Chapter 49: The Final Verdict!!! |
How does a judge decide a case? What exactly do they base their rulings on?
To be honest, nearly ninety percent of people believe that judges base their verdicts solely on laws derived from morality, or perhaps under the influence of public opinion. That is correct, but not entirely.
Take a few examples. On the internet, one can frequently come across extreme cases while scrolling, the most common involving bridal dowries, division of marital property, and the handling of extramarital affairs.
Most people find these cases deeply uncomfortable and infuriating, leading them to curse both the court and the judges. But here lies the question.
Setting aside corrupt judges, quite a few of them share absolutely no financial conflict of interest with either party, and their personal values might even completely align with the public! That being the case, why would they risk being blasted by public opinion to hand down a ruling that appears somewhat antisocial?
It is simply because politics, public opinion, morality, and the law—these four pillars of judicial judgment—will sometimes... clash!
"Tricky. Incredibly tricky."
Up on the judicial bench, Zhang Bingxin stared down at the courtroom.
His chest felt as if a cat were scratching at it, leaving him burning with anxiety. The case before them had practically turned into a cactus.
He still had to finish the final steps of the procedure.
"Does the public prosecution have any further objections to express regarding what the aforementioned witness, the victim''s litigation agent, and the defense have stated?"
Over at the public prosecution table, what else could the prosecutors possibly say?
Evidently, nothing.
"Presiding Judge, our side..."
Wang Wei glanced at Hu Guang beside him, his lips twitching. With the trial pushed to this point, the two of them had completely lost their fighting spirit.
The man opposing them did not seem human at all. He resembled an AI robot from a foreign film; no matter the angle, they were thoroughly countered at every turn.
How could anyone win an argument against a robot equipped with a computerized brain?!
"Our side has no objections."
As Wang Wei''s voice faded, he fell silent, his body weighed down by a profound exhaustion creeping from the depths of his marrow.
No objections...
Hearing this stance, an absolute uproar erupted among the audience in the gallery.
There was no other reason; these words carried immense weight in a trial. They signified...
"No objections? Does that mean they surrender? They were argued into submission?!"
"That''s Hu Guang from the Second Prosecution Division of the Municipal Procuratorate! He isn''t even going to struggle?!"
"Come on, what''s left to struggle against? Don''t even talk about Hu Guang himself. Just putting myself in his shoes makes me feel like I can''t breathe. Who would have the strength to struggle..."
"Before you talk about struggling, look at that massive pile of materials the defense threw out?!"
"..."
In the gallery, the previously quiet tiered seating was now filled with people leaning in to whisper, their faces written with utter disbelief. No objections...
The public prosecution had conceded! To think that after the defense laid out a mountain of theories, the other side did not even attempt to haggle and simply threw in the towel!
"My goodness."
Astonishment filled the reporter Zhang Xia''s face. She covered her mouth, looking at her shocked senior colleague, Sister Liu, beside her.
Even outsiders reacted this way. Lin Yue, a true legal expert watching on the scene, along with the top-tier university graduate Wang Chao, were even more shaken.
"This means... we won?!"
Wang Chao held his head in both hands, his eyes wide as he stared at the defense area. Just a moment ago, because of the intense, scorching tug-of-war between both sides, he had been wondering if they should settle for a conservative defense.
Yet in the next second... Xu De had directly unleashed an unanswerable combo.
The tide of battle instantly flipped, leaving all of the public prosecution''s allegations pale and powerless!
Lin Yue was not faring any better.
Her emotions surged violently as her gaze locked onto Xu De''s back. Her mind drifted back to the ''partner law firm'' they had discussed yesterday, her breathing growing slightly shallow.
It seemed this three-person team had spawned a monster with an almost heaven-defying capability!
...
In the courtroom, Zhang Bingxin no longer had the energy to manage the commotion in the gallery.
He took a deep breath and looked toward the plaintiff''s side.
"Does the plaintiff''s side have any further objections regarding this case?"
Li Youcai and Liu Cui shook their heads immediately. They were actually impatient for the verdict to be delivered quickly so they could leave and find their grandson.
As for Chen Wei... Chen Wei was entirely spent.
He slumped in his chair, his very breathing weak. Hearing the judge''s inquiry, a bitter expression surfaced on his face.
Objections? What objections could he possibly have?
Leaving aside that he had none, even if he did... in front of the mountain of evidence and materials the opponent had produced, any objection would appear trivial and insignificant.
What were those materials used for? They could reduce the sentence!
How massive did the reduction have to be to leave someone this powerless? Put it this way, under normal circumstances...
Self-surrender could reduce a sentence by up to forty percent; excessive defense by sixty to eighty percent; a letter of forgiveness by forty percent; a Settlement Agreement by up to fifty percent; special circumstances by fifty percent to a full exemption; and legitimate self-defense meant not guilty...
Looking at these values, Chen Wei felt a wave of despair. Setting everything else aside, just looking at the numerical reductions brought by these arguments, even if a defendant had a health bar thick enough to warrant an immediate execution, stacking them all together would leave the court owing the man two lifetimes!
Therefore...
"Our side..."
"Has no objections. We will defer to the court''s arrangement."
After Chen Wei uttered these words, he seemed to exhaust his last ounce of strength, staring blankly at the ceiling.
With this, the ball was kicked right back to the judicial bench. Everyone''s burning gazes converged entirely on the three figures seated high above.
On the bench.
"The public prosecution and the plaintiff have conceded..." Judge Sun Dong spoke in a low voice, his expression exceptionally grave.
Hearing this, Liu Jianguo also frowned, his mind racing through the calculations. If the plaintiff conceded, then the defendant ought to win.
But the defense''s argument was an acquittal... An acquittal!
This was an acquittal for a clearly established homicide! Across a national population of over a billion, through countless courts, adding up all 365 days of the year, those who dared to hand down such a verdict numbered no more than five!
Why? Because of the rule of law.
If the law encouraged retaliatory actions resulting in death, others would emulate it, whereas society required stability. In other words, the law sought stability, while morality demanded justice!
The moment you used the evidence to heavily promote legitimate self-defense, it would trigger countless homicides and violent brawls afterward, causing societal chaos! Consequently, legitimate self-defense had practically become a sleeping clause that was exceptionally difficult to awaken.
"If all else fails... what about excessive defense?"
Liu Jianguo felt as if he were being roasted on an iron griddle. He knitted his brows and spoke in a low whisper.
"We don''t activate the sleeping clause. We convict him of ''excessive defense,'' but because the defense lawyer submitted the evidence, we can exercise discretion to waive the penalty."
"The defendant Wang Qiang is guilty but exempted from punishment, released on the spot. It''s no different from an acquittal!"
Exemption from criminal punishment? This was indeed the primary choice for most judges facing this kind of dilemma.
Both sides could accept it, and it preserved the deterrent power of the law. But...
"Phew~"
Zhang Bingxin remained silent for a long moment. After a while, he lifted his stern face to look at Liu Jianguo and Sun Dong.
In this particular case... that unknown lawyer had left the court without a single angle to pivot toward excessive defense, the lightest sentencing, or an exemption from punishment!
Unless they threw away all dignity and forced a guilty verdict. The two judges paused slightly, understanding his meaning, their words catching in their throats.
Ultimately... Liu Jianguo fell silent, offering no further words of objection.
With the three opinions unified, their gazes gradually grew resolute. Zhang Bingxin took a deep breath.
His judicial robes filled out against his chest, making his posture appear exceptionally grand. He raised the gavel before him, holding it high.
"Bang!!!"
A crisp, sharp sound echoed through the silent First Courtroom, the strike bouncing off the walls and ringing into everyone''s ears. Looking up, on the judicial bench, the three judges stood up in unison.
"Now delivering the verdict."
Zhang Bingxin looked down at the document in his hands with a solemn expression, resembling a majestic statue. He spoke:
"This court, having conducted a trial in accordance with the law, having heard the evidence and cross-examination from both the prosecution and defense, the courtroom debates, and the final statements, has now concluded its deliberation."
"Upon review, it has been established that..."
"The victim, Li Erniu, initiated an unlawful infringement that was real, urgent, and continuous. The defendant, Wang Qiang, remained consistently in a position of being infringed upon, possessing no intent to actively provoke, retaliate, or engage in a mutual brawl..."
"The defendant, Wang Qiang, engaged in defensive counteraction to protect his own lawful rights and interests as well as those of others. The methods and intensity used did not exceed the boundaries of necessary limits..."
"The public prosecution''s accusation that the defendant''s conduct constitutes ''excessive defense causing intentional injury resulting in death'' lacks clear facts and sufficient evidence, and applies the law incorrectly. This court does not support it..."
"The judgment is hereby rendered as follows."
"Pursuant to Article 20, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law of the People''s Republic of Dongguo..."
"Pursuant to Article 162, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People''s Republic of Dongguo..."
"The defendant, Wang Qiang..."
Reaching this point, Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin paused.
At this exact moment, everyone suppressed their wildly pounding hearts and stared open-eyed at the judicial bench. They even held their breath, terrified that the slightest sound might disrupt the delivery of the verdict.
Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin lifted his head, and two words broke from his lips, his voice thunderous and powerful.
"Not guilty!!!"
Instantly, inside the entire First Courtroom, every single person''s body shattered in unison!