Canadian Cat: The True Master Race
Gender: Male
Location: Cat Law Offices
Rank: Suspect
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 5:51 am
Posts: 42
(Before anything, I want to say that I'm far from an expert on law, so feel free to correct me on any mistakes I make)
Alright, so Simon Keyes (or Sota Sarushiro) is the Mastermind of Investigations 2. I'm sure we all know that. He was one of the victims of the IS-7 Incident and was saved by Dogen, witnessed the SS-5 incident and then saved Dogen. However, from there, he was pursued by Patricia Roland, Blaise Debeste and the body double as they didn't want him to reveal what happened in that incident. So, 12 years later, Simon decided to get his revenge on all of them, by getting Blaise and Patricia thrown in jail and killing the body double and even his best friend. However, as we all know, Edgeworth stops his plans and gets him thrown in prison, which ironically is Simon's happy ending.
So why am I bringing this up?
Well, let's think about what will Simon actually be arrested for.
Well firstly, there's the fact that he masterminded the arrest of Patricia and Blaise along with the death of Jill Crane and Horace Knightley (who murdered Ethan Rooke which was a part of Simon's plan). However, as stated in game, this technically isn't considered instigating murder. There was no mention of killing, blackmail or anything of the sort. All Simon did was give information to others, which resulted in those people's murders and arrests, which can really happen to anyone. Simon can't be charged with this.
Secondly would be kidnapping. Yes, Simon can indeed be charged with this, as he kidnapped John Marsh. However, John's kidnapping was probably one of the least severe kidnappings that could happen. Simon knocked him out and brought him to an abandoned warehouse which was still rather nearby, and that's it. No ransom, no *ahem* rape, no torture, no nothing. Yes, he'll still be charged with kidnapping, but not a large charge. It would fall under second-degree kidnapping, which would result in about 5 years in prison.
I couldn't find much about Kay's situation, which was her getting knocked unconscious. However, considering the fact that no actual harm was done to her (as she was knocked out with a drug) and that her memory loss was a result of her getting startled by Jill's body, Simon probably won't get charged with this, and if he does, I doubt it'll be much. At most, 2 years.
Now for the big one. The fact that Simon murdered the body double. This is the one that got him arrested in the first place. However, let's consider the circumstances of that murder. Simon was in the hot air balloon and was flying upwards, with no malicious intent of murdering the body double. The body double, however, sends Courtney away and shoots at Simon. With both his and Kay's life in danger of getting shot, Simon drops on the body double, crushing him and killing him.
As you can see, this fits perfectly with self-defense, or justifiable homicide. While yes, this does fit perfectly with Simon's revenge plan, he had no idea the body double was going to be there and even less that he was armed. And as his life was in danger, Simon had to kill him. So, technically Simon can't be charged with murder, as it was justified. Which also means he can't be thrown in jail for it. Hell, even Edgeworth's logic and evidence prove the circumstances of the body double's death, so there's no way Simon will be charged for this.
However, that's not what Simon is getting arrested for. Not really, anyways. Simon is getting arrested because he manipulated the evidence and framed John. This can't really be denied. However, there is one huge fact that changes everything. And it's the fact that Simon wasn't in court. Yes, he lied, but so what? If he was in court, he'd be hit with perjury and forgery easily. But, because he wasn't in court, all he did was lie. Simon was not under oath and had the right to lie. Saying that John was the murderer was simply the result of his logic and it made sense. So Simon also can't be charged with perjury. Although, Simon did tamper with the evidence, which result in 3 years of jail time.
So, with all that said, if we combine the total time Simon will be spending in jail, we have about 10 years! Everything considered, that isn't bad at all. In fact, it's really good considering all Simon did and the fact that most murderers would be charged with life in jail or execution. This isn't even including Simon's memory loss in the IS-7 incident and him being pursued as a result of the SS-5 incident, which would both probably decrease his jail time by quite a bit as a result of trauma. So, let's say he'll be in jail for 8 years.
Now, let's take a look at some dates. Simon was arrested April 8, 2019. The Monstrous Turnabout, which is the earliest case in Dual Destinies, took place April 17, 2027. Which means that by the start of Dual Destinies, Simon Keyes should have already have been released from prison. Kinda amazing, actually. Congrats Simon!