Shortly after returning to Portugal, Alves Reis was arrested on charges of fraud and embezzlement. According to the bylaws of the Bank of Portugal, the only entity that could take legal action against counterfeiters was the Bank of Portugal. It seemed that Alves Reis had taken the old idiom about life and lemons to heart. Alves Reis in the courtroomGiven that Alves Reis had confessed to his crimes, the only task that remained for the defense was to try to minimize the severity of the punishment. The case, which would come to be known as the ‘Portugal Bank Note Affair,’ was one of the most costly and complex trials in English legal history.