08-07-2013, 03:13 AM
Jon stode the steps to the Kremlin. In the back of his mind he felt his knees tremble as he ascended the marble steps, almost an urging for him to back away. What was he doing, entering such a seat of power to challenge their rule with no real plan to speak of? Something emboldened him. Perhaps it was the brazen face he'd shown to Nicholas Trano during their interview. Or perhaps it was the spirit walk he'd taken the night before, while his plane was still coasting toward its destination, and the...things...that had happened there. No matter.
He still wasn't sure what had struck a chord with him that had pushed him to represent the Minutemen. Perhaps it was just the challenge of seeing if he could do it. On the other hand, it rubbed him the wrong way for anyone to be pushed around by a greater power. People should be dealt with on equal terms. If all were not equal under the law, then what good was the law?
He walked into the central rotunda and after a few questions was quickly directed to the clerk of the Supreme Court of the CCD. It still retained the same chambers of the old court of Russia many years ago, and like then, the chambers were improminent, as if court was an afterthought. Courts should never be an afterthought, Jon said to himself. The law should apply to everyone.
Jon found the clerk and smiled to her. “May I help you?” she asked with a thick accent that spoke of northern regions, possibly Siberia. It was interesting she'd addressed Jon in English, though, it was certainly making an effort on her part.
Jon didn't let his appreciation show. He dropped a stack of paper on her desk. “I have heard the Supreme Court is in session,” he said. The woman nodded, gathering the papers he'd unceremoniously dumped upon her. “I am filing an injunction against the CCD on behalf of the Minutemen for the actions taken to limit transfers of funds due to their designation as a terrorist organization. The Supreme Court is in session, you've said?” The woman nodded again, clearly confused and perhaps a bit intimidated. Jon noticed this and used it to his benefit: “Please file those. I will present my case before them in five minutes. Please notify them.”
No kidding, five minutes later Jon was facing three Justices of the Supreme Court of the CCD. He could tell they weren't amused.
The one on the right spoke, a gray-headed man with very white teeth: “You think you can just barge in here and get a hearing granted?” he asked. “Who do you think you are?”
Of course, Jon had just done that exact same thing. “The Supreme Court is the primary court in matters of national security and international relations,” he responded. “Both of these criteria are met by the actions taken by the CCD against my client. This establishes this court's jurisdiction. As to my abrupt demand for a hearing, quod est necessarium est licitum. That which is necessary is legal. Time is running out for my client, and it is upon the shoulders of the court to hear me out and rule accordingly.”
“Very well...um, who are you?”
Jon smiled. “I am the plantiff ad litem for the Minutemen organization seeking an injunction against the designation of the use of “terrorist group” as a means to classify the organization, its members, in all avenues of daily life under domain controlled by the CCD, including but not exclusive to travel, surveillance and financial transactions.”
The woman sitting in the center cocked an eyebrow. “ Are you even recognized to practice law here ? Plantiff ad litem? What court appointed you representative of the organization?”
Jon smiled. “Why, you did. Or will, right now. It is not lawful or right to take actions against any person or group without affording or allowing that person or group an opportunity to contest the status, excluding wartime relations, of course – of which these do not apply here. Therefore the court cannot infer a legal status such as terrorist group upon any individual or group unless that individual or group has been afforded appropriate legal representation. I am the person chosen for said legal representation.”
He felt so smug. While careful not to get to heady of the feeling, he still relished it : “Ergo, the court is in a position where it may either appoint me as plaintiff ad litem to the party and recognize my right to bring this suit against the CCD or it can deny representation and thus legally negate the CCD's declaration of my client's status.” not that it would mean anything other than really, really bad PR if they would choose to do so.
The female judge in the center sighed. “Very well. The Court recognizes you as plaintiff ad litem in the matter of...Minutemen v. Dominion...” It was clear she was not used to listing the CCD as a defendant. “It would please the Court for the Plaintiff to state its argument.”
This had gone better than Jon had planned. He had hoped to at least create an attraction, but at the moment he was dealing serious blows. Court reporters were taking notice.
“So you see, your honor, the Court really has no choice here but to grant relief to my client,” Jon stated. “We've established that there is no precedent in CCD law for declaring any individual or group of individuals a terrorist organization and pursuing sanctions, be it financial, military or otherwise, without evidence of action of engagement in convention. We haven't even found individuals who engaged in acts of violence or terrorism on their own who claimed to be members of the Minutemen, which would be something else entirely in the eyes of the law anyway.
“The recent claim – the Minutemen were behind the nuclear disaster in Toledo – absolutely zero evidence showing this might be the case. Zero. Not a hair recovered from the site. Not even an explanation for a possible motivation to commit that act. It's credo absurdum.”
The justices seemed uncomfortable. Some semblance of an attorney had showed up to represent the Dominion, and occasionally he made an objection to a statement, but this ticket puncher was clearly out of his league. The attorney took his stand as scowls from the bench compelled him to say something in reply.
“It is the opinion of the Dominion that this matter be dismissed. The Minutemen are considered to be a terrorist organization. Mater semper certa est – The Mother makes it Certain – therefore it is so. This is the legal doctrine upon which the court must rule.”
Because the Mother makes it certain, is that the way this was to play out? Very well. Jon took his stand again.
“If this is the case, that because of decree by executive power that this designation stands, this court must allow the plaintiff to produce the origin of this ruling for questioning. The plaintiff is – I assume – allowed to summon witnesses on his behalf?”
The justices nodded.
“Very well. If the truth is the truth because Mother says so, I require a witness from the Dominion for questioning. If the CCD cannot produce said witness, their legal argument is to be held invalid, for if one cannot question an accusation in a court of law, the law is to be held invalid.
“Let the mother speak. I call upon the court to produce the Ascendancy or a suitable plenipotentiary as witness to the Plaintiff, to testify to these allegations against my client. Produce them or it will be known that the Supreme Court of the CDD does not follow its own law, and full relief must be granted to my client.”
Now it was bound to get interesting. Jon sat down and folded his hands together, waiting for a response.