Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Episode 5, Chapter 5
Pazu (lon_lsama@hotmail.com)
Rise from the Ashes
Day 3 - Trial Former
February 24, 9:41 AM
District Court
Defendant Lobby No. 1
Ema: So, what do you think,
Mr. Wright?
Phoenix: I think the prosecution is as
confused as we are.
Phoenix: After all...
Lana: the victim was murdered in
two different places at the
same time,
Lana: and a different suspect was
arrested at the other crime
scene.
Ema: Lana!
Lana: Good morning, Mr. Wright.
Lana: I apologize for yesterday.
I was... indisposed.
Phoenix: I hope they didn't hold you
too long for questioning.
Lana: We just finished, actually.
I'm used to all-nighters,
though.
Ema: So, how'd it go?
Lana: It's as Mr. Wright suspects.
The police are clueless.
Lana: I figured as much, so I struck
a plea bargain.
Ema: A plea bargain?
What do you mean by that?
Lana: We agreed that if I told them
the truth behind this
"simultaneous murder,"
Lana: they wouldn't seek capital
punishment.
That's what I mean, Ema.
Ema: But
Lana!
Don't tell me you...
Lana: Much to my regret,
Lana: I'm as much in the dark about
this as they are.
Phoenix: Ms. Skye.
Lana: Hmm?
Phoenix: We discovered traces left by a
certain person in the Police
Department's evidence room.
Phoenix: They belonged to Officer
Jake Marshall.
Lana: You found Officer
Marshall's... traces?
Phoenix: Blood-stained fingerprints, to
be exact.
Lana: !
Phoenix: That's the trump card I have
up my sleeve today.
Phoenix: You do understand what this
means, don't you?
Ema: In order to defend my sister,
you're going to accuse
Mr. Marshall?
Phoenix: We have to play the cards
we're dealt. Isn't that right,
Ms. Skye?
Lana: ...
Lana: Do what you have to do, Mr. Wright.
February 24, 10:00 AM
District Court
Courtroom No. 9
Judge: Court is now in session for
the trial of Ms. Lana Skye.
Phoenix: The defense is ready,
Your Honor.
Edgeworth: The prosecution is...
Hmph.
Judge: ...
Hmph? I'm afraid you'll have to
clarify.
Edgeworth: It takes 30 minutes by car to
reach criminal affairs from
the Prosecutor's Office.
Edgeworth: The victim, Bruce Goodman, was
slain at both places at the
same time.
Judge: But, that's not physically
possible, is it?
Judge: What's more, I hear the victim
from the evidence room
just "disappeared"!
Ema: Yes, and the body eventually
reappeared in the trunk of
Mr. Edgeworth's car.
Phoenix: (Wow... this is one messed
up trial...)
Edgeworth: One of my duties as prosecutor
is
to present impartial
evidence.
Edgeworth: Today I will present evidence
relating to the murder at
the Police Department.
Edgeworth: In so doing, I believe the
way in which we should proceed
will reveal itself.
Ema: Now that's what sets Mr.
Edgeworth apart. He sounds so
on top of things...
Ema: even though he doesn't
know what's going on himself!
Phoenix: And that's supposed to be
an admirable trait?
Judge: Very well, let the trial resume.
Judge: On the day of the crime, what
exactly transpired at the
Police Department?
Judge: Mr. Edgeworth, you may call
your first witness of the day
to the stand.
Edgeworth: For its first witness,
the prosecution calls...
Edgeworth: the suspect of the murder that
occurred at the Police
Department!
Judge: The suspect!?
You mean, the so-called
murderer!?
Phoenix: (Hoo boy.)
Phoenix: (Things are getting wild
from the get-go.)
Edgeworth: Will the witness please state
his name and occupation.
Meekins: Yes, sir! I am Officer
Mike Meekins, sir!
Meekins: My occupation is, um...
that would be murderer, sir!
Phoenix: ...
Edgeworth: ...
Judge: ...
Judge: Er...
Judge: So you're telling us you're a
"professional killer"...
Meekins: Sir. It was me, sir!
I'm the one who did it!
Meekins: I'll never kill anyone again,
sir! You've got to believe
me, sir!
Judge: Uh...
Actually, what we'd like
to hear from you is...
Meekins: Sir! I'm what you would call
part of the "younger
generation," sir!
Meekins: A person whose actions adults
can't possibly comprehend!
Judge: Please, Mr. Edgeworth, sir!
Help me, sir!
Edgeworth: Officer Meekins.
Meekins: Y-yes, sir!
Edgeworth: Give us your report of the
crime.
Consider that an order.
Meekins: Yes, sir! As you wish!
Meekins: After all, I am part of a
generation that must be told
what to do, sir!
Ema: You can't fault him for a lack
of enthusiasm.
Witness Testimony
-- Crime Report, Sir! --
Meekins: Although it's not my normal
duty, I was assigned to guard
the evidence room that day!
Meekins: I spotted a suspicious man on
the security screen, and
rushed into the room!
Meekins: I was only doing what I was
trained to do, sir!
Meekins: I was suddenly attacked!
Meekins: I fought for my life!
Then I... I did it!
Meekins: After that I passed out...
until another officer smacked
me awake!
Judge: Hmm.
Judge: So the victim, Detective
Goodman, attacked you?
Meekins: "Do unto others before
they do unto you"!
Meekins: That's the Meekins family
motto, sir!
Judge: I see. Then you fainted, and a
colleague helped you regain
consciousness.
Meekins: Yes, sir!
He knocked me upside the head,
sir!
Judge: Very well.
The defense may begin its
cross-examination.
Phoenix: (What I need here is more info
to work with!)
Cross Examination
-- Crime Report, Sir! --
Meekins: Although it's not my normal
duty, I was assigned to guard
the evidence room that day!
>Press
Phoenix: Mr. Meekins. You work in the
General Affairs Department, do
you not?
Meekins: Yes, sir!
Meekins: I am in charge of hiring new
recruits, sir!
Phoenix: (Yikes! Now there's a scary
thought.)
Edgeworth: Evidence transferal was
taking place on the day of
the crime,
Edgeworth: which meant many officers
were given special tasks
not ordinarily performed.
Meekins: I was in charge of guarding
the Blue Badger, sir!
Judge: The Blue Badger?
Meekins: Yes, sir. The lovely police
mascot created by the Head
Detective, sir!
Meekins: I was to ensure it wasn't
broken during the transferal
process.
Meekins: That was my sole mission for
the day, sir!
Judge: I see. Sounds like a very...
uh, important mission.
Meekins: After the awards ceremony
finished that day, there were
so many people running around
Meekins: that I relocated the Blue
Badger to the evidence room!
Judge: Oh... So that's why you went
to the evidence room.
Edgeworth: Tell us... what did you see
when you got there?
Meekins: I spotted a suspicious man on
the security screen, and
rushed into the room!
>Press
Phoenix: In order to enter the evidence
room...
Phoenix: you need an ID card, am I
correct?
Meekins: Precisely, sir!
I have one right here around
my neck!
Phoenix: So then...
your ID number should be
listed in here, right?
Meekins: ...
Meekins: There it is! I found it!
This is the one right here.
Judge: Could you please read us the
number?
Meekins: Yes, sir! It's "4989596."
That's my number, sir!
Phoenix: I see... Huh?
But the number 4989596...
Phoenix: is shown as being used twice!
Edgeworth: Please explain, witness.
Meekins: It's n-no real mystery, sir!
Meekins: The first time is when I
relocated Blue Badger to the
evidence room,
Meekins: and the second time is when I
went to go get him after
everything settled down.
Judge: I see.
So it was during that second
time when?
Meekins: Yes, sir! That was when I
spotted the man on the
security screen!
Meekins: I was only doing what I was
trained to do, sir!
I was suddenly attacked!
>Press
Phoenix: So you were attacked...
Can you please tell us exactly
what happened to you?
Meekins: It was a knife, sir!
A knife!
Judge: Detective Goodman pulled a
knife on you?
What happened then?
Meekins: Well, with me charging in on
him like that, he looked
as surprised as I was!
Phoenix: (You aren't exactly the kind
of person someone would want
to run into...)
Meekins: That's when I reacted, sir!
Meekins: I swung my arms like an
octopus, struggling to detain
him!
Meekins: That's how I got this gash on
my hand.
Ema: Maybe if you'd just kept your
cool your hand wouldn't be...
Meekins: When I saw the blood trickling
down my arm, I panicked!
Meekins: I grabbed the man by his
collar!
Meekins: I fought for my life!
Then I... I did it!
>Press
Phoenix: What exactly do you mean when
you say you, "did it"?
Meekins: I know I don't look the type,
but I'm really into kung fu
films, sir!
Meekins: The man let his guard down for
just an instant, so I
snatched his knife from him!
Phoenix: You took his knife?
Meekins: I spun him around and
performed a disarming
maneuver!
Meekins: I made sure to close my eyes
like a man!
Phoenix: I, uh, see...
(He must have been desperate.)
Meekins: The next thing I knew, his
white coat was drenched in a
sea of my blood, and then...
Meekins: Then, the next thing I knew...
Judge: Yes?
Meekins: He punched me right in my
face, sir!
Meekins: After that I passed out...
until another officer slapped
me awake!
>Press
Phoenix: About what time did you regain
consciousness?
Meekins: No offense, sir, but how am I
supposed to know that? I was
unconscious!
Phoenix: Oh... right.
Edgeworth: According to the report from
the officer that woke up the
witness, it was about 5:30.
Meekins: He hit me right in the
head too!
Meekins: I woke up crying tears of pain!
Judge: That's nice...
Er, I mean... it's nice that
you recovered, that is...
Meekins: When I came around though,
I made sure to finish my
mission, sir!
Phoenix: Your "mission"...?
Meekins: Yes, sir! The Blue Badger, sir!
Meekins: I returned him to the entrance
before things got out of hand!
Phoenix: (Well, we can all rest easy
now...)
Ema: This is what he was telling us
yesterday.
Phoenix: Well, we need to try and skim
some more detail from him.
For starters, what was an
Phoenix: officer from the General
Affairs Department doing in
there in the first place?
Ema: Right! Let's press him for
all he's worth!
Judge: I believe we now have a fairly
accurate picture of what
happened.
Edgeworth: Yes, Your Honor. Only one
thing remains unclear.
Edgeworth: Was the man this officer
"murdered," really the victim?
Phoenix: (He's got a point...)
Meekins: Um...
Judge: Yes, Officer Meekins?
Meekins: With regard to that, sir...
Meekins: Take a look at this. It was
sent to my cell.
Meekins: Chief Gant delivered it to
me just this morning sir!
Edgeworth: The Chief?
Phoenix: Delivered it...?
Judge: What is that?
A... videotape?
Meekins: Yes, sir! That's absolutely
right, sir! A videotape, sir!
Meekins: It contains footage from the
security camera in the
evidence room.
Edgeworth: OBJECTION!
Edgeworth: What!? But I specifically
asked if there was such a
tape,
Edgeworth: and was told it had been
mistakenly erased!
Judge: That's quite a mistake.
Meekins: I just do what I'm told, sir.
It's the only thing I'm really
good at.
Phoenix: (Looks like communication
with the Police Department
is as good as ever...)
Judge: Well then, let's have a look!
Judge: Show us the video of you
murdering the victim!
Meekins: Oh... Please stop using that
word, "murder," sir!
It scares me!
Phoenix: (A video of a real murder...
Just what are we getting
ourselves into...?)
Phoenix: ...
Edgeworth: ...
Meekins: ...
Judge: Well, I believe we're all
thinking the same thing.
Judge: How can we deal with these
unsettling feelings stirred
within us...?
Edgeworth: What the hell was that
wriggling piece of plywood!?
Meekins: Sir! That is the pride and
joy of the entire Criminal
Affairs Department, sir!
Meekins: It's the Blue Badger, sir!
Phoenix: (Why am I not surprised this
isn't going smoothly?)
Judge: Yes, well anyway...
Judge: this tape seems to prove that
that the witness did indeed
encounter... er, "someone"
Judge: in the evidence room, and
some sort of... er, "activity"
did take place...
Edgeworth: Your Honor...
instead of relying on clearly
incomplete footage,
Edgeworth: the witness's testimony will
suffice.
Edgeworth: Is that alright with you,
Officer Meekins?
Meekins: Yes, sir! As you wish, sir!
Witness Testimony
-- Mystery Man --
Meekins: His face can't be clearly
seen in the video,
Meekins: but there's no question that
the other person was Detective
Goodman, sir!
Meekins: I mean, he opened the locker,
which required Detective
Goodman's fingerprint to do!
Meekins: The locker he opened is
unquestionably Detective
Goodman's locker, sir!
Meekins: So it must be him! No one else
could have unlocked it!
Judge: What's this about a
fingerprint?
Edgeworth: Each detective has been given
a locker, equipped with a
fingerprint-activated lock.
Edgeworth: These locks ensure that each
locker can only be opened by
the detective it belongs to.
Judge: Intriguing...
That would mean...
Judge: the victim at the crime scene
would have to have been
Detective Goodman.
Judge: Very well! The defense may
begin its cross-examination!
Phoenix: (I don't know where this
cross-examination will lead,)
Phoenix: (but everything begins with
contradictions. That's where
I have to start!)
Cross Examination
-- Mystery Man --
Meekins: His face can't be clearly
seen in the video,
>Press
Phoenix: Tell me, were you able to get
a good look at him?
Phoenix: At the face of the man who
attacked you with a knife?
Meekins: S-sir! If you must label
&nb