#b-200 criminal case

[katrinahood]

Meet B-200. He is a robot currently living on an island populated by outdated robots and holograms. He's their unofficial leader.

[ellaa-writes]

Good Dög

authors note: Part 2, part 1 here. In the same Universe as The Beast Within series. Can't wait to expanded the world more. But anyways, enjoy! :) (wow did not notice i reached 200 followers!)

summary: His favourite words include; down boy, good dog, heel, fetch and his most favourite, get 'em. Well trained, and listens good. Loyal through and through. Always striving to be the absolute best. Ready to attack at all times, always on guard. Loves discipline, either giving or receiving. Working for a criminal mastermind, lurking in the shadows. You both trying not to be seen or noticed but after one unlucky night, all you both can see are the ghosts. He invades your life, if you both like it or not.

tags: Alternative Universe. A/b/o dynamics. Female reader. Lots of trauma in this one. Mentions of a dead body. Mentions of weapons, self defense. Reader has a panic attack. Simon saves the day once again. Slightly stalking Simon. not proof read

Two weeks passed since that fateful night at the corner store. Your days were filled with nightmares, and those eyes and that voice were always there to save you. Too pull you back into the light, always waking up with your heart pounding.

The police realeased your belonging back to you, you didn't bother telling anyone. If you did they would just urge you to seek out help, to talk to someone. But you can't afford that right now, you were already overworking yourself trying to save up enough money to move out of this hell hole.

Two weeks and not a word from him, Simon. You laid awake most mornings and nights, wondering what he was doing and if he thought about you to.

You felt silly for thinking that, sure Beta and Alpha relationships were common. Hell your parents were in a Beta/Alpha relationship. But you always felt unworthy, never meeting someone that sparked your interest as much as that Alpha did.

You had a few days off, only because the law required it. But if it was up to your employer you would have been working today.

You decided to get out of your apartment, to go for a walk, to try and not thinking about the cold steel on your throat and that evil smile. Anytime it crept into your mind you would wipe it away. Shove it back down with all the other shit you refused to face.

It was a beautiful day in the city, lucky for you it was a weekend. People littered the streets, groups walking together and chatting. The restaurants had their patios open, only if you had friends you thought. You'd be out there, drinking your fancy drink, eating your fancy food and smiling and laughing. Reminiscing about the good ol' days, but you had none of that. Instead you watched from a far, wishing that one day you'd wake up in a new body, new life.

But that never got you far. You've always been a keep your head down and don't stay for long type of gal. Having been alone in this world for longer than you remember not being.

You lost your mother young, and your dad left all together. Not wanting to raise a child by himself, being a single widowed father. Instead he forgot about you and met someone else. Started a new family, one where you weren't in the picture.

Living in foster care after foster care, until your turned of age and was pushed out into this unforgiving world.

You found yourself staring at the people, laughing and enjoying their time. You were staring for too long, sometimes lost in your own world. Taking your eyes off the people out on the patio, you began casing things out.

Since the accident, you've been on edge more. Keeping a small pocket knife on you at all time, and a can of bear mace. As regular mace wouldn't take down a drugged up Alpha.

As you were looking around you noticed something, or someone. The eyes that haunted your dreams, staring at you from across the street. The same eyes and voice from the corner store.

It couldn't be, you must be imagining it. That feeling of uneasiness creeping up from spine, your brain telling you to run. So you did, you spun around and decided this was a bad idea. Leaving your apartment was stupid. Mentally beating yourself up as you sped walked down the block. Trying to get as much distance between you and those eyes.

They didn't scare you, not intentionally. But you were seeing things, they weren't real. Taking a short cut through the back alley, not wanting to waste anymore time. You were too much in your own head, speeding down the desolate alley, not noticing the fast approaching footsteps behind you.

All you felt was the hands grabbing your arm, and in an instant you were spun around. Your bear mace in hand ready to spray at the intruder. But before you could it was knocked out of your hand. Flying into the brick wall beside you.

And there he was, Simon. It was real, you did see him. "You could kill someone like that." you snapped at him. Picking up your now busted can of bear spray. Hoping you can get another one soon. "Plan on using that on anyone?" he asked. His voice just as husky as the first time you heard it. Your heart skipped a beat, holding in the breath you just took, your core getting tingly.

"Well not anymore." you huffed, shoving the broken can into your bag. "Had anymore run ins?" he asked, noticing the small knife next to the can. "No." you were shuffling on your feet. Not wanting to be here anymore. "Just precaution." you explained.

You hated the way he was looking at you, his head tilted. He was judging you, noticing things about you that even you didn't.

The tenseness in your body, the way you were constantly looking around you, how you held your bag tight to your body. Your quick movements and that look in your eyes. The one he knew so well, the same look he'd have often.

You looked like a lost doe, eyes frantic and legs wobbly. He pitied you, knowing the inner battle raging on inside of you. One that he wish he could take away.

"How have ya been holdn' up?" he asked. Stupid question he thought. He knew from just looking at you, that if a big gust of wind were to come you'd crumble like a dry leaf in autumn.

"I uhhh-" you didn't know what to say. Do you lie to him now? "I'm getting by." you replied. Knowing that didn't fully answer his question.

You were running, not psychically but mentally. Your movements becoming more frantic, your eyes wide with fear, the lost doe cornered and trying to find a way out.

Simon knew this, as he felt it often. He did the only thing he could think of, and he wasn't sure if it was even going to work. He purred, he never purred before. Not even sure if he was doing the damn thing right, but it was pure Alpha instinct. A female in stress can sore the nose, the smell permeating far. Letting everyone know, it was old basic biology, things have evolved since then.

The purr was deep and low, sounding like a bike engine off in the distance. As he slowly stepped closer to you, making sure his shoulder were laxed and his scent enclosing around you like a bubble.

You didn't know what was happening, you felt the tightness in your chest. You began struggling to breath, wanting to dive into the garbage bin and hide. To scream, cry, kick and bite. All these emotions coursing through your body, you hands shaking. Trying to grip onto your arms, hugging yourself tight. Rubbing you neck against your shoulder. Trying anything to make this feeling go away.

Simon wrapped you in his arms, pushing your head into his chest. That's when you finally heard it, the low purring coming from it. It soothed you, making you feel like a pup being cradled by its father.

He held you tight to his chest, enclosing both of you in a bubble of his scent. Blocking out all other noise and smells. His juvenile attempt at consoling you were working, you began sucking in even and deep breaths. The tightness in your chest and back relaxing, you unwrapped your arms from yourself and wrapped them around Simon.

If you were anyone else and this was any other moment he'd he ripping your limbs off. But it was you.

The nights he'd spend wide awake, thinking about you. Everytime he closed his eyes he'd see your dead lifeless body, your dead soulless eyes staring back up at him. He couldn't sleep the first time, he had to make sure you were alright. Sneaking into a vacant apartment across the street, just to make sure she was alright, he told himself.

But it was nightly, then daily. Ignoring his own work to watch night and day. Making sure nothing could or would happen to you. He didn't know what got into himself, why he had these strong feelings towards you. What made you so special.

What made you different from the rest, you haunted him night and night out. And you were alive, so why does he keep seeing your dead body everywhere he turns.

His boss noticed he'd been quiter than normal, which is saying a lot for him. A conversation he had while sitting in his bosses office one night. He use to hate the man, seeing him as enemy number one. Making it his dying mission to take him down, to take him out.

But when shit hit the fan, and Simon was sent to prison. His years of decidated and hard work went down the drain, along with his life. He was a walking reminder, the people he considered close some even close enough to be family, all cut him off. Discarding him like he was yesterday's trash.

The man across from him in the office, sitting on the stiff leather chair. The man that went by König, he was the only one that was their for him. When he was realeased from prison, he was their at the gate. Leaning up against a black sports car. Simon thought he was dead, everyone at least still thinks he is.

He gave Simon an offer, a too good to be true offer. Turning it down, vowing to never cross that line. To go over to the other side. But after finding out that no one gave a shit, that him going to prison didn't change anything. Him taking the fall and paying the price. Just to have them all act like he never existed. So he didn't.

Death by fire, he found it fitting. He felt like his whole existence was flawed, the moment his mother became knocked up with him. A bastard growing in her belly. She left him like the rest did.

But what made you so special, it was a question that he didn't know if he'd ever get an answer to.

For two whole weeks he couldn't shake you. Lying too himself that he wasn't stalking you, that when you were gone for work, that he wasn't breaking into your place. To make sure the windows were sealed and the smoker detector wasn't low on batteries. He even fixed the buzzing from your fridge, something you did notice but chalked it up to old appliances.

If he knew any better he'd say he was infatuated with you.

With you still wrapped in his arms he brought you back to your apartment. Using your key to unlock your door, carrying you into your bedroom. Setting you down and wrapping you up. "I'll be back." he told you. Leaving for only a moment, coming back with a bag of hot food.

It was late in the night when he finally left. You were tucked into bed, everything locked and secured. He didn't like the idea of leaving you alone, but he'd be right cross the street. Having rented out the space after squatting in it for a few days. Paying for two rents wasn't ideal, but in his mind it was only tempory.

You guys talked for hours, you telling him about your past in foster care. How you saved up everything you could to move here and get this place. Only for you to now do the same so you could get out.

You told him about your dream to live out on the country side, to live a small village. To have a farm, yellow house and maybe a few pups running around. But how that dream seemed to slip away faster and faster everyday.

As he settled into postion, on the weathered chair at the window. Watching people flow in and out of the street below. His mind asked the same question it always did when he found himself in this spot. Why you? What was so special about you. But now he also thought about how he wanted to give you, your dream.

The yellow house, the farm to look after and of course the one thing he never would have wanted or thought of wanting....pups.

[old-school-butch]

How are you feeling about Israel's rescue mission where they killed over 200 civilians while disguised as humanitarian aid?

People who hold hostages, by international law, are war criminals not civilians. In all instances documented so far, the hostages have been held in these 'civilian' homes, with the entire family still present, moved from one family to another over time, and surrounded by other families living in the residential neighborhoods. Hamas appears to assign entire companies to guard the hostages (approx. 100 men), so it's not like people nearby are unaware of what's happening.

From the body cam footage (released by the IDF) they appeared to come under counter-fire that included the use of grenade launchers and RPGs aimed at street level, which of course would be quite destructive in a residential area.

I have not seen footage that the IDF was in disguise, although that would be a good surprise strategy. Please send any such footage if you have it. Everything I've seen has the IDF in uniform.

Hostage rescues often don't end well, in many cases the hostages get killed in the cross fire or are killed by their guards if they are tipped off about an incoming raid. When hostages are rescued alive, it usually means the guards have been successfully surprised and killed, so I suspect the death toll is both somewhat smaller than stated and mostly comprised of the Hamas companies guarding the buildings. However, given the environment of the firefight that broke out, I wouldn't be surprised if there were civilian casualties involved.

You've inferred that the deaths were all civilians, but even Hamas doesn't claim that, it just announces deaths without distinguishing civilian and combatants, and their numbers are not independently verified. The IDF says the death toll was around 100, also not independently verified. Several IDF soldiers were wounded in the raid as well, and the commander of the raid was killed by counter-fire.

So the lesson here is:

a) don't take hostages

b) don't hold hostages in residential areas

c) don't stay in a residential area where a Hamas company is stationed because they are probably guarding hostages, thus turning your apartment building into a military installation in a combat zone.

[xagentsofpandorax]

CASE FILE #78643

[   michael b jordan,  bisexual, cismale + he/him,  supersonic speed]  dominic jackson  is  a chaotic neutral agent  of  pandora  selected  for  their  criminal background in both thievery and arms dealing  and  underwent  the  top-secret  mutation  process.  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  the  thirty-nine year  old  originally  from  chicago, illinois  is  deceased  or  missing.  however,  in  atlantis,  they  are  now  known  as  nitro  of  greed after  developing  the  ability  to  move at transcendent speeds for both retrieval and combat.  the  agent  has  been  with  pandora  for  thirteen years and  is  trusted  for  being  charismatic &  confident,  but  once  reprimanded  for  being  impulsive &  covetous. 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Dominic Jackson [REDACTED]

Calsign: Nitro

Age: Thirty-Nine

Height: 6'3

Birthplace: Chicago Illinois [REDACTED]

Notes: We had kept our eye on Nitro because he is the reckless third son of the notorious crime boss known as [REDACTED] that would pull elaborate jobs in the hopes to gain his father's attention. Though he had knowledge in a good portion of his father's business, we witnessed him participating in larceny and armed robbery enough times to know that we could use someone like him at the institution. And though he was skeptical about us at first, the threat of going to life in prison was enough to convince him to join us.

Additional Notes: Friction seems to be a concern for Agent Nitro as if he runs fast enough, he generates enough heat with his body that it can potentially burn the clothes on his skin - primarily on his feet. Special precautions are needed when developing his uniform to ensure he doesn't spontaneously combust when he runs. .

SKILLSET

After observing Agent Nitro for over a decade, we have come to observe that he has��proficiency in marksmanship, athletics, persuasion, deception as well as acrobatics & invasion. He also appears to have expertise in sleight of hand, vehicular operations & perception, something that had been noted prior to recruitment.

We do, however, have to note that he seems to need more practice in Tactical Foresight as well as Environmental Adaptation as we believe that he is substandard at them.

POWERS

After the serum was given to the agent, we have found that Agent Nitro is able to run at speeds far faster than any human is capable of. At first, he was only able to achieve speeds of just over 200 miles per hour, but after more and more practice and the more he had pushed himself, he has managed to achieve speeds in the quadruple digits.

It seems that Agent Nitro's legs aren't the only thing that's fast, either. He can even throw punches and even thrown weapons at immeasurable speeds, making him absolutely lethal - because he's faster than a bullet, and you're dead before you even see a lethal hit coming.

It does seem to take a lot out of Nitro to move at supersonic speeds, and the more he uses his powers in the field, the more he seems to need to sleep when he returns. Because of this, we recommend that Nitro has to wait at least a week between missions to ensure that he is able to maintain the peak performance we expect of him. Failure to do so could result in Nitro "running out of juice" and become compromised.

BACKGROUND

[REDACTED]

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Qasim Rashid at Let's Address This:

Multiple sources are reporting that anti-immigrant raids will start in Chicago this Tuesday, the day after Inauguration.1 Trump is expected to deploy 200 ICE officers to target immigrant communities. Throughout his entry into right wing politics nearly a decade ago, Trump has painted immigrants as criminals and a threat to the country—a narrative that is not only false but deeply hypocritical. Corporate media has remained complicit, refusing to challenge him on his bigotry and hate. [...]

Part 1: Debunking ant-immigrant propaganda

Claim 1: Immigrants increase crime

Fact: False. Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, have lower crime rates than native-born U.S. citizens. This has been consistently documented over not just decades, but over centuries. A Northwestern University study looked at data going back to 1870 and found:

[Using incarceration rates as a proxy for crime, a team of economists analyzed 150 years of U.S. Census data and found immigrants were consistently less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. They also found beginning in 1960, the incarceration gap widened such that immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than the U.S.-born. “Our study shows that since 1870, it has never been the case that immigrants as a group have been more incarcerated than the U.S.-born,” Jácome said.]

In other words, the more immigrants you have in your neighborhood, the statistically safer is your neighborhood.

Claim 2: Undocumented immigrants are, by definition, criminals

Fact: False. The rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are "criminals" simply by virtue of being undocumented is misleading and disingenuous. Crossing the border without proper documentation is a civil violation, not a criminal one. It’s comparable to receiving a parking ticket or speeding ticket—a misdemeanor, not a felony. Moreover, the process to apply for asylum—which is a legal act protected by U.S. and international law—necessarily requires crossing the border without documentation and then applying. Asylum is legal immigration, and undocumented immigration is not a criminal act. And given that every MAGA accusation seems to be a confession, remember that Elon Musk was an undocumented immigrant himself. You can watch the short clip below from 2013, where Musk’s brother admits they were both “illegal immigrants.” [...]

Claim 4: Immigrants drain the economy

Fact: False. Countless studies quantify the immense economic benefit immigrants, and undocumented immigrants, contribute to the U.S. economy. Far from “taking Black jobs,” as Trump claims, immigrants ignite the economy and decrease overall unemployment. And while I can cite numerous studies, I’ll opt to cite one by the George W. Bush Institute, lest someone accuse me of cherry picking a left leaning organization. The Bush study concludes:

[Immigration fuels the economy. When immigrants enter the labor force, they increase the productive capacity of the economy and raise GDP. Their incomes rise, but so do those of natives. It’s a phenomenon dubbed the “immigration surplus,” and it amounts to $36 to $72 billion per year.]

But what about undocumented immigrants? The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (“ITEP”) reports a shocking fact that no fair minded person could argue is bad for the economy. ITEP concludes:

[Undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. Most of that amount, $59.4 billion, was paid to the federal government while the remaining $37.3 billion was paid to state and local governments.]

For perspective, undocumented immigrants pay more in taxes than the entire GDP of at least 10 U.S. states. These are taxes they pay towards our Medicare, Medicaid, and social service programs, for which they receive no benefit whatsoever. That’s also more in taxes annually than Musk or Trump will ever pay in a lifetime.

Claim 5: Immigrants are lazy & collect welfare.

Fact: False. Most immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are ineligible for federal public benefits such as welfare, food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). According to U.S. law, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) must wait at least five years before they can access these benefits. Undocumented immigrants and certain temporary visa holders are entirely ineligible for most federal welfare programs.

Claim 6: Immigrants bring diseases into the U.S.

Fact: False. Immigrants have higher vaccination rates than U.S. citizens. So not only are they less likely to carry diseases, they are also more likely to help prevent the spread of illnesses. This myth is particularly dangerous because the Trump administration is using it to literally “find a disease” they can use as an excuse to invoke Title 42 and close the border to all new immigration.2 [...]

In Conclusion

Trump’s anti-immigrant raids will hurt the American people, the U.S. economy, and betrays our constitutional right to equal justice and due process. No one is claiming that the U.S. immigration system is perfect. However, the facts are clear—immigrants make our country safer, healthier, and stronger economically. Rather than falling for political propaganda that demonizes immigrants, we should focus on meaningful immigration reform that maximizes public safety, economic growth, and public health.

The reactionary anti-immigrant raids will begin tomorrow, the first full day of Fascist 47’s term.

[doodles-with-noodles]

*Crashes through your window*

I AM BACK!!!

Group activities they sometimes do?

Which of your characters do you think could beat which of mine in a fight? (See I can do that too >:D)

Was there also an Icarus 8-A? What happened to it?

How many people aproximately are on the spaceship in the mind burglars? Like, 20? 60? 200?

Did Cecil still fake his death? Would he do it after the mission in this case?

Who likes hugs?

What happened with Anthony and Ed that made them fall in love?

Anyone that is very religious?

OC that thinks arson can solve problems very well.

Most likely to adopt a random kitten and/or child.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN! *Runs away*

*Falls and trips over a branch comedically"

*sensible chuckle*

I told you about the museum archives group activities, so now I’ll tell you about the Icarus 8-B: crew game nights (micro-g-wrestling is highly beloved by the crew but not by the captain, board games or chucking around a ball are usually the sensible solutions), talking a lot, „family dinners“ that are also used to check on people, lots of talking and reading and doing silly stuff while floating.

Mathildis. His magic and understanding of it are pretty strong. In an absolute worst-case scenario he could even replicate the effects of the Mistletoe (is it replicated if it’s based on him?) and well. explode all of them

Icarus 8-A was a testing probe for their current mission- in fact, Icarus 8-B is the first mission so close to the sun again in 16 years. There was a manned Icarus 1 with six crew members that lost contact all that time ago- most others since were test flights or probes and maybe one or two failed attempts to retrieve Icarus 1. I think it helps if I explain this mission‘s purpose (and I wanna loredrop)

So Icarus 8-B does 4 complete orbits in one year around the sun. The mission has to: get to the sun and collect data, retrieve probe Icarus 4 and 8-A during swing 1 and 2, (4 was for general sun observation and has been circling there for 14 years- Icarus 8-A simulated all successful swing-by maneuvers and the suspected route to Icarus 1). During Swing 3, they will investigate and retrieve mission information on Icarus 1- if that’s not successful, Swing 4 will be the final chance. After that, Icarus 1 will be destroyed since they probably won’t be able to transport anything beyond a few mementos back. Like, a space burial.

4. I wanted to tweak more with character information, so it would maybe be more probable if Roscoe was on his own and they were more „actual“ Astronauts- so it’s only them, 7 people and the stakes for Roscoe are even higher because criminals don’t fly to space. If his secret comes out his entire career is at stake. So it’s only, well, all of them.

5. I‘m… not sure to be honest. I think it would prove quite impossible.

6. Jules, Ed and Norna. Cecil is probably quite unused to it, but likes them too.

7. They were stuck together and discovered the other might not be as bad as they thought, and also began to communicate better. They made a choice one could say.

8. Malik I think, who often prays to the gods and Anthony, because, well. put a man into space and he starts to pray.

9. Anthony, just because he can, Charlie, Cian and Cecil-out-of-his-mind edition (does a giant plasma ball in space count as arson?)

10. Roscoe… he’s that bitch that just becomes the greatest pseudo-father to ever exist and suddenly in twenty years he is the grandfather of your children. Family invasion.

[bwhitex]

Equal Justice Under Law: Reevaluating the Mar-a-Lago Documents Case in Light of Rule 12(b)

Let's cut to the chase, the government needs to drop the Mar a Lago classified documents case against Trump. In recent discourse surrounding the handling of classified documents has put a spotlight on the actions of high-profile political figures. In an environment where the scales of justice must remain balanced, the case against former President Donald Trump concerning classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago takes on a new light when juxtaposed with the treatment of President Joe Biden under similar circumstances.

The Case of Double Standard

According to the report crafted by Special Counsel Robert K. Hur (2024), which includes a specific focus on page 200, it's alleged that Joe Biden risked serious damage to America's national security through his interactions with a ghostwriter. The report details an incident involving a substantial monetary deal and the mishandling of sensitive information, which was ultimately found to be discarded in a computer's recycle bin in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The implications of this report should not be understated, yet the response has been markedly different from the fervor directed at Trump. This discrepancy calls into question the application of justice and whether political bias is influencing the course of these investigations.

The recent revelations by South Carolina Representative Adam Morgan have further cast a shadow on the integrity of Washington politics. Morgan's whistleblowing claims that dark money entities are targeting conservative representatives, pushing elected officials to disregard their constituents. He asserts that international corporations and lobbyists are prioritized by bureaucrats in the Commerce Department, advocating policies that serve those with deep pockets over American voters. This kind of influence peddling suggests a system where globalist agendas and non-governmental organizations hold sway over national policy.

When we consider these allegations in the context of former President Trump's case, the principle of equal justice under the law comes into stark relief. Federal Criminal Procedural Rule 12(b) allows for a defense against selective or vindictive prosecution, which seems increasingly relevant. If indeed the system is swayed by unelected bureaucrats and long-term representatives with vested interests, then the question arises as to whether Trump is being targeted for his political stance rather than any genuine legal transgression.

The evidence, as laid out in Hur's report and corroborated by the testimony regarding the Biden incident, strongly supports the notion of selective prosecution. The dual standards applied to Trump and Biden demand scrutiny, and adherence to Rule 12(b) should compel those in power to reevaluate the pursuit of Trump.

In other words, if we are to uphold the principles of fairness and impartial justice, the case against Donald Trump regarding the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago must be reconsidered in light of the treatment of similar cases. Without consistency in the application of the law, faith in the justice system and the democratic processes it protects cannot be sustained.

The Law

In Rule 12(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the terms "selective" and "vindictive" prosecution refer to two types of claims that a defendant can raise before trial as a part of pretrial motions to challenge the legitimacy of the prosecution.

“Selective prosecution” claims arise when a defendant believes they have been targeted for prosecution based on forbidden reasons, such as race, religion, sex, or other arbitrary classifications. The defendant argues that the prosecutor has enforced the law in a discriminatory manner, selecting them for prosecution while others who have committed similar offenses are not prosecuted.

“Vindictive prosecution” claims, on the other hand, occur when a defendant asserts that the prosecutor's decision to charge them was in retaliation for exercising a legal right, such as the right to a fair trial, the right to appeal, or the right to free speech. The essence of a vindictive prosecution claim is that the prosecutor is punishing the defendant for doing something that the law fully allows, thereby deterring the defendant and others from exercising their legal rights.

Both types of claims are serious allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. If a defendant can successfully prove either selective or vindictive prosecution, it may result in a dismissal of the charges. These claims must be brought up before trial through a pretrial motion, as specified in Rule 12(b). The defendant must provide evidence supporting the claim, and if the claim is substantial, the burden may shift to the prosecution to show that the decision to prosecute was not based on an impermissible factor (in the case of selective prosecution) or was not intended to punish the defendant for exercising a legal right (in the case of vindictive prosecution).

Conclusion

In contrast between the handling of classified document cases has raised substantial questions about the consistency of our justice system. While the scrutiny on former President Trump has been intense, the revelations from Special Counsel Robert K. Hur's report suggest that President Joe Biden may have engaged in similarly serious mishandling of sensitive information. What's more, Hur's report has drawn attention not only for its contents but for the actions of the Special Counsel himself.

The selective nature of prosecutions, as seen in the disparate treatment of cases, undermines confidence in the rule of law and suggests a need for immediate re-evaluation. If our justice system is to embody the principles of fairness and impartiality, actions like those alleged against Hur must be scrutinized with the same rigor as those of the subjects of his investigations.

It appears that in the course of his investigation, Hur may have crossed into territories beyond his expertise. I don't recall Robert Hur asserting that he possesses a medical degree with a specialty in psychiatry or neuroanatomy. Yet, reports indicate that he offered a medical opinion on Joe Biden after a single meeting. If this is the case, such conduct would not only be inappropriate but also potentially worthy of an ethics charge. It is crucial for investigators to remain within the scope of their professional competencies, especially when the stakes involve the reputation and privacy of individuals under scrutiny.

As we demand transparency and accountability in the handling of classified documents, we must also insist on the same from those who conduct the investigations. Professional boundaries exist for a reason, and when they are overstepped, the integrity of the entire process is called into question. The pursuit of justice, especially in the political arena, must be above reproach to maintain public trust. Thus, it is incumbent upon the legal and ethical oversight bodies to evaluate Hur's conduct in this matter and ensure that the investigation was carried out within the bounds of professional standards.

Reference:

Hur, R. K. (2024, February). Report from Special Counsel Robert K. Hur. Retrieved from https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24414147/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf

United States. (2023). Federal rules of criminal procedure (2023 ed.). Rule 12. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcrmp/rule_12

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Three days of progress.

November 27, 2023

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

          As I write on Sunday afternoon, Israel and Hamas are in the third day of a pause in the Israel-Hamas war. Groups of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners have been released in three exchanges and humanitarian aid has begun flowing into Gaza. Critically, the Israeli war cabinet appears to be open to extending the temporary pause. See CNN, Israel's war cabinet has discussed the possibility of extending the Gaza truce, source says.

          President Biden released a short video statement on Twitter urging an extension of the pause in fighting to allow a “surge” in aid to Palestinians. Biden said, in part,

We have worked urgently to surge aid into Gaza during the pause in fighting. We have moved approximately 200 aid trucks into Gaza each day – loaded with food, water, medicine, fuel, and cooking gas.

Today, 13 more hostages – including a fellow American – were released by Hamas under a deal brokered and sustained through intensive U.S. diplomacy. We continue to press that additional Americans be released.

And we will not stop working until every hostage is returned.

A two-state solution is the only way to guarantee the long-term security of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. To make sure Israelis and Palestinians alike can live in equal measures of freedom and dignity.

We will not give up on working toward this goal.

          As the hostage-for-prisoner exchanges unfold, it is becoming clear that President Biden’s personal involvement at critical junctures helped to achieve the agreement. Biden’s involvement is detailed in an article in the Times of Israel, Behind the scenes of the intense talks that led to the Israel-Hamas hostage deal. For example, when hostage talks stalled over the absence of identifying information about the hostages, Biden intervened:

Unsatisfied with the pace of the talks, Biden called Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the first time since the outbreak of the war and “made very clear that where we were was not enough,” the administration official said. During their “very intense call,” Biden told the emir that the sides would not be able to move forward without identifying information . . . Shortly after that call, Hamas produced identifying information on 50 women and children it said it could release in the first stage of a deal.

          I urge anyone interested in the facts surrounding Biden’s personal contribution to achieving the pause to read the article in the Times of Israel—a story missing from the New York Times on Sunday. A reader (Merrill W.) sent the following note:

This Sunday's New York Times reached a new low in efforts to degrade President Biden. While President Biden triumphantly masterminded four days of hostage releases, the NY Times decided that a story about Trump’s pardon of one of his criminal-grifter supporters was worthy of front-page placement while our president's central role in the hostage release was not worth mentioning. If nothing else, this a clear case of deplorable bias at the NYT.

          I scanned several versions of the NYTimes editions on Sunday (online US, US pdf, and NY pdf), and found no discussion of President Biden’s role in the hostage release. The apparent bias in the Times is not in the reader’s imagination. The Columbia Journalism Review published a must-read note by David M. Rothschild, Elliot Pickens, Gideon Heltzer, Jenny Wang, and Duncan J. Watts titled, Warped Front Pages.

          Rothschild et al. examined the coverage on the front pages of the NYTimes and Washington Post in 2016 and 2022 to see if those leading newspapers had “learned” anything from their biased coverage of “Hillary’s emails” to the exclusion of Trump’s “innumerable personal, ethical, and ultimately criminal failings.”

          Rothschild concluded that the newspapers had learned nothing from their sorry performance in 2016:

We found that [in 2022] the Times and the Post shared significant overlap in their domestic politics coverage, offering little insight into policy. Both emphasized the horse race and campaign palace intrigue, stories that functioned more to entertain readers than to educate them on essential differences between political parties.

            Worse, both papers tended to emphasize negative stories that aligned with Republican talking points rather than stories that focused on the accomplishments of the Biden administration:

Exit polls indicated that Democrats cared most about abortion and gun policy; crime, inflation, and immigration were top of mind for Republicans. In the Times, Republican-favored topics accounted for thirty-seven articles, while Democratic topics accounted for just seven. . . .

In the final days before the election, we noticed that the Times, in particular, hit a drumbeat of fear about the economy . . . as well as crime. Data buried within articles occasionally refuted the fear-based premise of a piece.

Still, by discussing how much people were concerned about inflation and crime—and reporting in those stories that Republicans benefited from a sense of alarm—the Times suggested that inflation and crime were historically bad (they were not) and that Republicans had solutions to offer (they did not).

          There is more in the article that deserves your attention, and I have edited out comments about WaPo (for brevity). But the research by Rothschild et al. suggests that the Times and WaPo are not only defaulting to “horse race” coverage, but when they venture into policy, they tend to amplify Republican talking points in a way that distorts reality.

          . . . . which is what happened over the Thanksgiving weekend. Biden’s personal diplomacy helped achieve a landmark breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas war. That fact was not deemed worthy of emphasis by the NYTimes or Washington Post.

          The inexplicable bias of two of the nation’s “newspapers of record” is something that we should both address and ignore. We should proactively spread stories containing facts like those included in the Times of Israel. We should let journalists and editors at media outlets know what we think of their biased reporting. And we should not let their bias demotivate us.

          Media outlets hammered the economy and ignored assaults on reproductive liberty, the Capitol, the dignity of LGBTQ people, and freedom from gun violence. And yet, Democrats were able to prevent the highly anticipated “red wave” of 2022. So, we can prevail in 2024 despite the ongoing bias of major media outlets. We did it before, and we can do it again.

[melbejosano]

Round 1: Article 1157

THE ARTICLE 1157 STATES THAT OBLIGATION ARISE FROM:

LAW

CONTRACTS

QUASI-CONTRACTS

ACTS OR OMISSIONS PUNISHED BY LAW

QUASI DELICTS

DISCUSSIONS:

Obligation arise from:

LAW- imposed by laws or statutes.

Examples:

The obligation to pay taxes annually clearly stipulated in the National Internal Revenue Code (R.A. 8424)

The annual submission of Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN) of government employees is required by law under Article XI Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution and Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713, the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

CONTRACTS – have the force of law between the contracting parties, which should done in good faith.

Example:

Ms. Ana filed a housing loan in Bank B. Ms. Ana and Bank B entered into a contract. Hence, both parties have respective responsibilities to fulfill during the duration of the contract.

QUASI-CONTRACT - are the judicial relation arising from certain lawful, voluntary and unilateral acts by virtue of which the parties become bound to each other based on the principle that no one shall be unjustly enriched or benefited at the expenses of another.

Two kinds of Quasi-Contracts:

Solutio Indebiti - is the obligation to return money paid by mistake or which is not due. It exist when;

a) Something was received;

b) When there is no right to demand it; and

c) Unduly delivered through mistake.

Example:

Romeo bought goods from Juliet Store. The goods cost $1500. Romeo gave $2000 to the store cashier and received a change of $700. Romeo is duty bound to return the excess of $200 to the store. Otherwise, he will be unjustly enriching himself at the expense of Juliet Store.

2. Negotiorum Gestio exist when one:

a) Voluntary takes charge of the agency or management of the business or property of another; and

b) Without any power from the latter.

Example:

Mr. Juan, the caretaker of the house for rent, received the amount of more than the boarders due. Mr. Juan, without the power or consent of the house owner, increased the rent. Mr. Juan has the obligation to return the excess payment to the boarders.

ACTS OR OMISSIONS PUNISHED BY LAW – arises as consequences of the criminal offense committed. The Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code states that a person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable. The Civil Code provides compensation for the wrongful death of a person whether caused by crime

Example:

Mr. X inflicted serious physical injury to Mr.Y. Aside from the criminal charges filed against Mr. X, he will be civilly responsible to pay the medical expenses incurred and other damages of Mr. Y.

QUASI DELICTS or TORTS or culpa aquiliana - arises from the damages caused to another, whether at fault or negligence, gives rise to the obligation to pay for the damages done. There must be no pre-existing contractual relation between the parties.

Example:

Mr. A bitten by my German dog, I as the possessor of that Dog has the obligation to pay the injury of Mr. A as caused by my Dog.

NOTE:

Obligation arising from quasi-contract, delict and quasi delicts are really imposed by law. In other words we have only two sources of obligation which is the LAW and CONTRACTS.

CASE DIGEST

UNITED MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN URBAN POOR ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED (UMVUPAI) vs. BRYC-V DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION J. Nachura | July 31, 2009

TOPIC: Contract to Sell, NCC 1479

A promise to buy and sell a determinate thing for a price certain is reciprocally demandable.

FACTS:

In 1991, UMCUPAI, an association duly registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and duly accredited with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor approached the Sea Foods Corporation (SFC) for the purchase Lot No. 300, located in Barangay Calarian, Zamboanga City.

The UMCUPAI, to enable to avail the Community Mortgage Program, approached the Mayor of Zamboanga City, to stand as the “Originator” for the acquisition of the said property at the Home Mortgaged and Financing Corporation (HMFC).

As such, the parties executed a Letter of Intent to Sell by SFC, Letter of Intent to Purchase by UMCUPAI, and the Deed of Absolute Sale signed and delivered with the title upon full payment of the price. However, the intended sale was derailed due to UMCUPAI’s inability to secure loan from the NHMF.

Another round of negotiation took place seeking the division of Lot No. 300 into three portions. In December 1994, Lot No. 300 was subdivided into 3 parts:

Lot No. 300-A was purchased by UMCUPAI for 4.3M in January 1995;

Lot No. 300-B became a road and was donated by SFC to the LGU; and

Lot No. 300-C– was agreed to be purchased by the UMCUPAI for the next another 3 months

However, UMCUPAI failed to purchase within the agreed period. The SFC sold Lot No. 300-C to respondent BRYC-V Development Corporation for 2.5M. A year later, UMCUPAI filed a complaint at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) against SFC and BRYC-V Development Corporation seeking to annul the sale of Lot No. 300-C. According to UMCUPAI, the alleged sale violated the valid and subsisting agreement between SFC and UMCUPAI as embodied in the Letter of Intent, issued prior to the sale over BRYC Development Corporation.

ISSUE :

Was the letter of intent to sell and letter of intent to buy a bilateral reciprocal contract within the meaning of or contemplation of Article 1479, first paragraph of the Civil Code of the Philippines?

COURT DECISIONS:

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed the UMCUPAI’s complaint due to the following reasons:

The letter of Intent was executed to facilitate the approval of UMCUPA’s loan from HMF for its intent to purchase Lot No. 300.

The RTC concluded that the Letter of Intent was neither a promise, nor an option contract, or an offer under NCC 131, or a bilateral contract to sell and buy.

The RTC further quoted that “a mere “intention” cannot give rise to an obligation to give, to do or not to do. A Letter of Intent is not a contract between the parties thereto because it does not bind one party, with respect to the other, to give something, or to render some service”.

In the appeal of UMPAUPAI, the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the decision of the RTC in toto.

With finality, the Supreme Court (SC) also held that the Letter of Intent was neither a contract to sell under NCC 1479 nor a conditional contract of sale under NCC 1458.

IT IS NOT A CONDITIONAL CONTRACT OF SALE: Nowhere in the Letter of Intent does it state that SFC relinquishes its title over the subject property, subject only to the condition of complete payment of the purchase price.

IT IS NOT A CONTRACT TO SELL: Also, nowhere in the Letter of Intent does it state, at the least, that SFC, although expressly retaining ownership thereof, binds itself to sell the property exclusively to UMCUPAI.

RATHER, THE LETTER OF INTENT TO BUY AND SELL is just that – a manifestation of SFC’s intention to sell the property and UMCUPAI’s intention to acquire the same.

[babyawacs]

.@law @law @harvard_law @bbc_whys @all @world judges lawyers banks insurances not all wo unds are visible but are real and each deed a german crime example: forinstance: experiment drugs. the medical pharma term was pallette n (german/ germanphonetics) of experiment drugs whatever the intent and effort each deed a g erman crime w i t h i n t e l c o m a i suspe ct repetitions a n d all k n e w what i t is because: one of their trickery was: rebabble repeat compromising song lyrics which i nstead rebabbling repeating their themes repeated chicksong ridicule forinstance all knew wh at it is and how they had to overtape things their drug experiments p l u s i n t e l c o m a avertred immunisation : how they reframe t o d a y what they believed or considered is a decoy all k n e w w hat they did and what it is //// lawyers banks insurances thisis a cri minal controlsystem as charged theyonly play democractic governance in no just system would this be possible 23years court charging whatthey do 2009 on from europe to local actually 200 4on and quelled to do what after theydid what before ontop of what to then quellmore todowh at and the solution is to fraudit forever and find s o m e t h i n g to break the victim quel lit smearit criminalise it psychiatrise it or fucksleaze it andifnot foolspirituals demonise it i must guard my interests and against criminal controlsystems evenmore and that is just th e p r o b l e m itshouldnot be that way they donot aimfor truth they aim for quell andmake a ll guilty to and whichtrickworks twist alltheywant for abit c o n t r o l and theft whatever theywant what is good is secret and doesnot m ake it tothe fools but the shuffled harms use the fools to harm anytime all i earned myself lifesworks islike daytime bullshit whenyoucannot buy food and get molested and brainmelted un til theyre right with the newest shitball or stigma this is mild safe best case else they shuffle prisonor kill trickery then quelleno ugh theyplaythe victim //// all that map german tricks witnessprotect beware donot confirm t hat which they tried to fake as true be precise maps a criminal effort during their german cr imes government caused unpunished repetition because govt caused /// other example: you got t oknow a fraction of what they did dailythe d e c o y and effort forinstance batshit nuts : o nce nutted allthey overtape didnot happen: you would find: theme names of theirsin youre not you batshit nuts trickerythe r a r e s t realdeal is people renounce self to reject pain and simply are someone else like playpretrend for various causes as mechanism: that. is then the alibi to nut the casewith a theme name of theirstodowhatbeforeduringandafterwhich didnt happe n too once batshit nutsbecausenuts is nuts wheeeyall theyovertape didnthappen then: itisonlyo netrickofcountlesstricksinthebooknotforspies whatisahumanbeingare some onlyitis from gravitcal ly midlate 2000s early 2010s published early2010s

.@law @law @harvard_law @bbc_whys @all @world judges lawyers banks insurances not all wounds are visible but are real and each deed a german crime example: forinstance: experiment drugs. the medical pharma term was palletten (german/ germanphonetics) of experiment drugs whatever the intent and effort each deed a german crime w i t h i n t e l c o m a i suspect repetitions a n d all k n e w what…

[therealcrimediary]

Bakersfield police in California are seeking assistance in identifying a woman accused of burglarizing a home twice in central Bakersfield. The first incident occurred on February 26 when the suspect allegedly stole a mail package from a home on Park Way near California Ave. Two weeks later, the same suspect returned to the home and carried out another burglary. The police are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect. The woman is described as an adult in her 20s, standing at five feet five inches tall, and weighing around 200 pounds. She has light brown or red hair and was last seen wearing a black and grey hooded sweatshirt, a black skirt, black Puma sandals, and a beige plaid design backpack. Photos provided by the Bakersfield Police Department show the suspect's appearance clearly, in the hopes that someone may recognize her. Those with any information on the alleged burglary or who may be able to identify the suspect are encouraged to reach out to Detective B. Gharib at 661-326-3964 or contact the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111. The police are relying on tips from the public to help identify and locate the woman responsible for the burglaries. Any piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial in solving the case. With the assistance of the community, law enforcement hopes to bring the suspect to justice and prevent any further incident of burglaries in the area. By working together, the police can ensure the safety and security of residents in central Bakersfield. The public's cooperation in providing information about the suspect will be invaluable in solving the case and holding the perpetrator accountable for her actions. The Bakersfield Police Department is diligent in its efforts to investigate and solve crimes in the area, and they rely heavily on support from the community to assist in their endeavors. By sharing information and working together, law enforcement and residents can work towards a safer environment for everyone. Identifying and apprehending the suspect will not only bring closure to the victims of the burglaries but also serve as a deterrent to others who may be considering similar criminal activities. Anyone with information pertinent to the case is urged to come forward and provide details that could lead to the arrest of the suspect. By increasing awareness and cooperation within the community, law enforcement can effectively combat crime and maintain a secure environment for all residents. The Bakersfield Police Department's dedication to protecting the community is evident in their efforts to identify the woman responsible for the burglaries and bring her to justice.

[the-firebird69]

We have a few notices out on these idiots including their b****** they don't like you and we can't stand you and we're telling people to get rid of you and it's an order. You're sitting here this morning bothering him and standing outside and staring to the window and it's harassment and we're taking you to court shortly not that you don't have enough court cases and you want to notice us and we're going to sue you and take your things and we want more stuff and we're getting into it too that we're not taking enough land and territory and it's real. And thank you for constantly prodding us to do the job and you're insane and you're going to lose quite big. And you will die little baby boy over there you sound like a stupid retard we're going to take advantage of Dave and we're going to and you get rolled all the time and we need to take the big stuff and right now everybody's fighting over it and you have the stockpile he took from Trump it's all people fighting over it so we went and took most of it and pretty soon we can take you down fully for your big mouth. Right now in Charlotte there's about 300 cases that are going forward in court and those cases are combining into trials there's only around 15 active trials but out of those 300 additional cases there's going to be 20 more active trials come Monday and the cases were boiled down from about 1500 criminal complaints there's still 3500 to address they're going to start doing that Monday and start lumping 100 cases a whack and each one of those is probably three trials or four trials and it's because of what you're doing here and they hate you they might try more than that maybe 200 or 300 but come Monday morning you're all going to be shots there's already several of you on trial and you don't think it's a big deal and every time you go to court you have to pay bounty of millions of dollars and come Monday there are two of you that will probably be held in prison and don't get sick cuz they'll burn you that's what's going on with your asinine gestures and your talk and your stupid looks you're idiots you want to be mean and oppressive these people who are killing you are witnessing you do it and see you do it to them all the time it's kind of handy because our son doesn't need to announce because you guys they have to get rid of you guys like they do and you do it to them and they see you doing it to him it's really a joke and it's a horrible one because you're so stupid people say in English and you can't get it but you're going to be gone and dust and you're shouting like little baby boy a little child it doesn't do anything make some more angry

It makes a lot of them more angry and that you too bja for tampering with the device and say you won like a little teeny kid they're going to burn you in in a stove or an incinerator that is and you'll be dust that's what they're saying all the time too so good luck with evoking that response from people smoking you out there

Right now idiot there were 40 of you that went out and 10 are dead households it did go from 150 now to 1:40 and we think that the others are going to be toast because they can't get out and they're all trying the same spot and it doesn't seem to be working and only be moments before we think that all 30 of those households will be gone and my husband knew a bunch of people from those 10 households he knew several people one of them was actually Scott go Bay is a trumpster Jonathan peel as well they're two guys who kept themselves up and they were not eating people to do it it didn't take much effort. Another couple of people you know a little and the only hung around those guys for a couple months but they had a decent time and they weren't enemies at all was Jonathan Peel's friend and he was in the other truck and the whole crew was from the two houses or from 10 hustles is not true they're two households and they all died. I'm out of the eight remaining households he didn't really know people too well you'd see them in school and say hello or what have you but it was not a and friendship or even acquaintance. But they did die trying to do the job that you guys ruin

Hera

You know what you're doing Dave AKA Dan AKA Mike goodhue go ask the pseudo empire what their reaction is and yeah you had Ron saying things in an odd way because you're a dick in a f** and you're like a girl go ask them what you're doing that's provoking reaction or you chickenshit of the truth

Zues

I sure as hell understand it we've been doing it for years and dying and we're not checking so we should

Dan

You could but you won't cuz you're a stupid a******

Trump he's got the nuclear bomb theory and it's not our people stopping us you f****

I need proof that's true

Dan

Olympus

[kindazymmetrical]

What A Guilty Conscious can trigger... procedural fairness in courtrooms for the neurodiverse

I watched A Guilty Conscious <毒舌大狀> over the weekend (brilliant movie, highly recommend as one of the best recent Hong Kong locally-produced films) and it inspired me to look into how neurodivergent people navigate the justice system.

The defendant' was accused to have manslaughtered her own daughter who was deaf, and the daughter's non-oral clues to the truth were explored in the courtroom trial. Wealth, societal status and power aside, I imagined what might happen if the deaf young daughter was alive and in the courtoom, how is the court designed to accommodate specific needs for procedural fairness?

Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) outlines the importance of ensuring equal and effective access to justice for those with disability, including through the provision of accommodations where required. To date, 184 jurisdictions worldwide have formally committed to the CRPD.

There is increasing research pointing to the large proportion of young adults with neurological differences facing higher incarceration rates possibly due to mis- or undiagnosis and are unsupported during court proceedings. (1)

Neurodivergence may cover traumatic brain injury (TBI), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, communication disorders, non‐traumatic acquired brain injury, and specific learning difficulties (for instance dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dysgraphia), which could present challenges in court proceedings due to, for example, the strong reliance on oral language for communication. (2)(3)

As in the word "procedural", the outcome of an individual's case is not the only concern but perhaps more critically, how the case was handled. Valued criteria such as given the opportunity to participate, judge neutrality, being treated with respect and trust in the system, stems from understanding the process. (4)(5)

Sources:

(1) Foster, T. R. , & Young, R. L. (2021). Brief report: Sentencing outcomes for offenders on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

(2) Ericson, K. I. , & Perlman, N. B. (2001). Knowledge of legal terminology and court proceedings in adults with developmental disabilities. Law and Human Behavior, 25(5), 529–545. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

(3) Edwards, C. , Harold, G. , & Kilcommins, S. (2012). Access to justice for people with disabilities as victims of crime in Ireland. In Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (pp. 1–189). University College Cork. [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

(4) Dorfman, D. (2017). Re‐claiming disability: Identity, procedural justice, and the disability determination process. Law & Social Inquiry, 42(1), 195–231. [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

(5) Brems, E. , & Lavrysen, L. (2013). Procedural justice in human rights adjudication: The European Court of Human Rights. Human Rights Quarterly, 35, 176–200. [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

[gamingavickreyauction]

You seem to be using the horror of this case in place of an argument that this is widespread enough to warrant a policy change. It is clearly true that the marginalized are more vulnerable to crime, as you point out, but they are also more vulnerable to the criminal justice system, and how marginalized someone is isn't particularly relevant here, I think. The relevant tradeoffs in (what I assume you are suggesting) harsher sentences to keep dangerous people from committing more violence are:

a) The criminal is still a human, and people who end up in prison often have tragic backstories of their own, which explain their actions, if not justify them. They are still worthy of moral consideration, so it isn't worth many of them having their futures thrown away to save the futures of the few unfortunate citizens who are killed by repeat offenders.

b) Many convicted criminals did not in fact do the crime. There is a sordid history of discredited forensic science being used to arrest people, much of which is still in use, and many of the people convicted on the basis of it have not had retrials. Add to that the lack of access to good legal representation that poor people have in the US especially, and the resulting trend of innocent poor people falsely confessing to avoid harsher sentences. Also add the willingness of the police to lie about events, or even plant evidence, and the fact that they are nevertheless overwhelmingly trusted by judges and jurors. Since 1973, at least 200 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated. And those are just the ones who have been identified—the tip of the iceberg. And that's with the most rigorous conviction procedure in US law. Even if you think criminals forfeit their humanity, you have to treat convicts well, because you don't know which ones are actually criminals.

c) Long sentences are bad for reintegration into society, at least within a prison system like the US where reform doesn't really seem to be the goal. The longer someone is imprisoned for, the more difficult it will be for them to find a job afterwards, and the less social support they will have left to reintegrate, which are both major factors in reoffending. So just keeping people in prison longer doesn't necessarily make the public safer in the first place—it might delay and increase the risk.

d) The legal system can be abused by governments and the powerful to remove opposition, and if harsh sentences are available for relatively minor offenses, that becomes a lot easier. This is less of a problem in liberal democracies than most other countries, but I still think it is worth consideration because of the risk of backsliding—democracy may prove to be more fragile than people think.

e) Cost of maintaining a high prison population.

I will ignore the last point, as I am more interested in making a moral case here. The crux is that I am doubtful the harm here (ex-convicts disproportionately committing horrific violent crimes like this one compared to the general population) is prevalent enough to outweigh the harm of further increasing prison sentences. That would mean not keeping people safe, and marginalized people would be worse affected by that, but people with no prior convictions can murder people too, so people aren't safe regardless. The drive to minimize danger in contemporary society has commonly been a medicine worse than the disease.

The costs of attempting this are proportional to the prison populations- a large number- whereas the benefits are proportional to the number of murders committed by dangerous people who were released- a small number. So it's very difficult to make a policy to address this that is worth the tradeoff.

I don't know the specifics of this case—maybe there were specific reasons to think this perpetrator was dangerous that meant they could have been denied release without making sentences longer in general. But there would still be a much broader population of people affected by that policy who wouldn't have gone on to kill people. Keeping people safe is a goal like winning a war on terrorism, which no amount of cost, time, and atrocities will get you close to achieving.

I have just now noticed that you said prior arrests, not prior convictions, which casts the net much wider, and with much greater potential for innocent people to be included. I don't know whether those arrests were related to violent crime, either. Maybe there are details of the case that I'm not aware of that fill in these gaps, and mean that this person in particular should have been considered a danger. But I'm interested in responding to whether your conclusion about the case is justified by the argument you have made about it, rather than being interested in this case specifically.

The right have developed a counter to "just sit there and let the crazy people on the subway scream at you and don't look them in the eye, like a tough guy": they call it "prey behavior."

Recently, it was reported that a homeless woman was set on fire on the New York subway by an illegal immigrant with prior arrests. She burned to death, right there in the subway car.

In theory, left-wing policy is supposed to be about protecting the weak and marginalized. In practice, insisting on the belief that crime is "random, " and refusing to imprison or isolate violent criminals, is not actually safe for the weak and marginalized. A healthy, strong, young, non-homeless, and awake cis white male could probably have fought off or at least threatened the attacker.

This is the empty space at work.

In the interest group layer, each interest group or NGO pursues its own favored policy. In the top layer, there is no agentic leadership to tell them "no" and harmonize left-wing policy. The system does things that a human would not do, because there is no human pilot.

Left-wing tribal moralists see that the system affiliated with their tribe is causing this outcome, and go, "Welp, guess we're defending this now."

Because they're responding to a perceived moral command which is actually from a nothing, from an absence of leadership, they will bend themselves out of shape.

"Uh, Daniel Penny would have just walked by. Uh, if she were awake he would have killed her."

Before understanding that this is tribal moralism, and reflects a lack of personal development, it is rage-inducing. After understanding that it is tribal moralism at work, it is still difficult not to radiate an overwhelming aura of contempt. It is only after seeing such tribal moralism as a lack of development, as a result of the empty space, that approaches other than pursuing leverage to punish social/tribal moralists into giving up such positions start to feel more obvious.

Tribal moralism has a functional purpose. Unlike a solely self-focused morality, it allows a larger scale of cooperation. However, when there is not a human being in charge, social/tribal moralism not only doesn't adequately adapt ideology to the underlying reality, it also lacks a means to negotiate a binding agreement, which reduces its ability to de-escalate and achieve lasting peace.

Some would say that focusing on agency is a right-wing approach. It makes sense for a right-winger to say that. The right-wing position is that left-wingism is entropic.

[ro-is-struggling]

✨600 Followers Celebration✨

Welcome to the ro-is-struggling 600 Follower Celebration!!!

an event that I'm definitely not planning since I hit the 200 followers mark, nope of course not

Below the cut you will find a list of prompts that are divided into two parts. The first part consists of concepts based on scenes from sitcoms and some romcoms. The second part contains song lyrics that I have to use as reference for writing the stories. You guys will have one week, so from today January 5 until January 12 (though the deadline can be extended) to choose from the long list of prompts which ones you would like me to write and with which characters. All you have to do is leave me a ask with your request plus some details I explain below. 

As prompts are requested I will mark them as taken on the list and at the end of the week the requests will be closed and I will start working on the ones that I got up until that point. The prompt list is extensive and –I think– pretty diverse so that everyone will find something that catches their attention. Anything goes! Fluff, angst, smut, hurt/comfort, anything you guys like! (although I'd appreciate it if you read the blog rules first).

Below the cut you will also find the rules of the event. I ask you to read them carefully before making any request so we are all on the same page and avoid any confusion. If you have any questions, my private messages and ask box are always open so don't hesitate to ask!

Thank you all so much for the support you have given me and continue to give me in everything I post. When I created this blog almost a year ago I never imagined that anything I posted would get so much support –and part of me still can't believe it. I never imagined doing a Follower Celebration, certainly not for 600 followers! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, your constant love and support is what fuels my inspiration and keeps this blog going even in my worst moments!💜💜💜💜

The characters I write for are:

MCU: Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker (all three of them), Matt Murdock, Peter/Pietro Maximoff, Stephen Strange

Harry Potter: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter

Stranger Things: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Billy Hargrove

The 100: Bellamy Blake

The Umbrella Academy: Diego Hargreeves

Criminal Minds: Spencer Reid

9-1-1: Evan Buckley

Rules:

- Prompts cannot be repeated. If a scenario is already taken by a character, it cannot be used with another character. I will update the post to mark the prompts that are already taken so everyone can see it before leaving a request.

- If the same prompt is requested for multiple characters I will choose which character to use it with depending on who requested it first or which character inspires me the most to write it.

- Prompts cannot be combined, neither between them nor between those based on movies/TV shows and those based on songs.

- Characters CAN be repeated. You can ask me for as many stories with the same character as there are prompts (always taking into account that the scenarios are not repeated).

- The stories can be of any genre you want. Obviously as there are prompts based on scenes from movies/TV shows I already have in mind a specific tone according to where they come from, but that doesn't mean that it can't be changed. You can ask for something specific if you wish. If you want it to be angst with no happy ending then that's what I'll write. If you want it to be fluffy or end in smut then that's what it will be. You can add your ideas as well!

- Please be clear when leaving a request. Specify the fandom, full name of the character you want me to write about, and if you have a specific idea, please detail it. Also clarify (if you have an idea) who you want to be Character A and Character B in the story. I need to be able to distinguish between characters that have the same name but are from different fandoms (example: Steve Rogers and Steve Harrington. If it just says Steve I don't know which one you mean). In case I don't understand which fandom/character you specifically want then I will choose or discard the request entirely. 

- Prompts can be adjusted depending on the character being requested. I think this goes without saying but in most of the movies/tv shows where I got the prompts from the characters are adults so if the prompt says the action takes place at work but someone wants that prompt with idk the marauders for example then it would be changed to the school setting, you know what I mean?

Prompts:

Part 1: Concepts inspired by movies & tv shows

During a blackout Character A finds a cat wandering around the building and sets out to find its owner. That's how they meet Character B, who takes their breath away the moment their eyes fall on their figure (if someone doesn't ask for this one with Bucky to include Alpine I'm going to cry) {Friends 1x7}

Enemies to lovers in which Character A and Character B have a bet in which if Character B loses they have to go on a date with Character A. But it's not a normal date, but an event prepared to be remembered as the worst experience of their life. Only in the middle of the date they realize they can have fun together {Brooklyn 99 1x13}

Team A and Team B play a trivia game to see which group knows more about the other but they end up betting too much {Friends 4x12}

Character A and Character B realize they are the only ones who didn't have sex in the office (or anywhere else depending on the fandom) and seek to change that {The Office 7x18}

Character A and Character B have been dating for a while now. One day at the end of a date Character A says I love you for the first time and Character B, in complete shock, panics and ends up replying "I love cake" {That 70s show 2x7}

Character A asks Character B for help to get the attention of their crush since B has a lot of experience in the subject and A not so much. The problem is that in the middle of their arrangement they begin to develop feelings for each other and the plan for Character A to get a date with their crush is forgotten as they use their arrangement as an excuse to be together {The Duff}

Character A and Character B are secretly in love but times and fate were never on their side. Now that Character B is dating someone Character A does everything they can to move on. That is until one day ends up snapping and after getting drunk on a failed date they end up leaving a message to Character B where they confess how they feel {Friends 2x7}

Character A and Character B are in a secret relationship and make the mistake of kissing in a place where there are security cameras. When they realize it, they struggle to avoid being discovered while wondering if anyone already knows {Brooklyn 99 3x1}

Character A leaves a dirty message for Character B as part of a prank/dare, the problem is that Character B becomes obsessed with finding out who the mysterious person on the other end of the line is. When they finally find out, they can't look at Character A the same way again {Seinfeld 3x8}

Character A is in love with Character B, who is their best friend's partner. Character A suffers in silence when they see them together, flirting with Character B from time to time without realizing it, until one day A gets tired and confesses what they feel and they end up kissing ( + the dialogue prompt "Do you think I like flirting with my best friend's significant other?") {That 70s show 1x13}

Character A is nervous about going on their first date after being single for a long time so they turn to their friend for help. In a confusing turn of events Character A ends up drunk at the house of Character B, their date, the day before the event. The next morning Character A wakes up hungover and thinking their chances with Character B are ruined, but in the end Character B shows up at their house to drop off something they forgot the night before and assures them that they are looking forward to their date that night {Parks and Rec 2x4}

Character A and Character B are friends who fell in love and are now trying their luck as a couple. They have just begun to explore their relationship and experience intimacy, but begin to have problems when Character A bursts out laughing every time something remotely sexual is about to happen between them. That leads them to question their relationship and wonder if they did the right thing by becoming a couple {Friends 2x15}

Character A and Character B are in love but don't want to admit it because they are dating other people. Things are not going well and Character A plans to break up with their partner. The problem is that Character B doesn't know it and invites them to an event where everyone will be there. Then Character A ends up snapping and breaking up the relationship in front of everyone. In the middle of it all, their partner mentions the obvious feelings between Character A and Character B, creating problems in the latter's relationship even though both try to deny it {Brooklyn 99 2x9}

Character A and Character B have feelings for each other but can't bring themselves to admit it. That is until they have to pretend to be a couple (for a mission, a family party, whatever) and end up kissing on more than one occasion. Their feelings for each other become evident and they end up confessing their feelings - but not before acting like a couple of nervous, awkward idiots {Brooklyn 99 2x23}

Character A and Character B have been friends for years and have a little too much chemistry and romantic tension. After being teased about it by the rest of their friends, Character A decides to kiss Character B to "find out how it felt" {That 70 show 1x1}

A mysterious pair of black handcuffs is found which leads to a search for their owner, who ends up being the most innocent and least suspected person {Friends 10x16}

Character A is going through a breakup so as any sane person in their place would do they ask Character B, their best friend, to give them neck hickeys to make their ex jealous. Things escalate between them and for the first time in a long time Character A forgets about their ex {Parks and Rec 2x10}

Part 2: Song lyrics

“Last night I lay in bed so blue // 'Cause I realized the truth, they can't love me like you” (Love Me Like You by Little Mix)

“Why you always wanna act like lovers // But you never wanna be each other's?” (Light Switch by Charlie Puth)

“Just because it won't come easily // Doesn't mean we shouldn't try” (Easily by Bruno Major)

“Fed up of being the shoulder you cry on I want to be the shoulder you lie on” (If I Get My Way by Little Mix)

“I happen to know that what I felt you felt, too // But that makes no difference to me // I know this love is doomed” (You, Dear by Eloise) 

“Baby, I don't care if you got her in your heart // All I really care is you wake up in my arms” (One Last Time by Ariana Grande)

“If I get my way, I'mma take care of you // I can take her place, let me get my way // If you let me try, just one night, I can prove // I can take her place, let me get my way” (If I Get My Way by Little Mix)

“You crave attention and I need affection so let's walk the silver line” (Dear Lover by Little Mix)

“I'm not in love // So don't forget it // It's just a silly phase I'm going through” (I’m Not in Love by 10cc)

“It's not your fault I ruin everything // And it's not your fault I can't be what you need” (Angels Like You by Miley Cyrus)

“if I don't make it back from where I've gone just know I loved you all along" (Inkpot Gods by The Amazing Devil)

“It's four a.m. and I know that you're with him // I wonder if he knows that I touched your skin” (Happily by One Direction)

“The road that was broken brought us together” (The Joker And The Queen by Ed Sheeran)

[iphoenixrising]

DickTim Week 2021: Day 5 Winged!Talon Tim au

So. another dual prompt and I really regret nothing about this one tbh. I took tomorrow’s Talon and today’s Wings and made a Winged!Talon!Tim fic. Of course, I talked to the wonderful babes on Capes & Coffee about a what if combination and this just, whew. Careful, it might break your heart a little, but damn if it isn’t an interesting idea.

Not beta read, so don't be a hater :D

Previous Talon!Tim universe posts: The initial idea, Babe and I talking it out, Talon Training Ask, Ra’s vs the Court, Talon and Ra’s, Talon and Ra’s take 2, Talon and Shiva short.

**

Watching B take on the new and improved Talon is really the entertainment of the year.

Once upon a time it had taken all of them plus more to take down as much of the Court of Owls as humanly possible. Of course, like rats, the Bats knew there would be no way to get the entire Court or all the Talons, not when the upper echelons of Gotham had spent the better part of 200 years creating, storing, training, and obtaining more.

Politicians were investigated, corrupt cops removed, and criminals burrowed underground once word of what the capes did to save the day got passed around.

For the first time in years, crime in Gotham was at an all time low.

But, as the coin flip dictates, nothing good lasts forever. Trouble is always brewing below the surface to eventually rise to the top and try to take over.

Case in point:

The Bats of Gotham have come up against a new threat wearing the signature Talon armor, and the call goes out to all available capes for help taking on the undead mercenary before another crime family ends up in the Obituaries rather than Blackgate.

The fact the Court is still up and running after the Batfamily took them down in a fiery blaze that ended with all their Talons gone, Sensei exposed, and most the ruling families imprisoned or poisoned by Lincoln March, is like a kick to the abdomen after they closed that particular book. Worse, with a new Talon soldier is sighted running around Gotham, another circus kid has been kidnapped and turned into the right hand of the Court of Owls. Dick, with his absolute survivors guilt, is the one to make going after the Talon and whoever is still behind the scenes a top priority.

Which is how they find themselves in the middle of Knight’s Stadium facing down a Talon that is too short to be March. Red Hood, Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Black Bat pretty much got their asses handed to them in the first twelve minutes. Pretty hard to understand until you take into account the new and improved Talon facing them now is terrifying in a completely different way than most undead assassins are.

He knows them.

He knows them in ways that lets him fight fast and furious with vicious accuracy, striking at weaknesses few of the vigilantes of Gotham realized they even had.

He isn't as big as Lincoln or even Cobb, not nearly as old. He hasn't been kept in cryostasis waiting for the next generation to need his skills. He doesn't have creaks in his joints from being put on deep freeze too many times.

This one is silent and efficient, obviously trained in multiple types of martial arts, is highly proficient with or without the standard Talon knives, is a master tactician, counters the majority of their moves with alarming consistency–

and the fucking Talon has wings.

Honest-to-God wings.

Everyone had assumed the metal monstrosities on his back were weapons of some kind, but the glint of steel in the streetlight flash a warning before the lumps moved in an arch, extending far out past his shoulder blades, slicing into Red Hood’s body suit with a razor-sharp edge, shredding the armor like paper.

It’s not enough he’s got weapons obviously made specifically for his skill set, it’s not enough he’s an assassin and doesn’t hold to the same standards of non-lethal combat, it’s not enough that he can use his wings to fly or to fight like he’s using another limb to kick the shit out of them, and it’s not enough that he effortlessly counters so many of their attacks that he has to have some kind of inside information on all of them and their fighting styles.

The knives are definitely a thing when the Talon can throw them hard enough to penetrate parts of their suits in between armored plating, which further drives the theory that this is a person they’ve dealt with before. Intimately. Few people in the world know how their suits are made. Even more, few people know particulars enough when their suits are constantly reconstructed.

The only thing on their side that tipped the scales in their favor–

–the Batman.

The wings threw him off his game, obviously, but not enough to stop B from holding his own with swift and merciless force.

It's like watching a dance of fast and furious fists, blades in Talon's hands glinting deadly in the night, finding B's suit over and over and over until he's made it to blood and bone. He takes every hit the Batman can dish out, head snapping back, left, and right with the volley of jaw-breaking blows and bone-shattering kicks.

None of it gives the Talon pause. When a move makes him drop a blade, another is already in hand, cutting into their body suits, wings flipping out to defend or distract, sweeping moves and well coordinated attacks.

The unnatural appendages are like another arm, another leg, an extension working on the same central nervous system, regardless as to how the Court managed to make it happen.

A jump kick off a trash can is a lucky shot as a wing catches B in the ribs hard enough to knock him into the wall of Mike's Famous Hotdogs. The only thing saving the Dark Knight from a concussion or permanent brain damage is the plating in his cowl.

It gives the Talon enough time to make a final bid for a battered Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin struggling to their feet again, eyes for their fallen mentor.

Before he can lunge forward to start the attack yet again, the Talon just stops, pauses like he’s stuck or something, and in the span of a breath, both wings extend fully, flap powerfully once to propel him up into the Gotham night.

O tries her best to track his flight through the city, but no one’s arms are working well enough to toss a tracker on him.

She loses him over Cape Carmine, slams her palms against her system in frustration, makes sure she gets as much footage from the confrontation as possible.

After some sleep and a whole lot of bandages and ice packs, the Bat family meets in the Cave to watch the footage, breakdown the Talon’s fighting style, his weaponry, and make theories on his identity.

O helps out with readings she has of electronic pulses she managed to capture coming from the armor over his wings. She thinks she might be able to use it to track him if they can get close enough for her equipment to ping the signal again.

B makes a trip to Arkham since Freeze apparently hasn’t stopped producing the formula used to put Talons in cryostasis.

It’s not until Gotham’s power grid has a massive surge that O and the Bats can pinpoint a possible location, all of them invested in one hell of a fight to get the last rats still scurrying in the underground.

The plan of attack comes together smoothly once they’ve scoped out the location, seen the shady activity, and together, they make one hell of a plan.

**

And because, you know, Gotham, it is completely normal for the Court of Owl's headquarters to have a skylight.

Natch.

For this one, they've got Batgirl and Black Bat, Red Hood and Robin, Nightwing and B, a real family affair.

O's quiet voice over comms leading them through the maze of traps and empty rooms, abandoned libraries and spooky ball rooms. The laboratory isn't the most horrific they've all ever seen (because the Joker's summer place is literally the stuff of nightmares), but a few of them do gag on the smell alone.

The plan, however, goes horribly awry when the clear sounds of tormented screaming echoes from right under their reinforced bootheels.

Black Bat's fists clench hard, her breathing wheezes out when the tone, the utter agony goes right through her.

A shudder slides up Robin's spine as all of them turn toward the noise.

Without a flicker or a word, the Batman moves, strafing in the shadows toward the sound. He can't assume it's an innocent civilian with something the Court wants, but he's betting on the fact that scream will lead them to whoever is running the show.

The medieval room has bars and reinforced locks, implements hanging on the wall. The cement brick is stained rust colored with old blood, the vestiges of training, and the awful realization they've found another hidden niche in the city that always existed right under their noses is punctuated with the abrupt drop in temperature, with the sudden charge in the air, with the zzzzcrack snapping beyond the door, replaced with a muted buzzing Robin can feel in his back teeth.

B is already on his way to the roof, Batgirl down through the floor vent while Nightwing picks the locks with fast precision, knocking the tumblers around.

Robin and Red Hood stay close to the reinforced door, balancing on the balls of their feet, katana and .45s at the ready.

Black Bat takes the high road, ceiling tiles giving way under her Bat-a-rang. She gives a sharp nod before she's up and gone.

"All right. Ready?" Nightwing stands, cracks his neck, flips his escrimas in both hands, works his shoulders to prepare for the strain of each blow he plans to give.

"Ya betcha ass," Hood murmurs low, a cut figure with both guns at his sides, gloved fingers on the trigger guard.

"Don't disappoint," Robin snarls, "either of you."

"Nice pep talk, squirt," Nightwing snickers.

"Tt, back up your mouth with action."

"Better shuddap, Demon. Golden Boy ain't fuckin' 'round. Neither is the Bat. We get one more chance a' this asshole. We ain't gonna blow it again, ya feel me?"

"Finally, something we agree on, Hood."

"Other than N's shitty mullet?"

Nightwing swiftly glares at them both over his shoulder, unconsciously putting himself front and center of the trio, ready to be the first in once they get the signal.

– which is the sound of the glass raining down from the heavens.

Three booted feet kick the door hard enough to take it off the hinges, lying against the faded stains like a fallen body.

First step in the room is the complete opposite to what they'd all been expecting.

The two Owl masks aren't the usual, but a perversion of the originals, crudely drawn yawning mouths complete with fangs dripping blood.

But.

The boy on his knees, arms in a binder holding the appendages hostage at a painful angle, is dripping the real thing. Rivulets down his chest and where his back is partially visible. Some from the base of the wings going into the back of his shoulder blades where the skin is torn and raw.

The bar gag shoved in his mouth doesn't take away from the splatters on his chin, the bruising on his face, the swollen eye. But it's his wings that makes the Bats falter from the initial rushing attack.

His wings are without the armor, are bound straight up above his restrained body with hooks grotesquely puncturing through the downy softness, desecrating the beauty with blood and gore. The angle makes the pull to his back where the wings are part of him just another agony on top of atrocity.

"Fuck," from the first Owl mask, and a swift move frees the Talon's bound arms, the appendages flopping uselessly to the floor, only his trapped, tortured wings keeping him up on his knees.

The second Owl shoves the first back, "let him take care of them. Let's get out of here!"

The first Owl snarls out something low and foreign, the phrases rolling off his tongue.

The words lock into place, and the Talon's head snaps up, snarling around the gag in his mouth.

When his face is finally, finally visible, the protectors of Gotham are frozen in their tracks.

Familiar violet-blue eyes, too-long blue-black hair, cut jawline and pointed nose. Tiny scar on his right cheek from the time he caught Ra's al Ghul's ring across the face.

"Jesus Fucking Christ," is barely heard through the Red Hood's synths and in no way fully expresses his utter horror at what these dirty motherfuckers have done.

Robin wretches, bile burning the back of his throat once those eyes swing up to the masked parody of the Owls and his bare upper body is visible through the blood and sweat on his chest, when the scars peeking through on his collar bones form a half-visible Y-incision, when the coloring of the bared wings now makes sense (robin's wings, Damian Wayne thinks with his heart beating pitter patter fast, and his stomach in knots, they put robin's wings on him...).

And the hurt, agonized noise coming out of Nightwing's chest is the only noise he can make when those dimmed, dazed eyes swing from the Owls back to the vigilantes frozen in their spots, when there's no spark of joy or fondness or stubbornness he's so used to seeing staring him down.

The errant thought, the first instinct, is the only humane way to deal with this new Talon is to put him down for good wars with the man behind the mask that only wants to reach out, wants to pull the Talon into his body and curve over, to scream at the injustice of it all, to rail at himself for not even suspecting.

Another switch flipped and the hooks release his wings, blood splattering on top the old stains.

"Get them! Don't fuck it up this time or you won't get another chance," the second Owl shoves the Talon's injured shoulder in the direction of the horrified vigilantes.

They don't even bother to take the gag out of his mouth before setting him on his target.

A flap of wings, and the Talon is on his feet again, swaying only slightly. He's in the boots and pants from earlier, the rest of his uniform tossed carelessly behind him by his tormentors. A sweep of his feet and the knives glint in bare palms, a whisper of a sound.

The curved, clawed blade glints in the overhead light when the Talon raises it and cuts the strap of the bar gag in his bloody mouth, turns his head to spit it out without looking away from the vigilantes.

The Batman, grim and stoic in the face of this surprising turn of events, gives the barest nod. From her hiding spot behind the complex machinery, Black Bat takes off after the running Owl members, leaving the rest of the family to deal with their former third Robin.

The wings flinchingly flare out and their former bird hunches over, ready for the attack.

“Wait! Wait, wait, wait,” the Red Hood removes the helmet, leaves the domino underneath. He keeps one hand out in peace, slowly dipping down to put his helmet on the ground. “Is us, Tim. Timmy. Baby Bird. Is us. Yer family. Gotta lookit us, yeah?”

For the first time, the Talon speaks, “who’s Tim?”

And then he lunges.

**

The fight happens very differently this time.

The former power behind the punches is obviously dulled with the Talon’s identity reveal. He doesn’t hold back, is utterly ruthless with his attacks. He takes out B’s right knee, puts Hood down on the stained floor, knocks Robin into the wall with crushing force, and slams Batgirl’s head off the operating table.

He stands over Nightwing, wicked blade in hand and robin’s wings spread wide. He takes a knee, the sharp edge right above N’s adam’s apple, staring down impassively into the whiteouts.

“Timmy,” N spits blood, grunting when one knee pins his arm down. “Timmy, please. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. I love you and I’m sorry they did this to you.”

Those eyes don’t change in the slightest. “You should not have tried to oppose the Owls.”

“We beat them once,” Nightwing gasps, “and you helped us, Baby Bird. You were with us then, don’t you remember.”

“I was nothing before the Court perfected me,” the Talon replies emotionlessly.

“You were perfect before they ever touched you.”

“No,” and the Talon leans down, puts them a breath away. “The only thing you and those others do is put the criminals back in prison, back in Arkham for them to escape again, for them to kill and destroy over and over again. Like this, I can stop them permanently.”

“Oh Timmy,” and behind the whiteouts, Nightwing’s eyes spill over, his vision wavery. “Timmy–”

“Don’t call me that. Stop calling me that.”

“You know me, you know us. You have to remember–”

“Lies. All of it lies!”

Nightwing’s chest stutters, his fist clenching, “it’s not. None of it is. Not even this–”

And he’s fast enough to grab the back of the Talon’s neck, to lean up enough against the blade pressed against his throat, can bring their mouths together, can kiss him like he’s dying and the Talon is the only thing that can save him.

It’s sloppy and awkward because the Talon doesn’t know what’s happening, gasps against the vigilante’s mouth. The tongue sliding over his, the muffled moan in his mouth sparks something in the back of his brain where the Court of Owls could never touch.

When Nightwing pulls back, stares up at wide violet-blue eyes, when the blade falls away to clatter against the block, when the Talon’s mouth trembles and tears fill his eyes, when his wings flutter and falter, fold in on them both, when his voice goes hoarse with, “D-Dick?” Nightwing throws both arms around his waist and holds on.