The infamous case that occurred 15 years ago in the district courthouse itself.
(Contributed in part by Maarten)

Date:  December 28th, 2001
Defense Attorney:  Robert Hammond
Prosecutor:  Unknown
Defendant:  Yanni Yogi
Victim:  Gregory Edgeworth
COD:  Shot in the chest
MW:  Yanni's pistol.
Guilty:  Manfred von Karma



On  December 28th, 2001, Miles Edgeworth went with his father, Gregory Edgeworth, to the courthouse. Gregory Edgeworth had a trial against Manfred von Karma, a veteran prosecutor who hadn't lost a case in his long career.  During the course of the trial Gregory managed to prove that Karma had tampered with evidence, giving him his first penalty in court.  It nearly cost him the case, but Karma still won and Gregory's client was found guilty.

After the proceedings, Gregory, Miles, and a court bailiff named Yanni Yogi left court and entered an elevator.  Almost immediately afterwards there was an earthquake and the building lost power.  The three remained trapped in the elevator for several hours with little oxygen.  Yanni began to panic, and an argument broke out between him and Gregory.  During the struggle that ensued Yanni's pistol came loose from his belt.   Desperate to stop their fighting, young Miles took the gun and threw it at the pair.  It fired once, and all three in the elevator finally lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Karma had been standing just outside the door, and was (amazingly!) struck by the errant bullet in his right shoulder.  He gave an incredible scream, which would haunt Miles Edgeworth for years later.

The power then came on, and the elevator doors finally opened.  Inside, Gregory, Miles, and Yanni were all unconscious, and lying next to them was Yanni's pistol.  Already furious with Gregory for his failed reputation and under the shock of having just been shot, Karma snatched up the gun and shot Gregory in the heart, killing him instantly.  He then left the scene.

Karma would spend the next six months "on vacation."  In order to hide his crime he refused to have the bullet removed from his shoulder, in fear that any doctor could later become a witness against him.

During that time, the police investigated the murder, without finding any trace of the first bullet fired from Yanni's gun.  But the second was a perfect match to Yanni's weapon, and he was charged with the murder.  Even that, however, wasn't enough to convict him, and so the police turned to spiritualist Misty Fey (mother to Mia and Maya Fey).  She summoned the ghost of Gregory Edgeworth to testify as to the events.

Whether or not Gregory really understood how he had died that afternoon, he was quick to place the blame on Yanni.  Through Misty, he claimed that Yanni shot him during their struggle.  Miles testified to the same.  But Yanni's lawyer, Robert Hammond (employed by the Grossberg & Co. Law Offices at the time) coerced his client into pleading temporary insanity.  By placing the blame on panic and oxygen deprivation Yanni was able to earn an acquittal and was set free.

 The verdict benefited no one.  Having admitted to being "insane" Yanni's life was ruined, and during the course of the trial and afterwards his fiancé, Polly, grew intensely depressed and eventually committed suicide.  Heartbroken and bitter, Yanni disappeared from the public eye and was not seen for many years.

At the same time, Grossberg was quickly put under pressure by renowned "information gatherer" Redd White of Bluecorp.  In exchange for a hefty reward, Grossberg was convinced to divulge the details of the case his employee had tried.  Redd than immediately sold the information to the press.  The news that the police had used a spirit medium in their investigation and still lost became spectacular gossip, and the police searched desperately for whoever had released it.  Redd returned to Grossberg, insisting that if Grossberg didn't pay him, he would disclose to the police just where the leak in information occurred.  Grossberg had no choice but to submit to the blackmail.

Misty Fey's reputation as a spiritualist was ruined.  Because the testimony she had "summoned" from Gregory Edgeworth failed to hold up in court, she was considered a fraud and a fake.  She left Kurain village in shame and has not been seen since.

Karma returned from his "vacation" half a year after the incident, still unsatisfied with his revenge against the Edgeworth family.  He took in the now orphaned Miles, choosing to raise him as a prosecutor, so that he would one day be able to bestow even greater vengeance on him.