Grant Adams is the Defense Attorney in the “FoA
Leader Trial.” I was assigned to meet the man in his offices in Skara
Brae and was struck by the openness and forthrightness of the man. He
never fails to make eye contact, and seems to have an eternal smile on
his youthful face. But this natural charm belies the seriousness and depth
of his convictions. Surrounded by momentos of his short, but illustrious
career, the following interview was conducted.
Garth Ranzz: Perhaps we could start, Mr. Adams, with
telling our readers a bit about yourself?
Grant Adams: *chuckles* Well, let’s start off
with just calling me “Grant”—I don’t see any pressing
need for formality in this venue...
As for the meat of your question, I am a native Skara Braen. My parents
are both farmers. I studied law in Britain, of course, but decided the
pace of the city was a bit faster than I cared for. I guess you could
call me an old country lawyer. *laughs*
GR: Many were surprised by your appointment as the
Defense counsel for the “FoA Leader trial.” Do you have any
comment on that?
GA: Actually, I was a bit surprised myself. I believe
the King’s desire was to find a lawyer with no preconceived notions
on the case, and who would mount a credible defense in the face of stiff
competition.
*chuckles* I suppose Skara’s natural tendency
to stay out of national events has served us well this time!
GR: You brought up the notion of a “fair”
trial—given the attention and high profile of this case, do you
think such a thing is possible?
GA: Ayuh. Were it not, I’d’ve not taken
the case. In fact, my role here is to keep things as fair as possible.
GR: What of the delicate political ramifications?
GA: Many of the Citizen’s of our land supported
the “FoA”—which, I suppose, would give pause to any monarch—but
my only concern in this matter is the defense of a single individual.
GR: Feelings are strong on both sides.
GA: Ayuh. All we can judge on, however, is the evidence—emotion
has little place in a trial. I have examined the State’s case and,
frankly, I think a great deal of it is weak, and is based on circumstantial
evidence and hearsay.
GR: Would you care to expand on that?
GA: Sure—one of the key points in law is the
presumption of innocence. The State, even in a Treason case, such as
this one, must prove guilt Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.
I am quite confident that I can prove several of
the allegations to be utterly baseless, and to introduce enough doubt
to eliminate the rest.
GR: This isn’t the first time you’ve been
involved in what many call an “unwinnable case”—several
years ago you rose to national prominence during your spectacular defense
of the accused “Red Arrow Killer”.
GA: The two cases are not wholly dissimilar—a
mountain of circumstantial evidence, and a defendant who has largely
been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion before reaching
the bench. I met Jo Wazzo then, and I knew, just by looking in his eyes,
that he was innocent. That young man simply could not have killed eight
women in such a gruesome manner. It simply wasn’t in him.
We took each piece of evidence one at a time, and
exposed the hypocrisies behind them—showed when the witnesses were
confused, or were being led by the guards to give certain answers. This
is one of the basics of criminal defense.
GR: Your position in this case is likely to garner
you many enemies.
GA: *shrugs* My job is to aid the Court in finding
the Truth, and giving the Defendant a real chance to have their say.
Ultimately the goal in these proceedings, as in
any other, is Justice, not Vengeance. Those are very different concepts,
though many confuse them. We need to be careful, in our rush to bring
this matter to trial, to put aside our preconceptions, and look only
at the facts in the case.
GR: Do you have any last words for our readers?
GA: Only to look at your sources of information before
blindly accepting them. For example, all along the media has been calling
this the “FoA Leader Trial.” But who gave the defendant this
designation? Yes, the media itself. Judge Arlis has not yet authorized
us to release the man’s true name, for fears of his family’s
safety, but the very name reduces him to inhuman status. I hope to show
you the man behind the accusations. Judge on the evidence, only, and
check your sources.
GR: Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Adams
GA: Grant. *smiles* And thank you for your time—I’m
just doing my job.
