T h e . S t o r y . o f . D e m i t r i . W e i ß .
Impossible was his favorite flavor, a seductive invitation that he readily nipped at with impassioned fervor. Life wasn’t about climbing to the top of the mountain, it was about moving it. When that case first broke in the news, he absolutely had to have it. Sipping upon his black morning coffee, stormy eyes roved over the thick headline typography.
It wasn’t long before a disembodied voice gave those words new life, for the reporter on the cafe’s television screen was speaking about the case in that verbal melody of enthusiastic enunciation and punctuation. One of the patrons of the small restaurant scoffed upon the curtails of indignation.
“I hope someone spits in her last meal!” Never one to slap away an offered hand, Demitri called out to the concerned citizen.
“And just what makes you so certain that she’ll ever see the inside of Death Row?” The older man balked in the face of such ridiculous pomposity, struggling to find the right words. But, being born and raised in New York City, he opted for loud instead of eloquent.
“She’s a God-damned baby killer! Why the hell would anyone let her off?!” An involuntary grin tugged at the corners of his lips, unable to hide his smugness any longer.
“Because she has me.”
It should have been a prima facie case, open-and-shut, a real prosecutor’s dream - but that trial of infanticide was a far cry from blind justice. The defendant’s thumb-fiddling oaf of an incompetent public defender was suddenly replaced, and surely the announcement of a change in council would be met with a symphony of sighs at the prosecutor’s office. How on earth had that angel-eyed woman managed to retain the infamous Demitri Weiß? That man had taken the justice system by storm, and it wasn’t a particularly pleasant squall, for he was sitting on the wrong side of the aisle. A man with his charisma and talent should be aiding a righteous cause, not defending the very scum of the earth. With one look at the message, the assistant district attorney, Patricia Montgomery, just gave a bemused roll of her eyes before turning them on her unfortunate superior.
“I hope you have a healthy supply of aspirin, because this one’s going to be a major headache.”
A headache didn't even come close to describing the public spectacle that the case became. Thanks to Demitri's meticulous preparations, the people of the state of New York were not prosecuting some demonized baby killer, but a woman who looked purer than the Virgin Mary. When the question of the defendant’s plea was finally vocalized, Demitri addressed the court, standing perfectly statuesque, with merely the fire in his eyes and the boyish style of his hair reminding his audience that he was human. “My client wishes to file a plea of justifiable homicide, your honor.”
What?! The jury and those observing the trial released a chorus of gasps and murmurs of shock at such a ridiculous turn of events! The Assistant District Attorney had to control herself from being manipulated by the hivemind, though her brows did threaten to jump off of her forehead. Justifiable homicide?! She just shook her head in disbelief, her line of sight trained on the all-too confident defense attorney across the aisle. He wasn’t even phased by the reaction from the audience, there was only a somewhat noticeable smirk threatening to pull his lips into a grin. That would be tasteless, however, so he solidified a dignified, albeit stoic expression. This case was going to be one for the history books, that’s for sure. Patricia chased down a couple Advils with water in preparation of the mental agony she was about to undergo. She’d be happy to have it once Demitri gave his opening statement.
“Have you seen the news lately?” Stormy eyes flitted over the jury as he gracefully strolled the walkway before them, his voice carrying it with a honeyed timbre that demanded their attention. “Terrorists, cults, rape, murder, poverty, disease, war, Godlessness...we live in a terrifying world, ladies and gentlemen. Would you let your daughter walk home alone from the store at night in your neighborhood, ma’am? Crime is at an all time high, and more frightening is the fact that so many criminals are never caught, just tagged, slapped on the wrist, and thrown back on the street. My client is a good Christian woman, she volunteers at her Church, donates as much as she can to charities, and not once has she ever been accused of a crime. But you will soon learn of the experiences that have colored her existence. Brutally mugged by a drug addict, sexual harassment at her place of work, involved in a hit and run accident that left her hospitalized, overhearing the rape and murder of the 80 year old woman who lived next door - my client was absolutely terrified of the world around her. How could she let her child grow up in this world when she couldn’t even protect herself, let alone her baby? In order to save her child from a life of strife, my client believed she had to make a sacrifice. All infants go to Heaven, because in God’s eyes, all of them are innocent. So that’s what she had to do, send her baby to Heaven, to avoid growing up in Hell.”
Any person who put more stock in logic than in faith would find that defense laughable, yet Demitri had ensured during voir dire that there was a healthy mix of religious citizens, and it only took one of them to believe that the woman’s baby was better off (dead) in heaven, and Demitri will have his hung jury. What the ADA found more disturbing than the man’s blatant attempt at plucking at the jury’s heart strings, was how many of the jurors seemed to nod their head in agreement with his words, sympathizing with the plight of the mother! For God’s sake, that woman smothered her baby and then burnt it to ashes in the furnace of her apartment building! That was nothing short of barbaric! Yet, she shouldn't blame the jury, they were under Demitri's spell, clinging to his words as though they were the last drops of water in the desert.
That case made Demitri Weiß a permanent resident on every wealthy criminal's speed dial.
-Demitri is a troubled criminal defense attorney, and a favorite character of mine that I'd love to resurrect.
-I have several ideas for characters that could be partnered with him, such as a criminal, a police officer, a lawyer, or a psychiatrist.
-While I plan for there to be a MalexMale romance to develop, there will be a plot focused around a court case, with Demitri as your character's defense.
-I plan to play several characters, and I hope you won't mind doing the same to help flesh out the story.
-I would heavily prefer to RP via private messaging, or Google Drive.
-I am up for other ideas or plots where Demitri would be suitable.
Please do comment or message me if you are interested, as I'd love to strike up a story!