Since the opening of the New York State Detention Center for Dangerous Mutants, shortly after the passing of the Mutant Registration Act, there had been little media coverage of the “camps” that were springing up around the country. Under pressure from the government, the media spent months portraying mutant crimes and trying to paint a picture of mutants as villains, law breakers, thieves, terrorists, and murders in the minds of the masses. People knew about the camps, but most of the everyday people thought that the mutants who had been placed there deserved what they got.
The mass outbreak at the New York facility changed things. It was exciting, it was a change from the monotony of
Mutants Vandalism: Liberty Attacked! and
Mona Lisa Stolen: Authorities Suspect Mutant Activity. Some of the media continued on in the same vein, by portraying the extreme violence of the attacks by the mutants. Others noticed that not all of the mutants fleeing from the scene of the camps were even adults, and began asking why. Then, someone leaked security footage from cameras in the camps showing some of the horrors mutants endured in the camps.
The gears had begun to move.
Approval ratings dropped for politicians who originally supported the bill. Capital hill was abuzz yet again about mutant rights issues. Congress members were hounded by mutant haters and mutant supporters alike, but this time around there were far fewer lobbyists from the Church of Humanity. Some senators received influential visitors, who were able to convince them to avidly support mutant rights. In some cases, Senators and members of the House of Representatives changed their minds one hundred and eighty degrees from their original views, losing the trust of some of their constituents.
The most important gears, however, were moving in the judicial branch of the government. A case, known as Erickson vs. the State of California had been moving up through the courts, and had finally reached the Supreme Court. The case involved a nineteen year old girl who hadn't realized she was a mutant and had lost control of her rather explosive powers. No one had been hurt, but the girl had been captured by a Stalker robot and imprisoned in the Northern California State Detention Center for Dangerous Mutants. The girl's parents sued the state for violating the 1st section of the 14th amendment and the 4th amendment, by depriving the girl of her liberty without due process of the law and without probable cause. She also had not received a speedy public trial, nor had she even been confronted with the charges against her, in violation of the 6th amendment. The 8th amendment was also involved in the case, as the camp in California, like most of the mutant camps, had used cruel and unusual punishment.
A few months ago, the Supreme Court would not have even considered hearing the Erickson case, but one of the nine justices had mysteriously died of a supposed heart failure on Easter Sunday, and had a closed casket funeral. His replacement was considerably more progressive. Another justice had completely changed his mind about his views on mutants around the same time and had added his voice to the support of mutant rights. The balance of justice had tipped in mutant's favor.
Three weeks after the outbreak from the New York facility, all eyes were watching the Erickson case, listening for the final decision of the Court. The court had decided, by a vote of 6 to 3, that the Mutant Registration Act was unconstitutional, thereby revoking the law. Every screen in Mondragon Labs was tuned in on the evening of the live announcement of the Supreme Court's decision. As soon as the verdict had been read, the Labs erupted into spontaneous cheers.
The next day, a fleet of coach buses pulled up in front of Mondragon Labs, ready to take all the mutant refugees back to their homes at Xavier's Sister School, the Sanctuary, or other various locations around New York City. After months of living in the Labs or struggling to survive in the camps, everyone was glad to finally be going home.
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Okay folks, this is the official end of the plot! All boards, including the long abandoned Mansion and Sanctuary boards are now open for Rping again.
Finish up your plot related threads ASAP.
The next plot will begin in September/ October. For the rest of the summer, you are all free to pursue your own RP ideas, wrap up any loose ends, create your own personal plots, join a faction, or move to Canada.
For information on how to get attribute profile points for this plot,
go here.
