Chapter 70: Court is in Session! Listing the Crimes! |
"Prosecution, plaintiff, and victim''s legal representative, the trial will begin in twenty minutes."
"Please prepare for the hearing."
A bailiff approached the group, offered a brief reminder, and then fell silent.
Prosecutor Huang Shi paused and gave a slight nod.
"Tsk, the Intermediate Court sure is strict. They actually give advance notice," Xu De remarked from the side, sounding somewhat impressed.
In grassroots courts, you usually only got notified right when it was time to enter.
It was rarely like this, where they provided an early reminder to prevent any delays.
"Is this your first time representing a plaintiff in a criminal case?"
Huang Shi glanced at the overly familiar lawyer beside him, not sensing anything that set the man apart from ordinary lawyers.
"Yes." Xu De nodded.
It really was his first time standing alongside the public prosecution.
In his previous life, although he had built his corporate legal department into a nationwide powerhouse, they had primarily dealt with standard civil or commercial cases. There were hardly any criminal public prosecution cases.
Even when there were, he was on the opposing side.
All things considered, this was likely his first time standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a prosecutor.
As for why he was teaming up with a prosecutor for the first time, how his head was filled with such genius ideas, and why he actually dared to pull this off...
That was none of anyone''s business!
Back to Huang Shi.
Assuming the lawyer''s exclamation was born of nervousness, he casually said, "The advance notice is just a formality.
"The evidence needed for a criminal trial... is generally all presented during the pre-trial evidentiary period. Even if you forget to bring it to court, the presiding judge has a backup. You can just cite it directly."
"If you don''t have any evidence... heh, then this notice is completely useless."
Criminal trials were different from regular trials.
In a civil lawsuit, if a contract was missing, left behind, or lost, it was fine. You could request a short recess for a few dozen minutes.
But not in a criminal court. A recess here lasted for days at a minimum. The trial only cared about the evidence you could present on the spot!
As long as you had submitted the evidence, even if you didn''t actively bring it up in court, the judge would help remind you.
If you didn''t, an impromptu submission was essentially a waste of time. Only evidence submitted during the evidentiary period could be used immediately.
Yet, the evidentiary period ended right before the trial, so this twenty-minute advance notice from the bailiff...
"Does nothing but interrupt. It serves no real reminder purpose."
Huang Shi shook his head, sharing his perspective.
Xu De, however, had a different take. "What if this notice helps someone remember a crucial piece of evidence they hadn''t submitted yet?"
Huang Shi laughed. Looking at the young lawyer before him, he felt the man was simply too inexperienced.
Crossing his legs, he spoke with an air of authority.
"If this were a civil case, that might work. You might just be able to verbally refute the defendant or plaintiff."
"But this is a criminal court."
"No matter what information, perspective, or line of thought you have, you need evidence to back it up!"
"And that evidence must be submitted before the evidentiary period ends. Otherwise, once you are in court, the judge will most likely refuse to admit it, or at the very least, look upon you with displeasure."
Rebuttals in a criminal court required evidence, and that evidence required cross-examination in advance.
There was no way they would give you ample time during the trial for cross-examination. Therefore, a suddenly appearing piece of evidence would struggle to have any impact in a criminal trial.
"Are these two Lawyer Xu''s... colleagues?"
Huang Shi suddenly looked at Lin Yue and Wang Chao standing behind Xu De, a trace of oddity crossing his face.
It wasn''t just him; the other two prosecutors, Zhang Qing and Wang Mang, also found it strange. The reason was...
Lin Yue and Wang Chao were both acting guilty. One had her head lowered so far it seemed she wanted to bury her face in her chest.
The other felt so guilty he didn''t even dare look at the three prosecutors. After one quick glance, he immediately averted his gaze.
What was going on with these two?
"Haha, these two are my partners, as well as my fellow lawyer and assistant."
Xu De laughed it off, drawing the attention back to himself. "This is their first time sitting with prosecutors... it''s inevitable they''d be a bit nervous."
"Prosecutor Huang, once the trial starts..."
"...we will be counting entirely on you!"
Xu De spoke with pointed meaning.
Huang Shi, however, missed the underlying implication and replied casually, "It''s just a trial, nothing to be nervous about. Experience it a few more times, and you''ll naturally grow into it."
Prosecutors Wang Mang and Zhang Qing remained noncommittal.
Though they were also young and here to learn, they were no longer as timid as they had been at the start. Instead, they were gradually molding themselves into true prosecutors!
At that moment.
As the group conversed, the time ticked to exactly 1:25 PM.
The bailiff standing off to the side checked the clock, hesitated no longer, and walked over to the six of them. "Five minutes until the trial begins. The case will be heard in the Second Courtroom."
"Please follow me for early entry."
With that said, the six nodded, stood up, and followed.
The case was assigned to the Second Courtroom.
To be honest, the Second Courtroom was generally smaller than Courtroom One, but the issue was... cases involving minors were often held in closed sessions.
With three underage defendants in this case, the judge would never allow a public hearing, even if beaten to death.
With fewer people allowed inside, there was naturally no need for a massive courtroom, although the Intermediate Court''s Second Courtroom was not exactly small either.
Of course.
Even though the case was closed to the public, meaning reporters and the general public couldn''t enter to watch in person...
As the saying goes, where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below!
They could simply wait in the corridor outside the courtroom doors!
The soundproofing in the Intermediate Court''s courtrooms wasn''t great in this era. It was far from the level of later generations where you had to press your ear to the door just to hear faint vibrations.
As long as you stood by the door and the surroundings were quiet enough... you might not hear every word crystal clear, but you could at least catch the gist of the trial.
And so.
Outside the main doors of the Second Courtroom at the Greenwood City Intermediate People''s Court, a massive crowd was blocking the entrance. Cameras were aimed squarely at the doors, and reporters stood ready with microphones.
"How much longer until the case starts?"
"Soon, soon... I heard the prosecutor this time is Huang Shi. I wonder how he''ll perform..."
"Huang Shi? Prosecutor Huang is a scholarly general. If he has sufficient evidence and no legal restrictions, he''s fine. Even Hu Guang couldn''t beat him on logic. But... the juvenile protection laws will restrict him completely."
The crowd chatted idly by the door, exchanging remarks, until...
Someone suddenly shouted,
"The prosecution is here!"
The crowd instantly fell silent, their spirits rallying as they all looked back.
They saw...
Six figures in black suits, wearing bright red ties and walking with ramrod-straight posture. They strode toward the courtroom without casting a single sideways glance, exuding an intense, overbearing aura.
The crowd hastily parted to make way.
The six walked past the crowd and stepped into the courtroom, completely ignoring the onlookers the entire time.
But the reporters felt a stir in their hearts.
Once the group disappeared inside, they immediately began chattering. "That really was Huang Shi. And Zhang Qing from the Lijia Village case, plus Prosecutor Wang."
"Did I just see another familiar face?"
"I saw him too... Xu De!?"
In a daze, the reporters looked at each other, suddenly filled with doubt.
A few still remembered Xu De''s face. The person who just walked past had identical features to the man in their memories, only...
"Is he... acting as the victim''s legal representative?"
"Must be. Probably going for civil compensation."
With that said, the crowd recalled his unimaginably brilliant performance during the Lijia Village case, and a surge of excitement hit them. They were just about to speak up.
But a second later, the words caught in their throats. They hesitated, swallowed hard, and then fell silent.
Sometimes, cases were just like this.
Even if you were a lawyer who had displayed top-tier abilities—the kind who could argue a murder charge down to an acquittal.
Once you encountered an extreme anomaly, an unshakable law... you would have absolutely no way out either!
And the juvenile protection laws...
were extreme even among extreme laws. They could not be overturned. Even if all eight Magic Circle firms teamed up and formed an elite squad of over a hundred top lawyers, there wasn''t a sliver of hope to win a case by challenging this law.
Outside the courtroom, the crowd sighed deeply.
"Sigh..."
Inside the courtroom.
Tap, tap, tap...
The moment Xu De entered, he was met with a crisp, mint-like coolness. He paused and surveyed the entire Second Courtroom.
Overall, it was quite similar to Courtroom One, though the lack of people made it feel somewhat empty.
Yet, in the dim lighting, the national flags and emblem mounted above the judge''s bench carried an extra hint of solemnity.
Xu De glanced toward the prosecution bench. Without a word, he strode over, his footsteps echoing clearly against the wooden floor.
Tap, tap, tap...
A moment later...
Squeak.
The six of them took their respective seats at the prosecution bench.
He Miao had also arrived, but she sat in the plaintiff''s area, not far from the prosecution. She had no intention of speaking, merely sitting there in silence.
Not long after...
Creak!
The main doors to the courtroom were pushed open again.
Everyone looked up.
The defense team walked toward the trial area in unison.
There were nine of them in total: seven lawyers, and two parents of the defendants. They all took their seats at the defense bench.
Seeing this, Wang Chao clenched his hands tightly and whispered, "Seven lawyers... no wonder Liu Jingqi had the guts to say those things..."
Two gold-medal lawyers, five senior attorneys, all building a defense around juvenile protection laws...
It was literally hard for them to lose even if they tried!
Xu De didn''t care about the lawyers; instead, his gaze shifted to the two middle-aged adults.
These two... were in their fifties. The man was somewhat obese with a beer belly, a face full of fleshy folds, and he looked down his nose at people, his eyes radiating a violent hostility.
The woman wore heavy makeup, had a sturdy build, and looked incredibly greasy.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Huang Shi tilted his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Those two are the parents of one of the defendants, Liu Jingqi. The man is Liu Hao, the woman is Cai Fei. Both are fifty-three."
Parents at fifty-three, a daughter at sixteen...
Xu De narrowed his eyes, thoughtfully absorbing this piece of information before returning his gaze to the defense lawyers.
As it happened, the opposing side was sizing him up as well.
Both sides shared a tacit understanding. Sitting in their respective seats dozens of feet apart, they remained silent, quietly organizing their materials.
Until...
"All rise!"
The clerk''s sudden voice rang clearly in everyone''s ears.
Neither side hesitated, standing up immediately.
The next second...
Whoosh!
The heavy doors to the inner chamber were pushed open, and three figures in judge''s robes appeared before them, wearing stern expressions and resolute gazes.
''An old acquaintance.''
Standing at the prosecution bench, Xu De raised an eyebrow as he looked at Judge Zhang Bingxin.
That was right. Among the three imposing judges, one was none other than Zhang Bingxin, the presiding judge from the Lijia Village case!
For this case, taking into account its gravity and the difficulty of the trial, the court had ultimately decided to let him serve as the presiding judge once again.
The other two were named Lu Guowei and Zhao Hang.
The three took their seats, their expressions calm.
Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over every single person in the room. He paused slightly upon noticing a certain someone, but didn''t stare for long.
"Please be seated," Zhang Bingxin ordered.
Everyone sat down.
Zhang Bingxin checked the time and, without further delay, announced directly, "Defense, prosecution, plaintiff, and civil litigation representatives..."
"Are you prepared for this case?"
At the defense bench, Lawyer Zhang Wei took a deep breath. With a serious expression, he declared, "The defense is prepared."
Zhang Bingxin nodded and turned to the prosecution.
Xu De didn''t rush to speak, instead letting his gaze fall on Huang Shi.
Huang Shi didn''t notice anything amiss. He stood up, nodded, and said, "The prosecution is prepared."
Seeing that he was ready, Xu De finally spoke up. "The civil litigation side and plaintiff are prepared."
Seeing no objections from anyone, Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn. Holding a document in his hands, he began his loud proclamation.
In that moment.
Not only those inside the courtroom, but even the reporters outside pricked up their ears and held their breath to listen.
Zhang Bingxin declared, "In this case, the public prosecution organ, the Greenwood City Municipal People''s Procuratorate, has filed charges accusing the defendants Liu Jingqi, Qiao Wang, and Jiang Yu of causing the death of Yang Jiale, and indirectly causing the death of Zhao Li. The public prosecution was initiated in this court on December 21, 2002."
"In accordance with relevant regulations, the First Criminal Trial Division of the Greenwood City Intermediate People''s Court will conduct this trial."
"In this case, Adjudicator Zhang Bingxin will serve as the Presiding Judge, with the clerk..."
"I now declare, this case..."
Zhang Bingxin paused mid-sentence. His right hand grasped the gavel on the bench and raised it high.
The next second...
Crack!
The crisp sound echoed throughout the entire courtroom, and even the crowd outside could faintly hear it.
"Court is in session!"
As those words fell, an invisible pressure permeated the room, making everyone feel a twinge of nervousness.
"Bring the defendants into the courtroom!"
Zhang Bingxin didn''t hesitate, immediately shouting the command.
The bailiffs had anticipated this. Upon receiving the order, it didn''t take long before three girls in prison uniforms were escorted into the trial room.
Liu Jingqi still wore a look of complete indifference, her eyes darting around as she satisfied her curiosity.
Qiao Wang''s eyes held a trace of fear, while Jiang Yu was forcing herself to remain calm.
Clack!
The three walked to the very center of the trial area, taking their seats at the defendant''s bench, immediately becoming the targets of everyone''s scrutiny.
Zhang Bingxin ignored the three of them, turning instead to look at Huang Shi.
He said in a deep voice, "Prosecutor, please read your indictment."
The indictment... they were entering the accusation phase!
Huang Shi felt an added weight on his shoulders. He had absolutely no idea how to secure a conviction against them, but since things had reached this point...
"Respected Presiding Judge and Judges, I am the public prosecutor, Prosecutor Huang Shi."
"The defendant Liu Jingqi, aged sixteen, born on January 1, 1986, was arrested on November 17, 2002."
"Upon investigation by this procuratorate, it has been determined that the defendants Liu Jingqi, Qiao Wang, and Jiang Yu, due to personal emotional reasons, subjected the victim to long-term bullying."
"On the day of the incident, they forcibly took the deceased in this case, Yang Jiale, to the rooftop of the 18th High School. During this time, they subjected her to personal degradation, physical abuse, and intentional injury..."
Huang Shi stood up, his face grim. Looking at the indictment in his hands, he proclaimed in a deep voice, "Ultimately, this directly led to the death of the victim Yang Jiale, and indirectly caused the death of the victim Zhao Li!"
"Based on the above."
"The main perpetrator of this case, defendant Liu Jingqi, has clearly committed an offense under Article 234 of the Criminal Law: Crime of Intentional Harm."
"Article 293 of the Criminal Law: Crime of Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble; Article 263 of the Criminal Law: Crime of Robbery; and Article 232 of the Criminal Law..."
"Crime of Intentional Homicide!"
Reaching this point, Huang Shi looked up, his eyes solemn. Staring at the judges'' bench, he declared in a heavy voice, "The facts of the defendant''s crimes are clear, and the evidence is reliable and sufficient!"
"This procuratorate institutes a public prosecution in accordance with the law, requesting that the court..."
"Sentence the defendants according to the law!!!"