Juniper’s mind raced ahead of his words, already seeing the trap he was laying. Her hand moved unconsciously toward Daniel, fingers grazing his sleeve before she caught herself. The brief contact sent electricity racing up her arm, but his slight nod told her he’d already spotted what she had.

“If I may, Your Honor,” Daniel rose, his height making Roma seem less imposing somehow. “Counsel’s reliance on Juisys is misplaced. That precedent, now two decades old, dealt specifically with direct national security protocols during the infrastructure transition period. The landscape of constitutional jurisprudence has evolved significantly since then, particularly regarding discriminatory impact analysis.” His voice carried that quiet authority that always made Juniper’s chest tighten. “The Court in Juisys was primarily concerned with immediate security protocols.

Given the subsequent stabilization of our infrastructure and the constitutional framework established by the Circuit Courts’ post-Juisys decisions, those concerns have been substantially mitigated. What we’re addressing here is systematic discrimination - a fundamentally different question that deserves distinct constitutional scrutiny. Those affected deserve their day in court under current jurisprudential standards, not outdated precedent.”