The People of New York v. Buffy Summers
by: Sam Lincoln (sam@cosmic-hippo.org)
Rating PG-13
Summary: An unusual case crosses the desk of Assistant District
Attorney Jack McCoy.
Spoilers: Post series finale for Buffy. Set in the current season of Law and Order, but no real spoilers.
Disclaimer: All characters from Buffy are property of Mutant Enemy. All characters from Law and Order are property of Wolf Films/USA Studios. Used without permission, blah blah.
The People of New York v. Buffy Summers: Chapter Four
-Office of District Attorney Arthur Branch
-Friday, June 14
"So Skoda will say this girl belongs in the nuthouse?" The District Attorney for Manhattan asked McCoy and Southerlyn. They were meeting with the DA, Arthur Branch, to review the case against Buffy Summers.
"Reluctantly, but yes he will," McCoy nodded.
"Shouldn't take long to resolve, her lawyer will just at a chance for a mental defect verdict," Branch mused. "And I'd like to see this case not reach trial, that could get ugly." The intercom on Branch's desk buzzed and he picked up his phone. "Yes? Alright send him in." He hung up the phone. "The US District Attorney is here to speak with me," He told McCoy and Southerlyn.
"Do you want us to leave?" Southerlyn asked.
"No stay, I want to show that arrogant windbag he's interrupting my day."
The office door opened and Donald Miller the US District Attorney entered the room. Miller was in his late fifties with immaculately coifed salt and pepper and a slightly bored expression on his face. He wore an impeccably tailored gray suit to show that while he currently worked for the government he was a man of means. He looked every inch a lawyer. "Hello Arthur, thank-you for seeing me on such short notice," Miller spoke with a trace of a Bostonian accent.
"Hello Donald," Branch replied as they shook hands.
A second man entered the office behind Miller. He was a young man in his late twenties wearing a suit that looked like it was recently purchased from Sears. The most distinguishing figure about the man was a long scar that ran across his face.
Muller turned his attention to McCoy and Southerlyn, "Ah Jack, Serena good to see you."
"Hello sir," McCoy replied as they shook hands.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
"Not at all, we were just reviewing strategy on Mr. McCoy and Miss Southerlyn's latest case, the Nicholas Carstairs murder."
"What luck, that's precisely why I'm here," Miller said with practiced happiness. "But before we get too far I'd like to introduce my associate, Agent Riley Finn."
"Hello Agent Finn," Branch said. "Why don't both of you take a seat. I don't think I'm going to like any of this conversation and my daddy told me to never kill a man sitting in one of my chairs."
"No I suspect you won't," Miller admitted as he sat down. "Arthur I'm to ask you to release the woman you've charged with the crime, a Buffy Summers, into Federal custody."
"On what grounds?" McCoy spluttered.
"I'm afraid Mr. McCoy that I cannot tell you that. I received my orders directly from the Attorney General. That should tell you the importance we're placing on this."
"There's nothing about this case that warrants federal involvement!" McCoy declared.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. McCoy Donald, and more to the point I doubt there's a judge in the city who would disagree."
"This is an unusual case Arthur, with implication to National Security. There is sensitive information involved that we would rather not see splashed across the papers."
"The defendant in this case is a deranged woman; where's the sensitive information?" Southerlyn asked.
McCoy stared at Riley, "Agent Finn, just which agency do you work for? FBI, ATF, DEA, Secret Service, CIA?"
"I'm not at liberty to say," Riley replied.
"So what, this girl was some sort of asset of yours that got loose?"
"There's no need to be so dramatic McCoy," Miller said. "Miss Summers is not affiliated with the government."
"Then why?" Southerlyn asked.
"The United States government owes Miss Summers a debt, and we intend to repay it," Riley said.
"She's a dangerous psychopath!" McCoy interjected. "She needs to be locked away."
Miller sighed, "I was afraid you were going to say that." He reached into his suit and withdrew a pair of blue legal motions. "I'll see you in court on Monday. Good day Arthur." He dropped the motions onto Branch's desk and walked out of the office with Riley.
McCoy picked up the folded sheets of paper and read them. "He's petitioning to take over the defense in the case."
"Smart move," Branch mused. "If he can't take the case away from us he can at least affect the outcome of our trial by taking part in it."
Southerlyn took the motions from McCoy, "He also wants a bench trial, with a complete gag order and sealed records."
"Donald Miller is the biggest prosecutorial showboat in that office since Rudy Guliani," Branch declared. "If he agreed to a stealth trial somebody must have exerted a lot of muscle."
"Why do I suspect Agent Finn is behind this," McCoy muttered.
"Well I don't envy either of you," Branch said as he stood up from his desk.
"Why is that?" Southerlyn asked.
Branch walked over to his coat rack. "Because I'm not the one who's going to be spending the weekend finding out all there is to know about Buffy Summers." He pulled on his coat and walked to the door. "I hate surprises you know," he told the prosecutors before leaving the office.
McCoy turned to face Southerlyn, "Chinese or Thai?"
Southerlyn shook her head, "Indian, and you're buying this time."
-Office of EADA Jack McCoy
-Saturday June 15
"I can't believe this is all there is," Southerlyn said in disbelief at the small pile of papers on McCoy's desk.
McCoy shrugged, "That's what happens when a town falls into the ground. We're just lucky this much survived. Why don't you get started on her financials, I'll go over her police record."
Southerlyn picked up a file and started to read. "Her mother's death two years ago really wiped her out," she noted, "but on her latest tax return she lists her occupation as guidance counselor."
McCoy frowned, "Is there anything in there about her being accredited?"
Southerlyn glanced through the file containing Buffy's academic records, "No, but does that helps us?"
McCoy shook his head, "It proves the school administration was lazy." McCoy returned to the police file. "This has to have been the most incompetent police department ever!" He exclaimed.
"How's that?"
"I'm reading up on the high school explosion, despite evidence provided by the FBI of a bombing they ruled it was a gas explosion."
"How many people died in the blast?" Southerlyn asked.
"Too many," McCoy grunted. "But there's nothing here to suggest Summers was responsible for any of it."
"Oh this is interesting," Southerlyn noted.
"What?"
"Her freshman year of college she took an intro psyche course, the teacher's assistant in the class was a Riley Finn."
McCoy's eyebrows rose, "That is interesting."
"It gets better, the professor who taught the course was murdered half-way through the school year. No one was ever charged."
McCoy leaned back in his chair. "There's something going on with this girl, but partial records aren't going to get us anywhere. Have Briscoe and Green track down her friend, Willow Rosenberg. I want to talk to her."
-Radisson
-Room 1030
-Saturday, June 15
"Thank-you for speaking with us Miss Rosenberg," McCoy said as Willow let McCoy and Southerlyn into her motel room.
"No problem Mr. McCoy, but what is this about?"
"It's about your friend, Buffy Summers," Southerlyn said as they all sat down in the overstuffed chairs hotels like to place in their rooms.
"Buffy, what about her? She saved my life you know."
"She also killed a man," McCoy countered.
"It was in self-defense," Willow insisted
"Miss Rosenberg, were you aware that your friend has a serious psychiatric condition?" Southerlyn asked.
"What? No, Buffy's not crazy," Willow replied.
"Then why did she claim that Nicholas Carstairs was a demon trying to destroy the world?" McCoy shot back.
"Well you see the town we were from, Sunnydale, it's not a nice place. The, er, gang problem was really out of hand, and authorities were in on it."
"And this means what to me?" McCoy asked.
"Buffy's a doer. So she, myself, and a couple of our friends formed a sort of junior neighborhood watch program. We called ourselves the Scooby Gang," Willow admitted.
"What does that have to do with demons and vampires?" Southerlyn wondered.
"Those were our code words for the different PCP gangs in Sunnydale. Yeah, you had the vampires, the demons, the werewolves, and so on."
"So why would she claim that Nicholas Carstairs was a demon?" McCoy asked Willow.
"She probably got nervous and slipped into our old lingo. Look, it wasn't easy living in Sunnydale. We all lost people we were close to because of the gang violence," she said as she saw the disbelieving look on McCoy and Southerlyn's faces. "We all had to do something to stay sane. That was when I started to get involved with Wicca. For Buffy her thing was saving people."
"If Sunnydale was such an awful place then why did you stay there?" McCoy demanded. "I've seen your transcript Miss Rosenberg. You could have attended any school in the country."
Willow shrugged, "Sense of loyalty I guess. I didn't want to abandon my friends."
"Why is the Federal government interested in Miss Summers?" Southerlyn asked in an attempt to catch Willow off guard.
"The government?" Willow asked in disbelief. "Why would they care?"
"That's what we're hoping you'd tell us Miss Rosenberg," McCoy said. "In particular we want to know why the Justice Department is defending your friend."
"I have no idea, Buffy's never worked for the government."
"Does the name Riley Finn mean anything to you?" Southerlyn asked.
"Riley, yeah, he was a TA in a class Buffy and I took. He and Buffy dated for a while after the class ended, but they broke up years ago."
"Were you aware that he is an agent with the US government?"
"Riley, a secret agent? That's funny."
"Miss Rosenberg, if you're lying to us I can charge you with obstruction of justice, maybe even make you an accomplice after the fact," McCoy threatened.
"Then it's a good thing I'm not lying," Willow retorted.
"Very well, if anything comes to mind give us a call," Southerlyn said as she handed Willow her card.
"And I would recommend not leaving the city," McCoy warned the young woman.
The two prosecutors stood and walked out of the hotel room. Southerlyn waited until they were on the elevator before speaking. "She was lying wasn't she?"
"Damn right she was lying," McCoy agreed, "But about what?"
-Chambers of Judge Raymond Archer
-Monday June 17
Judge Archer was an imposing man in his mid-sixties. He briskly walked into his chambers and shed his robe. McCoy and Miller were already there waiting for him. "Ah Donald, Jack, what brings my two favorite prosecutors to my chambers this fine morning."
"I am petitioning to take over the defense of Buffy Summers is the case currently pending before you your honor," Miller said.
"I thought we'd already taken care of this matter," Judge Archer said as he glared at McCoy.
"Apparently the Justice Department feels otherwise," McCoy answered icily.
"That's true your honor. There are elements to this case that we feel require a vigorous defense; which she will not get with a public defender."
"If you want to take the case I see no reason to stop you. Do you have Miss Summers's consent?"
"Not at this time your honor; though I'm confident she does not want to be placed in an asylum so I doubt she will object."
"I'm inclined to agree with you there counselor, however let me impress upon you that while you defend Miss Summers you are not a United States District Attorney and you cannot use the resources of your office to advance your case. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly your honor."
"Good, do you have anything else for me?"
"Yes your honor, about my motion for a bench trial?"
"I don't like bench trials, they're nothing but judicial ego stroking," Judge Archer grumped.
"I understand your honor, however the defense needs to introduce certain sensitive pieces of information and we cannot provide a proper defense without them."
"And you don't trust a jury to keep its mouth shut?"
"It's need to know information your honor, my hands are tied on the matter."
"Let me guess, next you'll be asking for a closed court?"
"That would be wonderful your honor."
"Your honor this is absurd, we might as well be holding a military tribunal," McCoy protested. "The legal system needs to be open to the public to ensure its accountability."
"What about it Mr. Miller?"
"The accountability of the legal system is an important goal. However, in this instance the public good is better served if the public does not learn about what goes on behind closed doors."
"That is a pretty arrogant argument Mr. Miller," Archer pointed out.
"It is your honor, but the fact remains that I cannot defend my client to the best of my abilities in an open court; it would place agents at risk."
"Well, I cannot say I want to do this, but the defendant is entitled to the best possible defense. Motion is granted; no spectators or press during the trial and the records will be sealed at the trial's conclusion. Now is that all?"
"Just one more thing, we'll be changing the plea to justifiable homicide. Nicholas Carstairs posed a clear and present danger to society."
"Your honor!" McCoy exclaimed.
"Hold your breath McCoy. Mr. Miller can enter whatever plea he wants, you can attack his theory to your heart's content at trial." Judge Archer glanced at the papers on his desk. "I'll see you both in court."
As the two lawyers waited for the elevator outside of the Judge's chambers Miller turned to face McCoy. "I warned your Jack, but you didn't listen."
"What's your game Miller?" McCoy asked. "You're not doing the girl any favors by depriving her of the medical attention she needs."
The elevator doors opened and Miller stepped on. "That's the thing McCoy, she's not crazy." The elevator door slid shut before McCoy could respond.
-Office of DA Arthur Branch
-Monday, June 17
"He really said she's not crazy?" Southerlyn asked in disbelief.
"Donald Miller is a shrewd lawyer, he wouldn't say that unless he had an iron-clad case," Branch observed.
"Which he doesn't, if the girl's sane she's guilty of at least manslaughter, if she's insane she belongs in the nuthouse," McCoy said.
"There is one other alternative," Southerlyn said. "She could be telling the truth."
"And vampires are real?" McCoy scoffed. "Come on Serena, you can't be serious."
"While you were hearing motions in front of Judge Archer I did a bit more research. It seems there's more going on here than what is on the surface. Willow Rosenberg was right, there were lots of deaths in Sunnydale attributed to gangs, but I've never heard of any gangs that exsanguinate their victims."
"That doesn't mean that ghosts and goblins are real," McCoy pointed out.
"I didn't say that, but there is definitely more than just a girl stabbing a man in the chest," Southerlyn insisted.
"That's what I want to know," Jack grouched.
"Why don't I talk to my cousin; she used to be a detective with the LAPD. She might know something."
"And why is that?" Branch asked.
"I don't know all the details, but her father was murdered under strange circumstances, and after that Kate started taking cases that edged on the paranormal."
"In other words she thinks that vampires are real," McCoy said.
"She might have contacts who can help shed light on this whole mess," Southerlyn insisted. "At the very least I can show her the defense's witness list and see if she recognizes any of the names."
"Seems reasonable enough to me," Branch said. "I hate being the dark. While she's doing that Jack you go work on the parts of the case we can control. I don't want to lose to that pompous Yankee bastard Donald Miller.
-to be continued-
errata: I went back and made a tiny revision to Chapter Three
to address a continuity issue. Also, I'm sure people will be wanting
to know where Angel and W&H are. Patience, all will be revealed.