In January 1287, two berrovarii testified in court against Ugolino Zovenzoni, whom they had charged with carrying a prohibited knife. The Zovenzoni banking family, whose members frequently held public office, was among the city's most prominent, but this did not seem to faze the podestà's familiares. The judge began by asking the berrovarii a simple factual question: had they discovered a knife on the defendant while patrolling a few days earlier? The officers proceeded to tell their side of the story with the defendant present before them. When they encountered Ugolino on patrol, they called after him to stop and submit to a pat-down. Ugolino, however, “pretended not to hear” and entered the shop of a certain barber instead, “not permitting himself to be searched.” Not to be deterred, the berrovarii followed Ugolino inside and checked him for weapons there. Although they did not find any on his person, they did find a knife in a pail inside the shop.

They therefore arrested Ugolino on the basis of presumption and led him before the podestà's knight. Questioning Ugolino in turn, the judge asked him if the knife found by the berrovarii was in fact his. Ugolino admitted the knife belonged to him, but claimed he had placed it in the barber’s shop for safekeeping before the familia searched him.