Gaius Aemilius Prisca had been terribly bored for the last few months. Being Urban Praetor had been rewarding enough, as it appealed to Prisca's sense of service, but the lack of interesting legal activity had left him somewhat...ambivalent. It wasn't that he required outrageous and ground-breaking court cases be presented to him on a daily basis, it was just that settling petty disputes was starting to make him think that the Romans were some of the most ridiculously litigious people on earth. The number of cases brought to him regarding disputed ownership of livestock was nearing the hundreds.
Regardless, the Praetor Urbanus had continued to work as hard as ever, hoping secretly that eventually he would be given something with some meat to it.

And so, one afternoon his prayers were answered in the form of his short, fat little clerk, Gallus.

The pudgy man had knocked intensely on the door of the Praetor's office, and had barged right in, interrupting Prisca's lunch.
"Sir, sir! The most interesting news! A moment ago the Tribune Succusanus came in here quite winded. He was even mopping his brow with a dirty napkin! Have you ever? An elected official behaving in such a fashion?! Well, I suppose you have, but I haven't. I'm mostly accustomed to a certain level of decorum, though decorum seems to be slightly out of fashion these days...."

"Gallus, do get on with it." Prisca interupted tersely.
"You have a habit of making the simplest thing complex. What did the man say?"

Breathing heavily, the fat man made a disapproving sound that was something like a sigh, and then continued.
"Well, My Lord, It would appear that Manlius Torquatus has attempted to bribe the college of Tribunes to support and maintain his veto on the lex Iulia sumptuaria religiosa."

Prisca put down the piece of fruit abruptly, his eyes widening.
"Torquatus has tried to bribe a fellow tribune? Are the Censors aware?"

"I'm not certain, My Lord." The fat man stumbled on his words for a moment. "The Tribune Succusanus seemed quite incensed. I imagine he'll be going around and telling everyone!"

"Well," Prisca stood up, and came around from behind his desk, placing his arm around the fat clerk's shoulders.
"I think such an action could qualify as criminal activity. Let the Tribune Succunsanus know that if either of the Censors bring criminal charges against Torquatus, I will have no choice but to begin proceedings immediately. Should they fail to do so, I will entertain civil charges, but this is really a matter for the criminal courts." With that being said, Prisca shooed his clerk out of the room, sending him to relay his message to the waiting Tribune.