Trial of Aulus Claudius Ambustus

[dragoon47]

The courts for the trial of Aulus Claudius Ambustus were opened to the whole of the forum. Stands have been arranged before the judge's seat. Praetor Lucius Valerius Poplicola is to be the presiding judge of the proceedings.

Romans, we gather here today to witness the trial of one Aulus Claudius Ambustus, whom the prosecutor Lucius Caelius Gracchus has brought before this court on the account that the accused has been involved in Electoral Bribery. The court order shall be as follows:

I. The Prosecutor is to make the opening speech.
II. The defense is to present their opening speech.
III. The prosecutor then makes his rebuttal, and likewise the defense.
IV. The prosecutor can then cross-examine the defense for no more than four questions, and likewise the defense to the defendant.
V. Final rebuttals are made.

Men who will represent this man will come forward. Jury members can nominate themselves.

[Nota']

I, Senator Spurius Geminius Scaeva, nominate myself for the jury of this trial.

[Crozimodo]

I too, Titus Cassius Gerges, Tribune of the People, would see justice delivered as a jury member.

[dacder]

OOC:How big is the jury ususally?

[dragoon47]

OOC: 3 people, Titus Cassius Gerges, Spurius Geminius Scaeva and Gaius Cassius Caudex. I am the judge, Lucius Caelius Gracchus is prosecuting.

[dragoon47]

The prosecution may begin.

[M D]

The man stood, he saw Aulus sitting on the other side.. He looked around raised his hands and spoke,

"That which was above all things to be desired, O judges, and which above all things was calculated to have the greatest influence towards allaying the unpopularity of your order, and putting an end to the discredit into which your judicial decisions have fallen, appears to have been thrown in your way, and given to you not by any human contrivance, but almost by the interposition of the gods, at a most important crisis of the republic. For an opinion has now become established, pernicious to us, and pernicious to the republic, which has been the common talk of every one, not only at Rome, but among foreign nations also,—that in the courts of law as they exist at present, no wealthy man, however guilty he may be, can possibly be convicted. Now at this time of peril to your order and to your tribunals, when men are ready to attempt by harangues, and by the proposal of new laws, to increase the existing unpopularity of the senate, Aulus Caludius Ambustus is brought to trial as a criminal, a man condemned in the opinion of every one by his life and actions, but acquitted by the enormousness of his wealth according to his own hope and boast. I, O judges, have undertaken this cause as prosecutor with the greatest good wishes and expectation on the part of the Roman people, not in order to increase the unpopularity of the senate, but to relieve it from the discredit which I share with it. For I have brought before you a man, by acting justly in whose case you have an opportunity of retrieving the lost credit of your judicial proceedings, of regaining your credit with the Roman people, and of giving satisfaction to foreign nations; a man, the embezzler of the public funds, the petty tyrant of Asia and Pamphylia, the robber who deprived the city of its rights, the disgrace and ruin of the city of Rome. And if you come to a decision about this man with severity and a due regard to your oaths, that authority which ought to remain in you will cling to you still; but if that man's vast riches shall break down the sanctity and honesty of the courts of justice, at least I shall achieve this, that it shall be plain that it was rather honest judgment that was wanting to the republic, than a criminal to the judges, or an accuser to the criminal."

He looks to the Jury,

"I, indeed, that I may confess to you the truth about myself, O judges, though many snares were laid for me by Aulus Claudius, both by land and sea, which I partly avoided by my own vigilance, and partly warded off by the zeal and kindness of my friends, yet I never seemed to be incurring so much danger, and I never was in such a state of great apprehension, as I am now in this very court of law. Nor does the expectation which people have formed of my conduct of this prosecution, nor this concourse of so vast a multitude as is here assembled, influence me (though indeed I am greatly agitated by these circumstances) so much as his nefarious plots which he is endeavouring to lay at one and the same time against me, against you, against the praetor, and against the allies, against foreign nations, against the senate, and even against the very name of senator; whose favourite saying it is that they have got to fear who have stolen only as much as is enough for themselves, but that he has stolen so much that it may easily be plenty for many; that nothing is so holy that it cannot be corrupted, or so strongly fortified that it cannot be stormed by money. But if he were as secret in acting as he is audacious in attempting, perhaps in some particular he might some time or other have escaped our notice. But it happens very fortunately that to his incredible audacity there is joined a most unexampled folly. For as he was unconcealed in committing his robberies of money, so in his hope of corrupting the judges he has made his intentions and endeavours visible to every one. He says that once only in his life has he felt fear: at the time when he was first impeached as a criminal by me; because he was only lately arrived from his province, and was branded with unpopularity and infamy, not modern but ancient and of long standing; and, besides that, the time was unlucky, being very ill-suited for corrupting the judges."

He paused, letting the words sink in.. OOC: Not done yet

[dacder]

OOC:That made absoultely no sense whatsoever
P.S ummm you kinda said things that I didnt say feel or do.....I dont think your allowed to do that.For example my character was very calm and confident not fearful....just saying...

[dacder]

*Aulus interupts him*
"Grachhus what you are saying are lies and on top of that have no relevence to the matter at hand.I ask that you keep it on subject because lying the way you just did has nothing to do with why we are here."

[dragoon47]

You will not interrupt the prosecution!

Gracchus please continue. Claudius if you interrupt him again I will hold you in contempt of court and commence summary justice.

OOC: What he said made perfect sense.

[dacder]

OOC:no it didnt!I wasnt worried and I didntr try to assassinate him or anything and that isnt even what this is about

[M D]

"Now that most audacious and most senseless man thinks this. He is aware that I am come into court so thoroughly prepared and armed, that I shall fix all his thefts and crimes not only in your ears, but in the very eyes of all men. He sees that many senators are witnesses of his audacity, he sees that many Roman knights are so too, and many citizens, and many of the allies besides to whom he has done unmistakable injuries. He sees also that very numerous and very important deputations have come here at the same time from most friendly cities, armed with the public authority and evidence collected by their states. And though this is the case, still he thinks so ill of all virtuous men, to such an extent does he believe the decisions of the senators to be corrupt and profligate, that he makes a custom of openly boasting that it was not without reason that he was greedy of money, since he now finds that there is such protection in money, and that he has bought (what was the hardest thing of all) the very time of his trial, in order to be able to buy everything else more easily; so that, as he could not by any possibility shirk the force of the accusations altogether, he might avoid the most violent gusts of the storm. But if he had placed any hope at all, not only in his cause, but in any honourable defence, or in the eloquence or in the influence of any one, he would not be so eager in collecting and catching at all these things; he would not scorn and despise the senatorial body to such a degree, as to procure a man to be selected out of the senate at his will to be made a criminal of, who should plead his cause before him, while he in the meantime was preparing whatever he had need of. And what the circumstances are on which he founds his hopes, and what hopes he builds on them, and what he is fixing his mind on. I see clearly. But how he can have the confidence to think that he can effect anything with the present praetor, and the present bench of Judges, I cannot conceive. This one thing I know, which the Roman people perceived too when he rejected the judges, that his hopes were of that nature that he placed all his expectations of safety in his money; and that if this protection were taken from him, he thought nothing would be any help to him."

He sighs and smiles,

"This man.. In my own presence, told another Senator that if his vote was given for the Praetorship, Aulus would grant him immunity from arrest.. He also said that he never forgets his friends. This man is blatant of Corruption and he was counting the days till the Elections began and he could claim immunity!"

[dacder]

OOC:ummmmmmm I whispered it in his ear....your cant hear that....

[M D]

Lucius continued,

"And it gets even more interesting, Senators.. It appears, or so I hear from witnesses I shall call later.. Is that this man, at the request of another Senator, one we may compare to a Snake, is poisoning his own father! The case deepens gentlemen, from mere corruption to full blown patricide!"

[dragoon47]

Interesting case Gracchus. Interesting indeed.

The defense may present their opening statement.

[M D]

"It appears, Dear Praetor, that he has fled, and admitted the crimes in a letter to the Senate.."

[dragoon47]

In that case his guilt is clear.

Aulus Claudius Ambustus is subject to summary justice, he is charged and carried by the following:

I. Conspiracy to commit murder.
II. Patricide.
III. Electoral Bribery.

I find the defendant guilty of all charges due to confession. Case dismissed.

[Crozimodo]

Praetor, Cassius stood, Might I also ask that Treason be added to his list of offences? He has fled like the whipped cur he is to the dogs of Carthage, such a tragedy that a Roman would fall so low! He deserves nothing less than to be captured at the fall of Carthage, to be made to watch his city burnt to the ground and then to be brought back to Rome to be thrown from the Tarpeian Rock!

Praetor, charge this coward in absentia and let the world see true Roman justice! He turned to the people to gauge their reaction that one of their own should stoop so low, surely they would want to see justice done?

[M D]

"And for his home to be sold to care for his father, who he poisoned... He is a former Consul, and is currently almost at Death's Door.. They also own sizeable farms to the East which I also suggest are seized by the state."

[dragoon47]

This is an unexpected turn, to the Carthaginian Senate? They wouldn't allow anyone unless...

For planned Treason I also find the defendant guilty.

The punishments will be:

I. Seizure of all Claudii property in Italy to be used to care for his Father if it is not to late to dd so.

II. Seizure of his lands in the East by the SPQR.

III. Death by the Tarpeian Rock upon capture.

Let no man say justice was not given fairly today. He had his chance to defend himself. Court dismissed.