Episode 2: The Mocked Turnabout
Part 3-1: Trial
August 15th
Themis Law Academy – Mock Trial Room
10:30 AM
(Lumos. Help.)
"Asking already?" Lumos chuckled.
(Please…) Tristen begged to the weird thing in his head as he waited for Alyssa. (There isn't any way through…)
"Welp, better accept your punishment!"
(You got me into this mess-!) Alyssa walked up to the other side of the room, behind her desk, and smirked at Tristen.
"Hopefully you will be as good as everyone says you are…" Alyssa turned away, almost like she was embarrassed.
"Darn it…" Tristen shook his head.
"Trial is now in session." A teacher sat in the judge's seat.
"Hold it!" Tristen yelled. "Isn't a student supposed to play the part of judge?"
"Nobody wanted to… So that's why I had to take over. I don't think we've met. I'm Mr. Arbor." Arbor smiled, before going back to his serious face. "Defense, are you ready?"
Tristen slammed his desk. "Yes! Yes I am!" He smiled, still feeling that sense of dread.
"Prosecution, are you ready?"
Alyssa crossed her arms. "Yes your honor, I am."
Arbor looked at the girl. "Please, give your opening statement."
Alyssa took out the trial script, and began to read it. "The victim in this case is a man named Mr. Styl Sfereel. He was stabbed in the abdomen with presumably a knife and bled to death. Here is the autopsy report. I say presumably with a knife because we haven't found the murder weapon."
Tristen took the little folder and looked inside. (Wow, they really pay attention to detail… Died at 11:40 PM. Alright, good.)
"His body was found here in this room." Alyssa looked up. "He was the principle's son."
Tristen coughed roughly. (Ugh, what the? Why did I just cough?)
Alyssa continued. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a photo of him on the scene."
Tristen's eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"
"The principle only let us examine his body, we weren't able to get a picture of him." Alyssa shook her head. "We did draw a diagram of this room and showed his placement."
Tristen looked at the copy he was given. (He was found at the top right corner, behind my desk… Wait… She forgot to mention THAT.) "Hold it! You didn't mention… You didn't mention anything about the defendant!"
Alyssa nodded. "I know."
"Why?"
"Because I was about to mention him?" Alyssa frowned. "The defendant was sighted standing near the victim just five minutes before the victim died."
Tristen's eyes widened. "Then let's bring this witness- What the?!" Alyssa had thrown a pencil at him.
"We can't do that. The witness wanted to keep his identity unknown."
(Damn it!) Tristen rubbed his forehead in agony.
Alyssa shrugged. "I guess that means the defendant is guilty. If the defense can't come up with anything, I mean."
Arbor rubbed his chin. "He has been silent for a while… Mr. Lawful, is there anyway the defendant couldn't have done it?"
(No… I can't think of anything…!)
He shook his head. "Alright then. I declare, the defendant, Sush Spition…"
"And here I thought you were going to put up a fight." Alyssa looked down at her desk. "…I guess I was wrong."
Tristen looked at the girl. (She looks… sad? Why is she sad?) "Damn it…" He said under his breath.
"Guilt-"
"OBJECTION!" Tristen yelled at the top of his lungs. "Don't make a judgment so early!" He smirked.
"Mr. Lawful, in the middle of my ruling?!" Arbor had wide eyes.
"I found a possibility here!" Tristen crossed his arms.
"You aren't back in the game until you give out something useful." Alyssa said menacingly. "What is this 'possibility?!'"
"Take that!" Tristen presented the autopsy report. "It says he was killed at 11:40…"
"Yes… I don't see the problem here." Alyssa shrugged.
Tristen stared at the girl. "Well, remember that witness you talked about?"
"The one who saw the defendant and the victim together a few minutes before the murder? Yeah, of course." Alyssa yawned.
"Not just a few minutes, Alyssa." Tristen glared at her. "It was five minutes!"
Alyssa stared at him with a blank look. "…So what- Eek!" Tristen threw the pencil back.
"Five minutes is more than enough time for someone to leave, and for someone else to come in and kill the victim!" Tristen intensified his glare.
"S-Still, that doesn't mean he didn't do it!" Alyssa began running a hand through her hair.
"But it leaves a possibility!" Tristen slammed his desk. "You can't deny that!"
"Objection!" Alyssa yelled. "But it is more likely that the defendant did it!"
"…I'd like to ask you a question." Tristen said politely. "Did the witness see what the two were doing?"
Alyssa thought for a moment. "Yes, they were just talking."
"Exactly…" Tristen smirked. "They were just talking! How exactly would someone go from talking to killing one another?!"
Alyssa pulled her hair and squeaked a little. "W-Wait... What if they had gotten into a heated argument?!"
"I doubt someone would stab the other over a disagreement…"
"It's happened before." Alyssa smirked. "Don't try to underestimate my powers of bouncing back."
"Ah, reminds me of the good ol' days…"
(What do you mean?)
"You two are having a logic battle."
(Logic battle?)
"Yeah, would you like me to explain?"
(I guess it would be helpful. Sure.)
"It starts with someone giving their logic on the situation. Then you disprove it with logic of your own or evidence."
(I see…)
"Also, you can examine their statements."
(Examine? As in press?)
"Hm… No. Pressing means you're getting more information. When you examine someone's statement in a logic battle, you take the metaphorical evidence and use it to your advantage. Try doing it with Alyssa's statement there."
(Alright then.) "Alyssa, can you repeat what you just said?"
"…Sure." Alyssa crossed her arms in suspicion.
Logic Battle
"The defendant killed the Mr. Sfereel because they had gotten into a heated argument." Alyssa smirked.
(I'd better examine this statement… Hm? A heated argument? There is something wrong there…) "Just a Second!" Tristen said. "Did the witness say anything about a heated argument?"
Alyssa began sweating. "W-Well… we never asked him."
"Then you can't say that your argument works very well, can you…?" Tristen smirked, before being hit by a pencil.
Alyssa smiled. "I nearly forgot to mention, the security camera on the wall over there, above the gallery."
Tristen looked as well, and clearly saw it. (Damn.)
"Shall we see what is on it?" Alyssa kept an unwavering smile.
"As long as the defense doesn't have any objections… well? Do you?" Arbor asked.
Tristen shook his head. "None at all!" (Surely they couldn't have come this prepared…)
A small TV was placed on the witness stand by a teacher and put in the tape.
(My god, they have.)
The tape showed the two, and the witness who only showed up for a few brief seconds. The defendant and the victim had erratic hand movements, before the camera was cut.
(What the? What happened?) Tristen rubbed his chin.
"Those hand movements implied that they were having an argument." Alyssa still had that smile. "So, what's the defense gonna do now?"
"Hmph!" Tristen began the logic battle again.
"Those hand movements implied they were arguing, and that arguing is why the defendant stabbed Mr. Sfereel!" Alyssa smiled.
(Something odd is in that tape… The ending.) "Hold it! Apparently you weren't paying attention." Tristen sighed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Alyssa played with her hair again.
"Didn't you notice? The camera, it suddenly cut. We didn't get to see what happened at 11:38!" Tristen slammed his desk. "I don't think the defendant could have done that from his position!"
Alyssa pulled on her hair again, letting out another squeak. "T-Then who did?!"
Tristen rubbed his chin. "…The real murderer!"
"Objection!" Alyssa slammed her desk. "But the witness didn't see a third party!"
Tristen smirked. "Exactly. Because that witness is the murderer!"
Alyssa pulled on her hair one more time, letting out a shriek. "Y-You have nothing to prove it!"
Tristen stretched his arms. "It's all in the logic. Technically, you don't have any proof on the defendant!"
Arbor crossed his arms and thought. "Prosecution, I give you one day to find this witness, and try to find the murder weapon. Defense, I give you one day to actually think about what you'll do tomorrow rather than just winging it."
"Yes sir." Tristen and Alyssa said at the same time.
"Court will reconvene tomorrow. Court is adjourned!"
(Thanks Lumos. That whole logic battle thing really saved me.)
"Yeah, no problem."
(Hey, you said 'in the old days'… what do you mean by that?)
"This mock trial reminds me of something… I'm sure I'll figure it out later."
(Probably. Anyways, opinions on that girl?)
"She's bright, but she doesn't plan ahead. She has a lot to learn." Lumos smirked. "So, why are you asking about this stuff?"
(Why not? I agree with your opinion.)
"Yeah… Right…"
To Be Continued…