Phoenix Wright: Attorneys & Accusations 3.P

[SolEiji]

So, my party ended up getting arrested.

A short summery, they ended up getting arrested by a city-state of giants for the murder of 3 of their warcamp soldiers, and in the case of one person the charge of blasphemy on account that he loudly announced how he was a dragon cultist (effectively he just announced how he was a gay satanist in front of the Westboro church, it was a bad idea).  Also, another one attacked the judge with a knife, so we have assault there, plus whatever other charges I think I can trump up.  And one of the party is a dwarf, and the giants hates dwarves, so there's the fact he'll probably have the worst time.

Now the dragon cultist has chosen trial by combat, so that part will be easy.  The rest?  How do I arrange and RP out a courtroom scene?  I'm drawing upon my Phoenix Wright knowledge for all its over-the-topness, and to the party's benefit the party bard is not charged and will be effectively acting as their lawyer.

Does anyone have any ideas on both how to run the court scene and how to engage all my players in the scene, cultist excepted since his scene is a battle scene?  The cultist is guilty as all hell, but the others might be able to shake off the fact they are co-conspirators.  The giant society is largely Norse-themed, with bits of Roman.  More information is available as needed.

[bhu]

Are any of your PC's LE?

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=994.msg6379#msg6379
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=994.msg6381#msg6381

[SolEiji]

I believe the dwarf is.  Specifically, deugar monk.

As amusing as those monsters are, I somehow doubt they'd be well accepted in the generally non-evil CN giants presence.

On an unrelated note: Which is better for the trial by combat?  Death by rancor (from Star Wars) or death by the mirror knight shown in the previews for Dark Souls 2 (thus able to summon allies)?  And if the latter, should the knight be a giant in a suit, or a golem?

[bhu]

Hence why they has enchantment spells 

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

My understanding of Roman law is that it had a lot of "the law is governed by these legal texts. No, you can't see them if you aren't rich/ noble/ Roman enough." You could simulate that by having whatever the bard is trying to do struck down a few times on obscure technicalities that the player isn't privy to. You should probably then let the player either figure out some countermoves via judicious application of knowledge skills, or let them calvinball out on rule of cool (provided they come up with something sufficiently cool, of course.)

To get the other players involved, putting them on the stand is the simplest way. The prosecution can do it, or you can telegraph that it might be a good idea for the defense to use them as rebuttal witnesses.

Alternatively, my understanding of Norse law is that it had a lot of trial by ordeal. Perhaps, in addition to the formal trial, the accused must complete some kind of test to prove their innocence.

[SolEiji]

Hmmm, I see I see.  Looks like I've made  reasonably close guess to that in my head.  The bard will have some legal advice (the giant who would otherwise be their lawyer if no one represented them) who will give the bard the basic on giant law, but pulling a surprise out of my butt might be nice.

Judge: "Can't do that, rule 42."
Ally: "Damn, he pulled rule 42 on us."
Bard: "I don't even know what that is...."

The way I have it set up at the moment has the following rules...

1. You can choose trial by jury, or trial by combat.  The latter is intensely unfair but you might be able to muscle your way out.  The giants respect warriors after all.

2. The jarl has final veto power.  In theory he can release the guilty or damn the innocent, though he rarely does so for political reasons.  I suspect the bard will try and sweeten up the jarl.  I also expect this to backfire.

3. I have degrees of innocence and guilty.  They might be released but have to do some ordeal, which would mesh nicely to the Norse example you gave.

I have plans if they all happen to die/be jailed/put to death so the story doesn't end of that happens.  As a result, I'm under no obligation to help them through this.  Made their own bed and all.

[Demelain]

My understanding of Roman law is that it had a lot of "the law is governed by these legal texts. No, you can't see them if you aren't rich/ noble/ Roman enough."

This is only true within a very, very narrow span of the early Roman republic. The Twelve Tables of Law were published for everyone to see in ~450 BC,

which included the legal procedures for going to court; provisions on family, women, and divorce; regulations concerning private property; rules governing relationships and injuries to others; and a provision prohibiting intermarriage between patricians and plebeians (see the box on p. 119). This publication of the laws led to further agitation from the plebeians between 450 and 445 since they could now see how disadvantaged they were.

In general, the Struggle of the Orders turned out favorably for the Plebians (non-nobles). They got the right to intermarriage, political offices, the right to determine laws (though originally they did not bind the Patricians). In 287 BC the Hortension Law was passed, which made it so that laws passed by the Plebian governing body applied to all citizens, including the Patricians. At that point, the nobles pretty much lost the Struggle of the Orders.


Sorry, I just finished my Humanities 101 course last semester. But I do still have the book on hand. It does not have any material about Norse law, I'm afraid.

EDIT: Of course, the observation that only true nobles were allowed access to the law was probably true during the roman monarchy, which existed from ~753 BC to 509 BC. If that's the period of time the OP is shooting for, then ignore the above.

[bhu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Scandinavian_law

[Kasz]

This sounds familiar

[SolEiji]

This sounds familiar

Dohoho, you found me.  I am a hydra with many heads.  My influence spreads across the internet like something something darkside.