Judge

Judges are the law in the courtroom. They sit high up, watching over the trial, keeping order in the court and the benches in check, making sure progress is being made and tasked with making various decisions that can potentially alter the course of the case and, of course, deciding the final verdict.

Or at least attempting to do all that, anyway.

Unfortunately, the life of a Judge is a hard one. When you're not getting shit on, you're probably being ignored. However, if you pay attention to the case and keep things going, it might just be okay.

## Case Start

The case will officially begin once you bang your gavel (or equivalent, depending on your chosen character) and state that "Court is now in session for the trial of (defendant)". Feel free to say your thoughts on the case or whatever to make a nice intro, then after checking to see if the benches are ready, hand over to the prosecution to make their opening statement.

## Main Role

Throughout the case, you'll have a couple of main objectives; primarily trying to keep things on track.

### Arguments

During the case, the benches might end up arguing about a point for a long time without making any real progress on the subject or just getting in to some circular arguing. You'll want to try and avoid that by getting them to move on - especially if they're in the middle of a cross examination - and potentially revisit the point later on when more information is gathered from the witness. It's important to keep the case moving and progressing as best as you can (without screwing anyone over) so that we don't end up with a case that lasts forever because it got hung up on minor points (like arguing semantics).

You may also often be prompted for your thoughts on the matter at hand, whether it be a theory or request. So make sure you're paying attention in order to respond, as this may determine the course of the case, such as if a new witness is to be called upon or not.

### Penalties

The benches at times might also start asking dumb questions or making bad arguments with evidence that doesn't make sense or anything else that just wastes time and makes them look stupid. Here's where penalties come in. If either side is presenting garbage or generally being overly obnoxious, hand them a penalty to kick them back into line. Remember that both sides have a 'health bar' of sorts and if either bench receives enough penalties to deplete that bar, you're free to end the case with a verdict against them. As such, don't just doll out penalties left and right for any minor mistake or banter. Give warnings and only use penalties if you feel they're necessary. Don't be worried about giving out penalties, because remember that you're the Judge, which means you ARE the law, so don't take anyone's shit.

### Be Neutral

You'll want to not be completely against either side, allowing both benches a chance to get their thoughts and theories in. While you might have a general leaning towards the prosecution (as is usual in AA) this should really only be for RP purposes rather than just screwing over the defense or letting the prosecution walk all over you.

### Verdict

Eventually, when all is said and done, it'll be time for the verdict. At this point you'll want to sum up what has happened over the course of the case and maybe ask the benches to provide their final argument. Regardless, the decision is yours to make, whether it be Guilty or Not Guilty (or even a Mistrial if everything has gone to complete shit). Don't worry too much about this - winning isn't that important, after all - but try to give a verdict that makes the most sense all things considered. Also, sometimes the final boss will confess, giving you a clear verdict, so it'll mostly depend on how the final cross examination ends.

The verdict will most often come after all witnesses have testified and either a confession or final arguments have been presented. However, you should also be aware of when a case CAN potentially end. Not all cases are great, not all are good. Some are shit. Absolute shit from top to bottom. If a case is going nowhere, salt is pouring and everyone wants to kill themselves and/or each other, then it might be best to end it before it gets worse. If things are really bad, a Mistrial might be necessary to shut that shit down. This shouldn't be too common, so it's not a factor to worry much about, but it's something to be aware of. Also, on the other hand, don't just end a case if you personally don't like it but others want to continue. If you try, you might find yourself ending up getting replaced, so read the room before committing to an early verdict.

## Common Mistakes and Tips

### Don't Be Too Passive

It's important not to be too quiet and inactive during a case, as this will lead to circular arguing between benches and a lack of progress. You should be ready to step in and keep things moving. Also, make sure you have an understanding of the case so you can follow along and provide a better course for the case and verdict. If you're not certain about a concept, piece of evidence, theory or whatever else, ask the the benches to explain it. This gives you a chance to better your understanding of the case and gives the benches a chance to reconfirm their theories.

### Don't Be Too Aggressive

On the flip side, being too active can also be detrimental, whether constantly interrupting the benches or going crazy on the penalties. Let the case flow and be prepared to step in to get it back on track.

### Don't Give Last, Last, *LAST* Chances

Sometimes the defense just won't get it. It's unfortunate, but it happens. If they still have a penalty bar remaining, then you can let them try a few more times, but if they're out of penalties or have been dragging on going nowhere, then it's time to shut it down. The defense don't always have to win, so if they can't figure it out, let the case end naturally.

### Accepting Evidence

As Judge, you'll need to accept all evidence presented to allow it into the court record. Most (or all) of the established evidence will be presented during the detective's testimony, so accept that. Sometimes, however, someone might try to introduce new evidence into the mix. As Judge, it's completely up to you as to whether you accept it or not. If you think it's overly memey or stupid, then refuse to accept it. It might just be for the best.