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The Trial of Michael Harris
Topic Started: Jan 19 2010, 10:32 PM (1,271 Views)
Aelius
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Norman Warlord
"Harris!" The English guard yelled down the high-security wing. "Your attorney is here!"

The Count and his assistants walked down the hall escorted by the prison guards to meet the prisoner. "Good to meet you, Count. I must say, I appreciate the sentiments of your nation and your defense of my cause. I feel as if this is a lost cause, the courts have already convicted me. Any trial of this will just be a show. Those ungrateful Icelanders will do anything in their power to execute me. I don't know what will come if the trial occurs in England, but I doubt I'll be getting out of this box. I'm assuming you're doing what you can to get me a trial in a fair nation?"
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Tristan da Cunha
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Science and Industry
"Indeed, Mr. Harris, I am working to have the trial held in another nation. However I cannot be too pushy on this account, or it will suggest that any nation that agrees with me will be biased in my favor, and thus redouble the English Republican government's efforts to try you on English soil. Thus we must proceed delicately, but decisively."
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Aelius
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"So what do you intend to say in my defense? I am inclined to believe that my actions would have ultimately been beneficial to the people of Iceland. My company's power would have stabilized Iceland, and those fucking Scots sought to destabilize the country. I just thank God that the LFN got to me before the Scots or those rebels or I may have been shot on sight in all likelihood. If the Scots hadn't made such an effort to antagonize me, everything could have moved slower and there would have been time for the people to more gradually accept my changes to strengthen their nation. It was their offensive actions that caused my possibly rash actions. As for what I had done to WesCorp's finances, it was necessary to ensure my new nation's survival. The Black Ball ruined so many things... but how do you see the situation? More importantly, how does the international community see it?"
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Tristan da Cunha
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"Indeed, I will demonstrate your benevolent intentions, contrasted with the dissolution and savagery of the Icelandic people. I believe the nations of the world will realize that it was an error that you were prevented from taking control of the government of Iceland. Furthermore we will demonstrate that your 'redirection' of WesCorp's resources was fully compliant with the firm's internal governance structure. The unfortunate situation with the finances can therefore only be attributed to vagaries regarding the allowed scope of your power vis a vis the board of directors' supervision; at best you faithfully executed the business plan of a multinational corporation and at worst you are innocent of the boards' credulousness. The shareholders in WesCorp can only blame themselves for making a bad investment in a company with opaque governance."

At this point the Count de Roncevaux received more instructions from the government of Morbihan. With closer relations between Morbihan and Great Britain, it was unclear if the Count would continue to represent or associate with Mr. Harris, who was considered a persona non grata by the British government.
Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Jan 22 2010, 05:52 PM.
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Aelius
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Norman Warlord
OOC: Assuming the Count hasn't made the decision to abdicate his defense...

IC: "I wonder how well that would play if they decide to hold the trial in Iceland." Harris said, frustrated.

Official Message

To: Lord Rónán Seán Ó Néill
From: Patrick Nielsen, English Foreign Minister

We are as of yet uncertain where the trial for Mr. Michael Harris is to be held. We have narrowed it down to London, Tara and Reykjavik. Regardless of the site chosen for the trial, we would wonder if you would be willing to preside over the trial in order to ensure the trial is legitimate and Harris sees a fair case.

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Sedulius
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OOC: Probably need to make a new poll, considering two people voted for nothing. Remember to not put any space between the choices.

IC:

From: Patrick Nielsen
To: Rónán Seán Ó Néill

Of course. I'd be more than willing to ensure this trial goes fairly. I can easily cover my own expenses. Do note, however, that if the High King is killed in his upcoming duel, I will not be able to oversee the trial. Let's hope by God that it does not go that way.
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Rhadamanthus
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Legitimist

OOC: I forgot the poll before. I just voted Tara for both polls.
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Aelius
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Open Letter to the International Community

As Michael Harris is being put on trial before a multi-national court, it seems reasonable that a multi-national impartial jury should be used. Any world leaders, diplomats or esteemed citizens are eligible to be on the jury for this trial as long as that individual person has had no direct involvement or bias in regards to Mr. Harris or the Icelandic war.

-English Justice Ministry
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Rhadamanthus
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Ferdinand de Lucchesi, Count of Florianopolis, would like to be a member of the jury. His only biases are in favor of his home county, good governance, and the Genesian church.
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Porcu
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

Member of Parliament and Finance Minister Guilio Altofiore would like to be a member of the jury.
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Telosan
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The Foremost Intellectual Badass
Venetian citizen and native Galician, Phillipe Beccio has been selected by the Pregadi out of a pool of volunteers to serve on the jury.
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Aelius
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Carolyn Maclaine, Duchess of Wiltshire, shall serve as lead prosecutor on behalf of the English Republic.

Encrypted LFN Transmission
From: Carolyn Maclaine
To: Rónán Seán Ó Néill

We haven't heard back from the Icelandic government in regards to this trial, in terms of their prosecution or a site they would prefer. Our prosecution is willing to give them one week to return our correspondence. At that point, we will be ready to hold the trial at Tara. We will continue to hold him at Parkhurst until the trial begins.
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Aelius
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Official Statement from the English Justice Ministry

With all factors brought into play about the upcoming trial, Michael Harris will be tried at the fortress of Tara in Ireland. We will be in communication with the Ó Néill clan and the jurors for this trial, as well as the Icelandic prosecution.
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Aelius
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Parkhurst, Isle of Wight

A contingent of Irish, English, and Icelandic guards as part of an LFN force. Newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Johnathan Roland led the detachment aboard the ERS Truro, a military transport ship escorted by Irish and English warships. Roland and his men went into the prison to pick up the prisoner.

"Time to go, Harris. You're being moved." Roland said. "Your trial is going to be held in Tara, so we are transporting you there. You'll be held there for the duration of the trial. We will contact the Count of Roncevaux and allow him the necessary time to travel to Ireland."

Harris sighed, slightly relieved that he wouldn't be tried in Iceland, but he was still worried. He hoped the Count would still be willing to support his defense. "Very well," he said. Harris was put back into chains and escorted onto the ship. With that, the ship made its way across the Irish Sea.
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Sedulius
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The dungeons of the fortress of Tara were of the old tradition. They were great towers towards the center of the fortress with prisoners held in their heights. This, in addition to that they were at the center of a fortress, made escape virtually impossible. The Tara dungeons, however, were not inhumane, though they were certainly no hotel.

A typical cell held one occupant, being 5x5 meters in ground size and 3 meters in height. Each cell had a bathroom with a good shower and toilet, as well as nonadjustable heating and a modest bed with two pillows and two blankets as well as sheets. There was also a bookshelf where the prisoners could place their preferred items, as well as books from the Tara library at their request. The cells were of stone, each with a 20x20 cm bulletproof glass window to look at the outside, and a 20x20 cm bulletproof glass window in each cell door, which were of iron. The cells were otherwise enclosed in stone from the rest of the world.

Meals were served three times a day. The meals were cooked well, and rationed to keep the prisoners healthy. One could say it was quite good food, though it certainly wasn't gourmet. A royal guard carrying a shillelagh accompanied the slop drudge (the food server) to ensure no incidents occurred during the serving of the food.

Harris was treated just like any other prisoner in the dungeons and was received without incident.
Edited by Sedulius, Feb 15 2010, 03:09 PM.
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Tristan da Cunha
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A letter was sent to Michael Harris from the Count of Roncevaux:

Mr. Harris,

The Prince of Morbihan has forbidden me from representing you in the upcoming trial due to the sensitive political nature of these proceedings of which you have been made aware. The Prince wishes to extend his sincere and heartfelt apologies and will make sure your family members are provided for if you are imprisoned, God forbid. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing the justice of your defense.

De Roncevaux
Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Feb 16 2010, 09:10 PM.
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Aelius
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Norman Warlord
Harris notified the LFN personnel who were holding him in Tara. Noting this turn of events, Lt. Colonel Roland sent out an open letter to the international community.

Open Letter to the International Law Community

With the departure of the Count of Roncevaux from the defense attorney's position, Mr. Harris requires another attorney. We would be willing to appoint a public defender unless someone wishes to volunteer for the position.
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Porcu
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

Ásgeir Ásgeirsson and his team of Icelandic lawyers arrived in Tara, Ireland with more fanfare than expected. Ásgeirsson had graduated from the law school of the University of Pavia and was in Porcu when he received a rather important call. He had followed the events of Michael Harris, WesCorp and the ensuing battle with the LFN, but general interest in Porcu was low. Nonetheless, he was surprised and honored to have been chosen to lead the Icelandic prosecution and readily accepted, citing his own Icelandic nationality and sense of duty to his country and countrymen. Ironically, it was only once a product of the Porcuian university system was designated as leader of the Icelandic team that the Harris Trial became a leading news story.

Confident and prepared, Ásgeirsson took a day or two to rest and clear his mind in and around Tara.
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Aelius
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Lt. Colonel Roland, having been unable to find a willing defender for Harris, went into Harris's cell to advise him of the situation.

"As no one wishes to step up in your defense for your trial, the English Republic shall provide you a public defender. Jacob McCarthy shall represent you, as a recent graduate of Oxford Law School."

Harris simply balked at this notion. "He will not defend me acceptably, he's on your government's payroll. I'll just represent myself."

"Mr. Harris, I would strongly advise against that. Public opinion is not on your side, given your actions."

"This jury is supposed to be impartial. I'll make them see my side better than your ilk would."

"Very well."

**************************

Carolyn Maclaine and her team of lawyers arrived in Tara, astounded to find out that Harris was going to try and state his own case. This was going to be an easier case than they originally thought. They had the financial records from the Finance Ministry, the testimony of Brian Fielder and of the military operatives involved, and coupled with the evidence that Ásgeirsson and the Icelandic prosecution had, this seemed like it would be an open and shut case, and Harris would remain behind bars for the rest of his existence, assuming everything went well. Maclaine then went to meet with Ronan Ui Niall and then Ásgeirsson to prepare their cases.
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Aelius
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Tara, Ireland

English News Network Special Report


"Good morning, I'm Jordan Rinehart, live here in Tara for the trial of Michael Harris, disgraced former CEO of WesCorp and attempted ruler of Iceland. Harris is being tried on charges of murder, treason, grand larceny, war crimes, and several other charges."

"Harris has turned down the offer of a public defender and has chosen to defend himself in his trial."

"We'll bring you more details on the trial as it unfolds."

===========================================

The crowds filed into the courtroom in Tara. Maclaine and her team occupied part of the prosecution's desk, a long one, while the Icelandic team occupied the other half. Harris was escorted to his chair in some light chains by Irish guards and the bailiff.

It was now just a matter of waiting for the judge to appear...
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Sedulius
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"Presenting his grace Lord Ó Néill, Ard Tánaiste, and Rí of Ulster."

Rónán Seán Ó Néill appeared in his typical native garb along with four ridiri. He held, more or less, in his hands the life of man accused of many things. Were it up to him, he would simply hear the findings and pass judgment himself, but the foreigners insisted on a jury of so-called peers. The inefficiency of their system was insulting to law in his opinion, and he would do what he could to ensure the trial was truly fair. As he reached his seat at the heights of the room, he lifted his hand in a signal to be silent. The foreigners, however, misunderstood his gesture, continuing to speak. Hence, he used the provided hammer.

"I will have silence in these proceedings until I see fit to let one speak. Everyone bays for this man's blood, but I will see that he is at least given a chance. I give leave to the prosecution to present its opening statements, and then to the defense. Then we shall move on to the trial in general... you all know how this goes. I will lend my opinion where I see fit and enforce order where needed. So, opening statements if you please."
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Aelius
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"Thank you, your honor," Maclaine said as she stood up to read the English prosecution's opening statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our purpose here today is a grim, unfortunate one. Michael Harris stands accused of many crimes by the English Republic, the League of Free Nations, and the provisional government of Iceland. I shall read the charges that the Republic and League levies against the accused:

"Mr. Harris is accused of grand larceny against the English Republic and against his company, WesCorp. 150 billion pounds were debited from the company's accounts to fund his attempted takeover of Iceland, bankrupting the company and putting the livelihoods and employment of many English employees and investors regionwide and worldwide at risk."

"Mr. Harris is accused of hundreds of counts of murder of Icelandic citizens, as well as of English, Irish and Venetian soldiers and WesCorp personnel who chose to resist his attempted takeover."

"Mr. Harris is accused of war crimes against the people of Iceland and against the Icelandic government, intentionally disestablishing Iceland's sovereign government by violent methods, utilizing the services of a private military company known as the Black Ball to achieve this goal."

"Lastly, Mr. Harris is accused of high treason against the English Republic, as a citizen of the Republic, his actions in Iceland and attempts to rule a sovereign nation reflect poorly on our nation. We are not a nation of conquest, and his actions caused a major crisis that could have potentially caused an economic collapse in the Republic. Any action that endangers one's own country to that degree should be considered treasonous by any normal standards. His actions also nearly led to an armed conflict between the Republic and the Kingdom of Scotland, now the Kingdom of Great Britain."

"These are the charges that the Republic issues to Mr. Harris. However, Mr. Harris is and must be considered innocent unless or until found guilty of these charges by the jury present here today. Despite the charges against Mr. Harris, he is an English citizen and we contend that he must receive the same benefits any accused party would receive in a trial under international law. We now defer to the Icelandic prosecution, as well as members of the LFN or the ICON Special Prosecutor to read any specific charges they may have against Mr. Harris."
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Porcu
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

"Your honor," Ásgeirsson said as he stood from his place beside Maclaine, "respectable members of the jury and those gathered here today, sitting among us today is a man who betrayed the confidence of his investors, his employees and the citizens of England and Iceland. Among us is a man who single-handedly drove his company to the ground and sought to drag my own beloved country to the ground as well. Defiant to the end, this man sought every available option in evading justice before the combined forces of the LFN managed to subdue him. This man, as you no doubt know, is Michael Harris.

Honorable members of the jury…Your honor…It is time to have justice served for those millions of people affected by the reckless and destructive actions of Mr. Harris.

As I have no additional or specific charges to bring against the accused, in addition to those my colleague Ms. Maclaine read just a moment ago, I shall now defer to members of the LFN and the ICON Special Prosecutor.”
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Aelius
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With no further points raised by the prosecution, Harris stood to plead his own case.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the jury and Lord O'Neill, I thank you for coming to this trial. I intend to prove my innocence and prove my actions were correct and honorable."

"I only did what I felt was necessary in these actions. I borrowed the currency from my company in order to fund the defenses necessary to defend the company's operations from the belligerent Scottish. The agreement signed with the people of Iceland was valid, but the Scots felt it necessary to remove me by force, thus violating international law."

"The murders committed against the various armies were regretful, with the exception of those of the Scottish belligerents, but all of these murders were in self-defense, in the attempt to preserve the company's operations and the people who were content with my changes."

"The changes themselves were undergone for two reasons: one, the natives had become belligerent with our corporation's operations. They would doubtlessly intend for our operations to have been forced out, after all of the extensive renovations, updates and civil infrastructure we had helped them to build. Needless to say, the corporation would not have been thrilled with having put all of the money spent to that point to waste."

"There was also the matter of the impending Scottish invasion, and the increasing divisions in the Icelandic Tribal Council. Constant fractures and friction within a government does not work, especially in times of war. I took control of the government of Iceland in an attempt to better protect the island from a military invasion. Had this not been the case, Edward would likely consider Iceland another province in his British Empire. This was not to be tolerated. The events that had occurred were unfortunate, yes, but necessary."

"Sometimes, a republic can not function in times of crisis, one strong leader may be needed. Look in the case of the Roman Republic: they would frequently name dictators to take charge for a short period of time until a crisis expired. This would have been my intent once the Scottish had been defeated and forced into retreat, but the intervention of the Republic, Ireland and Venice undermined these plans. Meanwhile, an illegitimate rebellion sought to seize the opportunity within the chaos. I would have stepped down and conceded power to these rebels, had the war been able to be ended peacefully, or avoided altogether. Alas, Edward and Wotton would not simply leave things in peace."

"To my fellow Englishmen: I am deeply sorry for any problems I may have caused, but know that whatever I may have done, I only had the best of intentions, for both Iceland and the English Republic. I had every intention of returning the money I used from WesCorp. Had you been able to stay Edward's hand, this would not have happened. However, I do not blame you. You are good people, and you defended us until you could no longer. Again, I am deeply sorry."

Morris then turned to O'Neill. "I am finished with my statements, Your Honor."
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Aelius
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With the trial itself concluded, Lord O'Neill dismissed the jury into sequestration, to deliberate their findings and determine whether or not Michael Harris is guilty.
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