Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Turnabout Destiny: Court Phase 1

    Destiny: one of the greatest mysteries known to man.  The idea that our fates are scripted, that every decision we make is along this straight path with no exits or entrances.  That no matter what we think, everything we do and what we will become could be told to us through dreams and magicians, and no matter we think, we can't change our future.

   I personally don't believe in destiny, or at least as it's considered.  I believe that our God gave us free will, thus our futures are up to us.  There are billions of different possible futures for each person, only one of which will happen, depending on the choices we make in our lives.  Therefore, we can't simply expect to do nothing and become rich, despite some fortune teller saying otherwise.

  However, that doesn't mean you can completely change who you are either.  You are who you are, and you decisions will reflect that to some degree.  It takes more than just effort to revert who you are, which is why temptation is often hard to overcome, due to involving our personal desires.

  That's where I found myself in the morning.  Despite telling myself I'd never go back, that I'd never take up the badge again, that I'd never be able to save anyone, I found myself looking over my notes, grabbing my briefcase, and determined to save the life of a dead friend.  A week ago, if you had asked me if I would ever become a defense attorney again, I would've simply laughed.  Impossible, ludicrous, silly.  And yet here I was, doing just that.

  I tried to get mad at myself, tried to feel doubt, tried to tell myself to turn around.  And for awhile, I did. Even while talking to Brea, telling her I'd stop this, I still felt a small bit of doubt inside.  But in the morning, it was all gone.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself.  I was not going to lose this case, I simply could not.

  The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom   Time to begin.

  "The trial for former prosecutor Brea Firehawk shall begin!" the judge proclaimed.

  He looked confused at me for a second, and then pleasantly surprised.

  "Hey, it's the laughing guy!"

  I face-desked accordingly.  The prosecutor snickered quietly.  Stuck-up little brat.

 "It's Andrew Dalmin," I said, slightly annoyed.

 "Oh, I'm sorry," the judge said, surprised.  "I'm not very good with names.  Last week I visited my nephew, and I couldn't seem to-"

 "Can we please begin the proceedings?"

 "Oh!  Of course.  May the prosecution make their opening statement?"

 "Absolutely, your honor," he replied.  "I would say my name, but, heh, there's not much point, as everyone obviously knows it."

 "Uh...yes!  Absolutely!" the judge said, obviously having no idea what his name was.

  "Anyways, I am here to provide the court with fabulous evidence that absolutely proves just how guilty the lowly defendant is.  That is all."  He did a small hand motion, and all the females in the jury cheered.  I wonder how many punches it would take to break that pretty face?

  "I shall present to you, my one and only amazing witness," he said, bowing as if he had just finished an amazing performance.

  The judge blinked.  "Only one witness?  I'm not sure how I feel about that...are you sure that's enough to make the defendant guilty?"

  "Of course!  The wonderful Adrian only needs one witness, as he is, after all, the wonderful Adrian."  He gave another hand gesture, and thus, more screams.

  "Very well then," the judge said, nodding.  "Please bring in the witness."

  As I had expected, the witness was Jenna, and she had her old, boring jacket on.

  "Please give your fabulous name to this wonderful audience!" said Adrian, gesturing to the crowd.

  "My name is Jenna Wolf, and I'm the tv reporter for the local tv station," she said in a very normal tone of voice.  Guess she really was back inside her shell.

  "Ah, yes!  I remember seeing you." the judge said.  "Please give us your testimony."

  My grip on the table tightened.  In my previous conversation with her, she had made it very clear that Brea couldn't have done it.  I had hit her hard enough that she would probably lean more towards my side of the argument, a very advantageous standpoint.  Time to see what she's got.

TESTIMONY 1 - Jenna Wolf

I was walking by the alleyway on my way back from work a few days ago.
Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.
Originally, I figured it was just a small animal, but then I heard a loud scream.
Worried, I peeked in, and I couldn't believe what I saw.
It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

  "You were right," said the judge, nodding.  "That certainly was an 'amazing' testimony."

   "Of course!" said Adrian, bowing.  "The lousy defense attorney seems to think so as well."

   "Hmm?" the judge said, looking my direction.

   At the moment, the bottom of my jaw was pretty much hitting the booth.  It certainly had to do with the testimony, but not because it was "amazing".   Jenna's testimony wasn't helping Brea...in fact, it was hurting her further than her original lies had!  What the heck had happened to her!?

   I slammed my fist down on the table.  It rang so loud that everyone in the Courtroom jumped, even Mr. Pretty boy.  Everyone turned and looked at me strangely.

  "Uh..." I said, embarrassed.   "Sorry, I'm having minor digestion issues."  I decided to get back on task.  "May I begin my cross examination?" I said, pulling out my cards.
 
  "Umm...sure, go ahead," the judge said, collecting himself.  "Please begin."

CROSS EXAMINATION 1 - Jenna Wolf

Testimony: It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

 HOLD IT!

 "Can you please give us some more details?" I asked.

  "Sure," she nodded, "What do you wish to know?"

  "Are you sure it was the defendant?"

  "I'm positive.  She was wearing her usual outfit, all black with red fur."

  I swore under my breath.  She really had thought this testimony through, she even mentioned her precise outfit she was in at the scene.  Time to change tactics.

  "So tell me, are you sure she was holding a gun?"

  "Yes," she nodded again.  "I have it right here."  She pulled out a shotgun out of her purse.

  The judge almost jumped.  "Whoah, that's a pretty large gun?  Are you sure that's one that was used on the victim?"

  Adrian nodded.  "We checked the markings on the bullet that was found at the scene.  It matched the markings on the gun, and was tested, fabulously of course.  The test confirmed that it was the victims blood, and further tests on the gun showed that the defendant's pathetic fingerprints were on the gun!"

  Lots of commotion came from the crowd.  Adrian bowed once more.

  "That, my judge, is my amazing evidence."

  "That is pretty decisive," said the judge, nodding.  "Does the defense has any objections?"

  "Uh.." I blurted.  I had walked right into the prosecution's stupid trap.  I felt like continually hitting my head on a wall.  But now was not the time to admit defeat, now was the time for contradictions.  I looked through my cards, looking for anything useful.  On my second round through the cards, I noticed something a little odd.  Curious, I decided to check something.

Testimony:  Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.

   "Are you SURE it was a small noise?" I asked, looking at her right in the eyes.

   "Y-yes," she said, sounding a little uncertain.  That was exactly what I was looking for.

 

   Adrain laughed.  "Really, Mr. Dullmin, you're objecting to a small noise?"

   "Actually, I am," I nodded.  I looked towards the judge.  "Your honor, have you seen how powerful a shotgun is?"

   "Why yes, I have," he said, nodding.  Then he suddenly looked worried.  "N-not that I have ever used one before.  Honest!"

   I grinned.  "No worries, your honor, I expected no such thing.  Now, what noise did the shotgun make?"

  "It was very loud...OH!" the judge almost jumped out of his seat.  The prosecution did too, surprisingly.

  "That's right your honor," I said, slamming the card with the picture of the gun on the booth. "If Brea really fired this shotgun as the witness claims, then it couldn't have been the one she heard, as it was a quiet noise!"



  Adrian chuckled.  "Well, maybe it was silenced!"

  I nearly face-desked again.  "Silenced?  A shotgun!?  Are you kidding me!?"

  The judge shook his head.  "Even if that somehow were possible, this gun shows no signs of being silenced."

  Adrian nearly screamed.  I couldn't believe it.  He really missed that?  Brandon would have had some reasonable excuse for why she heard a small noise, he actually didn't have a backup plan?   A loud commotion came from the jury, and the judge had to quiet them down.   Finally, we're heading in a right direction.




 This time it was from Jenna.   "Your honor," she said, back to her usual self, "Can I change my testimony?  There's something I forgot to clarify."

  "Uh...sure!"  The judge said, a little surprised.



  "What kind of excuse could she possibly have!?" I said, a little stupified.



   "Mr. Dullmin," Adrian said mockingly, "Did I not say her testimony was 'amazing'?  Of course she has a reason for the small noise!  That's why it's 'amazing'!"

  If only throwing bricks at prosecutors was legal...

TESTIMONY 2 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...I just remembered something else.
  When I peeked in, the gun she was holding wasn't the shotgun...it was a small pistol.
  She probably fired it before I showed up, and the victim must have taken it from her.
  Then, using her last resort, she pulled out a small silenced handgun, and bang!
  That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

  The judge nodded.  "That sounds reasonable...was a silence handgun found on the scenes?"

  "Absolutely!" Adrian answered.  "With Brea's fingerprints, nontheless.  A small bullet was also found that shared ballistic markings similar to the small handgun."

  Commotion came from the crowd again.  To them, it apparently seemed sound.

  "Wow, you're not doing so well, are you?" said the incredibly uplifting Aaron.  "Sorry I'm late, I decided to sleep in this morning."   He looked at me, and then suddenly looked concerned.

   "Andrew...you alright?"

   "Huh?" I said, confused.

   "Your fists were clenched real tight, and you were grimacing...are you okay?"

   "Uh...yeah, just small digestion issues.." I said, in a not-so-convincing way.  To be honest, I didn't know how I was feeling.  Something about me just didn't feel right...was I feeling anger???

  CROSS EXAMINATION 2 - Jenna Wolf

   That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

   HOLD IT!!!

   "You're certain she fired the handgun?" I asked, curiously.

   "Yes, I am," she nodded.  "It was that exactly model."

   "Mr. Dalmin, is there something wrong with the witness's testimony?" the judged asked curiously.

    TAKE THAT!!!

   "Actually, there is," I said, laying a card on the table.  It was one of the few pieces of evidence I obtained from Aaron.

   "This is a picture of the wound in the victim's head.   Notice anything strange about it?"

   "No," the judge said, still not getting the picture, "It's just a normal bullet hole."

   "Exactly!" I said, slamming my hands down on the booth.  "Jenna claims that her old testimony stands, and yet this information clearly contradicts her old testimony!"



   "You must be joking," Adrian said, laughing.  "What about her old testimony doesn't make sense?"

   

    "Remember?  She clearly stated that the defendant was standing right next to the victim.  If she really fired the bullet that close, it would've left a burn mark!"

   The judge looked shocked.  "B...but there's no burn mark there!"

   The crowd began to roar again, and the judge slammed his gavel to quiet them down.

    

  Adrian laughed, but this time nervously. "So-so what?  She probably just messed up that part of her old testimony too!"

 

  "Not this time Adrian," I said, looking very serious.

  "W-what?"

  "I have definite proof that the shotgun was the murder weapon!"

  "That's not possible!"

  Aaron grinned.  "Hey, that's the piece I gave to you!"
 
  I returned the smile.  "Yes, it is.  I'll make sure to treat you to lunch sometime."

  I pulled out a piece of paper.  "I have here a unique piece of evidence.  Curious about the murder weapon, I asked my companion to obtain the size of the bullet hole."  I held it out for everyone to see.  "The black dot on this paper is the exact size of the bullet hole."

 

   "What does the size of the bullet hole have to do with anything?" Adrian said, sweating bullets.
 
   "It has everything to do with this case!  May I please have the bullet shot from the pistol?"

   The bailiff gave it to me, and it placed it directly on top of the circle.

   "See?  The bullet is a little smaller than this hole.  Now, Adrian?"

   "Y-y-yes?" he said, knowing what I was going to ask.

   "May I please have the bullet shot from the shotgun?"

   Quivering, he gave it to the bailiff, who gave it to me.  The results were exactly as I expected.  The bullet fit perfectly over the circle.

   "As you can see, the shotgun was obviously used to commit the murder!'



  "So what?  What does that change?" Adrian said, calming himself.



  "It means that Jenna's testimony is bogus!  Even if we still consider her old testimony, not only was the sound quieter than it should have been, but there wasn't a burn mark either, so Brea did not shoot him at close range, like Jenna claims!"

  The judge had to quiet the crowd again.  Man, the crowd is jumpy today.

  "I hate to be critical, Ms. Wolf, but your testimony is beginning to sound very suspicious," the judge said.  "Can you explain yourself?"

  Really?  As if she could actually...

   "I can explain myself."

   "...Andrew?" Aaron said, looking very worried.   I was literally shaking with frustration.  My whole mind felt like a burning hell.  Never before had I felt so enraged at someone.  What was happening to me?

TESTIMONY 3 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...once more I have forgotten something.
  When I first saw them, she wasn't holding a gun...it was a knife.
  She had just finished stabbing him.  She hadn't noticed me, and decided to do a little cover-up.
  She walked away a few steps, then fired the shotgun.
  She then dropped the shotgun, grabbed the pistol, and then shot the wall, as to confuse things even more.
  That's when I called the police.

  No one said a word.  Even Adrian knew that testimony sucked.  She was trying to vindicate both of her previous testimonies, both of which had obvious faults, as did this one.  Heck, even the autopsy report contradicted this.  It clearly stated it was death by gunshot.  But no matter what excuse I may have pulled up, no matter how many objections I made...nothing could vindicate me from what happened.

  Both of my hands pounded the desk, so loud it echoed throughout the courtroom.

  "JENNA, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

  Jenna jumped up, as did everyone else in the courtroom.

  "THAT WAS THE WORST TESTIMONY I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE!!!!"

   "A...Andrew?" Aaron said, trying to comprehend what had just been said.

   "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY LIVE AS A HUMAN BEING WHEN YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS!!!???"
 
    Jenna broke into tears.  Adrian looked disgusted.

   "How dare you insult my amazing witness?"

   "SHUT UP PRETTY BOY!!!!" I yelled, whirling around.  He then managed to jump ten feet in the air, and then hid under his booth.

   The judge didn't approve.  "Mr. Dalmin, that is badgering the wi-"

   "YOU WANNA FIGHT, OLD MAN!!!!????"

   "AAHHH!!!" The judge screamed as he too hid under his booth.  I whirled back around towards Jenna.

   "I WANT ANSWERS, NOW!!!!!"

   "W-w-wh-" Jenna stuttered, full of tears.

   "TELL THIS COURT WHAT YOU REALLY SAW RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL-"

   That did it.  Jenna snapped.  She went from weeping to pouring.

   "B-b-b-b-bwea d-d-didn't k-k-kill him, I s-s-saw a s-s-small m-man s-s-shoot the v-v-victim!"

   Now the whole court snapped.  Everything became chaos.  This sudden burst of information mixed with the various emotions filling the room was too much.  No one knew what to think anymore.  People were yelling at each other, the judge was continually pounding his gavel, and Adrain appeared to be crying and sucking his thumb in the corner.  Aaron looked around, trying to find me, but he couldn't.  I had ran out of the room.