History Main / DecoyTrial

One way to do this is to engage in a Decoy Trial. You initiate a false charge against a defendant you know to be innocent (whether or not you tell him ahead of time depends on the nature of the problem and the defendant).

You then move forward with the sham trial, observing closely for people who are 'pushing' the case and/or evidence you know to be fake. Or you "arrest" or "convict" the "perpetrator", and watch the real bad guy come out of hiding.

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** Wendy Oldbag in case 3 of the first game goes through this, in order to buy some time. It's played for far fewer laughs in the final case of ''Justice for All''.

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* This happened to the Barry Allen version ofComicBook/ TheFlash at one point when he was put on trial for killing a supervillain. The trial was a decoy on both sides since another villain was manipulating the prosecution while Allen's wife was manipulating the judge.

* This happened to the Barry Allen version of TheFlash at one point when he was put on trial for killing a supervillain. The trial was a decoy on both sides since another villain was manipulating the prosecution while Allen's wife was manipulating the judge.

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[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

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[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Wendy Oldbag in case 3 of the first game goes through this, in order to buy some time. It's played for far fewer laughs in the final case of ''Justice for All''.
** In the final case of ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'' [[spoiler:a variant is used when Lang accuses Franziska von Karma of murdering [=DeMasque=] II so he can get permission to search the crime scene, the office of the actual murderer.]]

* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After several late-occurring events, including [[spoiler:the murder victim's return from the dead, and the Super Star Destroyer ''Lusankya'' escaping from Coruscant]], one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent of the crime the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor. (Though the judge acknowledges Tycho ''might'' still have been an Imperial agent, and took steps in the event that that was the case--which, thankfully, it wasn't.)

* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'': Wendy Oldbag in case 3 of the first game goes through this, in order to buy some time. It's played for far fewer laughs in the final case of ''Justice for All''.
** In the final case of ''Investigations'' [[spoiler:a variant is used when Lang accuses Franziska von Karma of murdering [=DeMasque=] II so he can get permission to search the crime scene, the office of the actual murderer.]]

* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' also had an episode featuring one of these, which was a sting operation they set up to catch a judge who was taking kickbacks to send juvenile offenders to a particular institution ([[KangarooCourt regardless of guilt]]). Stabler impersonated an angry father who offered the bribe, Agent Wong impersonated the defence council (since it was the FBI's jurisdiction) and a friend of the VictimOfTheWeek played the defendant.

* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After several late-occurring events, including [[spoiler:the murder victim's return from the dead, and the Super Star Destroyer ''Lusankya'' escaping from Coruscant]], one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent of the crime the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor. (Though the judge acknowledges he might have still been an Imperial agent.)

[[AC:Comics]]
* This happened to the Barry Allen version of TheFlash at one point when he was put on trial for killing a supervillain. The trial was a decoy on both sides since another villain was manipulating the prosecution while Allen's wife was manipulating the judge.

* ''{{CSI}}'' had an episode where they "investigated" a "crime", in order to draw out the perpetrator of an identical crime. It was called "reverse forensics," and the show went to a fair bit of effort to paint it as extremely controversial, to the point where getting caught doing it could cost those involved their jobs.

* ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' also had an episode featuring one of these, which was a sting operation they set up to catch a judge who was taking kickbacks to send juvenile offenders to a particular institution ([[KangarooCourt regardless of guilt]]). Stabler impersonated an angry father who offered the bribe, Agent Wong impersonated the defence council (since it was the FBI's jurisdiction) and a friend of the VictimOfTheWeek played the defendant.
* In ''{{Dollhouse}}'', Boyd allows and even contributes to the investigation against Victor to see if he raped Sierra, ultimately signaling for him to be brought in. This is done so that the real culprit Hearn, will be confident enough to rape Sierra again, and Boyd can catch him in the act.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': The episode "Defenseless" has a female Ensign in the U.S. Navy killing the Turkish military attache in Washington. To convict the perpetrator, murder charges are brought against the Ensign who actually, unbeknownst to everyone involved in the trial, is a fake identity of a an officer with Naval Intelligence and evidence is by purpose stacked against the ensign to maintain US-Turkish relations. In spite of this, the Ensign's defense counsel Harmon Rabb, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome manages to get her acquitted]]...

* ''Series/LawAndOrder'' also had an episode featuring one of these. '''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'' also had one, which was a sting operation they set up to catch a judge who was taking kickbacks to send juvenile offenders to a particular institution ([[KangarooCourt regardless of guilt]]). Stabler impersonated an angry father who offered the bribe, Agent Wong impersonated the defence council (since it was the FBI's jurisdiction) and a friend of the VictimOfTheWeek played the defendant.

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* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After several late-occurring events, including [[spoiler:the murder victim's return from the dead, and the Super Star Destroyer ''Lusankya'' escaping from Coruscant]], one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent of the crime the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor. (Though he might have still been an Imperial agent.)

* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After several late-occurring events, including [[spoiler:the murder victim's return from the dead, and the Super Star Destroyer ''Lusankya'' escaping from Coruscant]], one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor.
** To be fair, he did say that he only knew that Tycho hadn't committed the crime he was on trial for; he might have still been an Imperial agent.

* ''Series/LawAndOrder'' also had an episode featuring one of these.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': The episode "Defenseless" has a female Ensign in the U.S. Navy killing the Turkish military attache in Washington. To convict the perpetrator, murder charges are brought against the Ensign who actually, unbeknownst to everyone involved in the trial, is a fake identity of a an officer with Naval Intelligence and evidence is by purpose stacked against the ensign to maintain US-Turkish relations. In spite of this, the Ensign's defense counsel Harmon Rabb, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome manages to get her aquitted]]...

* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After he is acquitted, one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor.
** To be fair, he did say that he only knew that Tycho hadn't committed the crime he was on trial for; he might have still been an imperial agent.

* ''AceAttorney'': Wendy Oldbag in case 3 of the first game goes through this, in order to buy some time. It's played for far fewer laughs in the final case of ''Justice for All''.

* This happened to the Barry Allen Flash at one point when he was put on trial for killing a supervillain. The trial was a decoy on both sides since another villain was manipulating the prosecution while Allens wife was manipulating the judge.

* ''CSI'' had an episode where they "investigated" a "crime", in order to draw out the perpetrator of an identical crime. It was called "reverse forensics," and the show went to a fair bit of effort to paint it as extremely controversial, to the point where getting caught doing it could cost those involved their jobs.

* {{Inverted}} in one of the "Sideshow Bob" episodes of ''{{The Simpsons}}'', where Bart and Lisa acted like they were doing this when Bob was on trial in order to force Bob to confess due to his ego.

* One episode of ''[[RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles]]'' had Razak brought up on charges, the trial then being interrupted by an Arachnid attack. The prosecutor was stunned when the commanding general reveals that the trial was a sham concocted by the general and Razak to reveal a security breach.

* Near the end of an episode of ''{{Columbo}}'', Columbo "frames" the perpetrator's son (fake evidence reported, fake witness against him) to get him to confess.

* ''LawAndOrder'' Classic also had an episode featuring one of these.

* One episode of ''Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'' had Razak brought up on charges, the trial then being interrupted by an Arachnid attack. The prosecutor was stunned when the commanding general reveals that the trial was a sham concocted by the general and Razak to reveal a security breach.

<<|CrimeAndPunishmentTropes|>>

* In ''{{Dollhouse}}'', Boyd allows and even contributes to the investigation against Victor to see if he raped Sierra, ultimately signaling for him to be brought in. This is done so that the real culprit Harn, will be confident enough to rape Sierra again, and Boyd can catch him in the act.

** In the final case of ''Investigations'' [[spoiler:a variant is used when Lang accuses Franziska von Karma of murdering DeMasque II so he can get permission to search the crime scene, the office of the actual murderer.]]

* {{Inverted}} in one of the "Sideshow Bob" episodes of ''{{the Simpsons}}'', where Bart and Lisa acted like they were doing this when Bob was on trial in order to force Bob to confess due to his ego.
** Variant when Homer and Bart (inadverdently) framed Groundskeeper Willie for carjacking. The guilt trip is piled high at his sham trial, until Bart and Homer confess to losing the car to a scammer. Turns out everyone else was in on the sham trial. Well, almost everyone.
--> '''Groundskeeper Willie:''' WILLIE WASN'T!!!

* Possible example: In {{Dollhouse}}, Boyd allows and even contributes to the investigation against Victor to see if he raped Sierra, ultimately signaling for him to be brought in. This is done so that the real culprit Harn, will be confident enough to rape Sierra again, and Boyd can catch him in the act.
* Another possible example: The gauntlet in ''{{Saw}} 3'' is revealed to be [[spoiler:Amanda's test, to see whether he is willing to forgive and release victims who passed their tests]].
* Near the end of an episode of ''{{Columbo}}'', Columbo "frames" the perpetrator's son (fake evidence reported, fake witness against him) to get him to confess.
* In ''[[XWingSeries The Krytos Trap]]'', Rogue Squadron member Tycho Celchu is on trial for treason and murder. After he is acquitted, one of the judges (who is also the leader of New Republic Intelligence) reveals to the other judges that he knew Tycho was innocent the entire time and the trial was really a sham to flush out the ''real'' traitor.
**To be fair, he did say that he only knew that Tycho hadn't committed the crime he was on trial for; he might have still been an imperial agent.