Objection!/Rift2

Court Records

• CASE NAME: Turnabout Nurse
• CASE DESCRIPTION: Marissa has been killed, and Maloa is the main suspect--can Rift face off against the veteran prosecutor, Chwoka?
• JUDGE PRESIDING: The Honorable Judge Judge Jr.
• PLAINTIFF: Marissa
• DEFENDANT: Maloa
• PROSECUTOR: Chwoka
• DEFENSE: Rift Katana
• WITNESSES: Jon, Nurse Buxomly, Maloa, Maloa
• VERDICT: Guilty Retrial!

Evidence

• Double Flageolet - Used to choke Marissa.
• Fingerprints - Easily identifiable as Maloa's.
• DNA - Maloa's is the same as the ones found where the murderer's skin flakes would be.
• Paper - Fell out of maloa's pocket. Has drawings of people on it.
• Security Footage - Shows Maloa walk into Marissa's room.
• Photograph - Shows that the fourth floor is not balancing on a small storage cabinet.
• Photograph 2 - Circles the watch marissa was wearing, showing it was unfastened and there was an odd piece of fabric under it.
• Receipt - Shows Marissa did, indeed, buy a watch the day before the murder.

Court Transcript

{cuts to a room at a hospital. marissa is here, putting something in some cabinets. a figure walks into the room through shadows}

???: Hello, Marissa.

MARISSA: What do you want?

???: Oh, nothing. Just for you to open your mouth.

MARISSA: Fine. {closes her eyes, openes her mouth wide.} Aaah!

{the figure throws something fairly big, getting stuck in her throat. she begins gagging, until she topples over. the figure walks away. cuts to Rift's office. the phone rings}

RIFT: {on phone} Hello?

NURSE: {on the phone} We need your help! Our top nurse was choked to death, and we have no clue who's to blame!

RIFT: Hold on, where is this hospital?

NURSE: This is the west oralian hospital.

{Cut: West Oralian Hospital. Rift and Badstar are there}

RIFT: Hello?

{a few docters walk up}

A DOCTER: Follow us. We'll show you the scene.

{cuts to the room marissa was killed in. two men are there, picking her up. the bed is also trashed}

ANOTHER DOCTER: We don't know how to work with this scene! All we found out was what marissa was choked with!

RIFT: How did she die?

FIRST DOCTER: She was choked with this {holds up a double flageoet} insturment. I'm not really sure what it is.

RIFT: About what time did she die?

SECOND DOCTER: From our estimations, about thirty minutes before you got here.

RIFT: What was she doing when she was killed?

THIRD DOCTER: Putting away some medicine.

RIFT: And who would want to kill her?

FIRST DOCTER: Were not su-

NICHOLAS: {not seen} Let me handle this. {rolls in} If I know my friends, Maloa hates her way, way, way too much.

RIFT: Why is that?

NICHOLAS: Marissa constantly hitting, kicking, clonking, confusing, manipulating, hurting, and powering over him.

RIFT: Is that the only person who would want to kill her?

NICHOLAS: There's Xaviar, but he's on vacation in Hawaii. No on else off the top of my head.

RIFT: Badstar, got any ideas?

BADSTAR: Nope, not really.

{Rift gets a call. He takes it}

RIFT: Hello?

????: {on phone} Is Badstar Strunner there?

RIFT: Yes, but who is this?

????: {on phone} That's not important. Just let me talk to Badstar.

RIFT: Okay. {Gives phone to Badstar}

????:{on phone} Badstar?

BADSTAR: ...Ah, hello. Its been a while.

RIFT: Who is it?

STAN: {on phone} Ah, Badstar. How's the new kid?

BADSTAR: Hes doing fine. He got a new case today and I'm helping him with the investigation.

STAN: {on phone} Sounds great! So, have you hit any snags yet?

RIFT: WHO IS IT?!?

STAN: {on phone} Hold on, Badstar... let me talk to him.

{Rift takes the phone}

RIFT: Who is this?

STAN: {on phone} Stan. You might have heard of me...

RIFT: STAN?!? Wow!

STAN: {on phone} I guess you have... Rift, that's your name, right?

RIFT: Hmmmhm.

STAN: {on phone} Well, I just wanted to hear about the case. What's going on?

RIFT: A nurse was murdered.

STAN: {on phone} Oh, my... that doesn't sound good. So, where are you right now? Are you doing well in the investigation?

RIFT: Not enough evidence.

STAN: {on phone} ... That's fine. I'm sure that tomorrow, you'll have some help.

NICHOLAS: Why haven't I moved from this spot yet?

RIFT: Stan, I think its time to go to court.

STAN: {on phone} Good point... you'll probably get some more info there. See you, Rift. {hangs up}

{Cut: Defendant's Lobby}

RIFT: Ahh. It's probably time.

BAILIFF: You'd be right. Step in, Mr. Rift.

{Rift walks in}

{Cut: the courtroom.}

JUDGE: Court is now in session. Is the defense ready?

RIFT: Yes, Judge.

JUDGE: Good. Is the prosecution ready?

CHWOKA: Not particularly, but we'll go anyway.

JUDGE: It's been a while, Mr. Chwoka. The court hasn't seen you since that case...

RIFT: Can we get to buisness?

CHWOKA: You're Judge Jr. I haven't seen you ever. Now, then -

{Chwoka stands up}

CHWOKA: May I begin?

JUDGE: ... Alright. Begin, please.

CHWOKA: Now, it's a plain obvious fact that Marissa was killed, as we can observe by her corpse. Oh, wait, that type of opening only works if I'm the defense...

{Chwoka shufffles some papers}

CHWOKA: Ah! Here we are. We have fingerprints on the weapon. Now, I have brought in a projector.

{A projector rolls at a high speed through the court doors before it hits Chwoka and stops}

CHWOKA: I will now place the fingerprints on the projector. Would the defendant please come over?

{Chwoka turns on the projector and the fingerprints are projected above Judge Jr's head.}

CHWOKA: These are the fingerprints forensics found. Maloa, please put your fingers on the projector.

MALOA: Um, sure. {puts his hand under the projector.} I really can't see any fingers. Or any markings period.

JUDGE: Take the gloves off, Mr. Maloa.

CHWOKA: He's smudged it now!

{Chwoka cleans the projector.}

MALOA: {waves his perfectly spherical hands in front of him} I'm not wearing gloves.

{Chwoka points to the projection, which shows "fingerprints" that are actually very large circles}

CHWOKA: Look at the screen first.

JUDGE: Oh! They look like elephant feet-marks!

MALOA: Um... {pulls some red ink out of hammer space. he puts his hands in the containers, and presses his hands on the marks. apparently, his hands are leaving smaller circles than shown on the forensics}

JUDGE: ... Mr. Maloa, your behavior is suspicious. Perhaps you'd like to explain why you're going to such lengths to disprove the solid evidence we have?

RIFT: (This will be hard)

MALOA: Because I want to prove I'm innocent.

CHWOKA: The fingerprints are blown up, that is to be expected.

{Chwoka replaces the blown-up fingerprints with actual-size fingerprints. They match exactly.}

CHWOKA: As all wcan see, the prints...

{Chwoka moves the overlay over the ink. There is no difference}

CHWOKA: ...match.

JUDGE: My word! So it's true... Maloa did do it!

MALOA: Just wondering, wouldn't someone use normal sized fingerprints instead of blown up fingerprints in court?

JUDGE: Well, it's obvious! To accentuate the details!

RIFT: Hold it! We don't have enough evidence.

CHWOKA: But wait! There's more! Thanks to recent technology...

{Chwoka takes out a odd coffee-maker-like thing out from under his desk}

CHWOKA: We can analyze DNA right here on the spot! As we all know, skin cells are constantly flaking off you. We ordered the murder scene to not be cleaned. We checked Marissa's hair, and we found this DNA pattern all over the areas where the murder's skin flaskes could be expected to be found.

{Chwoka puts the DNA up onto the projector somehow}

CHWOKA: If the defendant would just shake around around the machine, please...

RIFT: (I lost my first case.)

MALOA: Ok? {goes up to the machine, begins shaking. during that time, a piece of paper falls out of his pocket}

JUDGE: ... What is that?

MALOA: Oh, that. {uncrumples the paper. on it, there are some weirdly drawn doodles, resembling people} I never was a good artist.

JUDGE: ... Carry on.

MALOA: Okay, why am I dancing around a coffee pot machine to lose skin?

{Chwoka points to the projection, which shows identical DNA.}

MALOA: You are aware that we live in the same house, right?

CHWOKA: Sir, we bought in PHSICS MAJORS to calculate where the skin flakes would fall according to where the murder weapon and murderer was and the murderer's time. We've even accounted for detioration. In case you are still not convinced, we can bring in a bloodhound.

JUDGE: Where was this DNA found, Chwoka?

CHWOKA: In her hair, under her shirt, up her sleeves, on her watch, stuff like that. Unless he's often been strangulating Melissa, the skin flakes would not be there.

MALOA: Wait, she wears a watch?

JUDGE: AAH! He did it! He killed her, I know it!

{Chwoka showed Maloa a picture of the corpse. She has a watch.}

CHWOKA: Brand new, just bought it yesterday. The day before she was killed. We have further evidence. We're not even half way through. May I continue?

MALOA: Albino pushed me over the stairs, onto marissa's hair, destribing the hair, watch, and shirt. No clue about the sleeves.

JUDGE: Witness! Quiet while the prosecutor explains himself! ... Continue, Prosecutor Chwoka.

MALOA: I'm the defendant, not a witness.

{Chwoka puts a disk into the projector, 'cause you can do that in da future.}

CHWOKA: The following is security camera footage.

{The film shows a date - the date and time right before the murder. Melissa walks in to the room where the murder was. Fast forward. Maloa walks in - nobody has come in or out in between. A scream is heard, and Maloa walks out. The time shown is immediately after the murder.}

CHWOKA: If anybody wants to, they can watch all of it to see who else comes in and out.

JUDGE: I believe that to be the best course of action. Mr. Chwoka, if you will...

MALOA: I was just asking nurse Melissa to help zoo out. He did recently break his leg.

{Chwoka plays the entire tape of that day in FF. Nobody enters or leaves besides the two. Chwoka arrives at the very end of the tape.}

JUDGE: ... This is... quite shocking. All the evidence points to Mr. Maloa's guilt!

MALOA: Have you even seen the map of the hospital? Zoo was in room 202! {opens up a hospital map. the room where the murder was and room 202 are next to each other.} If you also noticed, the door to room 202 was smashed and impossible to walk through, so we had to use the door from that room. The muderer should have come in from the window behind the room.

CHWOKA: This was a third story room. Zoo was on the second story.

JUDGE: ... Unless, perhaps, the defense can argue this point?

RIFT: I think that Maloa could of been visiting Zoo.

MALOA: The third story is just one small storage room, oh genius one.

JUDGE: Witness! Let another remark like that slip and we'll hold you in contempt of court!

CHWOKA: That's not even schematically possible.

{Chwoka puts the hospital where the murder occured on the projector. It is 4 stories.}

CHWOKA: How would the third story support the fourth? Why keep an empty story?

JUDGE: Excellent point, Prosecutor Chwoka. Perhaps this witness doesn't know about the hospital in full...?

MALOA: Thats the east oralian hospital map. It says so in the upper right corner.

JUDGE: Mr. Maloa... that doesn't help.

RIFT: {An aura appears around Maloa} A twitch?

MALOA: Actually, he has the wrong hospital map.

RIFT: {Maloa twitchs}

CHWOKA: Liar.

{Chwoka magnifies the image to show that it is, in fact, the very hospital the murder took place. This is seen by the sign above the door.}

RIFT: Judge, there is something wrong with my eyesight.

JUDGE: Mr. Katana! I'm no doctor! Save it for the recess.

MALOA: Then how much of a printing error was that map?

CHWOKA: This isn't a map, it;s a goddamned photograph of the front of the building

JUDGE: {bangs gavel} That's enough! Stop the arguing at once!.

CHWOKA: I would like to call the first witness.

JUDGE: Very well.

CHWOKA: Detective Jon, Defense may go first.

{Jon walks up to the stand.}

JON: Hello, everyone!

RIFT: Testimony, please.

JON: ... Wow. You aren't beating around the bush, are you?

{Jon clears his throat.}

JON: We inspected the crime scene and found several traces of the defendant's DNA--skin, hair, the usual. The victim, Ms. Marissa, died of suffocation due to a strange instrument found in her throat. The defendant was seen on security cameras, entering the crime scene between 2 o'clock and 2:10--approximately near the time of the murder. That's all.

MALOA: May I repeat a few things I said?

JUDGE: Absolutely not. Wait your turn.

RIFT: Jon, would you repeat the first sentence?

JON: We inspected the crime scene and found several traces of the defendant's DNA--skin, hair, the usual...

RIFT: Continue.

JON: ... The victim, Ms. Marissa, died of suffocation due to a strange instrument found in her throat...

RIFT: Hold it! That instrument was...?

JON: A double flageolet, according to the precinct. I've got no idea what that is, however...

RIFT: Contunie the testimonie.

JON: The defendant was seen on security cameras, entering the crime scene between 2 o'clock and 2:10--approximately near the time of the murder.

RIFT: Continue.

JON: ... That's all.

RIFT: I would like to call a witness, Maloa!

CHWOKA: I would like to point out that it's still my turn.

JUDGE: Agreed. Mr. Katana, please keep quiet.

CHWOKA: The prosecution would like to call Nurse Buxomly to the stand!

{Nurse Buxomly walks up to the stand.}

BUXOMLY: Well heavens! Just why am I here?

{Chwoka takes a notepad out, and shows it to Judge, but puts a whispering finger over his mouth, to indicate it being secret.}

CHWOKA: Nurse Buxomly, you were in the room 310 between 2:00 and 2:10, correct?

BUXOMLY: Why, I believe I was, handsome!

CHWOKA: Did you hear a scream?

BUXOMLY: I sure did, honey!

CHWOKA: Thank you. Unless the Defense has anything to say, you are dismissed.

MALOA: I have something to say. How could she scream if she was choked?

JUDGE: Defendant! Speak out of turn one more time, and I'm handing down a verdict!

RIFT: I would like to call a witness, Maloa!

JUDGE: ... Mr. Chwoka?

CHWOKA: Well, we need to dismiss this one first.

JUDGE: Agreed. Mrs. Buxomly-

BUXOMLY: That's Ms. Buxomly!

JUDGE: You may be dismissed.

{Buxomly leaves.}

JUDGE: Would Maloa, the defendant, please take the stand?

MALOA: Sure. {walks up to the stand.}

RIFT: Please tell us your testimony.

MALOA: This is what I remember. A nurse, Melissa, was bringing me into room 202 to talk to zoo. When going into room 201, Marissa was already there, with a box. When I walked into the room with zoo, Melissa left. I heard a light schreech when talking to zoo. When talking to zoo, I heard choking sounds, and a thump, then a crushing noise and a breaking noise. I opened the door, and marissa was on the floor, dead. The bed was wrecked, and the window was broken. I think the murderer climbs down the tree by the broken window.

RIFT: Please repeat the first sentence.

CHWOKA: OBJECTION! The murder took place in room 309!

MALOA: Look, do I have to show you a correctly printed map again?

{Chwoka plays the hallway footage again, but stops it and zooms in on the room number}

CHWOKA: What number is this!? 309.

{Chwoka plays it, and the scream is heard, then the choking.}

RIFT: Judge, could we have a small recess?

JUDGE: ... I see no reason to. Carry on with the examination.

RIFT: Maloa, repeat the first sentence.

MALOA: A nurse, Melissa, was bringing me into room 202 to talk to zoo.

RIFT: Continue.

MALOA: When going into room 201, Marissa was already there, with a box.

RIFT: Hold it! What was in that box?

MALOA: It was the box of medicine.

RIFT: Cpontinue

MALOA: When I walked into the room with zoo, Melissa left.

RIFT: Continue.

MALOA: I heard a light schreech when talking to zoo.

RIFT: Finish The Testimony.

MALOA: When talking to zoo, I heard choking sounds, and a thump, then a crushing noise and a breaking noise. I opened the door, and marissa was on the floor, dead. The bed was wrecked, and the window was broken. I think the murderer climbs down the tree by the broken window.

RIFT: Okay, you are free to go.

CHWOKA: My god, your story is so inconsistant it's unbelievable! I object to it -- all of it! The witness may not leave!

JUDGE: ... I don't know what to say. The lack of evidence pointing to anybody else is startling... it looks like I have no choice in the matter. I must give a verdict.

MALOA: Then you're forgetting two things.

RIFT: Wait!

JUDGE: There is no waiting. I hereby find the defendant, Maloa... Guilty. The defendant will be escorted to jail later. For now, court is adjourned.

{Cut: the defense lobby.}

RIFT: Lost my first case.

JON: I... I don't know what to say.

{maloa walks by. he drops a small box, and walks off}

JON: Hey, pal... you should open that.

{Rift Opens it. It contains the photograph of marissa's corpse, with a circle around the watch. there is the doodling, a pencil, and a magnifying glass}

RIFT: Wait a second... we need to get back in there!

JON: No can do, pal... it's official. Even if you did ask for a retrial, we can't prove a thing. It's best to go home already.

RIFT: Look at this... {he holds the magnifying glass to the watch. it reveals a piece of fabric under it, and the watch is not fastened}

JON: It's over, okay? It's over. You lost. Drop it.

{Suddenly, Jon's phone rings.}

JON: Hold on, let me get that. ... WHAT?! How did you hear? ... Oh. I see... well, what're you going to do, huh? ... Wait a minute... you're doing WHAT?! L-l-let me tell Rift, okay? Okay, bye. {hangs up}

RIFT: What happened?

JON: S-s-Stan's appealing to the court for a retrial! We're back in business, baby!

RIFT: Yes!

{Cut: Chwoka in his high-rise office on the phone}

CHWOKA: A retrial!? {laughs}

STAN: {on phone} Yep. I figured they deserved a second chance.

CHWOKA: {laughs} Stan, you should have seen how thoroughly they were trounced. W-what new evidence did they find?

STAN: {on phone} A picture of a watch, or something. It sounds stupid... and to be honest, it won't work. It definitely won't sway the jury. But, {sighs} if they want to go through with it...

{Chwoka laughs way too hard}

CHWOKA: A picture of a watch actually reinforces my side! It means the defendant was lying even more than he already was, only now with proof!

{Chwoka leans back on his chair, and laughs very hard. He leans so far back he falls down. He gets back up}

CHWOKA: See ya later, Stan.

STAN: {on phone} You too, Chwoka. And by the way... teach the kid a lesson for me. He needs to learn he won't always win. {hangs up}

{Chwoka hangs up as well. Cut: Court}

JON: It's the day of the retrial, pal! How're you feeling?

RIFT: I feel like I am going to win.

{Chwoka walks in}

CHWOKA: So {straining to hold back laughter} wh-what's the new evidence that we need to retrial on?

RIFT: Learn in court.

CHWOKA: We are in court.

{Cut: court}

JUDGE: See?

CHWOKA: May I start?

JUDGE: Of course, Mr. Chwoka.

CHWOKA: I wish to make one short statement. So short, in fact, that the statement is one sentence: "The prosecution rests."

{Chwoka sits down}

JUDGE: ... I see. Would the defense care to say anything?

RIFT: Yes. We have a ton of evidence to make Maloa not guilty.

JUDGE: ... A ton being?

RIFT: Proof.

CHWOKA: Show, don't tell.

{Rift hands the judge the magnifying glass and photo}

JUDGE: ... What am I supposed to do with these?

{Rift walks up and holds the mg under the photo. Fabric is shown}

[Chwoka gestures to the projector}

CHWOKA: Can't you show the entire court?

{He does it to the court}

COURT: MM YEAH THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT

JUDGE: So... what does this prove?

RIFT: That...

CHWOKA: ...that the court is a living being and we should treat it with respect.

MALOA: {not seen} That the watch wasn't originally there. {walks onscreen, sits down} Didn't you notice that in the photograph earlier?

{teh screen fades to a previous scene, with a white border. Chwoka showed Maloa a picture of the corpse. She has a watch.}

CHWOKA: Brand new, just bought it yesterday. The day before she was killed. We have further evidence. We're not even half way through. May I continue?

{fades back}

MALOA: You were lying about her buying one. Trust me, albino would have hidden it in his closet by now if it was bought yesterday. Also, we checked her credit card purchases. No watch.

CHWOKA: Who says you need to buy anything with a credit card? {Chwoka holds up receipt} She bought it with cold, hard, cash. Besides, what matter does the addition or subtraction of a watch prove?

MALOA: I brougth the watch {holds up the watch, in a plastic bag} with me. May I see the receipt?

CHWOKA: Excuse me, but I don't think that defendants can legally TOUCH the crime scene or present evidence. You've just incriminated yourself.

MALOA: Actually, the other doctors had it. I asked to see it.

CHWOKA: That's a testimony, which also technically counts as evidence. Now you have to decide - do you want to go to jail, or death row? You have no choice, now.

MALOA: Do you not realise? The watch was already in the bag, so I didn't touch it by hand! You can do a DNA test with it, you want to. {shrugs}

CHWOKA: That's not the point! The point is that you have been presenting evidence, when only the Defense, Witnesses that are on-stand, and Prosecutors can do! It's a jailable offense!

MALOA: It is?

CHWOKA: It is!

{Chwoka pulls a large, large book reading "The Book" out from under his table and hands it to Maloa.}

CHWOKA: Lift with your knees - this is a collection of all laws. You can check, but Judge and I already know you're going to jail no matter what you do now.

MALOA: Oh. Hey, can I continue what I was saying? I might as well keep my jail term short.

CHWOKA: From this point on, next to anything you say when you are not called to the stand will only serve to lengthen the term. Besides, Death Row is a lot shorter than what I presume you already have.

MALOA: {tapes over his mouth}

JUDGE: ... I'm afraid Mr. Chwoka has a very good point, witness. Now, I've been lenient before, but I'm getting close to jailing you for TWO things at this point. ... However, I feel forgiving today, so I will allow Mr. Maloa to continue his statement.

CHWOKA: I move that he move. {points to the Witness Stand}

JUDGE: Good idea. Defendant, please take the stand.

RIFT: Mr. Maloa? Maybe another witness since Maloa has dozed off?