I'M SO SOOOWWY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO DELAY UPDATING SO LONG!

(This is so weird. I'm objecting for Lex, of all people!) "The DEFENDANT won't shut up?! That's hilarious! When the prosecution is the one who constantly abuses the defendant, as if the verdict has already been decided, that's hilarious!"

OBJECTION!

"The verdict might as well be!" Gaspen declared, tapping his hair, "After all, consider the evidence!"

"The prosecution is right, Mr. Freedom," The Judge agreed, "unless the defense can effectively defend their client, the verdict will indeed turn out guilty."

"And this isn't any old defense," Adrian said looking at Julias, "in a court of law, you have to choose the right weapon, know where it'll hit, and whether or not the enemy will actually feel it."

"... Chief..."

"Yes?... You're not used to this, are you?"

"I'm sticking my neck out for someone I don't even like, how do you think I feel!?"

"... A first trial has had that effect on more than a few people. Some would call it an awakening of some sort."

"Mr. Freedom," The Judge cut in, "all allegory aside, do you have any basis for your objections?"

(Wait,) Julias struggled to keep a calm look, (is he asking for me to present evidence? Already? Do I even have anything...?)

TAKE THAT!

"If the defendant IS to blame for this travesty," Julias began, absently looking over a document,* "then how does this, the admittance file, fit in the picture?"

OBJECTION!

"Your honor, the defense is pursuing a hopeless angle!"

OBJECTION!

"It's far from hopeless when a certain line of logic is considered!" Julias declared loudly, thrusting index and middle finger out in front of him.**

"Hmm," The Judge pondered, "very well then, objection sustained. Tell us this 'line of logic' you have found!"

(... Great! Now that he's actually listening, I can't remember squat!)

"... Mr. Freedom?" The Judge asked, patient but irritated.

"... Oh, now I got it."

"You mean you almost forgot?!"

"Um, yes..." Julias confessed, violently tugging his collar.***

"The police, along with prosecutor Gaspen, theorize that the defendant links together the engine and the hospitalization. But I wonder, wouldn't there be even the SLIGHTEST hesitation if the burn was received from a crime scene?"

"Yes... That would be understandable, but... " The Judge remained stoic for what seemed like forever. Then, finally,

"... Does the defence have any evidence to support this inference?"

"Evidence?" One could easily pick up on the defeated undertone.

If The Judge was known for sighing, this would be one of such occasions. He promptly replied, "Mr. Freedom, I understand that this is your first case, correct?"

(As much as it took me by surprise.) "Yes, your honor."

The Judge nodded, "Yes, of course it is! Though that is no reason for the newcomers to be taken lightly. A court of law is NOT the place for any bias toward anything! In other words, not everyone... Boy, I feel old for saying this... Not everyone can be Phoenix Wright." After banging his gavel, The Judge announced, "Objection no longer sustained!" And that was that.

By the end of the lecture, Gaspen possessed a grin that would make a Cheshire cat tremble with envy.

"Well... " Adrian told Julias, "He's right, you know. This is the cream of the crop, after all."

Julias gave his mentor an odd look.

"I've never seen you so talkative."

"You've never had to defend an actual criminal before."

(Touché.)

"Besides, it's better that you start using your head now rather than later. Your argument made sense to me, but here you can't rely on dumb luck all the time."

"Well then," Julias almost forgot that Gaspen was in the room, "Shall we continue, or would you rather embarrass yourself further?"

(I'd rather you woke up with a mouth-full of broken teeth, please.)

"By the defence's silence, the court will take that as a yes." The Judge answered, wanting to continue with the trial.

"Good! Without further ado, the prosecution calls Blake Biffekell to the stand."

Court Record:

Evidence:

- Attorney's Badge: This badge is a must for all attorneys. Taking the defense desk without one is a federal offense.
- Motor Photo: a photo of the speedboat's ruptured engine. This is apparently the cause for the burns on the Defendant's face.
- Admittance File: The file that was made for the Defendant's hospitalization for burns to the face.
- Appointment Memo: A memo from the dentist at Biffekell dental, apologizing for the cancelation of an appointment with the Defendant.
- Autopsy Report: Aside from drowning, the report also tells of two, nasty bruises on the victim's forehead.
- Crime Scene Diagram: A diagram showing the locations of witnesses, the killer, the victim, and other things.

Profiles:

- Adrian Hawkfenn: My mentor. He's about to guide me through my first case. Hopefully he knows when to stop me before I embarrass myself.
- Lex Stisken: The defendant. I've known him since high school, and is Irritatingly insistent that we be "friends".
- Gaspen Payne: The prosecutor for this case. Younger brother of Winston "rookie-killer" Payne, and ten times more tenacious.

Yeah, so, here's the deal. I had this Turnabout completely figured out, objection-wise. I had the outline and the important info on a separate file. But because of FanFiction's "90 days or it goes kaput." policy, the ENTIRE thing was deleted. That. Sucks.

So yeah, expect another long hiatus. But look on the bright side, after salvaging what I can from the outline, this case might end up even better than before.

THX & God bless!

~RLS Legacy