Judge


 * You may be looking for this judge's younger brother, who is also a judge. For other characters referred to simply as "judge", please see Category:Judges.

"Judge"

- The law is the end product of many years of history... the fruit of human knowledge! Like a gem, polished to a gleam through trials... and errors. It is this fruit we receive, and pass on, and face in our time. And it is always changing, growing. Nurturing it is our task as human beings.

The unnamed judge who has presided over nearly all of the cases taken on by the Wright Anything Agency.

Career
"Judge"

- I've seen quite a few things in my many years on the bench. And in all that time, I've finally learned this one thing. Each case is different, and takes place in its own world, if you will. In order to fully understand that world, first we have to immerse ourselves in it completely.

The judge has presided over several notable trials in his many years in the courtroom. This account begins with the trial of Mack Rell in what would come to be known as the second KG-8 Incident, a trial that introduced the judge to then-rookie prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.

The second KG-8 Incident

 * Main article: Turnabout Reminiscence

"Miles Edgeworth"

- Objection! Your Hon--

"Judge"

- I cannot allow you to make an objection.

"Miles Edgeworth"

- What!? Your Honor... I'm really sorry, but...  I cannot allow you to not allow me to make an objection!

"Judge"

- Egads! I've been overruled!?

In 2012, the judge presided over a trial that would end some eras and begin others. When Mack Rell was arrested for murder, he claimed to be the Great Thief Yatagarasu. However, when prosecutor Byrne Faraday brought forth condemning evidence against him in court, Rell suddenly changed his story, accusing Faraday of being the Yatagarasu and the one who had sent him to commit the murder. In light of these events, the judge suspended the trial to make way for a replacement for Faraday: a new prosecutor named Miles Edgeworth. The judge then headed for the restroom. While he was there, he looked out the window, across the courtyard of the District Court, to the 3rd floor hallway. Although he did not see anyone, he did hear what sounded like a gunshot, but promptly forgot about it.

As the judge returned to his bench to restart the trial, Faraday and Rell were both found murdered. The judge remembered what he had seen in the washroom and accused Detective Dick Gumshoe of the murder, testifying about the gunshot he had heard. However, Edgeworth looked into Gumshoe's surveillance job and determined that much of the judge's testimony was built on a number of misunderstandings on his part. Firstly, Gumshoe was, in fact, merely sitting and eating on a bench underneath the window with Kay Faraday, invisible to the judge. Edgeworth also discovered that the sound the judge had heard was just Kay attempting to startle Gumshoe by popping a balloon. Gumshoe was eventually cleared of all charges thanks to Edgeworth's efforts, although the true culprit, who had used another fake gunshot to create an alibi, managed to escape.

Murder at the university

 * Main article: Turnabout Memories

"Judge"

- Would the defendant please refrain from passing on his cold to the rest of us!

In 2014, the judge presided over Mia Fey's second case as an attorney. She had not taken a case since a year ago, as said case had left her severely traumatized. This time, she was to defend university student Phoenix Wright, who had been accused of electrocuting fellow student Doug Swallow to death. Dahlia Hawthorne took the stand, and Fey was able to learn that Hawthorne had been using Swallow and his pharmacology lab to obtain a special poison. Eight months prior, Hawthorne had stolen poison from Swallow and used it to put a defense attorney who had been questioning her into a deep coma, having been carrying the poison in an inconspicuous bottle built into her necklace. As she fled the scene of the crime, she bumped into Wright and disposed of the necklace by giving it to him as a "gift". She had been trying fruitlessly ever since to obtain the necklace from Wright and dispose of it, and she had finally tried to poison Wright himself to get the necklace back. She poisoned his bottle of Coldkiller X cold medicine, but Doug Swallow noticed that more poison had been stolen and warned Wright. Wright refused to listen to his warning, but Hawthorne overheard and electrocuted Swallow to silence him. In court, Fey used the cold medicine to reveal Hawthorne's plot. Finally exposed, Hawthorne admitted her crimes and Wright was declared not guilty.

Phoenix Wright returns to court

 * Main article: The First Turnabout

"Judge"

- Mr. Wright [...] I have to say, I'm impressed. I don't think I've ever seen someone complete a defense so quickly... and find the true culprit at the same time!

Two years later, the judge saw the return of Phoenix Wright to his courtroom, this time as a rookie defense attorney. Wright not only managed to successfully defend his childhood friend Larry Butz on the charge of murder, but also deduced who the true killer had been. Despite having previously met Wright when he presided over the man's own trial, the judge showed no sign that he recognized him.

The Mia Fey murder case

 * Main article: Turnabout Sisters

Soon afterwards, the judge oversaw Maya Fey's trial for the murder of her older sister Mia Fey, with Wright once again acting as the defense. Wright was nearly able to prove Maya's innocence, but trial was adjourned for a day to allow for more investigation. While investigating, Wright found the real culprit, a man called Redd White who was blackmailing various high-profile individuals. White used his influence to have Wright accused of Mia's murder, but this backfired when Wright proved his own innocence in court and White's guilt.

Death of a star

 * Main article: Turnabout Samurai

Edgeworth on trial

 * Main article: Turnabout Goodbyes

"Judge"

- Mr. Wright. You are truly the most unpredictable defense attorney I've ever known.

Murder of a detective

 * Main article: Rise from the Ashes

"Judge"

- I once wasted an entire day looking for my dentures, when, in reality, they were in my mouth all along! Ha!

Shortly after Edgeworth's trial, the judge oversaw the trial of Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye for the murder of detective Bruce Goodman, with Wright defending her against Edgeworth. Although the defendant repeatedly tried to plead guilty and fire Wright, Edgeworth refuted her pleas, and it was eventually proven that the Chief of Police, Damon Gant, was the real killer, and had been blackmailing Skye into taking the blame for him. The judge, who was a longtime friend of Gant, was saddened by the outcome of the trial, saying that Gant was no longer the person he had known.

Maya Fey on trial again

 * Main article: Reunion, and Turnabout

An amnesiac Wright

 * Main article: The Lost Turnabout

Tragedy at the circus

 * Main article: Turnabout Big Top

"Judge"

- Enough of these childish outbursts, Mr. Curls! Who do you think you are?

A deadly rivalry

 * Main article: Farewell, My Turnabout

Larceny and murder

 * Main article: The Stolen Turnabout

Murder at a restaurant

 * Main article: Recipe for Turnabout

The judge later oversaw the second trial of Maggey Byrde, who was accused of poisoning a computer programmer. For once, Wright - who was speaking in an unusually aggressive tone - did not seem to be making any real effort to defend his client, at one point even stating that she was certainly guilty. Due to the poor defense, the judge soon declared Byrde guilty.

One month later, Wright appealed Byrde's case. Although the judge was initially apprehensive because of Wright's behavior in the previous trial, the lawyer soon managed to prove that the "Phoenix Wright" who had defended Byrde in court was not only an impostor, but the true killer in the case.

The death of Elise Deauxnim

 * Main article: Bridge to the Turnabout

"Phoenix Wright"

- Did the judge take smart pills at the last recess?

For the trial of Iris in the murder of Elise Deauxnim, the judge's younger brother oversaw the first half of the trial due to Edgeworth's machinations. However, the older brother soon returned for the second half due to the younger brother falling ill, just as Phoenix Wright was returning to the case.

The end of an era

 * Main article: Turnabout Succession

Two months after the trial of Iris, the judge presided over the trial of Zak Gramarye for the murder of his mentor Magnifi, with Wright defending Zak against prosecutor Klavier Gavin. Wright tried to accuse Magnifi's other student, Valant, and presented a diary page that seemed to prove Zak's innocence. However, Klavier soon summoned a witness who revealed that the page was a forgery. Shocked that Wright had presented forged evidence in court, the judge declared the trial over and moved to pronounce Zak guilty, but the defendant disappeared from the courtroom before the verdict could be read. Wright would later be disbarred for presenting forged evidence.

A fallen legend on trial

 * Main article: Turnabout Trump

Seven years after Wright's disbarment, the former lawyer was accused of murdering a traveler named Shadi Smith at the restaurant where he worked. The judge presided over his trial, with rookie defense attorney Apollo Justice representing Wright. Although the case appeared to be a simple one at first, Wright soon turned the tables by accusing Justice's mentor and co-counsel, Kristoph Gavin, of the murder. Kristoph was eventually proven guilty and arrested, much to the disappointment of the judge, who held him in high regard. At the end of the trial, he remarked that Wright had not lost his touch.

Death of a mobster's doctor

 * Main article: Turnabout Corner

The judge later presided over the second trial of Justice, who defended Wocky Kitaki for the murder of a doctor.

Smuggling and murder

 * Main article: Turnabout Serenade

Justice later defended pianist Machi Tobaye for the murder of a singer's bodyguard. Over the course of the trial, the judge arrived late twice, having gone to the hospital to visit the Chief Justice's terminally ill son. When Justice was almost unable to indict the real killer due to the lack of decisive evidence, even with solid circumstantial evidence, the judge commented that the legal system was not perfect, and that if a similar case were to arise, a new system might have to be considered.

A case of art, journalism and magic

 * Main article: Turnabout Succession

For the trial of Vera Misham in the murder of Drew Misham, the video cameras installed for the trial of the new Jurist System seemed to make the judge nervous, but he handled the case normally and even seemed to still have some respect for Kristoph Gavin despite the latter's deeds. The verdict was then decided by the Jurists.

Death of an alderman

 * Main article: The Monstrous Turnabout

The following spring, the judge presided over the trial of Damian Tenma for the murder of the alderman of Nine-Tails Vale. Simon Blackquill, a convict who had been found guilty of murder seven years prior, led the prosecution against Justice, who managed once again to expose the real killer and prove the defendant innocent.

A returned attorney and an orca

 * Main article: Turnabout Reclaimed

Three months after the Nine-Tails Vale incident, Wright finally regained his badge, and the judge presided over his first trial in eight years, in an unprecedented case with an orca as the defendant.

Murder of a teacher of law

 * Main article: Turnabout Academy

In October, the judge oversaw Athena Cykes' first trial, in which she defended her childhood friend Juniper Woods for the murder of her teacher.

An astronaut's death

 * Main article: The Cosmic Turnabout

During the trial of Solomon Starbuck, Ted Tonate suddenly warned all the occupants of the courtroom of a bomb being activated. The judge fled with the rest of Courtroom No. 4's occupants just before the bomb destroyed it.

Solving the courtroom bombing

 * Main article: Turnabout Countdown

Two days after the explosion, Juniper Woods was put on trial for both the bombing and the murder of detective Candice Arme. The judge was one of only three people, alongside Wright and Cykes, not to flee the courtroom when Tonate, whom Wright had indicted for the bombing, tried to force an adjournment by threatening the courtroom with a bomb. Wright soon proved that Tonate was bluffing and that he had killed Arme, clearing the charges against Woods.

Finishing the interrupted trial

 * Main article: The Cosmic Turnabout

A new suspect trialed

 * Main article: Turnabout for Tomorrow

For the trial of Athena Cykes, the judge was forced to hold the trial in the ruined courtroom 4, as all the other courtrooms were occupied for the day.

Death at a stage show

 * Main article: Turnabout Magic Show

Unreleased Some time later, the judge presided over the trial of Trucy Wright when a death occurred at her stage show.

Personality
"Phoenix Wright"

- (For the love of all things good, Your Honor, have some spine... For my sake...)

The judge is naïve and gullible, but he is said to give the correct verdict without fail. He tends to change his mind very easily, a trait that lawyers on both sides of the courtroom often use to their advantage. He is also very easily wooed by female witnesses such as Dahlia Hawthorne, which has almost allowed guilty female witnesses to be let off the hook several times. Food can also easily divert his attention, as shown during Angel Starr's testimony. It often seems that the judge is more likely to side with the prosecution than the defense and to prefer Miles Edgeworth over Phoenix Wright, but this ultimately does not affect his verdict. He has shown respect for Phoenix Wright for his capability to turn things around and point out the unthinkable, although sometimes he has been seen labeling Wright's actions as "shenanigans". He also has a tendency to try to take credit for the work that the attorneys have done, which annoyed both Wright and Mia Fey.

The judge often comes across as a bit absent-minded and hard of hearing. Even as a child, the commentary on his report card read: "Has poor hearing, and often makes a mistake as a result." He has, on at least one occasion, wasted an entire day searching for his dentures only to realize they were in his mouth all along. This absent-mindedness has led to many comical occurrences in the courtroom. In addition, the judge sometimes finds it hard to follow what people are saying, very rarely understanding what Godot says. The judge's brother often criticizes him for not studying hard enough, advice that he took to heart only relatively recently. Nevertheless, the judge occasionally shows signs of deep wisdom, with his statements on the nature of the law at the end of Vera Misham's trial as a perfect example.

The judge is very out of touch with technology. He is known not to know the meaning of e-mail or computers, was dumbfounded at the sight of Cody Hackins's digital camera, and refers to old-fashioned things such as the gramophone. He also has never heard of nail polish, leaving him puzzled as to why his wife's nails were red.

The judge often lets his fear of certain people get to him. He is horribly afraid of Franziska von Karma and always gives in to her, to the point of forgetting that he has more authority than she does. His fear of one witness, Furio Tigre, forced him to hide under his stand every time Tigre roared.

Whenever he is stressed, excited or speaks too much too quickly, he has a tendency to bite his tongue. Following the Cohdopian Embassy murder case, the judge considered teaming up with a bailiff and becoming a lawyer, but he decided to keep his current job.

The judge can apparently speak Spanish.

Name
The judge's real name is never revealed. Phoenix Wright once received the judge's business card, but couldn't read his signature (the image for said card is actually the same as that used for Wright's own business card).

Development

 * Aside from Gyakuten Kenji 2 and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the judge has appeared in all Ace Attorney games to date. In fact, the judge has appeared in the second most cases with 24, after Phoenix Wright with 26.
 * He also has presided over almost all the cases shown in the series for which the judge for said case was known; the only exceptions are the two and a half that his younger brother presided over (Turnabout Beginnings, Luke Atmey's larceny trial in The Stolen Turnabout, and the first day of Bridge to the Turnabout) and the one presided over by Hakari Mikagami (Marī Miwa's trial in The Grand Turnabout).
 * During The Monstrous Turnabout, Phineas Filch at first calls the judge "Your Lordship". This is the usual title given to judges of criminal trials in the United Kingdom.

In other media

 * The judge appears in the fighting game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as one of Phoenix Wright's Level 1 Hyper Combos during "Courtroom Mode", Nightmare Judge, in which a shadowy giant version of himself (similar to his appearance in Wright's nightmare in The Lost Turnabout) appears while saying, "Order in the court!" He then smashes his gavel down on Wright and his opponent while saying, "Objection overruled!" While both battling characters are knocked down by this, only Wright's opponent takes damage, although Wright is knocked out of "Courtroom Mode" back to "Investigative Mode".
 * In the anime No Game, No Life, there is an elderly official who bears a striking resemblance to the judge. This likeness is almost certainly intentional, as the character is present in the third episode when Sora interrupts the coronation of Chlammy Zell by yelling "Objection!" (complete with Ace Attorney-style speech bubble) and playing music on his smart phone that is strongly reminiscent of "Pursuit ~ Cornered" (with the image on his phone showing the game's logo, having "Game Soundtrack" as its genre, and giving its title as "Pursuit ~ I'll Corner You!"). A similar scenario occurs in the fourth episode during Sora's and Shiro's argument during the coronation, in which both the same music and elderly official are once again present, only this time with the addition of the "Hold it!" interjection.

References to popular culture
During Bridge to the Turnabout, Godot says to the judge, "Mr. Trite's words are the milk and you are the spoon, Your Honor." The judge, misunderstanding Godot's unusual metaphor, protests, "I-I'm a spoon!? I'm no spoony bard, I'll have you know!" "Spoony bard" is a reference to the notorious line from the English localizations of Final Fantasy IV, in which Tellah refers to Edward Chris von Muir as a "spoony bard".