Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All/Episode 3: Turnabout Big Top/Part 4-1: Trial

Before the Trail
You are told from Moe that Acro is a likely candidate to be the real murderer, but it's gonna be very tough to prove so. Just pressing Acro would do no good, unless you have substantial evidence. Without it will spell certain doom for Max.

Von Karma will call Acro to the stand, as predicted. She tells Acro to say what he saw at the crime.

What You Witnessed: Cross-Examination
Press on Acro's 4th statement. Acro recognized Max by his silk hat and cloak, but not his white roses since he only saw Max's back. When given a choice to move on or not, choose There is a contradiction. Then Present the Silk Hat to support your claim. The silk hat was found at the crime scene, so how exactly did he see Max carry his silk hat?

The Judge asks you why Acro would lie to the court. Choose Acro is the real culprit. Von Karma and Acro doubt it as Acro is wheelchair-bound. He could not have done it at this condition. Von Karma even has a doctor's note saying Acro is unable to stand up on this own.

Von Karma now suspects you will counter this by saying that Acro needed an accomplice. When given a choice, choose Of course he didn't. Acro commited it all by himself. When you are asked where he committed the crime, on the circus map, Present Acro's Room (3F). Acro obviously committed the crime without ever leaving his room.

The court now asks you if you could show evidence to support your claim, choose Present evidence, then Present the Max G. Bust. The bust is very large, life-sized in fact. It is even heavy enough for a guarantee kill when it falls on someone, especially from a third-story window. Although it looks too heavy, Acro's upper body strength should still be able to lift it.

Your claim seems promising enough, even Acro is at a loss for words. It looks like you are getting closer to the truth, but von Karma will argue that Acro's physical state is the importance of this case. Acro will now testify about his condition.

Acro's Testimony: Acro's Physical State
The testimony looks difficult. Even The Judge doesn't have any doubts. You move on with the cross-examination anyways.

Acro's Physical State: Cross-Examination
Present the Wooden Box at statement 5. Acro already knew the location because of the wooden box. You show the crime photo to the court saying the Ringmaster looked like he was hunching over the box. Who placed it? Ben/Trilo saw the Ringmaster (disguised as Max) without the box, so it is certain that the box was placed beforehand.

Why was The Ringmaster squatting over the box in the first place? Probably because he was lifting the box. To lift the box, you have to squat your body over it. As you are squatting, your head is placed directly above the box. If the bust is dropped on the box as the Ringmaster's head is over it, the bust would hit the Ringmaster dead-on!

The Judge will, as usual, ask who actually placed the box at the crime scene. You will reply that it was Acro. You also add that he must have connected the box to a rope, and then lowered it down to the scene.

Von Karma will then argue that the Ringmaster's head could have been someplace else as he was lifting the box. You mention that it is impossible. When asked to explain the quality of the box, answer The weight of the box. The box is quite heavy, not to mention large and having handles on each side. So, no matter where you are, your head would be at the same place.

Acro will ask you if you remember the original location of the bust. Answer I remember. The bust was at a small table at the cafeteria, so how did Acro managed to get the bust from the cafeteria and lead it to his room? Present Money the Monkey. Money loves shiny things, and Max's Bust has shiny material on it. Usually when Money sees something shiny, he takes it to Acro's Room. Acro would've looked at Money's pile to look for the right tool for the murder weapon. He could have chosen the bust.

You have now proven that Acro is more likely the culprit, but von Karma persists. She reminds you that the murderer is clearly seen at the crime scene. Von Karma asks you who Moe really saw. Present the Max G. Bust. Moe claims to have seen the silhouette, but he didn't see Max himself. He probably didn't even see a human being.

Von Karma argues that the silhouette was wearing a cloak, but you argue that the cloak could have been attached to the bust on contact. When asked who put the cloak on the bust, Present Russel Berry's Profile. You then recite the events:

At the night of the murder, Acro placed the bust on the wooden box with a rope. Meanwhile, the Ringmaster leaves Max in his office to go to the crime scene, taking Max's clothes with him and disguising himself within it. As he heads towards the scene, he was caught by Ben and Trilo, whom he ignores. He eventually makes it to the box and tries to pick it up. That is when Acro took his chance and releases the bust, which landed on top of the Ringmaster, sealing his fate. At the moment of impact, the cloak snagged on the bust, creating the silhouette the Moe saw. Acro lifts the bust up. Meanwhile, Moe hear a large thump. He looked out his window only to see the cloak already snagged on. Acro pulls up the bust, unaware that Moe seeing "Max fly", so he just kept on pulling.

It looks like you have proven the murder method, but von Karma wants proof. Present the Silk Hat. Recall Moe's testimony yesterday. He said he saw the silk hat on the cloak. If that's true, and if the silk hat was found at the crime scene, then the silk hat Moe saw was actually the bust. And as for the white roses that Ban and Trilo saw and Moe didn't, when the cloak was snagged on the bust, the roses disappeared from Moe's view because it was on the front of the cloak. Moe only saw the back.

Von Karma is still not giving up, as she asks for one more thing: a motive. Why would Acro kill the Ringmaster, the man Acro loved very much? The Judge decides to call a recess.