As you can read the trial started hard, making the Judge Morgan Cromwell remind Lord Derrington to moderate his language, and this already during his opening statement.
Miss Tiller called Lord Derrington himself as a witness and started by asking him if, since he is from Gilneas, was affected by the curse or not. These questions lead to explaining that Mister Prescott was in worgen form in the moment of the incident, and that, after being questioned by the prosecution, Lord Derrington does consider worgens, as himself, a weapon, being that the reason why he shot as he felt threatened, but even so, he declared he would have shot Mister Prescott anyway if he was in human form.
During this start there were also some clarifying questions such as if Lord Derrington has even fired a gun at someone before that day, if he considers himself as a violent person or that if he experiences blackouts. The answer to all those questions was no. The use of some of these questions is not clear, apart from trying to find something to use against Lord Derrington, but as you can see, did not go to well.
The questioning continued about the shooting, Lord Derrington clarified that there was another person involved who, before he fired, shot at Captain Royston. This led to Miss Tiller pointing that the measures of the escape route, he had plenty of space, to which Lord Derrington objected saying the measures were not submitted as evidence and that even if they were, there was other people as well blocking the path. At this point Miss Tiller pointed how the
“pathway is easily measured, even by eye” and, quoting her:
“or are you incapable of such basic mathematics, mister Derrington?" This caused the Judge Cromwell to once more request people to mind their words, but it would not be the last time this would happen. I have to say it is surprising the Judge did not ask for some of the people in the public to be removed from court as they did not stop talking out loud.
After a moment it was clarified that, according to Lord Derrington, this is how events happened:
“She (Salima) shot the Captain (Royston), I shot her. Tyler got in way, so I incapacitated him to stop whatever he was trying to do.”
Second witness, Mister Prescott
Miss Tiller started by asking his client how his knee was doing, to which Lord Derrington objected as it was irrelevant to the trial, but even if this objection was accepted, the prosecution presented a statement by a physician:
“Medical diagnostic for mister Tyler Prescott. As for bone structure the physician found as followed:
The patella had been shattered into a comminuted fracture alongside the lower section of the femure leading to the joint and meniscus. The tissue was near destroyed, but was not beyond making the knee work-... Decently. The upper section of the Tibia was also struck, leaving more comminuted fractures, leaving the fibula the only bone mister Derrington did not strike.
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As for soft tissue, the physician found as followed:
All four ligaments within the knee had various degrees of damage. The posteriour crucuate ligament having suffered the least by some strike of dumb luck. The quadriceps tendon had also some fragments in it, but luckily for mister Prescott here, those were possible to remove without further injury to neither the quadricep muscles nor the quadricep tendons, leaving most of his injuries with the bone structure and ligaments.”
Then the prosecution tried to present a cheque as proof that Lord Derrington tried to settle with Mister Prescott for the shooting, to which Lord Derrington objected and, as Mister Prescott would lately admit, explained it was actually Mister Prescott who tried to settle.
At this point Lord Derrington took his turn to ask questions to the witness, he tried to make Mister Prescott admit he also considers worgens a threat, but he was not so easily manipulaated with words. Miss Tiller tried to object, but Lord Derrington reminded her that she asked the same question to him. He continued then asking Mister Prescott about his reasons to be there, to which he replied he was seeking shelter from the shooting, an answer Lord Derrington found interesting:
“I have considered that (looking for shelter), but I consider it rather curious. Because, the shooting had been up on the balcony, where you came to? So, you had come to get away from shooting, by walking to where the shots had been fired?”
He kept asking questions to Mister Prescott and at some point, after an objection from the lawyer, had to keep some distance from the witness as it felt intimidated.
Third witness, Captain Royston
Miss Tiller started clarifying if and how much Captain Royston knew Lord Derrington, he explained that the Lord talked with him regarding some minor offences of his servants but would not call him a friend.
The Captain was questioned about the firing, so he explained Salima shot him and was taken away by Private Maloy, who is a witness for Lord Derrington. But things got more heated as Miss Tiller presented a testament of an individual who claims Captain Royston was bribed by Lord Derrington:
“I hereby confess, in a sane state of mind, that I have overheard Captain Royston taking the bribe from Lord Derrington while I was guarding the battlements, close to Captain Royston's office. Signed, Private Gerrald Barclay.”
After a heated discussion the Captain was asked not to insult the prosecutor, moment in which he got up to say the following:
Insult her? INSULT -HER-?! You couldn't insult me more than letting this backwater scharlatan who claims to be a lawyer question ME! You can come to me and ask me for advice: "Mister Royston, what -DO YOU- THINK ?" Commodore Allerton addressed me like that, even Rackamore and so shall you my darling!
And later he added:
“I shall let everyone know here that Private Gerrald Barclay was fired from the City Watch on the charges of taking bribes and failing at his service because of being drunk at the job!”
After a debate over whether Captain Royston was a witness for Lord Derrington or Miss Tiller, as Lord Derrington intended to call him, but she did it first. In the end the Captain was removed from court for, once more, insulting the prosecutor.
Fourth witness, Gianna Calvo
This testimony started with Miss Tiller objecting as Miss Calvo works for Lord Derrington, a fact he never tried to hide as his first two questions were is she was there with him during the shooting and in what capacity, to which she started to say that as a bodyguard.
Lord Derrington was allowed to keep questioning the witness, here is the transcript as it might be clearer for the readers to understand the prosecution’s objection:
Lord Derrington:
“Now, were retreating, after shots had been fired up to the balcony, and a man was killed up there, yes? How would you describe that situation?”
Gianna Calvo:
“I recall shots were fired at Captain Royston. I don't recall who else was hit.”
Lord Derrington:
“Indeed, but what words would you use to describe it? Would you say it was a calm time? Stressful? Perhaps, please. In your own words.”
Gianna Calvo:
“Oh, definitely not. Lady d'Angelous was there and she screamed, and chaos erupted. Everyone wanted to escape the balcony and that floor altogether.”
Lord Derrington:
“Chaos, yes. And do you recall us being blocked by two individuals, coming up to this chaotic balcony everybody was so desperate to escape?”
Gianna Calvo:
“Yes. Salima and a worgen.”
Lord Derrington:
“Indeed, how would you describe these two individuals?”
Here Miss Tiller objected Lord Derrington was leading the witness and asked to phrase them differently. Lord Derrington asked Miss Calvo if she felt threatened, to which she said yes. The prosecution decided not to ask questions and as it was already past midnight the Judge decided to continue another day since there were still some witnesses to talk.
Conclusion day 1
After reading this, what do you think about this case? Was it self-defense? Could Lord Derrington have acted differently? I asked Miss Tiller and Lord Derrington for how they were feeling about this first session and both sides seem really confident:
Miss Tiller:
“I cannot really complain, miss Ravenbreath. I believe justice will reign regardless of one's caste. I represent the common folk."
Lord Derrington:
“I think the trial is going well, I think it is clear that they have no evidence that I didn't act in self-defense.”