* * * * *
Jurors Unanimously Vote to Deny Life to Synthetic Kind
The Portis Standard
Thursday, April 22nd, 2046
CAPITAL CITY – Jurors on Wednesday returned a verdict of not-guilty in The State vs. Sophie Carter, thus closing a case questioning what it means to be human.
The twelve person jury returned the unanimous decision following three days of deliberation. The decision acquits Sophie Carter, 73, of Portis of one count of first-degree murder following her destruction of a Creighton Dynamic synthetic owned by Franklin Tosh, 73, also of Portis. Mrs. Carter remains liable for property damages to be determined by a civil suit filed by Mr. Tosh.
The case attracted world attention due to the implications sure to have arisen from a guilty verdict. The defense did not dispute that Sophie Carter shot and destroyed the synthetic in the Deikemper Grocery and Goods store in Portis. Rather, the central question at the case's heart was whether the synthetics created by Creighton Dynamics constituted life, and if so, were such synthetics then entitled to equal protection of law.
It was a debate that taxed the courtroom. Bishops and ministers, engineers and neurologists, civil rights advocates and synthetics themselves were summoned to testify as jurors wrestled with concepts that spanned spheres of theology, society, and governance.
Perhaps most noticeable among those who testified was Victor Creighton, founder of Creighton Dynamics and creator of the first synthetics. Speculation abounded before the trial questioning if Creighton Dynamics would testify that their synthetics deserved to be considered a new form of life with equal rights of law, or if Creighton Dynamics would align themselves with the defense in the argument that synthetics remained items of personal property.
Mr. Creighton spoke on behalf of Mrs. Carter during his testimony. Following the verdict, Mr. Creighton stated that “the natural, and might I say divine, order of all things has been maintained by this unanimous decision. I regret the destruction of Mr. Tosh's synthetic, and Creighton Dynamics respects the strong bonds that often form between our consumer and our products. Yet we are relieved that the court recognized the difference between our products and humanity that protects the sacred nature of life.”
Lead prosecutor Martin Benson promised to appeal the verdict, “Our team will challenge this disappointing decision. We remain convinced that Samantha's heart was no less real however synthetic her blood may have been.”
Legal experts anticipate the case may linger for years in the appeal process, and many suspect the debate to eventually appear before the Supreme Court. Creighton Dynamics has announced that they will cover all legal charges incurred by both the prosecution and defense, as well as reimburse Mrs. Carters for damages for which the civil suit finds Mr. Tosh deserving.
Neither Mrs. Carter nor Mr. Tosh could be reached for comment.
* * * * *
Plastic Tulips Page 7
