Graellic Fraud Guilty

Lawsuit between Graellic and Somerset

Bill of indictment

Quote :

It is alleged that the 4th of February Graellic created and abused a monopoly in the market of Chard by buying 9 pieces of meat from Zlefox at 17.95 and reselling them at 19p together with 24 more pieces of meat of unknown origin. Evidence of this can be found here:
http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=23196&start=75

According to the evidence the following articles of the Somerset Law are to be applied:

Art. 2.3.2. : Speculation is defined as any action a citizen takes that consists of buying one or more goods and reselling it again at a higher price on the same market. This is a light crime and the sentence is set in Article 2.1.3.

Article 2.3.3. : Economy manipulation is defined as:
- hoarding goods;
- creating and abusing a monopoly;
- dumping goods on a market;
This is a moderate crime and the sentence is set in Article 2.1.3.

I therefore call Zlefox as a witness and I ask him to inform the highly respected Court about how many pieces of meat a butcher can produce a day and add whatever he considers relevant to the case

First defence pleading

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I draw to the courts attention that I, too, am a butcher and had produced a large sum of the meat that I had on the market.

I do, however, admit that I resold much of the meat that I purchased as I was unaware of this law. Having now been informed of it, it will not happen again.

I draw to the courts attention, that I have long been an upstanding citizen of Chard and have broken no other laws (that I'm aware of) and ask for leniency.

If, however, the courts decide that leniency is not an option, then I assure the courts that banishment from the realm of Renaissance Kingdoms (whether ordered by the courts or self-imposed) is the only other option.

Prosecutor indictment

Quote :

Your Honour,

The defendant already admitted an action of speculation, that is buying and reselling at a higher price on the same market. But do his actions constitute only speculation? No ,Your Honour! There were only 9 pieces of meat below the price of 19 by the time the evidence provided by Zlefox was taken. And as proved by the evidence presented, 7 out of these 9 pieces of meat were bought by the defendant. There surely weren’t any pieces of meat at a lower price in the market at said moment ,or the defendant would have bought them first. So the defendant practically emptied the market from every piece of meat sold at a price lower than the one he was selling at. This action actually abolished competition on Chard’s market at said moment, since consumers had from then on only two options: buy meat at 19 or not eat meat that day. Abolition of competition is the very meaning of creating and abusing a monopoly.
I have argued before ,in front of this Court Your Honour that I consider market manipulation as a crime punishable only when committed out of intent. And that for the simple reason that one cannot manipulate a market by mistake. So I have to prove that the defendant 1) knew that he practically abolished competition at said moment 2)wanted to do so. In this case I believe that both these two conditions are met. The defendant is an experienced merchant, owner of two fields and a workshop in Chard. Can someone with so much of an involvement in the Chard market and (according to his profile) other markets all over England plead ignorance of how competition works and the possible benefits of it’s abolition on his behalf ? No, Your Honour!

And what the defendant’s saying in response to these serious accusations?
He says that he didn’t know the law. This is no excuse, since all citizens of Somerset are obliged to know and respect the Law, as the Law expressively dictates.

He says that he is an upstanding citizen of Chard. I, as a citizen of Chard , concur, Your Honour. I found no criminal record of his in any county of the Kingdom .Although I don’t know the defendant personally, I do know that he is a well respected citizen of Chard.

He finally says that if your Court ,Your Honour, doesn’t show leniency to him, he will leave the country (or does he means this futile word? [OOC: the game].) In any case I consider this statement inadmissible, and if it is professed once more, I will have to prosecute for contempt of Court.

To conclude Your Honour: If you find the defendant guilty of Speculation (light crime) I suggest a fine of at least 10p. But if guilty of Market Manipulation(moderate crime) then a fine of at least 50 p is due. Our goal should be not to degrade economically the defendant but to make sure that crime does not pay. Since it is his first offence I calculated the penalties so that they match the defendant’s assumed profit from his deeds

Last defence pleading

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As stated previously, I was unaware of this law. However, unlike many others, I do not hide behind this defense.

The prosecutor has cited that my intention was a deliberate act of wiping out the market. However, this is not the case. I already had meat on the market. I am accused of selling the 7 pieces that I purchased, as well as, 24 pieces "of unknown origin". In actuality, I sold 3 of the pieces that I purchased. The rest were made by me over quite a long period. I have been unable to sell anything due to the prices having been driven lower than I was able to purchase supplies (pig and cow). Therefore, when I was in need of food, I decided to purchase the 7 pieces on the market instead of pulling my own product from the market. I ate 4 pieces of the meat myself and only put the other 3 back on the market (at the same price I have always charged) when my corn was harvested and had another source of food.

Am I guilty of this crime? Yes, but in a roundabout way. Had I eaten the last 3 pieces, then these allegations would have been completly false instead of only partly false.

In response to the Prosecutor's comment regarding my banishment statement, I only wish that there were laws regarding slander. I hold no contempt for this court. However, until the prosecutor has evidence to the contrary, calling my honor into question with regards to my previous statement is unjustified. I was infuriated by the allegations as I had no intent regarding the crime and with my complete lack of history in these courts felt that I should have gotten some kind of warning and/or a chance to make reparations before my name being dragged through the mud. However, as I've stated my intentions of banishment (and, yes, it was from the game, not Chard), I will abide by my word. After all, that is all a man has.

The prosecutor called Zlefox

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I was quite surprised when saw that Graellic is doing that.In fact there is another butcher in Chard who has done this criminal several time,but I have no evidence(screenshots) to prove it. I had aware him for this law and he continue to buy my meat. Maybe I could mail Graellic before reporting him, but I was quite mad because the other one.
And on the question: every butcher can produce up to 10 peaces of meat. So 7 peaces are 70% of the daily production. My goal is to offer the citizens cheap meat, so these speculations are like fly in my eye,like stone in my wheel and are driving me crazy with other words.

Statement of accusation
The defendant has been proved guilty of fraud.

Quote :

Graellic, I find you guilty violating Article. 2.3.2. of the Legal Corpus of Somerset and Article 2.3.3. For buying up all the cheaper meat so you didn’t have any meat competition.

I have based my judgement on the statements of the court and the following evidence.

http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=23196&start=87

“Am I guilty of this crime? Yes, but in a roundabout way.” You have admitted to your crime so as it says in Article. 2.1.5. I will lower your degree of your sentence.

In your first defence Graellic you say first that you have no idea of this law, but in the Legal Corpus of Somerset in Article. 1.5.2. It states,

Art. 1.5.2. : All citizens of the Duchy have the obligation to know the laws and to conform to them.

Now later in your first defence you say your a “long been an upstanding citizen of Chard” Don’t you think that a “long been an upstanding citizen of Chard” would know the laws?

Then you go on to threatening the court! You think I am scared if you leave? I don’t care wether you stay or leave, that’s why I am the judge. –wink-. You really think I am going to give you leniency after that display?

What kind of evil mind would make you do this? Buying the cheaper meat on Chard’s market and reselling at higher price that suit you. Being a butcher yourself makes me conclude that you did this so you wouldn’t have any competition to sell your own meat.

Now the 24 pieces of unknown origin could be yours, but if there is no evidence I can’t say that it is. Graellic you also say that you only sold 3 pieces of meat and ate 4 pieces, but again there is no evidence to prove this.

For the 7 meat I fine you 80 pounds for the finical gain you made and citizens of Chard loss of money due to paying a higher fee for the meat.

I fine you another 50 pounds for violating 2.3.3. of the Legal Corpus of Somerset.

If you wish to appeal this case, please approach the Court of Appeals at the following address : http://forum.renaissancekingdoms.com/viewforum.php?f=98

The defendant has been sentenced to 130 pounds fine.