Phoenix Wright and the U.S. Judicial System

This past year I had the pleasure of playing Capcom’s famous lawyer game Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney on my 3DS. I found the game to be a little bit unrealistic. For instance, the trials happen quite quickly and ended not long after. Furthermore, the trials are set up in such a way the the defendant is always at a disadvantage, but after a little research I found that this wasn’t too far off from what actually happens in Japan. As it turns out, most Japanese trials end with a guilty verdict. While I found this fact interesting and a little bit sad I still still never felt that the game was an accurate representation of our US legal system. In the game players take on cases as the defense attorney, Phoenix Wright. To make the game interesting players are often at a disadvantage and lack crucial evidence. Therefore, Phoenix has to pay careful attention to all of the witnesses condemning his client, and prove that they’re unreliable. Now in the U.S., trials are set up in such a way that in if there is a lack of evidence the guilty party, in a criminal trial, would usually be found innocent (or the trial would be put on hold). However, in a civil trial the prosecutor only has to tip the scales a little bit to prove that the defendant is guilty. The defendant's job then becomes discrediting what the prosecutor says, and providing their own proof to support the innocence of their client.

Recently I was placed on jury duty in such a case and my job was to listen to both sides of the story to determine who was more credible. In this particular trial both sides lacked witnesses or any kind of corroborating evidence. It was very much a case of his (the prosecutor) word against her’s (the defendant). Suddenly the trial had become like that of a Phoenix Wright game, and my job became finding inconsistencies in their statements. By the end of the trial I was sure who was guilty. The defendant had no less than two inconsistencies in her statements. While the prosecutor retained his credibly the entire time. Unfortunately, after the closing statements I was chosen, at random, to be the alternate juror. Meaning that even though I was the first jury member picked my opinion mattered not on deciding a verdict. While leaving the courthouse for my car I found myself thinking how bizarre it was that such a goofy, unrealistic game had so accurately simulated a real trial.