The Dark Knight Joker on Trial

[Rockadood]

Just for fun. Please don't flame

If the Joker went to trial after his crime spree. How many different counts would he be sentenced with?

The Judge in TDK had to read out all of the major and minor crimes the mob were involved in, so how would the case against the joker go?

Even including dangerous driving in the Hyams truck!

Court is now in session.

 

[hatebox]

Being the best villain ever....


.... guilty.


Hur hur.

 

[JokerLedger]

The Joker gets no trial.

 

[Schlosser85]

I think it's probably pretty safe to say he would be found mentally unfit to stand trial and went to Arkham Asylum.

 

[Magenta666]

Being the best villain ever....


.... guilty.


Hur hur.

lol

 

[cokebabies]

In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.

 

[Magenta666]

In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.

 

[agentzelda]

His ability to go on trial would depend chiefly on a few things: does he understand what he's done, does he understand why he's going to trial, and is he able to assist an attorney in arguing his case. I'd say yes in all cases unless he simply shuts up and becomes completely uncooperative. However, that doesn't mean he wouldn't end up in Arkham, since his attorney would probably (given the overwhelming evidence against him) use the insanity plea and claim that his client does not appreciate the nature and quality of his acts (i.e. that he is incapable of seeing them as "wrong"). Numerous expert witnesses would be called by defence and prosecution. A large part of the case might hinge on the lack of identity, especially if the Joker were to claim, to his attorney or a psychiatrist, that he doesn't *know* who he is. That might clinch the insanity verdict.

As for the charge, I'm not sure how American law works in this regard, but in Canada it would probably be a series of trials on various charges, ranging from individual murders, to the string of bank robberies, etc.

Would blowing up the hospital/threatening to blow up the ferries (especially since the National Guard had been called in by then) constitute the sort of act of terrorism that might be tried as a federal offense?

Sorry, I did take this quite seriously.

 

[cokebabies]

That's awesome.

 

[[A]]

Being the best villain ever....
....guilty

*standing ovation*

 

[Rockadood]

Agentzelda, some thought went into that!

I did wonder what would happen when nobody could name the Joker. Can you go on trial as John Doe?

I think the Joker would enjoy going on trial, playing with the witnesses and the prosecution lawyers, so I could imagine him being quite co-operative up to that point.

 

[PyroChamber]

Here's a better question, if he went on trial would they let him keep the make-up on?

 

[Magenta666]

Here's a better question, if he went on trial would they let him keep the make-up on?

no, i think the only reason they kept his makeup on in the interrogation scene is because they needed to be quick to find where dent was etc

 

[BAILY]

Would blowing up the hospital/threatening to blow up the ferries (especially since the National Guard had been called in by then) constitute the sort of act of terrorism that might be tried as a federal offense?

In Canada .. blowing up a hospital would be willfull destruction of property (more commonly know as arson in the Criminal Code) but it's to a 'significant degree' as it was an entire building that was destroyed TOTALLY... with 'possible' casualities (as Dent was unaccounted for )

The bridge/ferry threat can be several charges .. forceable confinement, hostage-taking and COULD also be construded as terrorism ... there's so many little charges that fit under each and EVERY category the Joker is guilty of ... I wouldn't represent him NO MATTER the cost ...

 

[JaD]

He'd probably want to represent himself as well, he's pretty ahead of the curve from what I saw. He'd kill his lawyer if he was appointed one.

 

[[A]]

He'd probably convince everyone he's right (which he is t and end up arranging new try-out's, heh

 

[Doc Samson]

There's no way the Joker would lead the jury to believe that he was at all sane, thus landing him into Arkham time after time where he will inevitably escape time after time, as he has in the comics for years. But it would be invariably entertaining to watch....

 

[agentzelda]

In Canada .. blowing up a hospital would be willfull destruction of property (more commonly know as arson in the Criminal Code) but it's to a 'significant degree' as it was an entire building that was destroyed TOTALLY... with 'possible' casualities (as Dent was unaccounted for )

The bridge/ferry threat can be several charges .. forceable confinement, hostage-taking and COULD also be construded as terrorism ... there's so many little charges that fit under each and EVERY category the Joker is guilty of ... I wouldn't represent him NO MATTER the cost ...

Actually part of the story I'm writing has to do with a lawyer who does, and not a crooked mob lawyer either.

OMG yes, the Canadian charges would be numerous and various and there'd have to be a grand jury investigation just to determine the number of trials.

Apparently, though, in "real life" in the US insanity is tougher to plead than a) Canada, or b) you might think. There's an ongoing story about this guy from Canada who was quite unbalanced, would dance around in the yard with no clothes on and set fires to stuff, and anyway he killed two guys in Canada, then went on the lam and killed a guy in northern New York state, stole his truck and was finally caught trying to run across the Texas border to Mexico on foot. He kept his eyes shut through all proceedings, even being photographed, and said nothing; it's only been very recently he's said enough that he's been able to retain a lawyer, and apparently even at that it could be very tough to win an insanity plea, and it seems the case will go to court, that even as weird as this guy is, it's not enough to declare him unfit to stand trial.

The Joker would probably actually enjoy the trial proceedings. There might be people with a vested interest in ensuring that he keeps his mouth shut though. The interesting think as far as the story TDK sets up is his knowledge that Harvey Dent didn't die in the hospital explosion. I'd still like to know exactly what story Gordon did tell everyone.

 

[agentzelda]

no, i think the only reason they kept his makeup on in the interrogation scene is because they needed to be quick to find where dent was etc

He still had the makeup on quite possibly because he hadn't really been booked yet and yes, since the discovery of Dent's disappearance has to be pretty soon after, there's no time at that point. Before that they're probably trying to find out who he is via prints and dental records so that they'll have a name for the arrest report.

 

[Rasputin911]

Would Gordon cut a deal with him if the Joker didn't reveal the truth about Harvey? But how could Gordon trust him? Maybe Gordon would want Joker declared insane so that no one would believe the Joker if he spilled the beans on Harvey?

Wow...this should be its own movie

The J-man would probably find it hilarious that they had no real name to use for him, so they would have to use his self-proclaimed title.

Of course, this scenario leads to a deeper question: is the Joker actually insane? I'd bet money that he ain't. Crazy, absolutely. Psychopathic, u bet. Twisted, yup. But truly insane, nope.

 

[agentzelda]

He would probably be tried as "John Doe" and would probably further convince the courts of his insanity by insisting on using his monicker.

I've been through this argument at great lengths elsewhere before and actually he is probably not insane in the legal sense unless he genuinely is delusional concerning elements of his identity and the nature of his acts. He is, however, clinically psychopathic, but that has never kept anyone from going the prison route.

Gordon can't say anything because the only reason he knows anything is because of Batman, and he can't give away his collusion with Batman. Probably no one would believe the Joker anyway, and conveniently, he only really knows that the good side of Harvey's coin turned up, Harvey didn't shoot him, and then he sent Harvey on his merry way, while he himself turned his attention to the ferries. The greater concern is actually Ramirez, if she's still alive.

 

[the dmg]

Been a long time since I've seen this.

 

[frakkingoff]

Would Gordon cut a deal with him if the Joker didn't reveal the truth about Harvey? But how could Gordon trust him? Maybe Gordon would want Joker declared insane so that no one would believe the Joker if he spilled the beans on Harvey?

Wow...this should be its own movie

You got it - the ONLY way that Batman can truly clear his name in the third movie is if someone makes way for the truth to come out about the murders - and only the Joker would be both able and willing to do that (in order to screw things up and demoralize the city).

Which is why you need the Joker for Batman 3. Which is why Nolan might not do Batman 3 - because he knows he needs the Joker to finish the story, but doesn't want to do it without Ledger (it's not as simple as just not including the Joker).

 

[u_complete_me]

What I want to know is...WHO got him down so he could even attend court?

 

[TheBatman072]

You got it - the ONLY way that Batman can truly clear his name in the third movie is if someone makes way for the truth to come out about the murders - and only the Joker would be both able and willing to do that (in order to screw things up and demoralize the city).

Which is why you need the Joker for Batman 3. Which is why Nolan might not do Batman 3 - because he knows he needs the Joker to finish the story, but doesn't want to do it without Ledger (it's not as simple as just not including the Joker).

I wish Nolan would at least give us some kind of idea as to whether or not they're going to do a three.

Even if they're CONSIDERING doing a three. Just SOMETHING. ANYTHING.