Night's Pardon (25th September)

[brightwitch]

Once in a while, the Night Council review their list of wanted criminals and convicts and decide, whether for political reasons or to save on paperwork, that this list could do with trimming. That time has come around again, and it just happens to coincide with the purge of ex-Circle Midnight witches from the city. Those who suspect no mere coincidence would be right: this was Sylvia's idea. She's aware that there are a minority of witches who sympathise with the plight of Circle Midnight even after they pledged their allegiance to the Islington Nest. And because it is important for leaders to show mercy as well as strength, this is her show of mercy. Even if no Midnight witches are acquitted, she can still say that the offer was made.

And so here it is: the Chamber of Justice, a large circular courtroom in the Night Council headquarters. It looks much like any regular courtroom except that the five Night Council members sit in place of a judge, and there is no jury, only a select audience to watch the pardons being granted. There is no guarantee that any plea will be accepted, only that it will be heard. One by one, the condemned party and their sponsor are invited to come to the stand in order to make their case.

"Step forward." Sylvia waits for both parties to stand before addressing the sponsor. "Please make your statement on behalf of the condemned."

The sponsor is allowed to make an opening statement outlining their case, which must last no longer than five minutes. After that, the Night Council may question either the sponsor or the condemned until they are satisfied that they can reach a decision. The verdict must be unanimous in order for the pardon to be granted.

Comments

[knightscode]

Lancelot is well aware that what he is doing is, perhaps, dangerous.

He's a member of Daybreak, he's a Night Council Guardian, and here he is standing beside a Midnight Witch. Nancy, though, isn't truly an adult yet. She's young, she's vulnerable, and this is her last chance in a way.

He hopes he can be persuasive enough to make this work.

"I'm here to speak for Nancy," he begins carefully. "She was a member of Circle Midnight. She will not deny this or shy from this fact. Nancy joined a group with her friends that seemed like the best representation of her and what she wanted at the time. What everyone wants when they're a teenager. To be able to make their own mistakes. I advised Sylvia of that at the time.

"What that group became was something very different. Nancy never supported Abigail's decision to support Raymond or his policies, but Abigail would not listen. She never supported Abigail's desire to take more territory, including Barnet. She has never wanted bloodshed, never wanted to raise arms against any other factions. All she wants now is the chance to begin her life anew. It isn't uncommon for young offenders to have their records swept clean so they can have a second chance at life. Abigail is gone from the city now, so are much of Circle Midnight. Nancy still wants to make her home here. She is aware of the Night Council's laws and respects them, and only asks for one more chance. I will happily vouch for her. Nancy Fagin only wants to stay in the city she loves and get on with her life.

"I have always believed in what the Night Council stands for. In justice, and in peace. In protecting others. I see no justice in punishing a young girl for the actions of her friends when we could be reaching out and showing her a better way. After all the bloodshed and tension we have had, I hope the Night Council still has it in its heart to show mercy."

[reticence]

Faolan is certain that he's putting his neck out on the line for a man who is a convicted murderer. And that, while he believes the other man to be innocent of the crime, he doesn't have any concrete evidence but Sirius' word on the matter. He's not quite sure what evidence they have against Sirius either however. It sounded from the way that the other man had described it like the whole thing had been really rather botched from start to finish.

Of course, that doesn't negate the fact that Sirius somehow escaped from being wrongly imprisoned of this crime. Which was, of course, another crime in and of itself. He's hoping to stand forward on behalf of the other man and, with Daryl there as his witness, he thinks he might stand half a chance. Or at least, he thought he did. As he quietly stands back and watches the scene unfolding with the group before him however, as he slowly watches Lancelot be poked and prodded by the Night Council, watching the other man actually begin to lose his temper (if only in the slightest) -- Faolan realizes that this exchange might be far more difficult than he had first considered.

Once he is certain that it's their turn however, he does his best to focus on the task at hand -- he can react later about Lancelot, at Lancelot, all he wants. For this moment however he must stand his ground on behalf of Sirius, a loyal member of Hillingdon. Perhaps more loyal still, provided Faolan can get him cleared. He hopes he's not about to open a whole new can of worms, admitting to the fact that he's knowingly been harboring a criminal within his faction for the last few months. And done absolutely nothing legal about it.

Faolan steps forward, motioning Sirius and Daryl forward with him before turning to the Council themselves. He is a bit more used to being in front of this lot than he supposes they are. He hopes that he makes a good impression on them appearing thus. Daryl for one he knows is still wary of him being Sylvia's pocket hunter, after all.

"I am here to speak to you today to ask pardon for a member of my faction," he begins, glancing at Sirius to reassure him (hopefully not a false reassurance at that) before back at the Council themselves. "Twelve years ago, Sirius Black was falsely accused of the murder of a close friend. He had in fact been framed. Framed by a person who as yet remains at large. But our justice system did not discover this fact and, being in such a state of shock, Sirius was not able to adequately defend himself at the time. No one did, and so for twelve years, Sirius served a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. He has been forced to take matters into his own hands, to break himself free, in the attempt to prove his innocence."

He glances at Sirius again. "Escaping from prison was the only chance Sirius could see of clearing his name. But he cannot do so alone, on the run from the authorities. Thus I stand before the Council to beg pardon on his behalf. The Law has failed him before. I ask now that we do not do so again."