When news of Marcella Walker’s trial was being moved from Washoe County to Clark County; many right wing pundits celebrated. Many of the more hardcore members of the Republican Party started commenting; few stating “It’s about time we put these animals in their place”. Most of the comments being the tradition hate filled screed as to what they either don’t comprehend or like outright. Unfortunately for them and for the more progressive and moderate, a bitter legal fight brewed over what was amounting to federal over reach. This over reach was found to have come all the way from Washington D.C and the incoming administration. While this was a new administration; it was mostly being run by the previous individuals that had no love for Animalians during the 2017 to 2021 presidency.
While most would not think to bat an eye at this, news of a domestic terrorism charge being tacked onto Marcella Walker reach the various news cycles, this forced several unlikely people and organizations to come to the teenager turned Elephant Animalian’s aid. None was more surprising than Sylvia Rattleton, one of the first snake animalians to slap the federal prosecutor with an injunction, filed on behalf of her client, Horizon Labs. Their defense being as a victim of Marcella’s crime they felt that a federal charge that could result in a death penalty conviction was a course they could not support, as Nevada still supported and carried out execution for capital crimes. Horizon labs was all for the Four Punishment system that worked to rehabilitation; not the oppressive incarceration that several were seeking
While the government did put up a defense that the charges were necessary as Marcella’s actions did cause what Washington viewed as a breach of national security interests. Acquiring a sample of the animalian virus with the intent to spread it. Horizon argued that it was a sample containing a specific genetic material and not the unaltered strain that was accidently released several years ago. Therefore a mass outbreak would only cause human to become animalian, rendering mundane animals safe from exposure. Horizon also maintained that since the incident regarding Heather Wilcox, they have maintained a high level of security that even many foreign agents who have interest in the virus, have so far found little success in acquiring. While this was a laudable talking point, the politician’s putting pressure on the state of Nevada to go forward was still unrelenting.
However, just when all was bleak for those that are clearly against what amounts to the Republican war on Animalia and Horizon Labs, a gift was handed to them on a silver platter. That gift was a cache of emails sent to several global news agencies. These emails detailed a planned attack to discredit Animalia and strip their rights given to them from various supreme court rulings during the prior admirations. The authors, coming from and obscure PAC that only came into existence during the election. It had the addresses of several prominent senators and congressmen still actively serving in Washington D.C. They chose to accelerate their plans once the Marcella Walker incident happened. This revelation, clearly an embarrassment, force the republican congressional speaker to issue a statement, stating they do not support the actions of the politicians involved and that it does not tolerate using the department of Justice to go heavy handed on a child. Most naturally called out the party of their obvious hypocrisy and vowed to investigate and prosecute those involved. But what ensured that Marcella would not be charged with domestic terrorism was the President of the United States himself issuing a press conference also denouncing the members of his party for their actions. All who viewed the president speaking could clearly see his discomfort and out right disdain for having to address the nation, but it was clear he was only doing this to save his own skin and shutdown any possible impeachment hearing so soon in his second term. Rumors swirled that the president had intimate knowledge of this plot, but without proof; all it was, was just rumors.
While the trial would still proceed in Clark County Nevada, Alexandria "Sandy" Lynx was able to ensure she would be the prosecutor of record, curtesy of the Nevada Governor; not the thirty something male fresh out of law school that had political aspirations. This was a huge sigh of relief for Marcella Walker and her public defender, but it still didn’t change the fact that she did commit theft over a thousand, assaulted a fellow student and destroyed private property with a fight and have a good portion of the event live streamed over the internet.
While the worst may be behind a rightfully terrified teenage girl, she still had a difficult road ahead. Her attorney was unsuccessful in keeping the trial in juvenile court. Even Sandy was unable to keep the proceedings there. Marcella was looking at serious time, but at least it wasn’t a life sentence or worse. She was still waiting on what her options would be; what deal she would be given to spare herself and her family of an arduous trial, having to repeat a grade and take her schooling via remote learning. Marcella wondered if this would be one of her punishments on top of having to repay the damages she incurred. The young elephant Animalian did shudder at the thought at having to dance at a strip club if that was her only prospect at a paying back the venue that held her high school prom as well as other fines; however her lawyer assured her that whatever punishments she would have to endure, they would be far easier to handle then spending her entire life behind bars.