Albrecht Stern

Hailing from a family of law enforcers, Albrecht Stern bares a heavy mantle upon his shoulders to follow in the steps of his forefathers and see to it that justice is served. His reputation is well earned, formerly cast in the shadow of his father - Chief Justice Obrecht Stern - Albrecht is a rising star with a notorious reputation for his unwavering neutrality in any and all court proceedings.

He conducts himself with remarkable elegance, known by many to have an intimidating presence despite his small stature. Having presided over a number of headline cases - he is no stranger to being in the limelight as a good samaritan. The Stern family are known for their remarkable character, prevailing sense of justice, and involvement in charity work - Albrecht is no different. He does not break from this mold, bathing in the awe of those who believe the Sterns to be loved by angels.

## Personality

Though Albrecht's surname follows the German definition - "star" - it would be a difficult case to deny that he is also a stern man, severe with high expectations for those in his social circles. He does not meddle in mediocrity, always aiming to push himself to greater heights. He is driven, motivated, and silently passionate with a burning fire in his heart - not in search of kindness in others - but in the execution of justice for those who have belittled the law and hurt their fellow man.

He bears a great deal of self-importance, at times almost believing he is incapable of wrong. The way he reigns over his court follows him in much of his life, a trait he all but cherry-picked from his father. Control is a necessity in his life. He does not fare well in rocky waters, drastic changes throw him out of the loop and at times causing his mood to deteriorate quickly.

However, due to the heavy burden of expectations that lies upon his shoulders, he behaves in a regimented fashion which comes as a stark contrast to his hedonistic and self-indulging principles. There are lines he will never cross and offers he will turn down without fail.

Those who know Albrecht, know he is honest to a fault. He does not concern himself with white lies and its ilk. He is passionate and opinionated, but mutedly so with restraint and fury in his eyes. He is not the kind of man to stand idle in the face of injustice and he will make that known.

## Biography

#### History

Born to Chief Justice Obrecht Stern and Madam Tachi Chiaki (立千明), Albrecht was the eldest of six in a union that connected the Sternls with the Taichi family. As a family of lawmakers with an enviable number of magistrates and assemblymen, the marriage of convenience came as a relief to the Taichi family. It was in this environment - with a sprawling extended family - and enviable privilege, that Albrecht came of age.

As the eldest, the mantle of bringing pride to the Stern name fell upon his lap - leading him to navigate with a great deal of caution. In a sea of political sharks, Albrecht found his own, graduating from the prestigious college of law - Hawkins University - summa cum laude.

An extremely private man, little is known of Albrecht's life outside of his jurisdiction within the realms of his court. Though he involves himself with the most esteemed politicians and socialites, he has miraculously avoided scrutiny in the public eye due to his lack of involvement in scandals. He rarely makes headlines for anything other than an altruistic act every now and then

#### Notable Cases

**Legalized Same-Sex Marriage (*Yeon v. Kaiser*)**

*Ruled by Supreme Justice Hedwig Stern*

Following Vincent Kaiser, Director of Vigilstow Department of Health's refusal to recognize their marriage Yeon Hae-Won and Ikukoyi Adeika challenged the legislature in place at Vigilstow. This case's ruling allowed same-sex marriages to be recognized and viewed as equal in all regards to a union between a man and woman.

**International Skies Case (*Eastern Reach v. Concordia*)**

*Ruled by Judge Gottfried Stern*

Following the creation of airships and a dispute that took root in 19XX regarding how much the area of the memory sea and skies were international skies and how much of those skies that surrounded a nation could be policed and regulated. This case established the area below the memory sea that could be policed by cities that would require fishers to follow the legislature of said nation.

**Right to Attorney (*Singh v. Ibarra*)**

*Ruled by Judge Gottfried Stern*

Too poor to afford a lawyer, Kshama Singh was forced to defend herself when accused of crimes of trespassing. After receiving a heavy fine for entering businesswoman Lovetta Staley's land, Kshama filed a habeas corpus petition arguing a violation of her rights to be represented by counsel. This led Judge Gottfried Stern to rule that council was mandatory for all individuals regardless of financial standing.

**Memories Case (*Johnathan v. Eastern Reach II*)**

*Ruled by Chief Justice Obrecht Stern*

Suspected serial Killer Maverick Johnathan was believed to be responsible for the murders of fifteen backpackers. Due to insufficient evidence, Johnathan was promptly released. After one of Johnathan's victim's family members commissioned a fisher crew to hunt down their memories - there was finally evidence to link Johnathan to the crimes. In a stunning ruling, Chief Justice Obrecht Stern decreed that if memories were to resurface linking an individual to a heinous crime double jeopardy would not protect them.

**Warning of Rights (*Hayden v. Eastfall*)**

*Ruled by Chief Justice Obrecht Stern*

Naomi Hayden following her arrest was taken into custody under suspicion of manslaughter, believed to have performed a hit and run with an unauthorized vehicle. After hours of grueling interrogation, Hayden signed a written confession to the crime and was sentenced to 20 years without the possibility of parole. Hayden appealed the case for a violation of her rights. Chief Justice Obrecht Stern held that “the prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination".

The case was later overturned two years later when - upon his arrest for reckless endangerment and suspected manslaughter - Goito Noguera admitted to the crimes as well as his involvement in the death of Saiki Masaru.

#### Landmark Cases

**Inevitable Discovery Doctrine (*Sinai v. Buratti*)**

*Ruled by Judge Albrecht Stern*

Upon Savio Buratti's arrest, he confessed to the police the location of the body of his victim as well as pointed them in the direction of the murder weapon prior to being read his Hayden Rights. As a result, his defense attorney attempted to exclude the evidence on the grounds that it was improperly obtained. Judge Albrecht Stern denied this claim stating that the exclusionary rule did not apply because it was clear the police would have found the body and weapon with or without Buratti's assistance.

**Self Identification (*Okilo v. Eastfall*)**

*Ruled by Judge Albrecht Stern*

Mbita Okilo was arrested by Officer Tomos Boliver due to their suspicious conduct around the area of a recent murder. After failing to identify themself, Okilo was taken into custody as a potential suspect in the case. Okilo's defense argued that it was their right to not incriminate themself and avoid unreasonable search and seizure. However, Judge Albrecht Stern ruled that if given reasonable suspicion an officer was well within their rights to demand an individual to identify themself.

**Search Warrant Violation (*Bhavsar v. Parlak I & II*)**

*Ruled by Judge Albrecht Stern*

In an infamous case, suspected fisher captain turned serial killer Vefa Parlak defended by attorney Henry Xǔ, was released on the grounds that the evidence obtained at his residence was unlawful. The search warrant was incorrectly completed, therefore violating his rights to unlawful search and seizures. As a result, Judge Albrecht Stern ruled the evidence obtained was to be thrown out and the case eventually ended with Parlak being released.

However, not long after - in a rather strange turn of events, much to the public's bemusement - the police were able to locate Parlak's safehouse via an anonymous tip. Inside was a collection of souls. Further evidence in the form of memories was obtained and Parlak was sentenced to life in prison in the retrial, also presided over by Judge Albrecht Stern.

## Trivia

* Aldretch takes after his father's sharp features with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. His eyes are fiercely intense and vicious.
* With a passion for hockey, Stern has a very formidable build capable of gaining speed on the ice and knocking somebody off their feet with a strong shoulder check.
* His white hair and orange - near red eyes - are defining features of the Stern lineage.
* His preferred colors are black and gold
* His full toyhouse application can be found here.