Saphrina Ayls Acquitted

Saphrina Ayls Acquitted
10/4/08
Saphrina Ayls was acquitted of the murder charge in relation to the slaying of Sergeant Fredrich. However, she was found guilty of being an accessory to the murder, and of having ties to the Scourge. Ayls was sentenced to 15 lashes and to be branded as a member of the Black Hand.
Saphrina was escorted from the Command Center in Stormwind to the Westbrook Keep where the trial was held. A procession of people followed the escort. It was as if half of Stormwind poured out to witness the event.
The trial itself went on for about three hours. A few of the less patient spectators left, calling much attention upon themselves in doing so. Their patience having been tried, they felt a need to announce it to everyone.
The trial was heard by Magistrate Sirithil Nightstone. Barnabus Forgewright, Esq. gave a solid defense to the prosecution by Sir Dugald Taggart-Gallina. The defense insisted that Saphrina Ayls was an innocent bystander that was simply caught up in the fray during Kalas' attack of the Command Center which resulted in the death of a guard sergeant. Despite the Crown's witnesses, doubt remained as to whether Ayls acted in conjunction with the death knight, and whether or not she was directly responsible of the murder.
During the trial, it was revealed that Ayls is a member of the Syndicate of the Black Hand, a group associated or made up of death knights and their followers. Ayls had a tattoo of a black hand on her shoulder and on the back of her hand. A tattoo which she claimed was simply a personal symbol. The prosecution presented a witness that had a similar tattoo on the back of her hand, who related that the tattoo was forced on her by an apprentice of Kenny Kalas, an infamous death knight.
The court's acquittal of Ayls on the murder charge was met with booing and vocal disapproval by the assembled crowd. Corran the Lightsworn yelled at the Magistrate and called her a grievously unkind name, for which the magistrate ordered Corran to be jailed for contempt of court. The High Inquisitor also protested the verdict and made it clear that he would initiate an inquisition against Ayls.
Ayls was released after her lashing and branding.