Kalistan

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Bookmaker Chief Julian Levinson Acquitted in Sulari
Found guilty on one charge of falsifying records, Ordered to pay Fine
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
March 25, 5693


Bookmaker Julian Levinson, long thought to be link between Undzer Shtik and Bookmakers Association, acquitted on most charges

Julian Levinson, who was a senior Associate in the Sulari Bookmakers' Association, has been acquitted of his most serious charges in Sulari, marking the first major setback for the Sulari Special Investigations Division's wide ranging prosecution of corruption and organized crime in Sulari. Last week, a jury returned not guilty verdicts on more than 35 counts ranging from bet fixing in Sulari sporting events from 5671-5690, racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the Empire, and attempting to flee justice. He was found guilty on a single of falsifying records, a charge which is considered a non violent offense and for which he was sentenced to pay a punitive fine of ₭15,000 Imperial Rubles.

Levinson's defense team successfully argued that implication in these crimes is not evidence of commission of them, and much of the states evidence against Mr. Levinson failed to convince the jury of his involvement in any of the crimes. Levinson fired his original lawyer for failure to adequately represent him in pretrial motions and retained a team of lawyers led by Sulari's Talia Richardson, who went into trial and very fiercely defended her client's innocence.

"What the State has is evidence that a crime has been committed," she said in her closing remarks. "The State has not demonstrated conclusively that they have evidence that my client, Mr. Levinson, actually committed these crimes that they have been prosecuting him for for all these months. Instead we have demonstrated that signatures do not match, we have demonstrated that he was not in town during many of the alleged events, and from there, we were able to cast doubt on much of the rest of the case against Mr. Levinson, who is innocent, and remains innocent of everything, except a single instance where he misfiled a bank record for one of the operations under his management. One instance in twenty years? I would say he is more like an exemplary businessman than a criminal. And today, the jury vindicated his name and cleared him of all intentional wrongdoing. There is an impartial justice system in Kalistan, and Mr. Levinson's case has demonstrated that without question."

When asked by reporters how it felt to be cleared, Levinson himself said "Well, how do you think it feels? I had to sit in a prison cell while my friend Jacob and his poor wife were gunned down in the street in Sulari. I can finally mourn him as a free man. I can also still be happy to have my freedom returned to me." Asked if he would appeal the fine for the records charge, he said "No, I won't be asking for an appeal. Fact is, I did misrepresent how much my place had taken in. That is a hit against my reputation- money is money, but I suppose among those who trusted me, even if I win on appeal, it just means nobody will ever make bets with me again. So. I screwed that up, and like all law abiding citizens, I will take the ding. Its costly, but I earned the penalty."

When he was asked what he would do now that he was free, he answered that he will likely retire from bookmaking. "I had a good run. I was, in my time, the most successful gambler in Kalistan. I can't get into a poker game now. So, it is what it is. I do just want to say, I bear no ill will against those who locked me into a cell like an animal, or the City Government. I recognize the Chazerim were just doing their work. But I do have forgiveness in my heart, and say 'L'chaim' to them. Zoln eyere lebns zayn lang."

Levinson was specifically ordered by the Judge who tried his case and administered his sentence that he would serve supervised probation for a year along with the fine, and was forbidden from leaving the country. "They also told me that I could be called as a witness in future trials, and I should remain prepared to testify if called," said Levinson. "Obviously though, I cannot testify about something I do not know about. So we'll see what sorts of things they ask about."

@TheRepublic