Jury Duty III: Summoned With A Vengeance (Follower poll: vote within.) · 3:57pm Jul 21st, 2018
...okay, this is getting ridiculous. I just received a summons for late August, after having had to report in last October. Apparently Unanimi has been designated as my spirit animal, because the online registration check service -- a set of code which should have been programmed to recognize the red flag of 'IT'S TOO SOON!' -- just told me to be at the courthouse on time.
In one sense, this is the usual warnings: if I do get a case, it'll play merry havoc with my writing schedule for a while. But for the other... I already have two ponies-on-jury-duty stories in the catalog and this summons may be the world's way of telling me it's time to think about a trilogy. And if there's going to be a third story, then it needs a star.
So using the comments below, tell me:
Which MLP:FIM character do you most want to see as a potential juror, and why? And if you like someone else's offering, upvote it accordingly.
Poll away. After all, pain shared is -- still stuck in the juror room for eight hours.
Cheerilee might offer a potential in a 'my students are more sensible and mature than these lot' sort of way
Trixie perhaps? I'm not sure whether she'd get rejected or put in the "easily led" category.
Queen Chrysalis in disguise. Bonus points if the defendant's a changeling.
Jury summons for Murdocks might be... interesting.
Mr. Rich would definitely get rejected for being too capable of independent thought. And possibly trying to optimize the process for cost effectiveness if he has nothing better to do.
Spike... well, he's a minor. It would take either a glimpse uncomfortably far in the future or one heck of a bureaucratic snafu to have him involved. That said, given the hiccup that has you on track for another round, it'd be thematically appropriate.
Discord...
No, no, we are moving right along from anything even resembling that idea.
I think the most interesting ones would be the Flower Trio. Goodness only knows what they don't want you to know about the judicial process. And separating the three is probably only slightly easier than splitting an atom.
If this was supposed to be single-nomination only, let's go with the Trio. Sorry for the brain dump.
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Oh man, this.
Actually, might be interesting to not even reveal that the pony in question is Murdocks until halfway through the story.
Hmm. How about we go on the other side of the mirror and go with Wallflower Blush? "Sure, nobody ever notices me, except for the jury duty computer system!"
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A very confused, vocal, and angry Chryssie not in disguise.
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I'm okay with this, too.
Fleur. Potentially with Fancy Pants also in the pool, maybe even towards the end of their period of association.
Seriously you should easily be able to get out of duty because it has been only a year. As for a pony I would recommend Diamond Tiara, she gets it by mistake and the system refuses to believe she is only a foal. She of corse ignores it and she gets dragged kicking and screaming from class even though it should be blatantly obvious she is too young. Then she must sit through the most pointless lawsuit in town, two ponies arguing about how to crack an egg. Her father can't free her until the end of the day and only after judgment has been rendered that they realize their mistake of her age. It would be sort of funny as she would completely dominate the jury room and come up with a good verdict but because she s a foal the verdict gets tossed.
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Discord shows up in his red and black "Q" outfit. He is quite miffed when he finds out that he will be a juror instead of the judge and launches into an impassioned, eloquent soliloquy about the philosophy of Good and Evil, the Nature of Ponies, and the morality of Mercy and Justice. The judge is clearly moved by Discord's earnest speech, but she reminds him that this is merely a civil case involving a property boundary dispute between Tulip Bulb and Peony Primrose's respective flowerbeds...
Maud?
So who is the *least* judgmental of the MLP girls?
Fluttershy - The one least likely to object to jury duty, and the one most likely to lock up a jury cold.
Starlight Glimmer - "You're wanting to sentence this stallion to six months in jail for defacing your building with paint? I broke reality and destroyed Equestrian a dozen times over and all I got was probation!"
Cadance? Not sure how Jury Duty would work in the Crystal Empire.
I got it.
The pony who gets a summons is Flim, and the defendant in the case he's called to deliberate is Flam. For completely ridiculous and comedic reasons, Flim isn't kicked out of the jury pool. Flam's accused of fraud, and will spend the rest of his life in the dungeons of Canterlot if convicted. Everypony's convinced Flam is guilty as sin, except Flim. Flim tries his best to turn the others on the jury to his POV, but is stonewalled at every turn because all the evidence points to Flam.
Plot twist: Flam is innocent, but is being framed by a shadowy pony named Mr. Big. Flim goes through several wacky situations while investigating the crime, assisted by Applejack, of all ponies. She also thinks Flam's guilty, but is slowly convinced by Flim of Flam's innocence. In a huge plot twist near the end, Flim traps Mr. Big and reveals the scheme. In the Scooby-Doo-esque reveal, Mr. Big's mask is pulled off and we see it's really... Gladstone!
BUM-BUM BUUUUUUUUUM!
Roll credits.
Celestia. Because if she that clerk from the last one wouldn't look up for LUNA...
Discord. Because I want to see him troll the fuck out of that stupid clerk.
Optimus Prime. Because why not.
"Madame, I just come here for vacations..."
"Are you an Equestrian citizen?
"Honorary, yes, but-"
"Then you're up for Jury Duty."
Shining Armor & Cadance. Because it'd be funny.
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https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=monty+python+court+scene&&view=detail&mid=DB345FDC89229B03C28DDB345FDC89229B03C28D&&FORM=VRDGAR
Ponies might burst into song
I still say, "a trial for Luna on her actions before being exiled"
or maybe tax evasion for failing to pay taxes on her primary residence -the moon
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And then she gets ignored by everyone in the jury.
I would like to see the one hippie that rarity went to visit on the farm, as a strange and very unique outlook on maatters to law, and how hopelessly lost they are. I dont recall the name right offhand.
I second Queen Chrysalis, either disguised or not.
Celestia, Luna, and Discord are all summoned for Jury Duty.
Hilarity ensues from there, as they all get on the jury.
Oh hey, I just got mine for early August. I'm not too affected, as last time I got a notice for the Monday after Thanksgiving. I requested an extension so I could visit family, and they gave me 9 months!
So: for this I was going to suggest Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, because she isn't known for her depth of thought (which could be good or bad, depending). She's got a lot of potential in both directions. And the whole process would bore her to tears.
4905127 ...but this is a hilarious idea! It's got my vote.
Limestone: for all the ANGER stored inside.
Mister Rich: Honestly, he is one of the best Estee character.
Obsidian Nightmare (From Fifty Shade of Toast): I just think it would be funny.
Shining Armor: because he would get summoned all the way back from the Crystal Empire to attend Jury Duty in Canterlot because of a buraucratic snafu.
Cadence: Because Twilight and Luna got called so it's her turn.
Celestia: Third time the charms.
Zecora: Because in Estee universe, there is no better to argue about Law than a Zebra.
Starlight. It's gotta be Starlight.
One character whose in-verse personality is well defined, interesting and quite disctinct from the (limited) exposure we see on the show is Snowflake/Bulk Biceps. If there’s anypony who could call out ponies who are failing to meet the ethics and responsibilities of being a juror, it’s him!
Trixie as a juror.
Just to see her being overdramatic.
My dad also got summoned too early once. When he got through the phone system to a live human being it was resolved in 5 minutes. "When he got through the phone system," being the key statement.
I vote for your "Derpy." Maybe have her "village idiot," routine backfire when she gets on an important case and to see justice done she has to convince the other jurors to listen to her despite her reputation.
Blueblood. How can a pony that looks down on everyone else be considered anyone’s Peer?
I know we’d all prefer to see him in the docks, but this could be fun.
At least its not, due to the software totally screwing up,
The Noble Jury.
Trixie , she gets the chance to be the voice of reason , and to bounce off the crazy that is the "common folk"
Either Zecora or Cranky Doodle. Let's see what minorities deal with.
Starlight glimmer. What do you mean we can't send someone to the gulag for jaywalking?
Oh, I know!
We take everyone suggestion until it fill the juror quota needed for a court case and we do a parody of the movie Jury Duty with MLP characters.
Gérard Gristle. He's an Equestrian citizen now, after all, and a gryphon who likely causes straight up herd panic by smell might get that clerk to look up. Plus the liklihood of Crossing or one of the Princesses getting sent along to try and defuse the inevitable would make a good story.
Have you used Derpy?
And what if there was a law that said even a Princess had to serve on a jury every so often?
A certain nocturnal Princess, perhaps?
Derpy might be good choice
Shining Armor, Trixie, Starlight Glimmer and Zecora.
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Definitely Derpy.
Your Flitter could be an interesting one.
Caramel, finding the new "love of his life" in someone else while there? He might not end up on the actual jury (or maybe he would!), but...
I'd suggest Diamond Mint, though that would involve figuring out who she is to you, using the show as a base...
Chrysalis and a Changeling defendant from a hive Chrysalis has never heard of before. A hive Chryssie didn't even SUSPECT existed.
I've seen quite a few suggestions for a variety of reasons. Most of them Rule of Funny. Want to see at least one of the other suggestions besides Chrysalis.
Also, the trial: The crime needs to be complex and involve 3 suspects. Naturally, one of them did it. One of them was simply unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got accused and arrested. (They are completely innocent.) One of them is an accessory because they Actively helped/assisted the real culprit.
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Agreed.
If memory serves, Estee’s version of Derpy has a MASSIVE, tectonic plate-sized chip on her shoulder that she hides by obfuscating stupidity.
It’d be interesting to see how she would react in this situation.
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Princess Luna has already had her staring roll in the jury box. Things did not go well.
I'm going to go with Chrysalis getting summoned... under multiple different aliases simultaneously.
Flankington is summoned on a civil case involving somepony getting food poisoning at a restaurant. And is deeply offended by any hint of comparison to his fine establishment. After all, issues of palatability aside, his food is perfectly safe to eat. (Alternatively a criminal case involving a restaurant failing to meet food safety guidelines).
On more serious possible notes, Rainbow Dash or Rarity.
Rainbow Dash because while things may have soured between her and Glynda, she's still more familiar with Gryphons than the average pony and it happens to be a Gryphon on trial things could go very differently than how everyone planned.
Rarity because she is Generosity. And what greater gift can one extend to a young pony, just on the cusp of adulthood and likely making a terrible mistake, than the benefit of the doubt.
Whoever is nominated ought to be a group guaranteed to produce maximum hilarious strife due to being stuck in the same room for hours.
Granted, I suppose that doesn't really narrow it down. Pretty sure even PInkie and Fluttershy would be seriously considering bucking the teeth out of their fellow jurors by the end of the session.
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She's been a potential juror
Like to see her as a defendant
According to my parents (who lived through it)
folklore said that during WWII, kids sometimes got draft notices, so Diamond Tiara (pre reform)
& they were out of preemptory challenges & had to take her
Or *Vapor Lock* by Luna's royal decree
(the infamous "Payback isn't a bitch
Vapor Lock is a bitch" decree)
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Twilight's at least college age right? Figure her for say 22 or 23 and around six when she hatched him that makes him 16 or 17 so fairly close to legal adulthood
You're focusing on "Who is in the jury?" There's also the judge to consider.
"All rise. Court is in session. The honorable judge Prince Blueblood presiding"
Cranky Doodle Donkey for only sane juror antics, Hugh Jelly for shits and giggles, or your Rupert Murdoch stand‐in’s (first?) appearance.