," the student indicated the bloodstain, "that the pattern of the blood indicates that the body was dragged in the direction of the shooter."
"U-umm..." Rei raised a hand uncertainly. "C-can I ask w-which d-direction the f-fishing port was from th-there?"
Adam just chuckled at this. "Nice try, Miss Ryghts, but I see what you're trying to insinuate. Yes, the port was in the direction the witness was standing, but it's very wide open and busy on that street. If the shooter had tried to drag the body in that direction, everyone and their mother would've seen him!"
"O-oh, right..." Rei mumbled, blushing in slight embarrassment.
"Nice work, Adam," Millhouse nodded. "But don't you think it's time to call your witness?"
"I-I was just gettin' to that!" the prosecutor insisted, before clearing his throat. "At this time, the prosecution calls Dean Schmucker to the stand."
A minute passed... but no one appeared.
"I said, the prosecution calls Dean Schmucker to the stand!" Adam called again. Still no response. "Trevor! That's your cue!"
"O-oh, rightright!" Another student quickly stumbled up to the witness stand, holding a large packet of notes in his hands. "S-sorry, I was waiting for my name to be called, not the other guy's..."
"You ARE prepared to play your role, I would hope," Millhouse sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, got my notes right here! I'm ready to go!" the student insisted.
"OK then, witness, state your name and occupation," Prentiss instructed.
"Sure, my name's Trevor Turnaround..."
"WRONG!" The gallery promptly burst out in laughter as the student witness turned red with shame, Millhouse quietly facepalming.
"Order! Order!" Professor Justus gaveled the students down. "Mr. Turnaround, I would highly advise that you get your act together! Or do you wish to lose points on your grade?"
"Ahhh! I-I'm sorry, Professor!" Trevor apologized. "Please give me another chance!"
"Then state your name and occupation, witness," Millhouse ordered sternly.
"R-right..." the student looked down at his notes. "OK... My name is Dean Schmucker, and I work in construction."
"Thank you, witness," Adam sighed. "So, you were the one who saw what happened to the victim, correct?"
"Th-that's right! Freaked me out to no end!" 'Dean Schmucker' nodded vigorously.
"Then would you please testify as to what you saw?"
"Yes, prosecutor!"
(OK, here we go,) Rei thought to herself. (Stay calm and focus...)
Reading from his notes, 'Schmucker' began, "I was just arriving at the bank at closing time. Actually, I was a little late because they just locked the doors. So I went around back, hoping to get a hold of one of the bank clerks. Sure enough, I saw one walking away at a brisk pace. I went after him and followed him into an alley... That's when he stopped and raised his hands in fear! I looked to my right and saw a small man carrying a gun! He said something along the lines of, 'this is what you get for screwing me out of a loan!' Then, BLAM-BLAM! The clerk collapsed in a pile of blood, and I ran for my life! I immediately went to the police and gave them my description of the shooter, which turned out to match this Paul Peterman guy!" He then raised his head up, indicting he was finished. "D-did I do alright? I didn't talk too fast, did I?"
"You did fine, witness," Prosecutor Millhouse assured him.
"H-hold it!" Rei slammed her fists on the bench. "Wh-what's this about being screwed out of a loan?"
"Simple, Miss Ryghts," Adam answered. "Mr. Peterman was turned down for a loan to buy a new fishing boat, at that very bank! So he decided to take his rage out on the first clerk he could find!"
"That sounds like a solid motive," Justus nodded.
(Urgh...) Rei thought to herself, sweating. (I'm starting to see why the defendant was found guilty in the original trial...)
"Now then, Miss Ryghts, please begin your cross-examination," the professor instructed.
"Y-yes sir," the former villain nodded. (Remember what Mr. Sampson said... find something that doesn't match with the evidence...) Looking over the photos again, she noticed something odd... "Mr. Turn- I-I mean, Mr. Schmucker..."
"Y-yes ma'am?" the 'witness' stood at attention.
"I th-think you made an o-omission in y-your t-testimony..."
"I-I left something out?" 'Schmucker' began sweating.
"P-please take a look at th-this photo, taken f-from the witness'- that is, your perspective. H-how come y-you never mentioned th-the c-clown toy s-shown here?"
"Huh?! The clown toy? Uh..." Trevor started looking through his notes. "Uh, I don't see anything here about a clown toy..."
"Objection!" Adam interrupted. "Miss Ryghts, is such a silly little omission really relevant to this case?"
"His t-testimony was a b-bit vague!" Rei protested. "I'm j-just asking him t-to c-clarify a bit...!"
"Come on," Prentiss shook his head, "The whole thing probably happened in less than thirty seconds! The witness didn't have time to notice the clown toy!"
"B-but...!" Rei's response was abruptly gaveled down by Professor Justus.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to side with the prosecution on this one," the 'judge' shook his head. "Objection overruled. Next time, Miss Ryghts, make sure that you can back up your assertion! This would have gotten you a penalty in a real trial."
"Ahh! I'm sorry! So, so, so sorry!" the horned woman apologized.
"Do you have any other questions for the witness?" Millhouse spoke up.
"U-um, give me a minute..." Rei grunted as she looked over the photos again. (Wait a minute...) "Um, Mr. Schmucker?"
"What is it now, ma'am?"
"Y-you said you saw a s-small man c-carrying a gun wh-when you looked t-to your right?"
"Yeah, that's right..." 'Schmucker' nodded.
"B-but that contradicts the c-crime scene photo! Take another look!" She held up the photo in question. "There was a garbage can off to the right! Y-your view would been blocked off!"
"HUUUUUHHH?!" Trevor cried out, doing a 360-degree turn in place.
"Wha-?!" Adam gasped in shock, causing the gallery to start chattering.
"Oh my! You're right, Ryghts!" Justus blinked in surprise. "The witness' view would indeed have been obstructed...!"
"O-objection!" Prentiss cried. "Professor, take a look at the second photo! There is, in fact a small gap between the garbage can and the wall, th-the witness could have seen the shooter through there!"
"Objection!" Rei shot back. "It's a small gap! How could Mr. Turnaro- I mean, Mr. Schmucker have made a positive ID through such a small space?!"
"Ack!" The student prosecutor visibly recoiled. "M-Mr. Millhouse! I'm in trouble, here!"
"Calm yourself, Adam. A prosecutor should never show weakness," the spectacled man stated calmly. "Just because the defense found a small contradiction, doesn't necessarily mean your case has fallen to pieces..."
"Wh-what do you mean, 'small'?!" Rei asked nervously.
"Consider all the other evidence against the defendant," Millhouse explained, "The fact that only a man of his short stature could have killed the victim. The fact that he had a motive. And most importantly, the fact that he had a method of disposing of both the body and murder weapon after the fact!"
"Y-yeah, what he said!" Adam nodded vigorously.
"Urk!" Rei grunted, starting to sweat again.
"HOLD IT!" Trevor called out suddenly. "I, uh, have some additional details to testify about! I just found 'em in the notes!"
"Is that so?" Justus muttered with his eyes closed. "Were you not supposed to study those notes thoroughly prior to trial today?" This prompted an "Oooooooooh!" from the other students.
"C-come on, Professor! It's called stage fright!" Trevor insisted. "I'm sure I'm not the only one here who gets locked up in front of a live audience...!"
"...very well, I shall give you the benefit of the doubt this once," the professor conceded. "Now, please begin your new testimony."
"Y-yes, professor!" the 'witness' nodded. "Uh, so... like Miss Ryghts said, I wasn't able to see much through that crack, but I did see that the guy- the shooter, that is- had glasses on, and dark hair, and was wearing a brown jacket of some sort!"
"Consistent with Peterman's appearance," Millhouse stated. "The 'brown jacket' was most likely the raincoat he usually wore when he went out fishing."
"Also," Schmucker continued, "that garbage can the defense mentioned was full to the top, with some folders sticking out from under the lid!"
"OBJECTION!" Rei suddenly cried out with a dramatic pointer finger! "Your testimony is technically correct, but it still contradicts the evidence!"
"HOLD IT!" Adam shot back. "What are you talking about? The folders are plainly visible in the second crime scene photo!"
"But they are NOT visible in the first photo!" Rei pointed out. "Which, might I remind the court, is supposed to be from the witness' perspective!"
"Gahhh!" Prentiss recoiled again.
"WHA-?!" 'Schmucker' gasped as he did another 360-degree spin. The gallery started muttering in confusion, forcing Professor Justus to gavel them down again.
"Might I ask what you're insinuating here, Miss Ryghts?" Millhouse asked calmly.
"Th-that... that the witness didn't view the crime from the place he said he did!" the former goddess postulated.
"W-well, in that case, where DID he see the crime from?!" Adam pressed, a little sweat on his brow. "How about you point it out for us on the crime scene diagram?!"
"Gladly," Rei nodded. "The witness was actually standing... right there! TAKE THAT!" She pointed to the bottom of the diagram.
"W-wait a minute, you're crazy!" 'Schmucker' protested, sweating. "That's where the shooter was standing!"
The horned woman gave an evil smirk. "Exactly."
"Noooooooo!" the 'witness' cried as he spun in place twice.
"Wait just a minute!" cried Justus. "Are you saying the witness is the shooter?!"
"OBJECTION!" Adam cut in. "You forgot, Miss Ryghts, that the shooter was someone who was short in stature!"
"S-so how t-tall was Dean Schmucker?" Rei inquired.
"Quite tall, actually," Millhouse answered. "Over 6', in fact."
"Urk..." the lawyer grunted, her ego deflating like a balloon. The gallery seemed to groan in disappointment.
Professor Justus just shook his head. "What a disappointment... for a moment I thought the defense was actually on to something there." The student audience started muttering at this, the professor banging his gavel once to quiet them down.
"Come on, Prof," Prentiss sighed, "This case ended in a guilty verdict ten years ago. Why should today've been any different?"
"Th-thank goodness for that," Trevor let out his breath in a rush.
(But what about all the contradictions I pointed out?!) Rei thought desperately. (None of this makes any sense...!)
But just then, the former goddess recalled something Bartholomew had taught her. ("Remember, Rei, if you're at a point in the case where things don't seem to make sense, you should try to think outside the box, turn your thinking upside down.")
(Outside the box? Let's see... why would Trevor Turnaround- I mean, Dean Schmucker, lie about where he saw the crime from, if he wasn't the shooter? And why would he be standing at that spot if he wasn't- Wait, that's it!)
"Well then," Justus sighed, "since the defense appears to have no more inquiries, I shall hereby end this cross examinat-"
"OBJECTION!" Rei Ryghts' voice echoed loudly throughout the lecture hall.
"What?! Y-you can't be serious!" Adam grunted in disbelief.
"I-I'm very serious!" Rei slammed her fists on the bench. "I j-just had to turn my thinking around. J-just because the witness was s-standing where th-the shooter was, doesn't necessarily m-mean he WAS the shooter..."
"But how does that make any sense?!" the student prosecutor asked insistently.
"Use your head, Prentiss!" the former goddess retorted. "It makes perfect sense if he was standing next to the shooter!"
"N-next to the shooter...?" Adam grunted, sweating.
"Ah!" Millhouse's eyes widened the slightest bit.
"That's right! Trevor- I mean, Dean Schmucker!" Rei pointed dramatically. "I hereby accuse you of being the shooter's accomplice!"
"A-ACCOMPLICE?!" Trevor spun in place twice, causing the students to start chattering excitedly...
"Order! Order! Order!" Professor Justus banged his gavel several times. "There will be order in the lecture hall!"
"OBJECTION!" Prentiss cried out in desperation. "B-but, Miss Ryghts, Dean Schmucker and Paul Peterman had no association with each other before this incident!"
"Exactly," Rei smirked sinisterly.
"Huh...? ...AAAHHHHHH!" Adam recoiled as realization dawned.
"That's right, worm," the horned woman chuckled, "The shooter was in fact, not my client, but someone else entirely!"
"WH-WHAT?!" Justus gasped with wide eyes, setting the student body chattering again...
"Miss Ryghts," Prosecutor Millhouse interrupted, using one hand to subtly steady his shocked apprentice, "Paul Peterman already admitted that he was at the crime scene at the time of the murder. So if he was not the shooter, then where was he?"
"Simple," Rei said as she held up the crime scene diagram again, "He was actually standing right here! TAKE THAT!" She pointed to the left side.
"But that's where the witness was standing!" Adam feebly protested.
"That's right!" Rei agreed. "The problem is, we got everything backwards! It was Peterman who was the witness, while Schmucker was the shooter's accomplice! Recall Schmucker's earlier testimony! He said that he saw the shooter through the small gap between the garbage can and the brick wall! But you see, it goes both ways! If the witness saw the shooter, then the shooter- or rather, his partner- also saw the witness!"
"NOOOOOOOOO!" 'Schmucker' whirled in place again.
"Argh!" Adam gasped, his face pale, holding onto the bench like it was a lifeline. "I-I can't argue that, Help me, Mr. Millhouse! Do something!"
"I-I...!" Millhouse was also sweating by now. "N-no-one's ever argued that there was a third person at the scene of the crime...!"
At hearing this, Rei Ryghts felt something swell up within her... a force that seemed to briefly overtake her, causing her to burst into diabolical laughter! "HAAAA-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!"
"Ahhhhh! Th-that evil laugh! She's going psycho goddess! Don't let her get me, Mr. Millhouse!" Adam screamed in fear as he hid behind his mentor.
"Order! Order!" Professor Justus banged his gavel in rapid succession. "Miss Ryghts, I warned you against doing anything villainous! And that includes diabolical laughter!"
"H-huh?" Rei blinked. "Ahhh! D-did I do that?! I'm sorry! I'm so very sorry! I-I d-don't know what c-came over me...!"
"W-wait a minute! Where does that leave me?!" Trevor cried, looking frantically through his notes in apparent futility.
"Uh... *Ahem* Wh-where it leaves you, Mr. Schmucker, is guilty of perjury!" Rei declared, quickly regaining her composure. "Because of Mr. Peterman going out on his boat after the murder, you were able to pre-empt him and finger him for the crime, while your partner escaped scot-free!" Pointing directly at Trevor, she continued, "There's no escape for you, maggot! Confess your crime and admit your wrongdoing, NOW!"
"N... No... No...! NO NO NO NO NO NONONONOOOOOOOOO!" The witness screamed as he began to whirl around like a tornado, his notes flying everywhere! After about ten seconds, he caught himself, clearly dizzy, gripping the witness stand to steady himself. "D... Damn it! Dammit all to hell! That stupid fisherman was supposed to take the fall while my partner got off scot-free! And we'd've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling lawyers! Curse you, villain! Curse you, Rei Ryyyyyghts..." With that he let himself collapse to the ground, as the other students started talking with each other again...
"Order! Order! Order!" Professor Justus banged his gavel. "Mr. Turnaround! Did Prosecutor Millhouse not say that this was a murder trial and not a stage performance?! Your grade will be penalized for this outburst!" There was only a groan from the witness stand in response.
"I... I lost?!" Adam groaned in disbelief. "How the heck...? This was supposed to be a cakewalk...!"
"Adam. Let this serve as a valuable lesson to you," Millhouse stated solemnly. "Never assume the outcome of the trial before you set foot in the courtroom... and always be prepared for unexpected twists and turns. Do you understand?"
"...yes, sir," the student bowed his head in defeat. "Professor, the prosecution rests. I can no longer prove my case."
Justus nodded in satisfaction. "Well, at least you know how to bow out gracefully, Mr. Prentiss. Good for you." He then banged his gavel. "Well then, I suppose it is time to announce my verdict. This court finds the defendant, Paul Peterman..."
NOT GUILTY
The students erupted into cheers and applause, which then segued into chanting "Rei Ryghts! Rei Ryghts!", only being interrupted by the combination of the professor banging his gavel and the bell ringing out.
"This concludes the mock trial for today," Justus declared. "Class dismissed!"
*To be continued...*