Initial trial

The Initial Trial system is the system for trials that most cases in the Ace Attorney Series operate under. It was created out of necessity because of a backlog of court cases.

How It Works
When a person is arrested for a crime, they are held in the Detention Center. They can either take the opportunity to select a lawyer, or, if they do not, a lawyer will be appointed to them by the state. The person also has the right to self-representation, where they will defend themselves in court.

Trials are held in District Courtrooms. A prosecutor, selected by the Prosecutor's office, prosecutes the case, whereas the selected or appointed lawyer (or the defendant) stands to defend the case. A judge serves as a mediator, and also hands down judgement at the conclusion of the trial.

Either the Prosecution or the Defense can call witnesses or present evidence. Burden of proof, however, lays with the presenting side. (Addendum in Rise from the Ashes: No evidence shall be shown without the approval of the Police Department, and unregistered evidence presented must be relevant to the case in trial.)

The Prosecution must always push for a guilty verdict, but the Defense has options, such as pleading "Justified Self Defense." The judge has the right to penalize either the defense or the prosecution for faulty evidence or points unrelated to the case at hand. The judge also has the right to suspend trials, declare recesses, or have troublesome parties removed from court.

Under the initial trial system, a limit of three days is set on the initial trials at the district court. If a defendant receives a guilty verdict, or no verdict, he or she will surrender him/herself to the court's care to undergo a regular trial at the High Court within a month's time. If the defendant receives a not guilty verdict, they're free to go. Case appeals can be made, however.