At Memorial for DA Finch, Sadness and Pride

A commemoration of District Attorney Carl Finch's life was held yesterday under a clear, blue sky outside of Gotham Police Station 31 in Seabrook, which will be renamed in honor of Finch's contribution to Gotham City.

For generations, the tradition of the Finch family was to commemorate the lives of deceased relatives with an open-casket funeral. But for yesterday's memorial, there was no open casket. Finch's body has never been found since he was last seen in the dock area. The memorial occurred after Finch was declared legally missing and presumed dead after months of wait and worry among his loved ones.

Rachel Dawes, Assistant District Attorney, drew tears from the crowd as she told of her memories of "this one good man." Mourners listened closely as Dawes painted a picture of a man with an old-fashioned sense of service, a quiet indignation at the crime wave battering Gotham, and a steely resolve to restore a sense of security in Gotham and pride in its judicial system.

"I have lost not just a friend, not just a boss, but a symbol of hope," said Dawes. "Hope that the law could be enforced fairly, that nobody, no matter how powerful, is above the law, and that one day, one day, justice would reign on the streets of Gotham. Perhaps Carl will find that justice now, in a better place," continued Dawes.

Dawes reminded the mourners that Finch's decision to actively prosecute top mob officials put his own life in danger. "But Carl did not falter. He did not back down. He put his own life on the line for the good of others. And that, I believe, is the very definition of...a hero." With that, Dawes' composure began to break, and other speakers continued her eulogy.

Gathered were hundreds of judges, lawyers, politicians, and family and friends of Finch. Many of those up for election this year showed up to pay their respects, including Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent. Dent took no questions at the memorial, saying that he was there to pay his respects to his former boss and lend strength to his colleague Rachel Dawes.

The Finch family is an "Old Gotham" family, and can trace their line back to the founding of the city. Previous Finches who have served the public include Aloysius Finch, who served as Deputy Mayor at the turn of the century, and Horatius Finch, who founded Gotham's Department of Power and Electricity in 1912.

Finch was remembered not just as a District Attorney, but as a brother and an uncle. He is survived by his sister Samantha Finch-Fieldston and her daughter Emma.