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Monday, July 8, 2013

The Zimmerman Trial's Ace Attorneys

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Zimmerman is NOT GUILTY and you know it!

We here at KoopaTV have been following the George Zimmerman trial as it's happened — live — since the whole thing is pretty much public viewing. There is something about highly publicized trials in America. I have no idea if all trials are like this and we just don't know about it, or these are just hilarious because they're highly publicized. ...Or highly publicized because they're hilarious. It's almost like something out of Capcom's Ace Attorney franchise, actually.

Up until Friday of last week, we were exclusively looking at the State's (prosecution's) side of the case. In standard Ace Attorney fashion, the prosecution called up "experts", detectives, and those who were at the crime scene or knew about it. And in standard Ace Attorney fashion, the defense had to "turnabout" those prosecution witnesses to basically become defense witnesses, or construe their testimony in a manner that benefits the defense throughout the course of cross-examination. In Ace Attorney games, the defense doesn't actually have any witnesses. Oh, and basically every trial is a murder trial, just like in the Zimmerman case. The difference here is that no one is denying that George Zimmerman did shoot and kill Trayvon Martin, but the defense's argument is that he is not guilty of 2nd Degree Murder. So there aren't any measures by the defense to try to incriminate any of the prosecution's witnesses... Although some sure have their lives ruined by the end of cross-examination (such as Rachel Jeantel — not that her life was going anywhere beforehand).

And Zimmerman isn't guilty, well, according to our collective perspectives here at KoopaTV. If we were the jury, Zimmerman would be free pretty easily. Rawk and I thought that Zimmerman was not guilty before the trial even started and maintain that. YoshiRider123 took the opposite perspective — Zimmerman was GUILTY! ...But as he watched the trial, he actually was convinced to go for a non-guilty verdict.

Anyway, not that juries exist in the Ace Attorney world. Well, except for in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney in the last case. But that's an exception! In Ace Attorney we have the Judge who makes rulings unilaterally. Zimmerman's defense actually tried last week on Friday to get the judge presiding to acquit Zimmerman unilaterally, Ace Attorney style, in a 50-minute "The Reason You Suck" Speech. The defense bashed the prosecution for only having circumstantial evidence and not actually having a case despite the prosecution just finally resting said case. That motion was denied, leaving the defense to call its own witnesses and departing from the Ace Attorney system of only prosecution witnesses. Of course, in the Ace Attorney world, trials only last three days anyway, so that's a clear departure.


Dr. Shiping Bao — Absolutely hilarious man,
the kind of belligerent witness you'd see in Ace Attorney.

Now, those who aren't rooting for the defense like we at KoopaTV are might be disconnected from the comparison between the defense-oriented Ace Attorney series and the Zimmerman trial. However, even those on the prosecution's side (...What's wrong with you?!) should appreciate that the prosecution finds its own witnesses annoying at best and is ultimately embarrassed by them — Much like how Miles Edgeworth (a prosecutor in Ace Attorney) is embarrassed by characters like Wendy Oldbag and Detective Dick Gumshoe.

Idea and art courtesy of Rawk. Rachel Jeantel is the most embarrassing witness of them all,
and was also the prosecution's "star" witness. See how little they have to work with?

In every Ace Attorney game, there is a greater evil by the end that you (Phoenix Wright or Apollo Justice... and this also applies to Ace Attorney Investigations) and the prosecutor of the game have to basically team up to defeat in court. That also isn't present here, but this might not be the final case of the game! Erm, real life. Rumor has it that the prosecution's case in the Zimmerman trial is so flimsy because they didn't even want to have this trial for 2nd Degree Murder — It was only the race-baiters like Al Sharpton and malicious groups like the New Black Panthers that heavily pressured the state of Florida to do this. They say that if Zimmerman walks, there could be riots. Sounds true if you look to Twitter where Trayvon supporters are calling for Zimmerman to be killed, and even Zimmerman's supporters to be killed!

The Zimmerman trial, maybe more than any other publicized trial, really speaks to the defendant-defense attorney relationship that Ace Attorney promotes. Phoenix Wright defends the normally defenseless — when no one else believes the suspected, he will. With even the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Hussein Obama voicing his opinion against Zimmermanempowering race-baiters everywhere to harass Zimmerman and his family — all George Zimmerman has to turn to are his family members (who are just now being called to testify — his uncle is a badass) and his defense attorneys.

His life is in their hands.

And do you know what's in your hands? The fate of the Ace Attorney series! So get Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies when it hits the 3DS eShop in Fall of this year.

To catch yourself up, go ahead and play the other games in the series. BUY them! You can get WiiWare versions of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. Or you could get all three of those (if you're soulless) via Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD on iOS devices. Or you could track down the DS cards on places like Amazon. You know, here, here, and here. You'll also want Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, although that last one is a spin-off. ...A very good one!

They're all visual novels. ...Great ones too. Even more entertaining than watching real trials! Because while we won't hear from Rachel Jeantel ever again (unless she's arrested for rioting in the future), you'll sure continue to care about the likes of Phoenix Wright.


The Zimmerman trial isn't over yet! If you'd like to talk about it, this article's comments section is the place to do it! Meanwhile we'll continue watching the live gavel-to-gavel coverage.


George Zimmerman goes from having Obama against him to the nation of North Korea.
One year anniversary of Zimmerman's freedom.

14 comments :

  1. The trial is over now and I'm rejoiced. It truly was like an Ace Attorney case, and I can't wrap my head around the concept of life imitating art but it is true in this case...

    Blessings for Zimmerman and his family, may they find peace and a future. May the Trayvon supporters unveil their eyes to the truth, and comprehend that not everything is racism.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love when life imitates art.
      (Did you wait until the trial was over to make this comment?)

      Well, unlike an Ace Attorney case, we probably don't know the full truth of what happened that night. We have a verdict and everyone should respect the jury's decision, but even I'll admit there are some "contradictions" in the defense's case that were never resolved.

      Hell, I'm still left wondering why the hell Zimmerman wanted to be a neighbourhood watch guy when he can't even throw a punch.

      Delete
  2. "In Ace Attorney games, the defense doesn't actually have any witnesses." What do you mean by that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The defense does not call witnesses.

      The only time this happens is the end of 1-5 because Edgeworth agrees to it 'cause the court doesn't trust the prosecution.

      Delete
    2. I'm pretty sure the defence does.

      Delete
    3. In real life they do.

      In Ace Attorney, they do not besides that one point. It's a rule of the series.

      Delete
    4. That was only because Von Karma "suggested" it.

      Otherwise Wright wouldn't be able to do it himself.

      Delete
    5. But Phoenix was the one who called Polly up as a witness anyway. Also, I think there was a time in The Stolen Turnabout that a witness was called up by him.

      Delete
    6. Well, he wouldn't be able to do it court process-wise if it weren't for Von Karma.

      If you look at the digital manual for Ace Attorney Trilogy, it actually says that the job of the prosecutor is to call up witnesses. (Along with an asterisk saying this is merely a fictional representation of the legal system.)

      I duunnnnooooo wot you're specifically referrin' to with The Stolen Turnabout.

      Delete
    7. I think Phoenix called Desiree? I don't remember who but I am sure that Phoenix called someone to the stand.

      Delete
    8. I'll look into it later.
      ...actually I'll look into it now.

      She, uh, entered the court herself with the bag.

      Delete
    9. Oh. Uh...then I guess you're right.

      Delete

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