8FOLD/ACRA: Jolt City # 4, The Green Knight-Darkhorse Team!

[Martin Phipps]

Tom Russell wrote:
> Martin Phipps wrote:
>
> I think, perhaps, that a legal system which accomodates the presence of
> super-powered, unofficially-sanctioned vigilantes would _not_ allow
> those vigilantes to testify in court.  Their eye witness testimony
> would be considered inadmissable as evidence.

Yes.  Although as a government agent, Darkhorse would probably be
compeled to testify in court and, if necessary, someone could come
forward to confirm that it was really him, should his identity have to
be kept secret.

> > Now, Martin Rock can testify in court but that brings up another
> > problem: perjury.
>
> Hmm...
>
> > Technically you're commiting perjury -and obstruction of justice- even
> > when police question you and you make inaccurate sworn statements.  If
> > Martin Rock were asked point blank in court where he had been for ten
> > years and what he had been doing and he didn't mention that he was the
> > Arcobat then is he "telling the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but
> > the truth"?
>
> I think that's a bit of a reach-- it's the job of the prosecution to
> ask specific questions.  And he could always invoke the fifth
> ammendment of the questions got too specific.

Right.  Of course that would stop people from asking him out of court
what he was trying to hide.

> > And what if a smart DA were to question Danielle, Pam and
> > Darkhorse, add it all up and then ask Martin point blank on the stands
> > "Are you the Green Knight"?
>
> I think that such questions simply wouldn't be asked in court, as a
> courtesy to the vigilantes and as a point of law.  Otherwise, someone
> could ask _every_ witness in a case whether or not they are this hero
> or that one.

A canny defense lawyer would also object on the basis of relevance.

> > What does he say then?  It's like Superman
> > who stands for "TRUTH, justice and the American way" and then says
> > "Gee, Lois, I wish I were strong like Superman".  Liar, liar, pants on
> > fire. :)
>
> If you can show me one-- even *just* ONE-- example of the real
> Superman-- that is, the Silver Age Superman, the one that does, in
> fact, stand for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and always will--
> if you can show me one example of him lying, I'd be very much
> surprised.

Well, okay, maybe not Superman but Bruce Wayne has been known to dress
Alfred up as Batman to avoid having his identity uncovered.  Mind you,
that was from a Batman TV series episode and not the comics.  I was
actually expecting Roy Cradle to show up in a Green Knight costume in
this issue.  If you count the Superman movies then Clark Kent does deny
being Superman to Lois in Superman II before he ends up having to admit
it anyway.  I think more people saw Superman II than read Silver Age
Superman anyway.  Oh and Clarks dishonesty about always disappearing
and people don't know where he is and then he has to lie about it is a
bit angst subplot on Smallville.  "I hate having to lie to people" he
told Ma and Pa Kent.  And I'm sure similar things happened in the
comics.  In the aforementioned Superman II he says "Wow.  Superman was
here?  Really?  I just missed him."

> You find me an example of Superman actually telling an actual,
> bold-faced, refutable lie.  Even when he, as the "Great Superman Book"
> would put it, protects his identity "through an elaborate ruse", he
> never actually _lies_ about it.

Well, a ruse, by definition is something done to deceive others.

Martin