[ WP ] A court that prosecutes time travelling criminals is once again charging someone for the attempted murder of Adolf Hitler .

The presiding judge of Time Court on the morning of Monday, October 13th in the year of the Eternal Return was the Honorable James Radish. Standing just inside his chambers he could hear the scrape of chairs as the courtroom stood for his presence. With a deep inhale he walked into the courtroom, heading for his seat and glancing at the docket. 
 
 Then he let out the breath. 
 
 `` Judge James Radish presiding.'' There was the scrape of chairs again as everyone sat. At the front of the room were two lawyers. The prosecutor of the case - who Judge Radish recognized as Assistant Juncture Attorney Jeanne Castar - was wearing a neat dress made of liquid seconds. He peered closely at her for a moment, wondering if his problem lay with her clothing or the presiding idea that women's clothing must always seem to be so *tight*. He decided to let it go. 
 
 There was a clearing of throats and a man at the table for the defense stood. `` Your honor, if I may.'' 
 
 Judge Radish waved his hand. 
 
 `` Defense Attorney Carlos Prett, bar number...'' 
 
 Judge Radish let his mind wander to an earlier time, when the cases he had presided over had covered topics he believed in. Now it was all & mdash; 
 
 `` Your honor?'' 
 
 Judge Radish broke from his daydream and looked up. `` I'm sorry, say that last part again.'' 
 
 `` The plea, your honor.'' 
 
 `` Ah. Yes.'' Judge Radish flipped through his file. `` Mister... Joshua Malcolm. Please stand. In the charge of attempted murder over a famous historian how does the defendant plead?'' 
 
 `` Seasonally, your honor,'' Prett answered. 
 
 `` Seasonally?'' 
 
 `` Your honor,'' AJA Castar stood. `` The lawyer for the defense is a famous attorney known for confusing the courts in cases of attempted murder against Hitler. I move to strike that plea entry from the record as it & mdash;'' 
 
 `` Really now,'' Prett interrupted. `` Are you afraid of a time-related plea? Here in the fourth dimension are all of us still so tied to the black and white *guilty* or *not-guilty*? Do n't we live in the Eternal Return? Is time not a circle? Are we not destined to encounter Hitlers in our future, in our past? *The* Hitler, the same we encountered every time?'' 
 
 `` Objection, opposing counsel is trying to use theoretical physics as a defense.'' 
 
 `` Sustained,'' Judge Radish raised his hand. `` Counsel, do you know how many Adolf Hitler cases I've presided over?'' 
 
 `` No, your honor.'' 
 
 `` Young man,'' Judge Radish turned his attention to the defendant. `` Almost every time traveler that comes through this courtroom is trying to kill Adolf Hitler. Why is that? Why does everyone think that no one will have tried it before? More importantly, why do none of you see the solution here?'' 
 
 `` The solution, your honor?'' asked Prett. 
 
 `` You kill his mother,'' Judge Radish rolled his eyes. `` Stop trying to kill the man in the height of his greatness and kill the whole root of the family tree.'' 
 
 He banged his gavel. `` The Eternal Return will hear no defense today. Our lands are not governed by fair trial. Go back to Earth, and the next time you end up here, you will be banished forever to a black hole.'' 
 
 Judge Radish paused. `` But seriously. Go for the mother.''
