Democratic Colonies
02-06-2005, 04:50
In the Colonial justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. Viconia City, capital of the Democratic Colonies, suffers from over 200,000 violent crimes per year, including 50,000 robberies, 100,000 assaults and what is considered to be most heinous: 5,000 forcible rapes. Offenders have been convicted from every walk of life, from the poor and homeless to the rich and plentiful, but never before in the history of the Viconia Metropolitan Police has a sitting member of the Colonial Congress been under serious suspicion for having commited a crime punishable by death.
There is a first time for everything.
*4:26 PM, June 1*
Democratic Colonies, Vedra Colony, Viconia City, Downtown East District
Viconia Metropolitan Police 22nd Precinct, Sex Crimes Unit
The air was hot and stale, overly humid and downright smothering in the cramped confines of Detective Eric Holden's office as a thirteen year old girl cried tears that would likely never stop. Tears that would last a lifetime, always present and always a reminder of the terrible crime that had been commited. Tears just like those had fallen upon the worn police officer's desk countless times before, shed by countless victims and witnesses, but every time, on every case, Detective Holden found himself all at once disgusted, enraged and in the end, robbed of another of his all too few remaining shards of faith by the savage nature of mankind, and the unspeakable crimes that man could commit.
Men and women in drab, working class suits were crowded into the office as a low quality tape recorder listened in on the girl's quiet sobbing.
"Shh... Shh... It's okay Kathy, you just tell us what happened to you, okay? It's going to alright." coaxed one woman, sitting down next to the girl and glancing around the small room at the stony faces that lined its perimeter. "It's okay, you can tell these people what happened, just like you told myself and Detective Holden earlier."
The woman, Detective Charlotte Leffman, began to offer a reassuring touch, but stopped as she decided against it.
"It's... It's all my fault." sobbed the girl, covering her face. "I couldn't... I shouldn't have..."
"No Kathy, no - it wasn't your fault. It was not your fault, you didn't ask for this to happen to you." consoled Leffman, not entirely sure of how to continue. She glanced at Detective Holden, her much more experienced partner, for guidence.
"Who did this to you?" asked Holden gently as he leaned forwards, bringing his eyes to the same level as Kathy's. The girl lowered her hands from her face and wiped at her tears.
"Who did this to you? You told me and Detective Leffman, but then you said you weren't sure... we need to know who did this to you so we can arrest them Kathy, please, tell us."
"He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" shrieked the girl in a panic.
"We can protect you, he can't hurt you." insisted Holden.
"No, he'll - he'll get me!" came the stammered reply. "I - I shouldn't have told you in the first place. Please, just forget about this, forget it ever happened!"
"It's going to be okay, you can tell us." repeated Holden gently. "We will protect you. I promise - do you hear me Kathy? We will protect you, I promise, but we you to tell all of the people here who it was. Can you do that Kathy? Can you help us?"
"It was... I don't... It was Senator Lambert. I was on a field trip, at the Congress, and I became seperated from my group. I looked for Mrs. Christina, but I couldn't find her... I - I was getting scared, you know, so I - I didn't want to get into trouble..."
The girl's lip quivered as a glassy, lost look seemed to appear in her eyes.
"Senator Lambert was in his office... his bodyguards, and his secretary... all of them, they did things to me... she laughed at me, said I was nothing but a stupid spoiled brat who was good for nothing but... but..."
The girl broke out in sobs again, not noticing as some of the men and women in Holden's stuffy office made hurried exits outside, some of them already flipping open cell phones.
"It's okay, it's okay." comforted Detective Leffman as conflicting emotions were apparent on her face.
"I want to go home... I want to go home!" sobbed the girl as she began to rock back and forth in her seat.
"I want to go home..."
*4:57 PM, June 1*
Democratic Colonies, Vedra Colony, Viconia City, City Hall District
Colony of Vedra Court, Viconia City District Courthouse
The shock on the face of the judge was apparent as the recorded statement made by the girl, Kathy, was played back. His elevated seat at the head of the courtroom provided no mask for him as shock, then confusion, grew within him.
"This statement by the victim was taken less than an hour ago, your Honor, by the 22nd Precinct's Sex Crimes Unit." explained the Assistant District Attorney who was pushing for the immediate issue of an arrest warrant for Senator Lambert and a search warrant for his offices.
"What of the medical examinations? Did they support the victim's claims?" demanded the judge. "This is a very serious accusation against a Colonial Senator."
"Your Honor, the victim was admited to Downtown East General Hospital." said the attourney as she held up a folder of medical charts and data sheets. "The medical staff there report that a violent sexual assault did occur, although they have been thus far unable to recover any amount of traceable genetic material."
The attorney's high heels clicked rythmically on the marble floor of the courtroom as she approached the judge to hand him the medical folder. He took on a comtemplative expression as he examined the charts and the attourney made her way back to her table.
The judge took a deep breath before finally raising his gaze from the contents of the folder.
"Counciller," he began, "this is a most disturbing case for me, and I believe, for everyone else involved. These allegations, should they be true, would shake the Democratic Colonies to its very core. The claims against the agents of the Colonial Security Bureau (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/JC_Denton/NationStates/93f6f6a9.jpg), those assigned to be bodyguards of the Senator, will likely cause widespread distrust and loss of confidence in that federal bureau. The damage to the image of the Democratic Colonies internationally could be severe and far ranging."
"With all due respect, your Honor," said the attourney, "I do not believe that it is the role of the Colony of Vedra Court, or any court for that matter - local or federal - to make decisions based even in part on possible political outcomes that may or may not occur because of court made decisions."
"I do not need a lecture from you on the functions of this court!" barked the judge, giving the attourney a steady glare.
"It is my ruling," he continued as he raised his gavel, "that there is not enough evidence to support the issuing of an arrest warrant for Senator Lambert at this time. Furthermore, I find it extremely unusual that despite the fact that violent rapes by multiple persons was supposed to have occured, not a single trace of identifiable DNA has been recovered, despite an intensive medical examination. Although the claims against Senator Lambert do require investigation, the serious possiblity of politically or fraudulently motivated 'victim' testimony compel me to only allow the issuing of a warrant allowing the search of the offices of Senator Lambert at this time."
The horror and disapointment was apparent on the face of the Assistant District Attorney as the gavel landed with a dull thud.
The Senator's office would be searched - but would anything be found?
The attourney hurried from the courtroom and pulled a mobile phone from her blazer - she called Detective Holden to give him the news.
OOC: The girl, Kathy, could be fabricating the entire story in an attempt to damage the reputation of the Democratic Colonies, or that of the Senator, and could be some sort of child agent for a foreign nation, planted for this very task. If anyone wants to, they can make it so Kathy is in thier service and only part of a foreign plot. Also, any commentary, IC foreign reaction or OOC feedback is welcome.
There is a first time for everything.
*4:26 PM, June 1*
Democratic Colonies, Vedra Colony, Viconia City, Downtown East District
Viconia Metropolitan Police 22nd Precinct, Sex Crimes Unit
The air was hot and stale, overly humid and downright smothering in the cramped confines of Detective Eric Holden's office as a thirteen year old girl cried tears that would likely never stop. Tears that would last a lifetime, always present and always a reminder of the terrible crime that had been commited. Tears just like those had fallen upon the worn police officer's desk countless times before, shed by countless victims and witnesses, but every time, on every case, Detective Holden found himself all at once disgusted, enraged and in the end, robbed of another of his all too few remaining shards of faith by the savage nature of mankind, and the unspeakable crimes that man could commit.
Men and women in drab, working class suits were crowded into the office as a low quality tape recorder listened in on the girl's quiet sobbing.
"Shh... Shh... It's okay Kathy, you just tell us what happened to you, okay? It's going to alright." coaxed one woman, sitting down next to the girl and glancing around the small room at the stony faces that lined its perimeter. "It's okay, you can tell these people what happened, just like you told myself and Detective Holden earlier."
The woman, Detective Charlotte Leffman, began to offer a reassuring touch, but stopped as she decided against it.
"It's... It's all my fault." sobbed the girl, covering her face. "I couldn't... I shouldn't have..."
"No Kathy, no - it wasn't your fault. It was not your fault, you didn't ask for this to happen to you." consoled Leffman, not entirely sure of how to continue. She glanced at Detective Holden, her much more experienced partner, for guidence.
"Who did this to you?" asked Holden gently as he leaned forwards, bringing his eyes to the same level as Kathy's. The girl lowered her hands from her face and wiped at her tears.
"Who did this to you? You told me and Detective Leffman, but then you said you weren't sure... we need to know who did this to you so we can arrest them Kathy, please, tell us."
"He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" shrieked the girl in a panic.
"We can protect you, he can't hurt you." insisted Holden.
"No, he'll - he'll get me!" came the stammered reply. "I - I shouldn't have told you in the first place. Please, just forget about this, forget it ever happened!"
"It's going to be okay, you can tell us." repeated Holden gently. "We will protect you. I promise - do you hear me Kathy? We will protect you, I promise, but we you to tell all of the people here who it was. Can you do that Kathy? Can you help us?"
"It was... I don't... It was Senator Lambert. I was on a field trip, at the Congress, and I became seperated from my group. I looked for Mrs. Christina, but I couldn't find her... I - I was getting scared, you know, so I - I didn't want to get into trouble..."
The girl's lip quivered as a glassy, lost look seemed to appear in her eyes.
"Senator Lambert was in his office... his bodyguards, and his secretary... all of them, they did things to me... she laughed at me, said I was nothing but a stupid spoiled brat who was good for nothing but... but..."
The girl broke out in sobs again, not noticing as some of the men and women in Holden's stuffy office made hurried exits outside, some of them already flipping open cell phones.
"It's okay, it's okay." comforted Detective Leffman as conflicting emotions were apparent on her face.
"I want to go home... I want to go home!" sobbed the girl as she began to rock back and forth in her seat.
"I want to go home..."
*4:57 PM, June 1*
Democratic Colonies, Vedra Colony, Viconia City, City Hall District
Colony of Vedra Court, Viconia City District Courthouse
The shock on the face of the judge was apparent as the recorded statement made by the girl, Kathy, was played back. His elevated seat at the head of the courtroom provided no mask for him as shock, then confusion, grew within him.
"This statement by the victim was taken less than an hour ago, your Honor, by the 22nd Precinct's Sex Crimes Unit." explained the Assistant District Attorney who was pushing for the immediate issue of an arrest warrant for Senator Lambert and a search warrant for his offices.
"What of the medical examinations? Did they support the victim's claims?" demanded the judge. "This is a very serious accusation against a Colonial Senator."
"Your Honor, the victim was admited to Downtown East General Hospital." said the attourney as she held up a folder of medical charts and data sheets. "The medical staff there report that a violent sexual assault did occur, although they have been thus far unable to recover any amount of traceable genetic material."
The attorney's high heels clicked rythmically on the marble floor of the courtroom as she approached the judge to hand him the medical folder. He took on a comtemplative expression as he examined the charts and the attourney made her way back to her table.
The judge took a deep breath before finally raising his gaze from the contents of the folder.
"Counciller," he began, "this is a most disturbing case for me, and I believe, for everyone else involved. These allegations, should they be true, would shake the Democratic Colonies to its very core. The claims against the agents of the Colonial Security Bureau (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/JC_Denton/NationStates/93f6f6a9.jpg), those assigned to be bodyguards of the Senator, will likely cause widespread distrust and loss of confidence in that federal bureau. The damage to the image of the Democratic Colonies internationally could be severe and far ranging."
"With all due respect, your Honor," said the attourney, "I do not believe that it is the role of the Colony of Vedra Court, or any court for that matter - local or federal - to make decisions based even in part on possible political outcomes that may or may not occur because of court made decisions."
"I do not need a lecture from you on the functions of this court!" barked the judge, giving the attourney a steady glare.
"It is my ruling," he continued as he raised his gavel, "that there is not enough evidence to support the issuing of an arrest warrant for Senator Lambert at this time. Furthermore, I find it extremely unusual that despite the fact that violent rapes by multiple persons was supposed to have occured, not a single trace of identifiable DNA has been recovered, despite an intensive medical examination. Although the claims against Senator Lambert do require investigation, the serious possiblity of politically or fraudulently motivated 'victim' testimony compel me to only allow the issuing of a warrant allowing the search of the offices of Senator Lambert at this time."
The horror and disapointment was apparent on the face of the Assistant District Attorney as the gavel landed with a dull thud.
The Senator's office would be searched - but would anything be found?
The attourney hurried from the courtroom and pulled a mobile phone from her blazer - she called Detective Holden to give him the news.
OOC: The girl, Kathy, could be fabricating the entire story in an attempt to damage the reputation of the Democratic Colonies, or that of the Senator, and could be some sort of child agent for a foreign nation, planted for this very task. If anyone wants to, they can make it so Kathy is in thier service and only part of a foreign plot. Also, any commentary, IC foreign reaction or OOC feedback is welcome.