Arjan, please point me to any examples we have of the Wardens executing non-warlock minor talents without cause and without verifying that Black Magic has happened.
Your argument seems predicated on the idea that giving the Wardens access to the Paranet (spoiler alert: They already have access to it; Carlos and Luccio are aware and involved to some extent) will make this not just possible, but apparently inevitable.
Because his personal ethics did not support that. Harry was surprised as well. Nothing would have stopped him as nothing had stopped his earlier and later abuse of power.
And Morgan was considered among the "worst" of the fanatical Wardens. So, the guy seen as the unreasonable boogie-man, the man most likely to, in Dresden's words, lop the heads off baby bunnies if he suspected them of black magic...
... also has strict ethics and a devout adherence to the laws such that he doesn't abuse them.
Kiiiiiiiinda makes you think that maybe, just maybe, that kind of ethics and adherence to the laws is something that's purposefully instilled in the Wardens, doesn't it?
You can put whatever you like in those reports. The wardens are fundamentally understaffed.
What are you basing this on? Someone reads Harry's reports. There is oversight. Harry's position is one of oversight.
They were understaffed because of the war, and then they bounced back to even more numbers than they had before it started.
One would think so. Mark that even if there is a trial there is no defense and the accused is not allowed to understand the trial or say anything. That does not promote trust in the judicial system in any way.
Again: This is for warlocks.
After the Warden has found evidence of Black Magic and had it verified by another person, either another Warden or someone like the Merlin. Both the trials we have seen on the page have this happen explicitly -- the Korean kid has the Merlin examine the victims and soul gaze him. Molly has Carlos independently examine her victims and verify that Black Magic has happened.
You're trying to argue that one Warden can just decide willy-nilly that black magic happened and execute whomever he wants without any repercussions or oversight when what we see of the trials indicates the opposite.
It is notable how easy that is and nobody gets the idea of noticing the white council about it in any way. They do not know about any channel to do that safely.
Yes, there is a fear of the White Council, just like a lot of people have a fear and distrust of the police. That doesn't mean that the Wardens actually are going around and killing whoever they want whenever they want.
They are not. It is just that if one of the wardens decides to kill a minor talent because it suits him or he needs someone to carry the blame or he really thinks he is guilty but does not have the time for consulting others or for whatever reason there is not much people can do about it and no real chance to get a complaint taken seriously unless you know someone.
Does Luccio seem like the type of commander who doesn't care what her troops are doing?
Does Morgan seem like the type of commander that wouldn't follow up to make sure the laws are being enforced properly?
Those are your top two. They're the ones who set the example for the rest of the Wardens. And they're two scrupulous people who adhere to the Laws and their procedures as if they're gospel.
To date, we haven't seen a Warden who would act the way you're suggesting. The closest we have is probably Morgan who, even though he had decided in his own mind that Dresden was guilty, waited until he thought he had proof before taking action.
And not just because he can get away with it. Few people kill just because they can get away with it but there is clearly a culture of killing warlocks in stead of giving them a trial because that is simpler and less time consuming. The warden on the phone when Harry called in proven guilty even thought they did not do hearings anymore.
The Warden on the phone was also young and they were, again, at war. Most Warlocks that are combat-capable just don't come quietly. Yes, there is a culture of killing Warlocks. Again: Killing
Warlocks, which even the most fanatical Wardens define as "People who have actually, provably violated the Laws of Magic because either I found evidence in their victims or they're literally throwing fireballs and trying to kill me at this particular moment."
So, please, point me to a Warden who's killed an innocent minor practitioner just because they suspected, but hadn't proved, Black Magic.
The thing you're taking as a certainty has just plain not been demonstrated as happening in the books.
