Cheryl wrote: I don't think Avon was sent to Cygnus Alpha for any crime other than an
attempt to defraud the Federation's banking system...<
I agree. In Space Fall Vila only mentions the bank fraud, not the dead visa seller. The Ultra also only mention the fraud. This leads me to believe that Avon was only convicted for the fraud, not for the killing (which, a capable lawyer could argue, was in self defence as the visa seller shot first).
Possibly the authorities a) didn't regard the killing of the visa seller as bad as the fraud, and decided to prosecute Avon only for the "graver" crime; b) were actually grateful to Avon for ridding them of the visa seller, thus sparing them the costs for a trial; c) didn't even know that Avon had killed the visa seller.
Anna didn't know where Avon was to meet the visa seller, or she could have directed the hounds straight to that place to pick Avon up. As Avon was only caught some time later - he was at least a week in hiding and we don't know how long on the run after that - it is possible that he never was connected with the killed visa seller. Or maybe the seller's body was never found. Or the authorities had already convicted someone else for the deed and thus couldn't prosecute Avon for it without having to admit their error.
Marian
Marian said:
I agree. In Space Fall Vila only mentions the bank fraud, not the dead
visa
seller. The Ultra also only mention the fraud. This leads me to believe that Avon was only convicted for the fraud, not for the killing (which, a capable lawyer could argue, was in self defence as the visa seller shot first).
If the Federation is like the United States, though, any death occurring the course of a felony is subject to prosecution as felony murder, even if the felon did not premeditate the death--or even cause it directly.
Possibly the authorities a) didn't regard the killing of the visa seller as bad as the fraud, and decided to prosecute Avon only for the "graver" crime; b) were actually grateful to Avon for ridding them of the visa seller,
thus
sparing them the costs for a trial; c) didn't even know that Avon had killed the visa seller.
I say c) is the most likely.
It's also quite possible that Avon lied to impress Del Grant--it would probably have been to Avon's advantage in Cynus Alpha to tell Jenna that of course he could kill someone, he's done it already.
-(Y)
Dana wrote:
It's also quite possible that Avon lied to impress Del Grant--
I really can't see Avon as feeling the need to impress Del "we have things to settle" Grant.
it would probably have been to Avon's advantage in Cynus Alpha to tell Jenna that of course he could kill someone, he's done it already.
Avon never struck me as the type to lay his cards on the table - keep 'em guessing - was more his style :-)
===== Cheryl. (My favourite 'Blake's 7' moment) What a fiasco! We could take over the ship you said, if I did my bit. Well, I did my bit, and what happened? Your 'troops' bumble around looking for someone to surrender to, and when they've succeeded, You, follow suit! (Avon to Blake. "Spacefall")
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Marian de Haan wrote:
Anna didn't know where Avon was to meet the visa seller, or she could have directed the hounds straight to that place to pick Avon up.
Unless, of course, *that's* what she meant by "I let you go."
-
Betty Ragan -
Cheryl _ -
Dana Shilling -
Marian de Haan