#Computer Crime Attorney

[okabehaushalter]

Is Impersonating Someone Online Illegal in California? Fake Social Media Accounts Impersonating someone online in California, including through fake social media accounts, can lead to legal repercussions. If facing charges, seek guidance from a Los Angeles computer crimes defense attorney for expert assistance.

[bi-bliotaph]

We [The United States] are experiencing a coup.

Elon Musk spent the weekend with a dozen or so DOGE (not a real department authorized by Congress, mind you) members with illegal computer servers that are hacking and ripping apart the United States federal government and destroying U.S. aid. This program gave food and medicine to millions of people around the world. When the officials refused to provide what Elon Musk wanted he threatened to get the U.S. Marshals involved and the employees were put on leave and forced to go home. Elon Musk literally sent the USAID employees home while they access classified material.

Unfettered access to information such as: payment mechanisms of the U.S. Treasury, personal information of millions of people (including social security), website visitor information, data from partners, evaluation data, geographic data, etc...

Trump’s U.S. attorney released a letter saying anyone who tries to threaten the DOGE team or Elon Musk and his allies will be prosecuted. And there is nothing we can do because if you call any of them out on it Trump will pardon them. This is a reminder that Elon musk is NOT an elected official and what he is doing is a federal crime. There was a protest outside the USAID building in Washington, DC on February 3rd, 2025.

Last time there was a coup in the United States on a federal level was January 6, 2021…And Trump pardoned them.

[madraslawyers]

Cyber Crime advocates

டிஜிட்டல் சகாப்தம் டிஜிட்டல் குற்றங்களின் எழுச்சியைக் கண்டது, சைபர் கிரைம் வழக்கறிஞர்களை இன்றியமையாததாக ஆக்குகிறது. தொழில்நுட்பத்தின் விரைவான விரிவாக்கம் மற்றும் நமது வாழ்வின் அதிகரித்துவரும் ஒன்றோடொன்று இணைந்திருப்பதால், சைபர் கிரைம்களின் அச்சுறுத்தல் அதிவேகமாக வளர்ந்துள்ளது. சென்னையில், ராஜேந்திர லா ஆபிஸ் LLP இந்த நவீன சவால்களை நேருக்கு நேர் சமாளிக்க தயாராக உள்ளது. அனுபவம் வாய்ந்த மற்றும்…

[retiredteabag]

Dog-sitter!Toji - chapter 9

last chapter - next chapter - series masterlist

Synopsis: Toji was quite accustomed to objectifying himself for a check. And to be frank, far worse actions as well. Now he’s not sure what to do with himself after meeting the kind and generous owner of the dog he pet-sits for.

read along as Toji learns that you don't need to lose yourself in order to love and be loved.

Toji has never been the type to hold back.

He's honest and dislikes waiting to express his thoughts, even so, he had been holding in these feelings for a long time now.

How could it be that it took working together with you under extreme stress for him to realize that no one had seen him as a human quite like you had.

And for you, in the midst of your anxiety and strain, you consider him, in the small things he does such as ordering food, and in the large, working by your side to fight this battle day and night.

Dark evening nights bled into fresh mornings, unearthing the man who had threatened you had been the both of your main goals but along the way Toji grew more and more comfortable thinking of you as a friend.

In the past, when you had asked him to consider you as a friend, he would mentally roll his eyes. You were his employer, it was out of the question. But now? He found himself wondering why "friendship" seemed too gentle a term. Why is it he was wanting more?

You on the other hand, you had learned long ago to be honest with yourself. Even before, when you felt giddiness at his appearance or when you noticed yourself fixing your hair in the car, you were able to recognize your attraction to the man.

This attraction was not just physical though, he was dedicated and kind, humble and brave. You wouldn't say it, no matter how much your heart melted when you saw his nature.

Especially not now, when you needed to prioritize your dog.

--

Your hands shook as the attorney described the process of what defending you in court would look like. As it had turned out, despite there being a real case against your dog, there was still but a little evidence to suggest that your dog had initiated anything.

You also learned that the plaintiff not coming to you for months after the event was not a good look for them. Each passing hour, the ache in your heart would lessen. The beginnings of your chest easing helped you prepare yourself for the proceedings.

What you had not expected was how the dog that had attacked Toji was an unregistered working animal.

This would suggest that the work the dog was trained for was illegal or nefarious in some other nature.

In all honesty, you had expected the man who had shown up at your door to have been running a puppy mill of some sort.

Far from your realm of possibility was how dark the world could truly be. Toji had taken it upon himself to "do some digging", only to find that the Tosa Inu that had put your dog in the animal hospital over night had been an underground fighting dog.

The more you listened to what that could possibly mean, the sicker you felt. You were even more grateful to Toji though. He insisted that he hadn't hired a PI or anything, simply stating that he "knew a guy" who could uncover whatever had been happening behind the scenes.

Gambling was illegal in all areas of Japan but even worse was dog fighting. Several prefectures, including Tokyo had the act banned and on the level that this ring was operating, it was fair to assume other crimes were occurring behind the scenes. Betting on dog fights merely scratched the surface it seemed.

Even knowing all this, it wasn't until animal welfare organizations got involved, promising to back you in any way, that you began to rest easier at night.

--

You had spent what felt like an eternity yet somehow a blink of time making legal arguments in your office. You worked until your brain hurt and your eyes strained from the light of the computer screen.

During working hours, your attorney would occasionally be at your residence, working with yourself and Toji. Witnesses to Toji's injury, and your dog's behavior needed to be called forth, receipts and bills from the veterinary hospital needed to be located and confirmed for court proceedings, photographs of the scene in which the dog fighting ring was located needed to be confirmed. It all took far longer than you were expecting.

After working hours you would find yourself writing down your thoughts, hoping your lawyer was right to presume a positive fate. With the only companion you had known for years on the line however, it was a challenge to remain calm.

With his constant and unwarranted vigilance, you insisted Toji stay with you at the house. He had stayed in the guest room before and if he was so determined to help, the least you could do is offer him a place to stay.

It didn't take much convincing on your part, he stood by you through the whole ordeal.

One night, after a particularly grueling day of unburying evidence of animal abuse, you sat on your couch, tenderly stroking your dogs neck as tension built within your own.

It was funny to think that not even a month ago taking off this much work would be unthinkable to you. For the first time in your life, you had burned through all of your PTO, vacation, and sick leave. You were lucky enough to have an employer, though unperturbed by your usual overworking nature, was willing to be lenient with your schedule due to the nature of the issue at hand.

You had been mindlessly playing with the dogs ears, staring at the noiseless television before you when the gentle steps of the man you had come to appreciate so much found their way into the living room.

"Care if I join you?" He spoke softly, perhaps worried to startle you.

Attempting a carefree manner, you tried for a grin, "Of course, come, sit down."

He shuffled closer and sat to the other end of the dog, the beast, who had all his life (to your knowledge) been inconsolably frightened by men, did not hesitate to lay his head atop Toji's thigh.

The man laced his fingers through the dogs fur, smiling softly. "How are you feeling?"

Your shoulders jitter slightly as his hand brushes your own. Your dog lifts his head a moment to look at you. Huffing he plops his head back, returning to rest on the man's leg. Your heart races like a silly schoolgirl. "Good, good, everything is really looking up, you know?" You swallow a bit, "Toji, really, I know I said it before but I just wanted to make it clear how grateful I am to you. You really don't have any obligation to be here, helping me-"

The man by your side seems to straighten a bit where he sat. His hand as stopped moving and he just looks at you.

"-ever since that day at the animal hospital, when you put the needs of my boy here over your own, before that really, I have been in your debt. I hope it was never a burden... I hope you know what a comfort your presence has been."

"No." Toji's spine is taught and he takes a gulp of air before continuing on quickly, "no- no its not a burden at all. And...owe me? How could you owe me?" He laughs a bit at the notion.

Before you interject to make some painfully sweet comment, he pushes on, "You must not know-" he stares at you now, only a few breaths away, "how...lucky I am to be able to do this job, to be of some help...to...have even met you."

He's stumbling over his words, he never does that, but you make him weak somehow. You make him want to take care with his words. You make him feel so very human, so very alive.

"Well..." You fiddle with your hands, having long since moved them to your lap to avoid the strange thumping that occurs when your fingers cross. "I feel like the lucky one."

--

After weeks of scouring information, preparing documents, and developing exposé's, the result you could have only prayed for arrived.

The very next morning your attorney practically bounded in through the front door. She was laughing and flinging around a written notice as if it was a ticket straight to the pearly gates of heaven. Upon the address line, in bold letters, was a miracale in ink.

"COURT FILING: DISSMISSAL "

"W-what does this mean?" You smile up at your lawyer, her hoots and hollers were contagious.

"What does it mean? It means that coward of a litigant has withdrawn the charges!"

It took a moment for the elation to fill you, you repeated her words over and over, you gave her one clear look as if to ask, 'does that mean what I think it means?"

She just nodded.

You broke down in laughs. The dog wove in between your legs sensing your joy, Toji came rushing into the foyer, words of 'what's going on?' left him before he saw you grinning on the floor, scratching the dog's neck.

He smirks as if he had been counting on this the whole time, steadily walking your way until he is within arms reach. He displays one arm stretched out to you.

Under the assumption he was going to pull you up from your spot on the ground, you reach a hand to take his own and gasp when he dips to pull you into his arms. Lifting you with a steady grip.

"Toji!" You laugh, oh how it felt good to laugh once more.

The dog circled you, panting and wiggling his butt. The other person present was talking about how you had every means to come after the man with your own counterclaim, having found so much on his name. But it was all background noise. You were too caught up in the grasp Toji had on your waist. His smile. His laugh. All of it.

It wasn't until you were placed carefully back on your own two feet that you noticed the woman awkwardly grinning at the two of you.

You knew that you might still have a fight ahead of you, and it was one you would willingly take. But at this very moment, you felt incandescently happy. Nobody was taking your baby from you, and in all these efforts, it seemed you had made a close friend.

And perhaps even a connection verging dangerously close to something more.

--

Some cheap barbecue spot was not what you had expected when you told Toji you would get him whatever he liked in celebration.

"Honestly, I only started eating well when I began looking after your place." Toji takes a piece of beef that he grilled and placed it onto your plate, taking a spoonful of broth for himself.

"That's funny, I kind feel the same, I got so nervous that you wouldn't have anything to eat that I started planning for my groceries." You look down at the bite he prepared for you and smile.

The man before you narrows his eyes, "Well... I'm glad you started eating better." He spins his chopsticks around and flips some meat over on the grill.

"You know...you never asked for anything-" You start, recalling how you had left a note in the early days asking if there was something he wanted from the store.

"You never had to get me anything." Toji grins, "You've been more than generous."

There's a long pause occupied by the both of you taking bites of your dinner and smiling. You'd been doing that an awful, you realize and compose yourself, slightly embarrassed, "I don't think you know how much I appreciate you, Toji." You point an accusing finger at him.

And you don't know how much I love hearing you say my name he thought but kept it to himself.

"Nahhhh, I think I do. You kinda wear your heart on your sleeve."

You roll your eyes, recalling how he had seen you in so many positions, the awkward early phase, angry, teary, even sick, he had seen it all. Once again, you cringe at how much of you he knows.

"If you knew you wouldn't be calling me generous. Before I had someone I could trust with the house and dog, I was so stressed all the time. Work was piling up and I hated leaving home, knowing he would be anxious."

You recall all the nights before Toji when you tearfully considered rehoming your most loyal partner.

"Well now you're free to overwork yourself from the comfort of your office." He teases.

The two of you went on eating and poking fun at each other. Every little instance of connection between you two drew you both closer. Dark times bring out the true nature of individuals and identify exactly who someone is.

And who you were was everything he desired.

Dedicated, hardworking, kind.

Even Toji was surprised by his own unquestioning nature when it came to helping you. He would do whatever it took to see you happy.

--

Toji had insisted on driving you to dinner. He told you he was taking you to his favorite spot. For a time, he was embarrassed by his car, seeing you sitting in the passenger seat almost felt like a sin but you just grinned at him, and conversed easily.

He felt like a student again, driving as carefully as ever to ensure the safety of such precious cargo.

At the end of the night, when he pulled up your drive way, he told you to stay seated.

Confused, you couldn't help laughing when he came around to get the door for you.

A part of you, however small, hoped he wasn't just teasing. Hoped he might see you as more than his employer. Hoped this connection between you two would not end with the resurgence of the sun.

You tell him he didn't have to walk you to the door but he just scoffs and bares the cold by your side. The celebration was still fresh between you.

You didn't even have your hand on the door yet, everything of the day was weighing on you, the way he had lifted you up and held you, all the smiles you shared, all the easy conversation. You knew it had to stop, or you might end up deluding yourself further than you already had.

"I think it's fair to say you've gone above and beyond dog sitter status, Toji. I'm sure you'll enjoy staying at your place for once."

You had meant it lightheartedly. You really had felt bad these nights when he worked into the evening, staying in your guest room to support you. Pulling out his reading glasses for the first time in years. Despite your blithe attitude, he seemed to get all serious.

He looks at his shoes for a moment, the wind chilled you to the bone but Toji doesn't flinch.

Everything in Toji's mind was telling him to keep his mouth shut.

He was nothing special to you, no matter how kindly you told him otherwise. He had nothing to offer you. He was an ally cat of a man to your show cat of a women. He was never going to be any more than the dog sitter. Why risk the best position he had ever been granted? Why put an end to this dream he had been living?

But Toji has never been the type to hold back.

"I don't think I can keep on like this."

He doesn't look at you, still too occupied by the pavement.

"What?" Barely a beat had passed before you try to bend and catch his eye but he lifts his face to the heavens.

At one point, money was all Toji cared for, he was willing to do anything for it, but now, he was feeling things he hadn't felt since he was a boy, maybe things he never had before.

"This..." He sighs and finally gives you a resolute look, "this is my job."

You're taken aback. Replaying the words a hundred times within a millisecond. Trying to see his meaning. The words hurt, yes, you knew you paid him. Of course none of his actions meant anything more than job security. But as much as you had told yourself to be realistic, his kind and selfless attitude had started to leak into your brain, making you feel special.

You step back, still not opening the door. Wanting now to see him leave. To solidify this moment. "Right. Yes, Toji, of course."

He's still looking at you, pupils blown wide but he doesn't hesitate. "I'm afraid you’re gonna have to find someone else." in stark contrast to before, he never strays from your vision. He shakes his head as if to say, 'no'.

"What?" You repeat. Suddenly afraid of his meaning you try to take a step down to meet him at the landing but he holds up a hand. "What do you mean?"

Had it been too much? The court case? The working together? Had it only been pleasant for you? All those nights chatting on the couch, all those sweet "goodnight's"?

He pulls back his hand, one quick inhalation of the night's air was all the courage he could summon and coincidentally, all he required, "I've got these feelings that aren't exactly appropriate for the workplace."

All to be heard are the whistles of wind on the trees.

"So I think it might be best-" He's shaking his head again, not believing a word, "for you to find someone...less...attached."

It makes him chuckle, as broken as this moment makes him feel. How long has it been since he has been attached, since he has felt like this at all. How silly.

"Toji...Toji what are you saying?"

"All of this" his makes a show of his hands, "all of you, who you are, how you behave, what you do for others. I never want to lose it. It's my job, but deep down...I know it's more than that." He keeps heaving in breath, making wild motions with his hand, begging you to understand, "I want to be there to take care of the dog, I want to stay and take care of you when work is too much, I want to go for walks and eat dinner together, I don't even want to be paid anymore-GOD I cannot believe I just said that-"

He's laughing but your mind is morphing back into the dreamlike notion you had been shoving away. No words escape your lips as you grab hold of his hand, "I thought...I thought you wouldn't think of me like that..."

Now he's looking at you like you've made some ridiculous joke.

"I thought you just... liked taking care of the dog..."

He guffaws. "I do..." he inhales shakily, "believe me. I do. But... I definitely like you more."

You don't even know when his hand went to graze over your cheek but suddenly, your face is feeling warm in spite of the chill.

"I-I just can't believe- I feel...Toji I was talking myself out of this just a moment ago."

His eyes go all soft, you wonder if you had ever missed this look of his, "Is it too good to be true if I guess you feel the same?" "Gosh, Toji, No! I-" You pull his hand from your cheek and use it to cover your eyes.

Not too long ago, you felt like floating, thinking the day could not possibly become greater in importance, but life has a funny way of proving us wrong.

--

For a moment there on the porch, you had thought that he might kiss you. Right there on your doorstep in the cold, with your dog rolling his eyes inside. But Toji didn't, in fact, he pulled himself back. Holding your hand, murmuring that he wanted to "do this right" as he played with your fingers.

And for the second time that day, you have the overwhelming desire to dance around your house. To spin and clutch your heart as impossible hope filled your senses. Only this time, as the door closes and you watch out the window, a hand clutched to your chest. You grant yourself the privilege.

A moment to yourself of pure delight.

Hidden from your view, Toji was experiencing a very similar sensation, palm displayed across his pounding heart, he settles his head against the steering wheel and wonders if this all is a dream.

〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰〰・♡・〰

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[sourcherrybites]

Legally Binding Affairs

Character: Jason Todd x DA! Reader

Disclaimers: My knowledge of the US legal system is based on Law and Order, Criminal Minds and Legal Eagle. I wrote more words than I usually do so the end is kinda sloppy, my apologies babes

Word count: 1.181

➜ Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2

Masterlist

Jason hates you; he despises your very existence because you make his job miserable and eight times more complicated than it should be. Ever since you got to Gotham, you have caused anything but trouble for him, his family, his business AND his crime-fighting activities.

It all started when that dumb fuck of New Jersey's governor announced that to fight the overwhelming crime rate in Gotham they would appoint a brand new DA, the starlight, the ace, the beloved child of the country's justice system; you. A prodigy since law school, with a 98% conviction rate, not reaching 100% because not even you could fight the unfairness when prosecuting rich folks or false allegations.

There you were, standing next to the Governor on TV with a serene look on your kind features, and a body language that said nothing could disturb your peace, a suit tailored to your shape, clean and ironed until perfection, fixed and organised hair and a straight pose. You. Were. Perfection. And maybe that's why they sent you off to Gotham —you were just too good. (suspiciously good)

You made it your goal to turn the Gotham court system into your personal renovation project, From the very moment you stepped out of that courthouse, determination etched on your face, the whole City watched as you won case after case. Your conviction remained unshaken, even in the pervasive corruption that seemed woven into the very fabric of the city. Nothing could stop you —not even the countless attempts to end you. In fact, you managed to reduce Gotham's crime rate by a staggering 1% in just two months—an achievement that was basically historical. (and again, suspicious)

You were stubborn and couldn't mind your own business, and Jason didn't really care; at the end of the day, you became a small spark of hope for Gothamites — that until you threw one of his guys behind bars, then it became personal.

Were you just that stupid that you couldn't grasp the danger you put yourself into by going after high-profile criminals? He was sure that every Rouge in Gotham had a bounty on your head, and you didn't care! You just didn't care! Like you were some sort of masochist, suicidal maniac! But he would make you care, on God, he would; one, because no one wanted the new favourite child of the city becoming another Harvey Dent, and two, he was just absolutely tired of you messing up his stuff.

Drug operations were busted, fights for keeping territories were more common, and the attempts to get the most clients by dealers became more desperate, selling harder and harsher drugs. You were just messing it all up! You just had to stop before you got everyone killed.

"Pretty nice home you got here. The federal government pays well, it seems." His modulated voice echoed through the emptiness of your apartment, it wasn't expensive, you weren't one of the luxurious lifestyles because you just couldn't afford it, but it was neat and well taken care of, the most expensive thing you had was your Computer on your desk, a long, caramel coloured structure next to the window looking at the city.

"Should I add trespassing to your file, Mr. Red Hood?" You asked calmly, in the same calm voice you used when talking to the defence attorneys. He was sitting on your couch, manspreading on your couch, one hand on the back of it to keep up the relaxed posture and the other on the gun that sat comfortably against his left thigh. "Funny little one." He let out a smug chuckle, an edge of annoyance in his voice that couldn't be hidden by the modulator. He stood up, the thud of his boots loud as he approached slowly, probably trying to make you feel smaller, which it did because he was the size of a double refrigerator, but you were, by far, more worried about the files hidden under your couch, in the special plastic pocket in which it usually is the information about the furnishing, him finding that made you nervous.

"Should I offer you a glass of water, sir?" You asked with faked courtesy, barely holding back the subtle shake of your voice, to which he chuckled again. "Thank you, doll, but I have other things to talk with you." He said, clenching and unclenching his fists.

He took another few steps, "You're tense. Are you scared?" Yes, absolutely terrified, about to pee in your expensive suit pants that you wore only once every millennium. You wanted to jump out the window before spending half a second longer with that beast. "Somethin' to hide?" He inquired again. You shook your head, keeping your eyes locked into the whites of his mask. And then you looked back at the couch, a little too low.

Shit.

Both of you pounced at the same time, struggling for two different reasons, you were doing your best to keep him from reaching the files and him barely struggling to keep you away with only one arm. You kicked, pulled, pushed, and clawed at him to keep him from flipping the couch. Meanwhile, he barely did some force to keep you away with the arm which was holding the gun.

He reached one of the files from under the couch, and you yanked his hand away, twisting his elbow at a painful angle and making all the pages fall and scatter around the floor. "You little sh-" He wanted to growl, looking over the mess on the floor until his eyes met the deep blue ones of a picture. Bruce's picture. He violently pushed you away, making you hit the floor with a thump and kicking the air out of you whilst he read the notes, and every page he read made him panic more. Somehow you had noticed things no one else picked on, his pattern of picking up children just at the same time as a new robin hit the streets, analysis on his posture, his voice, coincidences and discrepancies you had found. You had figured The Batman out.

He grabbed another file, the one labelled Grayson, the same story. Drake. Damian. Gordon. Brown. Sionis. Todd. There was no point in keeping the helmet on now so he just took it off and threw it somewhere else in your living room as he flipped on his file. You knew who he was, you knew who his family were and for the first time since he knew about you, he panicked.

"How did you get this....?" He muttered, barely above a whisper, his shaky hand pointing the gun at your face. "Did you show this to anyone else?" His grip on the barrel tightened, his index pressing against the trigger as he snarled. You coughed, placing a hand on your chest. "Lower your gun... and I tell you..." you managed to gasp, sitting up against the wall. "Let's just... talk... Mr. Todd... and I promise I'll explain everything." And that was it, He just needed to hear you out.

But would he?

©sourcherrybites 2025

[lawful-evil-novelist]

Honestly I wanna see more time dedicated to highlighting how scarily intelligent some of the rogues are.

Black Mask and Penguin sniped most of Gotham out from under crime families that had been in power for decades, that isn't all ruthlessness and intimidation, that takes some serious skill in strategy to catch established mob bosses off-guard like that.

Harley Quinn and Scarecrow are some of Batman's most dangerous rogues built purely on how well they can read people and use it to their advantage. They're both extremely emotionally intelligent and Scarecrow's got quite a bit of biological and chemical knowledge on top of that.

Two-Face was a District Attorney, that means he's not just a damn good lawyer, he's a damn good politician, occupations that usually require both a lot of practical and emotional intelligence. It takes a fair amount of intelligence to win over a skeptical crowd--or a jury, for that matter.

We seriously sleep on how smart Joker is, comic writers included. It's not just him creating his own toxin from scratch; it's being able to manipulate a trained psychiatrist who is also fiercely intelligent, two of them depending on the comic.

Poison Ivy learned about and adapted to her own physical condition within days of discovering it. More than that, she used it to her advantage and used it to bolster her already expansive knowledge of botany and biology.

Riddler? Mechanical and computer engineering skill aside, ask any DM or game designer how hard it is to create a genuinely challenging puzzle or riddle. It's really hard; it doesn't just take intelligence it takes patience.

[ceterisparibus116]

he WAsn'T EVen WearInG hIS maGICal AmUlet

I can't. I have to do an actual explanation of why this analysis was brilliant.

So the motion in limine is actually a combination of a motion in limine brought by the Defense (with the goal of excluding reference to Hector's other life) and a hearing on the prosecutor's intent to use evidence of the defendant's prior wrongs at trial.

Matt is arguing under what's commonly known as 403* (the rule that excludes relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially* outweighed by the danger of undue prejudice).

The prosecutor, however, is arguing under what's commonly known as 404* (the rule which permits the state to introduce evidence or prior wrongs as long as the evidence is not being introduced to argue that the defendant has a propensity for such wrongdoing).

Whenever a prosecutor wants to introduce evidence of prior bad acts, the defense attorney hackles bristle. "But Your Honor! The jury is supposed to determine whether this particular defendant committed that particular crime on that particular occasion against that particular victim. Whatever other misbehavior my client gets up to at other times is irrelevant. Clearly the prosecutor is just trying to sneak in a propensity argument, and suggest to the jury that my client has a propensity for wrongdoing and therefore should be convicted of the crime at hand without sufficient evidence!"

To which the prosecutor responds: "I would never. I am using this evidence for some other purpose, not propensity." What purpose might that be? Literally anything the prosecutor can think of. Because unlike what a defense attorney tried to argue literally today, Rule 404 provides examples of possible non-propensity uses of evidence, but does not exclude other possible non-propensity uses.

Literally, the only limit is the prosecutor's creativity, and what the judge condones.

So, what non-propensity uses does the Hawk have for the evidence of Hector's alter ego?

A pattern of behavior;

Motive ("that drove Hector Ayala to kill Officer [?] on that subway platform")

Pattern of behavior here might be referring to a plan? Idk, but "plan" often comes into play when identity is at issue, e.g. "the defendant was caught last year stealing from a bank last year using this special computer software that no one else owns and now this latest bank was burgled with the same software, which is evidence that the defendant is also the person responsible for the latest burglary." But Hector's identity isn't at issue here; everyone knows he was the guy on the platform. So that's not a very strong argument to introduce evidence of prior wrongdoing, which still has to survive the 403 analysis, and it's harder for evidence to survive that when its probative value is weakened.

I think the stronger argument is #2: motive to kill (or, put another way, absence of mistake or accident).

So how is a judge to determine whether evidence is really being introduced to show propensity (inadmissible) vs something like motive (admissible)? Well. If you have one instance in which the defendant appears to be deliberately targeting people to receive extrajudicial violence, and you have a second instance in which the defense is trying to argue that the defendant just stumbled upon a scene of violence and jumped in to protect the victim...you want to determine which facts create either similarities or distinctions between the two instances.

Such as...hypothetically...the presence or absence of a magical amulet.

*Note that New York refuses to be like the rest of the nation and has their own fancy numbering system for their rules of evidence, so 403 is actually 4.06 (and they don't actually include the "substantially" adjective which! I am shocked! And appalled!) and 404 is actually 4.38.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Hi Wendy! I love your writing so much! Thank you for sharing with us :) I was wondering if you’d be able to write some angst with Ran, that maybe ends in fluff? I was thinking arranged marriage where he’s forced to marry a girl he doesn’t love and he lets her know from the start & she doesn’t mind, maybe she’s an attorney or an accountant or something for Bonten, so she can handle her own, but they do end up falling for each other somewhere along the way. But mayyyybe she gets kidnapped and hurt pretty badly and that makes him realize that he’s actually fallen for her, I hope you can run with the idea if you choose to write it 🥺

It's Just An Arrangement: Ran Haitani x Fem!Reader

wc: 884

tw: smut

masterlist

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Finale

Author's Note: this might have to be a two-parter....

"I will never love you."

Those were your wedding vows.

And as you sit at your desk - writing up reports for the most notorious crime syndicate in all of Japan - you know you'd be stupid to forget it.

"Hey." A knock on your door reveals Kokonoi Hajime, and you perk up at the sight of the white-haired accountant.

"Any news?" Kokonoi grins, producing a sheet for you to peruse. You take the paper and skim it before landing on the final figure with a sigh. "Just enough for the month."

"I've been sending Sanzu out on collections." You chuckle, thinking of the menace forcefully demanding repayment from frazzled storefront owners. "It seems to have the effect we want." Profit. You lay the paper down on your desk and raise your head to congratulate Koko, but a familiar shadow appears in the doorway.

"We need to head home." You eye your husband carefully, noting his unphased look and perfectly manicured appearance. Then you glance at your watch.

"It's only four," you note with disdain. "What--"

"We need to go. Say goodbye to Koko and shut your computer down." You stare at Ran, but he stares back, daring you to try him in front of his associate. So you do as he says, grabbing your bag and your phone before leaving the office. You walk behind Ran as he navigates toward the car waiting for you two outside the headquarters, stewing in your mind about the way he talks to you, especially when you've been nothing but obedient to him for a whole year.

A whole year. You'd been suffering silently, watching your hateful husband mill about, parading around like his life and wife are perfect. But behind closed doors, he can't seem to stand you.

A marriage of convenience, arranged by meddling parents and clientele looking for a leg up in the world. And you're the victim of it all. All so someone else could reap the benefits.

"There's been someone lurking around our businesses," Ran hums, looking at his phone and scrolling mindlessly. "It's best if we lay low for a while."

"Wouldn't it be better for Mochi to figure out--"

Ran looks up from his phone and frowns at you. Right, he hadn't questioned you or anything. You just needed to take the information and store it away. "We'll be working from home for now."

When you arrive at the place you call home, you're enraged. Staying at home with Ran meant more looks, more disagreements, more... feeling like shit. You look up at the massive chandelier in the foyer, and part of you wishes it would just collapse and crush you. But Ran clears his throat, pulling you out of your passive ideation, and motions toward the stairs.

You sigh, prepared to fulfill your only marital duty as you climb the stone steps.

It's easy, you think, stripping out of your clothes as Ran runs the shower water. All I have to do is brace myself against the shower wall and let him do what he pleases. The water is always warm, and Ran isn't rough most times. You could grin and bear it for as long as necessary.

And you do exactly that, holding onto the tile with slippery fingers. Ran holds your shoulder in one hand and your waist in the other, and your skin slaps roughly under the stream of water.

"Fuck," Ran bites out, and you whimper in response, feeling his cock driving into you with precision. Sometimes you came from this impersonal interaction, and stars would dance in your vision while Ran got soft and pulled out. But this time--

"I'm gonna cum." Ran's hips stutter as he exhales, his mewls of pleasure echoing in the shower as he cums inside of you. You try to enjoy it, try to imagine yourself enjoying being pregnant with his child, but you can't. You can't even work yourself up enough to touch your clit, which is a shame.

Ran does his due diligence and wipes himself down before cleaning you up as well, then turns off the shower by reaching past your frame and pressing the button. He doesn't speak either, but he does pass you a towel to dry off.

But it's never enough.

His small acts of kindness used to make you feel hopeful for something more, something real. But they were always small, few, and far between.

"The chef will be here at eight to cook dinner," Ran mentions, wiping his ears. You try not to eye his perfect physique in the mirror, reminding yourself that it's only a test of your mental fortitude. Just because he fucks well doesn't mean--

Ran's phone rings shrilly, and you jolt at the sound as he wraps his towel around his waist. He picks it up off the counter and frowns, looking at the name before setting it back down.

"Scammer," he mumbles, shaking his head. He then leaves you all alone in the bathroom, toweling off despite the cum dripping down your inner thighs.

What wouldn't you do for a sign of affection here and there? Some false flag in lieu of a real relationship? Sure, you told him you'd never love him. But did you mean it?

Everyone wants to be loved, right?

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Keeley at NCRM:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to sue two large, Democratic-leaning counties should they proceed with their plan to mail voter registration forms to eligible voters who are currently unregistered. Bexar and Harris counties have proposed using third-party vendors to mail the forms. Though the plan is to only send them to people who are eligible to be registered, Paxton said that the forms could fall in the hands of those who are ineligible to vote, which would “encourage” them to register illegally, according to KSAT-TV. “At worst, it may induce the commission of a crime by encourage individuals who are ineligible to vote to provide false information on the form,” Paxton said, according to KENS-TV. “Either way, it is illegal, and if you move forward with this proposal, I will use all available legal means to stop you.”

Bexar and Harris counties both have high Latino populations, with nearly 20% of all Texan Latinos living in Harris County, according to The Hill. Paxton has faced accusations of specifically trying to suppress the Latino vote. Following raids on the homes of Latino voting activists, the League of United Latin American Citizens called for an inquiry into alleged civil rights violations, according to USA Today. At least six LULAC volunteers had their homes raided by police, and had voter registration materials seized, along with phones, computers and other electronic devices, USA Today reported. Paxton said the search warrants were “part of an ongoing election integrity investigation” into “allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting that occurred during the 2022 elections.” LULAC says one of the people raided was Lidia Martinez, an 87-year-old member of the organization. On August 20, her home was raided, and she was interrogated for hours, according to LULAC. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2022 elections in Texas or elsewhere in the United States. Paxton’s most recent probe, despite the raids, has led to no charges thus far, according to the Texas Tribune.

Texas AG Ken Paxton (R) is a jackboot fascist disgrace to the Lone Star State and America.

[mariacallous]

In 1974, the United States Congress passed the Privacy Act in response to public concerns over the US government’s runaway efforts to harness Americans’ personal data. Now Democrats in the US Senate are calling to amend the half-century-old law, citing ongoing attempts by billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to effectively commit the same offense—collusively collect untold quantities of personal data, drawing upon dozens if not hundreds of government systems.

On Monday, Democratic senators Ron Wyden, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen introduced the Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025—a direct response, the lawmakers say, to the seizure by DOGE of computer systems containing vast tranches of sensitive personal information—moves that have notably coincided with the firings of hundreds of government officials charged with overseeing that data’s protection. “The seizure of millions of Americans’ sensitive information by Trump, Musk and other MAGA goons is plainly illegal,” Wyden tells WIRED, “but current remedies are too slow and need more teeth.”

The passage of the Privacy Act came in the wake of the McCarthy era—one of the darkest periods in American history, marked by unceasing ideological warfare and a government run amok, obsessed with constructing vast record systems to house files on hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations. Secret dossiers on private citizens were the primary tool for suppressing free speech, assembly, and opinion, fueling decades’ worth of sedition prosecutions, loyalty oaths, and deportation proceedings. Countless writers, artists, teachers, and attorneys saw their livelihoods destroyed, while civil servants were routinely rounded up and purged as part of the roving inquisitions.

The first privacy law aimed at truly reining in the power of the administrative state, the Privacy Act was passed during the dawn of the microprocessor revolution, amid an emergence of high-speed telecommunications networks and “automated personal data systems.” The explosion in advancements coincided with Cassandra-like fears among ordinary Americans about a rise in unchecked government surveillance through the use of “universal identifiers.”

A wave of such controversies, including Watergate and COINTELPRO, had all but annihilated public trust in the government’s handling of personal data. “The Privacy Act was part of our country’s response to the FBI abusing its access to revealing sensitive records on the American people,” says Wyden. “Our bill defends against new threats to Americans’ privacy and the integrity of federal systems, and ensures individuals can go after the government when officials break the law, including quickly stopping their illegal actions with a court order.”

The bill, first obtained by WIRED last week, would implement several textual changes aimed at strengthening the law—redefining, for instance, common terms such as “record” and “process” to more aptly comport with their usage in the 21st century. It further takes aim at certain exemptions and provisions under the Privacy Act that have faced decades’ worth of criticism by leading privacy and civil liberties experts.

While the Privacy Act generally forbids the disclosure of Americans’ private records except to the “individual to whom the records pertain,” there are currently at least 10 exceptions that apply to this rule. Private records may be disclosed, for example, without consent in the interest of national defense, to determine an individual’s suitability for federal employment, or to “prevent, control, or reduce crime.” But one exception has remained controversial from the very start. Known as “routine use,” it enables government agencies to disclose private records so long as the reason for doing so is “compatible” with the purpose behind their collection.

The arbitrary ways in which the government applies the “routine use” exemption have been drawing criticism since at least 1977, when a blue-ribbon commission established by Congress reported that federal law enforcement agencies were creating “broad-worded routine uses,” while other agencies were engaged in “quid pro quo” arrangements—crafting their own novel “routine uses,” as long as other agencies joined in doing the same.

Nearly a decade later, Congress’ own group of assessors would find that “routine use” had become a “catch-all exemption” to the law.

In an effort to stem the overuse of this exemption, the bill introduced by the Democratic senators includes a new stipulation that, combined with enhanced minimization requirements, would require any “routine use” of private data to be both “appropriate” and “reasonably necessary,” providing a hook for potential plaintiffs in lawsuits against government offenders down the road. Meanwhile, agencies would be required to make publicly known “any purpose” for which a Privacy Act record might actually be employed.

Cody Venzke, a senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, notes that the bill would also hand Americans the right to sue states and municipalities, while expanding the right of action to include violations that could reasonably lead to harms. “Watching the courts and how they’ve handled the whole variety of suits filed under the Privacy Act, it's been frustrating to see them not take the data harms seriously or recognize the potential eventual harms that could come to be,” he says. Another major change, he adds, is that the bill expands who's actually covered under the Privacy Act from merely citizens and legal residents to virtually anyone physically inside the United States—aligning the law more firmly with current federal statutes limiting the reach of the government's most powerful surveillance tools.

In another key provision, the bill further seeks to rein in the government’s use of so-called “computer matching,” a process whereby a person’s private records are cross-referenced across two agencies, helping the government draw new inferences it couldn’t by examining each record alone. This was a loophole that Congress previously acknowledged in 1988, the first time it amended the Privacy Act, requiring agencies to enter into written agreements before engaging in matching, and to calculate how matching might impact an individual’s rights.

The changes imposed under the Democrats’ new bill would merely extend these protections to different record systems held by a single agency. To wit, the Internal Revenue Service has one system that contains records on “erroneous tax refunds,” while another holds data on the “seizure and sale of real property.” These changes would ensure that the restrictions on matching still apply, even though both systems are controlled by the IRS. What’s more, while the restrictions on matching do not currently extend to “statistical projects,” they would under the new text, if the project’s purpose might impact the individuals’ “rights, benefits, or privileges.” Or—in the case of federal employees—result in any “financial, personnel, or disciplinary action.”

The Privacy Act currently imposes rather meager criminal fines (no more than $5,000) against government employees who knowingly disclose Americans’ private records to anyone ineligible to receive them. The Democrats’ bill introduces a fine of up to $250,000, as well as the possibility of imprisonment, for anyone who leaks records “for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm.”

The bill has been endorsed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Public Citizen, two civil liberties nonprofits that are both engaged in active litigation against DOGE.

“Over 50 years ago, Congress passed the Privacy Act to protect the public against the exploitation and misuse of their personal information held by the government,” Markey says in a statement. “Today, with Elon Musk and the DOGE team recklessly seeking to access Americans’ sensitive data, it’s time to bring this law into the digital age.”

[keithmosher2]

Calling Moscow

It should be all too obvious…

Feb 4: The U.S., along with Russia, vote "No" on U.N. resolution condemning Russia for the war with Ukraine.

Feb 5: DOGE obtains access to information on all U.S. citizens through the Treasury Department and OBM computer systems, with no oversight. Several of the DOGE team have ties to Russia.

Feb 6: Attorney General Pam Bondi ends FBI efforts to combat foreign influence in U.S. Politics, and ends Kleptocracy Initiative which battled corruption and returned ill-gotten gains to victims of financial crimes.

Feb 19: US and Russia - without Ukraine - enter peace talks over the Ukraine war, in which they propose that Ukraine will not get its land back, and will not enter NATO, which is to say Russia wins everything.

Feb 28: Defense Sec. Hegseth orders Cyber Command to halt Russia Planning.

Feb 28: White House "Hand Picks" the pool reporters for the Zelenskyy meeting, leaving OUT the AP and Reuters reporters, but Russian TASS reporter gets into the Oval Office for the event.

Feb 28: The Felon President and creepy Vance berate Zelenskyy, accusing him of risking World War 3, offering Ukraine nothing, not even sympathy, but demanding tribute.

If it is not clear to you that the First Felon is a Russian asset and/or agent, you are not paying attention.

[offender42085]

Post 1302

Frankie E Bybee, Florida inmate S42207, born 1970, incarceration intake November 2017 at age 47, scheduled for release July 2025

Exploitation of Elderly or Disabled Person, Fraud Use of Personal Identification

In January 2021, a former Sarasota County deputy whose sentence was partly reversed was resentenced.

Frank Bybee appeared frail and visibly shaking as he entered court in a wheelchair. He made an emotional plea to Judge Donald H. Mason: “I want to apologize to Marcia Sohl. She should never have had to go through any of this, the court’s distress. I want to apologize to my profession. The Sheriff’s Office is top notch, one of the best in the state of Florida. I used to work with (Assistant State Attorney and prosecutor) Karen Fraivillig. I’m sure it was hard for her and personal to come after me. I apologize for what it’s done to my family and my marriage, my three boys.”

Assistant Public Defender Marc Gilman said Bybee has had two brain surgeries to remove a tumor the size of a grapefruit and a stroke since he was imprisoned in 2017 for crimes against the elderly.

The victim, Marcia Sohl, 82, a former New York City teacher, died in July 2019.

Despite arguments that his health was declining because of poor medical care in prison, Judge Mason resentenced Bybee to 10 years in prison for exploitation of the elderly and 10 years probation for three counts of computer crimes.

Bybee will receive credit for time served on seven counts of fraudulent use of identification information, and five years probation on a count of fraudulent use of identification information. 

"I'm happy the judge took his medical condition into consideration," Assistant Public Defender Marc Gilman said. "I'm happy he got a little time off his sentence. That shows sometimes things can work out in good ways. I understand he still needs to be punished. That's part of what the system is designed to do."

In November 2017, Bybee was sentenced to 15 years in prison for 13 felonies that included kidnapping, exploitation of elderly, three counts of computer fraud and eight counts of fraudulent use of information.

But in an opinion filed by Second District Appeals Judge Susan Rothstein-Youakim in May 2020, Bybee’s kidnapping conviction was reversed. Rothstein-Youakim said Bybee received ineffective assistance from his defense attorneys. Their failure to move for a judgment of acquittal when there were serious concerns about evidence is reviewable on appeal, the judge said.

The charges against Bybee arose out of his relationship with the then 79-year-old woman and covered a period of about three months. He was sent to her house Oct. 16, 2016, because she was threatening suicide. She was transported to the hospital and involuntarily committed under the Baker Act. Bybee stayed to pray with her, and they exchanged cell phone numbers.

The woman and Bybee began communicating regularly. Over the next few months, the deputy came to her house to do chores such as painting and minor repairs.

As the woman’s health began to decline, she was admitted to the hospital more than once and spent time in rehabilitation facilities, according to court documents.

By December 2016, their relationship had soured.

The woman called the Sheriff’s Office twice to complain about Bybee’s involvement in her life. The agency told him not to have further contact with her.

After interviewing the woman, the Sheriff’s Office opened an internal affairs investigation of Bybee to determine if he was engaging in an inappropriate relationship with someone with whom he had been involved in an official capacity, court documents stated.

Investigators found that Bybee repeatedly accessed the woman’s AOL account and emails, accessed her financial information, accessed her PayPal account and withdrew money using her debit card.

On Dec. 29, after Bybee was told to cease his contact with the woman, she was once again Baker Acted. While evidence exists that Bybee sent a message from the woman’s email account that set in motion law enforcement’s response to her home, deputies and medical staff at the hospital made the decision to Baker Act the woman based on their observations.

“Both the responding deputies and the hospital staff were statutorily authorized to make the determinations that they made,” Rothstein-Youakim wrote.

Assistant Public Defender Karen M. Kinney, who handled Bybee’s appeal, called state prosecutors’ assertions that there was kidnapping a refutable “theory.” However, Bybee’s counsel, John Lakin and Ronald Kurpiers, did not raise an issue with the charge at the right time, she said.

Fraivillig, who represented the state during Bybee’s trial in October 2017, wanted his sentence to remain the same at 15 years for four second-degree felonies. She said the original judgment was a “merciful sentence.”

Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight said at the original trial that Deputy Frankie Bybee had befriended the victim, a 79-year-old Sarasota woman, while responding to a service call.

Knight said when the woman entrusted Bybee -- an 18-year agency veteran and married father of three -- with her dog, whom the deputy sold the dog through Craigslist. The dog was reunited with the woman.

Knight said at the time, Bybee was placed on administrative leave after the deputy’s fingerprint was found on checks totaling $65,000 that the victim said had been fraudulently signed.

Bybee will need constant medical care and CT scans for the rest of his life.

4l

[anonymous-chicken-was-taken]

What the Ace Attorney Villains Could Get Charged With (to the best of my research) (in America laws)

Game Two

!Disclaimer! I know nothing about law take this with a grain of salt I was just bored.

Richard Wellington

Assault and battery - Two cases of both. One when he killed Dustin Prince and the second when he hit Phoenix with the fire extinguisher. Though, depending on whether or not Phoenix saw him coming, he could be innocent of the second assault charge. Not the battery, though. I doubt either would count as aggravated assault, as it was the fall, not the fists, that killed Dustin; though Phoenix's is a bit more uncertain due to the weight of the fire extinguisher and the fact that he's only not dead because he's a freak of nature.

Incrimination - He tried to frame Maggey with the name written in the sand.

Obstruction of justice - Can you say "tampering with the crime scene"?

Theft - He stole Phoenix's phone, even if it wasn't technically his intention. It doesn't really matter, since his own phone was likely regarded as evidence. So, theft no matter how you look at it.

Fraud - So much fraud, seeing as he's a con artist. That's what con artistry is. The textbook definition of fraud, all the time, as a job.

Conspiracy - As he was in a GROUP of con artists, his fraud is conspiratorial in nature.

Second-degree murder - He had the intention to kill or severely injure Dustin, but didn't seem to be thinking about it. Thus, no premeditation.

Computer fraud/abuse - Yes, this is an actual thing. When he deletes the contacts off of Phoenix's phone, he's commiting a crime. Doubly so since his actual intention to delete information off of a piece of evidence during a criminal investigation, which may lead to some transferred intent or something.

Perjury

Morgan Fey (includes crimes from Game 3)

Conspiracy - She plans the murder of Dr. Grey with Ini Miney, in depth. Perhaps the most clear-cut case of conspiracy in the series. Also all KINDS of conspiracy in Bridge to the Turnabout.

Obstruction of justice - She did the tampering of the crime scene in Dr. Grey's murder, hiding and fabricating several pieces of evidence regarding Maya.

Incrimination - You know the deal. Frame-ups are incrimination.

Treason - Depending on how you interpret the government in Kurain, she could be guilty of this by committing crimes against the government. I'm trying to figure out what crime she may have committed trying to usurp Maya and Misty, so I may change this later if I figure out something more accurate.

Corruption - If you don't think treason makes sense, then she definitely committed this, regardless. Even without any monarchy, there would have to be some kind of business model for the spirit channeling, which makes her a business executive of sorts, therefore capable of criminal corruption.

First-degree murder - By proxy, when Ini Miney kills Dr. Grey. They planned it together, after all.

Attempted regicide - This is the closest real life law to describe when she tried to kill Maya due to her status. By proxy, of course. If you don't buy the Feys being some kind of pseudo-monarchy, then this is just attempted murder.

Assault and battery - Three charges, by proxy. One for Dr. Grey, one for the drugging of Maya, and one for Dahlia attacking Maya at Hazakura temple. All are aggravated except for the drugging because knife. It's possible some of the assault charges wouldn't go through due to the fact that Dr. Grey and Maya may not have seen the attacks coming.

Child abuse - Her treatment of Pearl could easily be considered this, particularly in the third game when she tries to trick her into murdering her cousin. That's pretty bad parenting.

Perjury

Acro (Ken Dingling)

First-degree murder - The murder was about as planned as you can get without taking it to its logical extreme Manfred-von-Karma-style. Yes, he intended to murder Regina, but transferal of intent is a thing. I'm honestly not sure if the fact that he was intending to kill a child carries over, but if it does, the punishment would be greater.

Obstruction of justice - A bit of a grey area, but he did hide the murder weapon and burn the cape, so I believe this applies.

Child endangerment - This or a similar charge may apply due to his goal to kill a child, by my best estimation. Even if it doesn't, failure to report suspected child abuse can count as child endangerment, and... well, the basically the whole circus was grooming this sixteen year old girl, so...

Incrimination - Depends if you think his framing of Max became intentional at some point along the way, which, considering the fact that he testified against him, it almost definitely did.

Battery - No assault, actually, since Russel didn't see the statue coming! But still battery. Automatically.

Perjury

Matt Engarde (+ Shelly de Killer, by extent)

Conspiracy - He hired an assassin.

First-degree murder - He hired an assassin.

Burglary - Breaking into a place with the intent of committing a felony. While he didn't do this himself, he had Shelly de Killer do it, and anything a hitman does while carrying out the act they were paid to do is a crime the hirer is also guilty of.

Assault and battery - Given Shelly de Killer suffocated Juan and there were signs of a struggle, this is presumably true. Matt is guilty by proxy. Given that we have no idea what he used to kill him, I have no idea if this is aggravated or not.

Fraud - Shelly de Killer pretended to be a bellboy at the hotel. Matt is guilty by proxy.

Blackmail - The ENTIRE case hinges on blackmail in the form of kidnapping Maya. However, he also takes significant steps towards blackmailing Shelly de Killer, so he may actually have two cases of this on his hands.

Kidnapping - This is a bit of a grey area, since it isn't certain that he directly ordered Shelly de Killer to kidnap Maya and use her to blackmail Phoenix. However, given that she was hidden in his house, he seems to know what happened, and he assists by reminding Phoenix of the situation, it's safe to say this was a conspiratorial crime. He's almost DEFINITELY going to be found guilty of this.

Wiretapping - Hiding hidden cameras in a "gift" for someone, as well as around his private residence... wiretapping for sure. Only if the video included audio, though. If not, it doesn't count.

Incrimination - In the plot twist of the century, he's actually guilty of this through conspiring with Phoenix himself. While he did not directly tell him or formulate and communicate the plan to pin the blame on Adrian at first, he did so later and clarified that this was always his intention. While Phoenix has the defense of being blackmailed at the time and the fact that he didn't actually provide any incriminating testimony (perhaps he's accessory?), Matt likely isn't going to be so lucky.

Invasion of privacy - See: wiretapping. Even if the cameras didn't have audio, they'd still be a huge invasion of privacy.

Taking a hostage - A few different names for this depending on where you are, but the basic principle remains the same. This is a separate crime from kidnapping and blackmail, as neither automatically mean a hostage situation. By proxy; even if he weren't conspiring, Shelly still defines this as part of the duties he was paid for, so the whole hired-felony-committing thing still applies.

False imprisonment - This is also not technically the same as a kidnapping charge. Shelly not only moved Maya to a different location against her will (kidnapping), but he also kept her there (false imprisonment). By proxy.

Perjury

GAME ONE

[jynxedshapeshifter]

So fun fact: I never went into an Ace Attorney game completely blind and for every game except AAI1 and TGAA1, I knew who the final culprit was, or at least thought I did.

HOWEVER. For the Apollo Justice trilogy, AAI2, and TGAA2, my response was very consistently "wow this is SO much worse than I thought it'd be" because I only knew the culprit. I didn't know how they were taken down, I didn't know the details surrounding their crimes, and with Kristoph, I knew he was a murderer, but his role in AJ:AA still caught me completely off guard. If you go through my TGAA and Dual Destinies liveblogs you can actually see my slow descent to madness when I confronted the phantom and Stronghart (although the latter was more because of the associated reveals related to the Professor case). Like here's an overview of what I knew about each of the final culprits in the AJ trilogy, TGAA2, and AAI2 and what caught me off guard:

I knew Kristoph was a murderer. I don't remember exactly how, but I didn't know the specifics, only that Kristoph was a murderer. I did NOT expect him to be arrested during the first case, which is really obvious in the tags of this post lol. It's also very obvious I didn't know what was coming with Turnabout Succession. The thing that got me about Kristoph was the section of Turnabout Succession where you're cross-examining him because what the fuck do you mean Klavier was still prosecuting the case at that point (that continues to be my thought process during Turnabout Succession)

I "knew" Bobby Fulbright was the phantom in Dual Destinies. What I did not expect was that he was an international spy who steals people's identities in the most literal sense and for Bobby Fulbright to have been dead for a year and I made one post "what the fuck"ing about it then reblogged it with a bigger, slightly more horrified "what the fuck"

I knew Ga'ran was the overarching antagonist of Spirit of Justice. While I didn't quite go insane over the extent of her bullshit like I did with Stronghart, Kristoph, and the phantom, I still spent the entire last case of Spirit of Justice wanting to throw my computer across the house because of her

With Stronghart, I actually spoiled him being the final boss of TGAAC for myself by pure accident either while I was playing Unspeakable Story or Blossoming Attorney (I don't remember which). I did not spoil him being the head of the Reaper conspiracy, which I think is why The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo still filled me with "WHAT THE FUCK????" (but also Stronghart being the final boss is TINY compared to the astronomical levels of fuckery revealed in TGAA2-5, which was the actual thing that had me like "WHAT????????")

I knew Simeon and Excelsius were both antagonistic in AAI2, but I actually funnily enough got their roles mixed up. The only reason I deduced Simeon being the final boss was because Excelsius gets arrested by Turnabout for the Ages, which meant that because Simeon hadn't showed up as an antagonist yet, I knew he had to be the final culprit (and even then it took me a bit to deduce). Before that, I thought Excelsius would be the final culprit. Simeon and Excelsius still caught me completely off guard though. I knew Excelsius was an abusive piece of shit, but I didn't expect to hate him more after playing AAI2. Additionally, I didn't expect Simeon to be the mastermind behind everything in AAI2??? What the fuck????????

I, unfortunately, lost all the surprise of the original trilogy because I decided to watch the anime before I finished the game but the original trilogy is still an incredibly fun game whether you go in blind or not (however, the fact that Rise from the Ashes isn't in the anime meant I did go into Rise from the Ashes blind, but it wasn't all that notable to me honestly).

Anyway, this is just an elaborate way of me congratulating Capcom on having such well-developed cases that you can go in knowing who the final culprit is and still be caught completely off guard.

[gayguybln]

Dylan is going to prison voluntarily. The 25 year old guy was a spoiled guy. Seven years ago his parents donated him their company and their entire houses and land as they decided to live in Africa and do developement work. Dylan was more interested in drinking and in gambling than in running the company. After three years he sold the company and became billionaire. But he was bored. Sexually he dived into bondage and role plays. Sometimes he disappeared for days to be a slave to a man, to a woman or to several people. On one day he thought that prison would be the ultimative bondage. And in the dark web he found an agent who can bring people into prison if they want. And Dylan wanted to be in prison.

Dylan negotiated a scenario with the agent. The result was: Dylan had to fill out a form giving probabilities of several timeframes of sentences. Based on this probabilities a computer chose one sentence. That sentence was sealed in an envelope. Dylan signed that envelope. The envelope would be opened when his lawyer visits him for the first time after arrest. After that Dylan had two to four weeks to take care of everything he had to. He gave the main house of his family to his best friend to live in as "he wants to start an adventure". After two weeks it was possible that he was arrested. 24 days after he signed the contract he eventually was arrested by headhunters. He was transferred to Louisiana where was searched for one count of vehicular homicide as they told them. He met his lawyer who was the agent who arranged this. The agent/lawyer gave him two envelopes. One small envelope containing his sentence and a larger envelope. "The large envelope contains your story. They'll put you into solitary this night. You'll stay there for two weeks. You have four days to read everything in the large envelope. After four days a guard will come and take it away. You'll read the crime you have committed. Every detail of it. You'll learn it" the lawyer/agent said. Dylan nodded, took the smaller envelope and asked: "This is my sentence?" - "Yes, it is. You can open it. This is what you'll get. All actors... the jury, the attorney and the judge have their instructions." - Dylan returned the envelope. He didn't want to know.

At the trial Dylan was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was happy about that sentence. What an adventure... As he contacted his parents and told them that he'll spend 15 years in prison his father only told him to not let the soap drop. He hated these bigots since a long time...

[doujin-and-drop]

Gyaku Shaun Sai Hanri / Ace Arftorney ENGLISH PATCH (VER. 1.0)

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS VERSION 1.0. THE EXTRA BONUS CASE HAS NOT BEEN TRANSLATED YET. THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED WITH A VERSION 2.0 DOWNLOAD ONCE THE BONUS CASE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED.

Thank you all who have waited patiently for me to translate this game! It was a lot of fun. Please support Cheshire, who now goes by Oota Manta, for creating this game! (here is his pixiv - MAJOR R-18 WARNING)

For this game to run properly, you MUST either set your computer's locale to Japanese or use a locale emulator.

EDIT: SPRITE PAGE.

DOWNLOAD LINK (INTERNET ARCHIVE)

Below are some translation notes (spoiler warning)

This was my first ever major translation project. Since it spanned the time of almost two years, the quality of the translations may increase as you play through the game. Nonetheless I have gone back and redone a lot of the earlier dialogue with the help of a friend to make it sound more natural in English. If you find any errors or typos, you may leave an ask and I will correct it in a patch update.

In order to keep the spirit of an actual Ace Attorney game, several things were changed. Most notably, the characters names.

Names:

稲刈たんぼ (Inekari Tanbo) is Phoenix Wruff. People familiar with the Japanese Ace Attorney names may recognize that this name is nowhere near Naruhodou Ryuuichi. That's simply because this character, as with Edgewurrth, were not actually named after the main characters of the original series. I decided to change this given their clear homage. Inekari Tanbo literally means "harvesting (a) rice paddy".

条框蓮司(レンジ) (Jyoukamachi Renji) is Miles Edgewurrth. To be honest, I don't think there is a pun in his name. At the very least, I had trouble thinking of what it could be. If somebody knows, let me know. The most I can figure is the first kanji in his name can mean "streak", and according to Cheshire, Edgewurrth was supposed to get the white streak of hair, not Abe, but he didn't like how it looked on the former.

萬舞 (Man Mau) is Krystal "Kris" Balle. Her name means "10,000 dances", hence her English name.

濡沼 ウキモ (Nuranuma Ukimo) is Ashley Goodhead. Ukimo doesn't seem to have much significance as a word, although it could be related to 浮き which means to float, as in like, floating in water. I say this because the other parts of Ukimo's name, 濡(Nura)沼(Numa) refer to being wet and to swamps.

If this is true, why the name choice? Well, it's very complicated...

濡 Means a little more than just being wet. It also can mean being wet in the sexual sense. There's also the word 濡れ衣 (Nuraginu) which means to be falsely accused of a crime (literally and archaically "wet clothes"). Both these I would say fit Ukimo, not only because of her story position of being falsely accused, but also, well... just look at her design. It would be naive to claim there's nothing sexual about it.

沼 has some connotations among gaming, interestingly. It can mean being addicted to something (that something being a piece of media, typically) or being "swamped" in a game, i.e being stuck and unable to progress.

Now, this meaning of the word has only come into play somewhat recently. Like, 2015-ish. Which makes it sort of inapplicable, since Gyaku San was created around 2003.

A different slang use of 沼 that was used around this time was 池沼 which means, basically, the r slur... in a way? It's used to make fun of "weird" or "cringe" behavior, typically present in those with mental disability. It's a homophone of 知障, which does mean "mental disability​".

With all this in mind, I had a very hard time piecing together a name for Ukimo that would feel at home in Ace Attorney. Especially because I don't know the full extent of what Cheshire had in mind when naming her.

Ashley was chosen given that, to me, it is a very "popular teenage girl" name. "Ash" would also make her closely related to "Phoenix". (Get it? LOL). I almost debated on making any use of ウキモちゃん (Ukimo-chan) be "Ash", but decided it would be kind of weird...

Goodhead was chosen for several reasons. It, of course, is a clear sexual pun, but it is also a reference to James Bond, something I feel could encapsulate some of the slang meanings of 沼 (media obsession) while serving to imitate Ace Attorney's love of pop culture references. "Goodhead" could also be taken literally, as in meaning she has a good head on her shoulders, which would refer to her being innocent; the "false accusation" meaning in her name.

It was the best I could do. Orz.

阿部伊知郎 (Abe Ichirou) is Abe Founder. He kept the first part, although his last name became his first name, and his original first name means "The one wise son". However, without the kanji, "ichirou" can mean to fail your college entrance exam. Considering that he lies about going to a prestigious college when he actually went to a average one reminded me of this, so his last name was chosen to hold similar meaning. "Founder", as a noun, can mean someone who establishes something, and typically this is used with positive connotation. However, as a verb, it can mean "failure", which I think is apt and captures this stark contrast meaning.

Many things in the game were changed to better be understood by a Western audience, such as obscure Japanese pop culture references and suchlike. The backwards poster bit was the hardest, but I managed to pull it off. In short, Ashley's - or Ukimo's - poster originally was a reference to an old Japanese song (likely) that had さんさん(san san) written. When read from the back, さ looks like ち(chi). The "look dood" poster said 犬さんぽ in the original, which means "dog stroll". But when read from the back, it looks like 犬ちんぽ which means "dog penis". I did my best with this, haha.