Darth Vader’s Crime Spree on Mapuzo

June 12, 2022

Darth Vader is scary for a reason: He hurts people. A lot of people. Probably to increase his Force abilities so he can hurt more people.

In Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3, Darth Vader’s malice for all was on display as he tore through the town on Mapuzo. Vader held a father in the air while Force choking him. When the victim’s son tried to intercede, the boy was Force pushed against the side of the home, and then his neck snapped with the Force. Shortly thereafter, a woman was drug through the dirt street face down by use of the Force.

Here are a few of the crimes Darth Vader committed:

Battery

Darth Vader brutalized the citizens of Mapuzo with the Force. The obvious charge against Vader is Battery, which is “… any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another.” Cal. Pen. Code § 242. Choking people, slamming others against walls, or dragging individuals through the street is a willful and unlawful use of violence against a person. The elements of “battery” are clearly met.

Torture

Did Darth Vader commit Torture of both Victim 1 (the Father) and Victim 3 (Woman drugged through the street)? If California law is applied, Torture is defined as:

Every person who, with the intent to cause cruel or extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion, or for any sadistic purpose, inflicts great bodily injury as defined in Section 12022.7 upon the person of another, is guilty of torture.

The crime of torture does not require any proof that the victim suffered pain.

Cal Pen Code § 206.

Darth Vader asked no questions of either of his victims. He inflicted pain and moved on.

Vader’s actions appear to have the “intent to cause cruel and extreme pain.” Case law defines this phrase means to cause extreme or severe pain. People v. Aguilar, 58 Cal.App.4th 1196, 1202 (Cal. Ct. App. 1997). Choking the father in the air checks that box; dragging a woman face down through a dirt road is not anyone’s idea of a spa day. The element of extreme pain is met with every bruise, abrasion, and broken bone.

Inflicting pain for the purpose of revenge, extortion, or any sadistic purpose is not clear from the facts. Vader’s acts could have been for the purpose of revenge for Kenobi being given safe harbor in the town, but that is not clear from the facts. There is no evidence of extortion, because there is nothing asked from any of Vader’s victims.

“Sadistic purpose” means the “the infliction of pain on another person for the purpose of experiencing pleasure.” Aguilar, at * 1203-04. It is known that Dark Side users can feed off the feelings of anger or pain. Consider Anakin Skywalker confronting Chancellor Palpatine, where the future Emperor stated, “I can feel your anger. It makes you stronger, gives you focus.” Palpatine’s expression is one of ecstasy…very creepy ecstasy.

Was Vader’s harming others to power up with a contact high of fear before confronting Kenobi? If the answer is “yes,” then the elements of torture have been met.

Murder

Darth Vader snapped the neck of a child coming to his father’s aid while Vader battered the father. This was clearly murder. California law defines Murder as “…the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” Cal. Pen. Code § 187(a). Malice aforethought is “express when there is manifested a deliberate intention to unlawfully take away the life of a fellow creature.” Cal. Pen. Code § 188(a)(1).

The killing of the son was unlawful. Even humoring the idea that Darth Vader represented law enforcement, the son did nothing to threaten Vader. Moreover, there is no argument that Force choking someone “just cause” is a lawful act for a state actor that would give a colorable argument that the son was interfering with a police action. There was no reasonable suspicion or probable cause to give any indication of wrongful conduct by the father. He was simply a victim in Vader’s way. The child died because he had the audacity to try to help his father.

The element of malice aforethought is met because using the Force to kill someone is a manifested deliberate act to take a life. Vader did exactly that.

What to Know Before Adopting a Princess in Star Wars

Josh Gilliland

May 31, 2022

We learned in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series that Leia Organa had a brat for a first cousin. The behavior was likely learned behavior from Leia’s uncle, who was more interested in making a profit than social issues like ending slavery. Going for the ancient insult of “you’re adopted,” the cousin told Leia she was not a real Organa.

Bail Organa gave his daughter a pep talk after the incident by telling her, “You are an Organa in every way.”

Bail Organa is legally correct.

Adoption is a very complex set of procedures that focus on reunification with biological parents and not separating siblings, to highlight a few of the policy goals. Once an adoption has been codified, the child takes on the family name of the adoptive parents. As my Wills and Trusts professor described the process, it is like the blood of the parents are grafted onto the child for all legal rights.

When it comes to the issue of inheritance from parents, it is established law that “the adopted child had rights of inheritance in the estate of his adoptive parents only, he being granted all of the rights of a natural child with reference thereto, but that by the adoption, his rights of inheritance from or through his natural parents were severed and terminated.” Estate of Garey, 214 Cal.App.2d 39, 53 (Cal. Ct. App. 1963).

There is likely a gap in paperwork for Leia’s adoption, since Princess Leia’s birth would be a state secret on Alderaan. One option for explaining a missing document such as a birth certificate, could be if there was a Galactic Safe Surrender Baby Law. Such laws allow for a mother to surrender a child confidentially to a hospital without fear of prosecution for child abandonment. Another is the fact there would be a large number of Clone Wars orphans who lost their parents (such as Din Djarin). Either would be a plausible cover story for Leia’s existence without raising suspicions on her biological parentage.

Leia is an Organa under the eyes of the law. Bail Organa is absolutely correct Leia was an Organa in every way.

Egon Spengler Dies, who you Gonna Call: A Trusts and Estates Attorney

Michelle Brunson

May 16, 2022

In the newest installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, Callie, a broke, single mother, finds herself in the small, mining town of Summerville, Oklahoma with her two children, Phoebe and Trevor. Newly evicted from her apartment, Callie thought her luck had turned around when she received word that her father, from whom she was estranged, had died, and left her property.

Who was her father? None other than Egon Spengler, a founding member and the brains of the Ghostbusters operation.

As Callie, Phoebe and Trevor approached the property, they see a barren dirt field, bible verses painted on wood slabs, and an extremely dilapidated farmhouse. Home sweet home. Or is it?

Egon’s demise, his absconding with Ghostbuster property, and Callie’s subsequent transformation into Zuul, one of Gozer’s minions, raises the question of who owns Dirt Farm, and the items located on the property.

Who Died?

Behind every inheritance—is a dead person.

Under section 3122 of Oklahoma’s Uniform Determination of Death Act, an individual is dead if they have sustained either 1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or 2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.

Here, Egon became a ghost during the film’s opening scene. One could argue that Egon retained brain function because he continued to offer expert guidance to Phoebe as she, her family and friends worked to defeat Gozer once and for all. As a ghost, however, he no longer had circulatory or respiratory functions. Since Egon was all ectoplasm and no blood, and he did not require oxygen to sustain himself, he was dead under Oklahoma law.

Callie, on the other hand, did not die when she became Zuul. Although she was possessed, her human form remained, along with her brain function, circulatory and respiratory functions. Once Phoebe captured Zuul in the ghost trap, Callie was freed, and life, quite literally, went on.

Who Owns What?

Callie is the rightful recipient of Egon’s property regardless of whether he died intestate, without a will, or had some sort of estate plan that bequeathed his property.

Egon was unmarried at the time of his death and Callie was his only child. Therefore, she is the sole heir to his estate. (Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 84, § 213.) Callie, however, mentioned that she was “surprised he left [her] anything,” when speaking to her landlord, which implies that Egon had some sort of estate plan in place.

In that case, Callie would still be the rightful owner of the property. The only difference is that instead of being an heir, she would inherit as a beneficiary. When someone creates a will or a trust, their property passes to the named beneficiaries pursuant to the terms of the document. (Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 84, § 301; Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 84, §§ 41, 301; Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 60, § 175.2.) Thus, Callie owns Dirt Farm.

Though Callie is the sole owner of Dirt Farm, the same cannot be said of the Ectomobile, ghost trap, proton pack, or P.K.E. meter. During a phone call to Ray Stantz, another founding member of the Ghostbusters, Phoebe learned that the business collapsed when Egon took all the ghostbusting equipment with him to Oklahoma. A testator may only devise their property. Because the ghostbusting gear was owned by the business, Egon lacked the authority to unilaterally bequeath it. If the business were defunct, which was unclear by the end of the film given that the Ghostbusters reunited to vanquish Gozer, each member of the Ghostbusters would have an ownership interest in the property. Therefore, the Ghostbuster equipment belongs entirely to the business, or Callie has only a partial ownership interest.

What About the Creditors?

Egon’s friend, Janine Melnitz, informs Callie that there was, “no money,” and “quite a bit of debt,” at the time of his death.

While beneficiaries are generally not liable for the debts of the decedent, creditors are entitled to repayment from the decedent’s estate. In this case, there is no money in Egon’s estate to satisfy the debts. The Court, however, has the authority to order that property, including real property, be sold to satisfy a decedent’s debts. (Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 58, § 381.) Whether the Court would force a sale which would leave Callie, Phoebe, and Trevor homeless, is a topic for another article. Suffice it to say, should creditors seek repayment, Callie would need to secure funds to satisfy any creditor’s claim, or risks losing Dirt Farm in a court-ordered sale.

Conclusion

In short, Callie inherited Dirt Farm, and likely has a partial interest in the Ghostbusters equipment. Given she is currently unemployed and characterized by Phoebe as “bad with her money,” how long Callie will keep any of her newfound “wealth” remains an open question.

The Necessity Defense in Strange New Worlds

Josh Gilliland

May 10, 2022

Star Trek Strange New Worlds is a return to live action episodic storytelling in the Star Trek franchize. The first episode embraced Trek’s heritage of taking on complex issues in the reflection of science fiction. In the story, the pre-warp civilization of Kiley 279 was on the brink of civil war. The ruling nation-state developed weapons of mass destruction after observing the battle seen in the season two finale of Star Trek Discovery. Their plan was to obliterate the “revolutionary” faction with a “Warp Bomb.” Or “Warp Bombs.”

Captain Christopher Pike found himself in a bind with General Order Number One, which prohibits interfering in the development of civilizations without warp drive. The fact Kiley 279 had learned of warp technology from a battle the Federation had covered up, meant there had already been “cultural contamination.” However, General Order Number One technically prohibited the USS Enterprise crew from correcting the cultural contamination.

Captain Pike’s solution? He told his First Officer, “Screw General Order Number One.” In a homage to classic science fiction films, he asked, “Take me to your leader,” after being captured. Pike talked down the warring factions with a history lesson from Earth of Kiley 279’s possible future with war. More importantly, he inspired them to reach for a brighter future to join the Federation of Planets.

If there was a Starfleet JAG officer preparing a defense for Captain Pike, the best option is the necessity defense, which is an affirmative defense to a crime. Captain Pike would have to show that the “harm that would have resulted from compliance with the law would have significantly exceeded the harm actually resulting from the defendant’s breach of the law.” State v. Rein, 477 N.W.2d 716, 717 (Minn. App. 1991).

The test for the necessity defense in California (assuming Starfleet Command followed similar factors in its Code of Military Justice) has the following elements:

1. Captain Pike acted in an emergency to prevent a significant bodily harm or evil to Kiley 279;

2. Captain Pike had no adequate legal alternative;

3. The defendant’s acts did not create a greater danger than the one avoided;

4. When the defendant acted, he actually believed that the act was necessary to prevent the threatened harm or evil;

5. A reasonable person would also have believed that the act was necessary under the circumstances; AND

6. The defendant did not substantially contribute to the emergency.

CALCRIM No. 3403.

Applying the elements to Captain Pike’s actions, an attorney could argue:

1) Captain Pike acted to avoid a planetary war;

2) The legal remedy was to let the people of Kiley 279 kill each other with Warp Bombs;

3) Captain Pike’s actions did not create a more dangerous situation;

4) Captain Pike believed his actions would avoid a war;

5) A reasonable person would believe Captain Pike’s actions were necessary; and

6) Captain Pike did not contribute to the emergency.

Openly breaking the law is never a good plan. It should not be standard operating procedure. However, Star Trek has a precedent for showing how the needs of the many can sometimes require finding legal exceptions to complex problems. Stopping a nuclear holocaust is one such exception.

Strict Liability for a Rancor Rampage

Josh Gilliland

May 4, 2022

Boba Fett’s pet rancor turned the Battle of Mos Espa against the Pykes, however, the “little” guy got loose from Boba Fett. Would the Mighty Daimyo be financially on the hook for all the property damage?

The short answer is “yes,” dependent on any sovereign immunity defenses for a crime lord. As a baseline, “One who keeps wild animals on his premises must see to it at his peril that they do no damage to others.” Hyde v. Utica, 20 N.Y.S.2d 335, 337 (App. Div. 1940). Moreover, “[A] wild animal is presumed to be vicious and since the owner of such animal…is an insurer against the acts of the animal to anyone who is injured…” Baugh v. Beatty, 91 Cal. App. 2d 786, 791, 205 P.2d 671 (1949).

As seen in the episode, “In the Name of Honor,” Boba Fett brought his unnamed rancor to assist in the battle with the Pykes. For the sake of humanizing the creature, he will be referred to as “Harryhausen.” The emotionally complex Harryhausen would be considered a wild animal, because a “wild animal” is a creature not normally domesticated, such a pet kept in a home for pleasure rather than commercial purposes. See, Cal. Fish & G. Code § 2116 and Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 50466. Moreover, “Wild animals” do not cease to be “wildlife simply because they or their progeny are no longer found in the wild.” U.S. v. Condict, No. CR-05-004-SPS, at *6 (E.D. Okla. June 27, 2006), citing 16 U.S.C. § 3371(a).

There is an argument that Harryhausen is domesticated, because Boba Fett rode him to Mos Espa from the Palace. Horses are considered domestic animals. Sea Horse Ranch, Inc. v. Superior Court, 24 Cal.App.4th 446, 460 (Cal. Ct. App. 1994). However, this argument might be as effective as claiming an Orca who does tricks is “domesticated.”

While it is clear that Harryhausen might be a snuggly beast who likes to cuddle, he also eats Pykes whole. Even if he were considered domesticated, Harryhausen would be in the inherently dangerous category, such as some breeds of dogs. In such a situation, the test for strict liability is the “harm done by a domestic animal with known vicious or dangerous propensities abnormal to its class.” Drake v. Dean, 15 Cal.App.4th 915, 921 (Cal. Ct. App. 1993).

It is common knowledge that rancors can make smaller lifeforms bite sized snacks. For Boba Fett, the fact Harryhausen went on a rampage destroying at least one speeder and smashed several buildings is grounds for him to pay out credits for any property damage.

Could Baba Fett get insurance to cover damages by Harryhausen? Probably not, but most insurance carriers in Star Wars likely went insolvent after the Clone Wars.

Doc Ock’s Insanity Plea

Ayo Shittu

March 22, 2022

By now, everyone who wants to has seen Spider-Man: No Way Home (“NWH”) once or four times; I mean, who’s counting, so hopefully, the spoilers in this article are no big deal! NWH features many old Spider-Man villains slipping into the current universe due to Dr. Strange and 2021 Peter Parker’s actions. This article will examine whether Doc Ock, one of such villains, could successfully plead insanity for his crimes. For the purpose of this analysis, he’d be charged with the crimes both in Spider-Man 2 and NWH: murders at the hospital, robbery, and the felony kidnapping and assault of Spider-Man and everyone who got in his way in both films.

Here’s some background on Doc Ock from Spider-Man 2. Dr. Otto Octavius nicknamed Doc Ock, short for Dr. Octopus for his… well, you’ve seen his A.I.-powered tentacles (“tentacles”), so you know. Doc Ock was a driven, albeit arrogant scientist whose life’s work was to create a power source that would provide cheap perpetual renewable power for everyone. Following the accident that destroyed the inhibitor chip designed to keep him in control of the tentacles, the tentacles and Dr. Octavius battled for control. In the end, the tentacles won, leading our villain, Doc Ock, to commit crimes in pursuit of recreating the renewable power source.

Applicable Law:

Since Doc’s crimes were in New York, he would likely be tried under New York state laws. New York’s insanity defense is codified under New York Penal Code § 40.15, where insanity is an affirmative defense to be proved by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence. In New York, criminal responsibility may be avoided if “as a result of mental disease or defect, [defendant] lacked substantial capacity to know or appreciate either: 1. The nature and consequences of such conduct; or 2. That such conduct was wrong” (Penal Law § 40.15)] People v. Kohl, 72 N.Y.2d 191, 196, 532 N.Y.S.2d 45 (1988).

Did Doc lack substantial capacity to know or appreciate the nature and consequence of his conduct?

We see in Spider-Man 2 that the inhibition chip is fried before the crime spree begins. A good lawyer, say, a certain Jeri Hogarth, would argue that the most serious crimes, the murders, occur while he is unconscious and the robotic arms are in clear, complete control, maybe similar to a sleepwalker. For the robbery, kidnapping, and assaults, the question of whether he understood the nature and consequences is tricky. The heart of the argument is what substantial capacity means. In explaining this, the pattern jury charge gives an example of children who may recite something they cannot understand, which would be considered surface knowledge but not true understanding. Substantial capacity requires more than surface knowledge. N.Y. Crim. Jury Instr. 2d Penal Law § 40.15. Similarly, if Doc is fully present and aware of what’s happening but had no power to act against the tentacles, it’s arguable that while he had awareness but his capacity was not substantial enough to appreciate the nature of the conduct, much like a child.

Did Doc lack substantial capacity to know or appreciate that his conduct was wrong?

This argument would be difficult to support based on the facts we saw. The pattern jury charge states that a person lacks substantial capacity to know or appreciate that conduct is wrong if that person, as a result of mental disease or defect, lacked substantial capacity – not necessarily total capacity, to know or appreciate either that the conduct was against the law or that it was against commonly held moral principles. See People v. Wood, 12 N.Y.2d 69, 76 (1962); People v. Schmidt, 216 N.Y. 324 (1915); Moett v. People, 85 N.Y. 373 (1881).

Based on what we saw on-screen, it would be tough to argue that Doc lacked substantial capacity to know that robbing a bank or throwing cars full of families off bridges and grandmas off skyscrapers is wrong. Doc argued initially in Spider-Man 2 with the tentacles saying, “I’m not a criminal, the real crime is to not finish the work,” this statement acknowledges he felt justified in doing the crime for a greater purpose – finishing the project.

His best argument remains that he was essentially a prisoner of the tentacles, and while he knew those things were wrong, they were not his conduct at all. He’d point to his final sacrifice in Spider-Man 2 and his assistance of Peter in NWH once his chip was repaired as evidence that at every opportunity where Doc was in control of the tentacles, he used it for good, and when he was not, he was no different from an onlooker.

Finally, the statute requires that mental disease or defect be the cause of the defendant’s lack of substantial capacity to either appreciate the nature and consequences of the conduct or that the conduct was wrong. The prosecution would likely easily argue that “the robot in my head did it” is not a recognizable mental disease or defect. As such, the defense would be unable to meet the preponderance of evidence standard. On the other hand, a good psychiatrist expert witness should argue that Doc is no different from a person suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly known as multiple personality disorder, because of the presence of the AI taking control of his mind, body, and wreaking havoc.

It is worth noting that a successful insanity plea typically leads to commitment to a mental institution which could last longer than a guilty sentence if he’s unsuccessful or unable to show that 2021 Peter Parker has cured him of the mental illness by repairing the inhibitor chip. It is plausible that a cured Doc may prefer to introduce evidence of his accident as a mitigating factor to receive a lower sentence instead of an affirmative defense that could cause commitment. A cured Doc does present an unusual case because defendants rarely present evidence that although mentally ill at the time of the crime, they are now cured at the time of the prosecution and should thus be found not guilty and released.

In conclusion, I am not confident that New York’s insanity defense would be the right tool to exonerate Doc. There may be a better argument that the elements of the crime can not be met because the tentacles committed the crimes, and Doc was no different from an onlooker. While J. Jonas may mockingly call this the “‘Robots made me do it’ defense,” with the right lawyer and the amazing Spider-Man as a witness, the man just might go home free.