Chapter 74: Irrefutable Evidence! |
Since ancient times, replacing a general on the eve of battle and altering orders from morning to night have been massive taboos.
The former applies to the military, while the latter relates to governance.
And inside a courthouse...
Changing testimony right before a trial is an absolute taboo.
"Presiding Judge, regarding the statements made by the witness in court today, Lu Guangjun responded to us with a completely negative attitude on the second of this month."
"Yet now, his stance is entirely different!"
"The witness has completely lost his credibility. We request his recusal from this case!"
Xu De declared.
Changing testimony destroys credibility. This was common sense.
Similarly.
Xu De had refused to back down during cross-examination then, and right now...
Zhang Wei was not about to give up either.
"Presiding Judge, it has been a full fifteen days since the second. The witness had more than enough time to recall the details!"
Zhang Wei immediately looked at Zhang Bingxin and stated loudly, "It is completely normal to clarify a statement before the trial!"
With a fifteen-day gap, suddenly remembering something was indeed inevitable.
But...
The problem was that the information Xu De claimed to have "heard" might be slightly different from what Zhang Wei and Lu Guangjun had in mind.
"Objection!"
"Presiding Judge, contrary to what the defense claims."
"The testimony we recorded on the second does not show that the witness had forgotten the details of the case. On the contrary..."
As he spoke.
Xu De narrowed his eyes, a profound, meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"The evidence was too detailed!"
In the recording from the second, Lu Guangjun's statements were as detailed as they could possibly be. Compared to now, his testimony in court made it seem as if he had suddenly developed senile dementia and forgotten everything.
Therefore...
"It is normal to remember a few details over fifteen days, but..."
"Forgetting ninety percent of the case details over fifteen days—may I ask the public prosecutor, the presiding judge, and the judicial panel..."
"Is this normal?"
Xu De's sharp gaze cut like a blade straight toward Lu Guangjun.
Accepting bribes, covering up the truth, and now committing perjury...
Every single act proved that this man was an absolute scoundrel.
Up on the judge's bench.
The expressions of the three judges shifted.
The opposing counsel's tone clearly showed that he had something to rely on. What he said was likely true, except...
Where was the evidence?
You didn't submit any evidence over the past fifteen days!
Zhang Bingxin immediately asked, "Counsel, do you have any evidence to corroborate your claims?"
"I do!"
Xu De responded without hesitation.
He had evidence?
All of a sudden.
It wasn't just the defense and the judges. Even the public prosecutor beside him was completely stunned.
He had evidence? Why didn't they know about this?
They were supposed to be on the same side; there shouldn't have been any hiding of information.
Moreover, the other party hadn't submitted anything beforehand. Where would they get...
'Wait, that's not right!'
Huang Shi's expression suddenly turned to one of astonishment. As if he had just realized something, he stared at the man in shock.
Sure enough.
In the next second.
Xu De pulled out a videotape.
"Presiding Judge, this videotape records the entire conversation between us and the witness, Lu Guangjun, in a public setting on December second!"
"We request a cross-examination of this evidence in court!"
Cross-examination in court...
These words carried another layer of meaning.
And that was...
"An evidence ambush!"
Zhang Wei's pupils abruptly shrank. He almost jumped out of his seat before his face turned incredibly gloomy.
An evidence ambush...
Damn it! This was a criminal homicide case involving minors, and it concerned two human lives. The details of the case were highly exceptional...
In a trial like this, an opposing lawyer actually dared to pull an evidence ambush!
But the question remained...
What kind of evidence could he have saved until now as his grand finale? To the point where he didn't even mind risking a rejection!
Zhang Wei, Sun Bing, and the others stared fixedly at the raised videotape. Their hands clenched into fists, nails digging deeply into their flesh as their expressions turned dark to the extreme.
"Damn it... just what exactly did Lu Guangjun tell him..."
Compared to their reactions.
The public prosecution's state of mind was exceptionally complicated.
Huang Shi's face was flushed the color of pig liver. He looked at the lawyer beside him who had silently dropped a massive bomb. He wanted to say something, but no words came out.
An evidence ambush?
No, although he had indeed suspected this before the trial... you actually dared to go through with it!
Sure enough, Hu Guang's warning had been entirely correct.
If you took your eyes off this lawyer, he really would pull a crazy stunt out of nowhere.
However, he couldn't bring himself to care too much about it right now. After all, having evidence was better than having none.
"Counsel, was this evidence never submitted during the discovery period?"
On the judge's bench, exactly as expected, the expressions of Zhang Bingxin and the other two judges were somewhat ugly.
Especially the presiding judge, Zhang Bingxin.
The hand he used to grip the gavel tightened slightly.
Xu De's expression didn't change as he said, "Presiding Judge, we originally planned to submit it, but because we couldn't find the original copy, we were forced to give up."
"And now?" Zhang Bingxin asked.
"I found it five minutes before the trial started. I never expected it to be in my briefcase all along."
Xu De sighed, looking extremely regretful.
"Although fifteen days were wasted, fortunately, this videotape finally made it to the courtroom."
"Presiding Judge."
"I request a cross-examination in court!"
As soon as he finished speaking, voices immediately rang out from the defense table.
"Objection!"
Several lawyers spoke up in unison. Their expressions varied, but their words were identical.
"This is an evidence ambush! Counsel is showing contempt for the court and disrupting trial procedures. We request it be rejected!"
Xu De raised his voice by several pitches.
"This evidence concerns the direction of the entire case!"
An evidence ambush would usually be rejected.
But what Xu De wanted to tell them was...
If your ambush is rejected, it is purely because the evidence is insignificant and has no decisive impact on the case. It has nothing to do with the act of ambushing itself!
In other words, as long as the evidence in your hands is massive enough, even if it is a sudden ambush in court...
No matter how dissatisfied people might be.
The judge would still have to pinch his nose and accept it!
What? Forcefully refusing to acknowledge it?
Then the other party would use this evidence to file a second-instance appeal, and the higher court would ruthlessly teach you a lesson!
Therefore...
"Please proceed with the cross-examination," Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin said sharply.
He was a calm person, but across two consecutive cases, his peace of mind had been completely shattered by this man. To make matters worse, he was genuinely being led around by the nose. Naturally, his mood was quite poor at the moment.
But no matter how poor it was, it would not affect the procedure.
Xu De smiled faintly.
He had a broad mind. Internally, he had already forgiven Zhang Bingxin's irritation.
"Please play it in court."
He handed the videotape over to the court clerk. After inspecting it, the clerk went to operate the equipment.
In 2002, the cross-examination process for trial videos was very simple.
It just involved playing the video in front of everyone. It was projected onto a screen in front of the trial area so that all three parties could view it together.
A short while later...
Buzz!
As the projector turned on, everyone's attention was drawn to it, looming in deep thought.
Something that the other party treated as their absolute trump card...
Just what kind of evidence could it be?
Lu Guangjun was breathing anxiously, wracking his brains but unable to figure out what exactly he had let slip.
Just as everyone was staring fixedly at the screen without blinking...
Click!
An image appeared on the screen, accompanied by a voice ringing in their ears.
"Hello, Teacher Lu. We finally meet," a very gentle male voice said.
Judging from the tone, it belonged to Xu De.
The footage was filmed inside the public faculty office of Green Forest 18th Academy. The camera was pointed directly at Lu Guangjun.
As for the viewing angle... it was slightly low, as if it was positioned around a person's waistline.
However, the crowd had no time to dwell on this detail, instead watching with rapt attention.
A short while later, following a shake of the frame, Xu De's face appeared in the camera. He extended his hand, pointing toward the lens, and his voice sounded out.
"Mr. Lu, please do not be nervous. Our video and audio recording equipment is right here..."
Explicitly pointing out the recording equipment and its location...
Zhang Bingxin made a judgment in his heart.
The voice continued.
"This conversation... in any manner... any form... is legal... related to this case... signing a communication exchange contract..."
"Teacher Lu... the outbreak of conflict between both sides is a bit bizarre. We suspect..." In the video, Lu Guangjun shook his head. "I am not too sure about that."
Xu De asked, "Before the incident, the deceased also suffered multiple injuries..."
Lu Guangjun replied again, "I have no impression of that..."
"Then you..."
Inside the Second Courtroom.
The entire scene was incredibly quiet. No one spoke up to interrupt, all of them watching silently.
It was just that, as they continued to watch.
Everyone's brows began to furrow.
This video...
It was far too normal!
Indeed, Xu De had asked questions related to the current trial, but... Lu Guangjun's reactions lacked the highly detailed case information that Xu De had claimed.
On the contrary, he was very dismissive. Throughout the entire video, it was nothing but "I am not sure" and "I do not know."
If that was the case... why did he submit this thing?
Everyone frowned as they watched the video from the afternoon of the second slowly tick by, yet no one voiced any objections to stop it.
Until...
Ring, ring, ring!
A piercing telephone ringtone traveled from the afternoon of the second, passing through the projector, and echoed loudly across the Second Courtroom on the seventeenth.
On the screen.
The Xu De in the video picked up the phone, exchanged a few words, and then looked at Lu Guangjun with an apologetic expression.
"I am sorry, Mr. Lu. An urgent work matter came up."
After this voice rang out.
Xu De slowly stood up.
At this moment, a single thought subconsciously surfaced in everyone's mind, which was...
'Are they leaving?'
Receiving a phone call and having urgent work were indeed signs of departure.
Even the court clerk playing the video subconsciously prepared to stop the playback, but upon looking down, he was instantly stunned.
The videotape...
Still had at least half of its runtime left unplayed!
The court clerk abruptly jerked his head up, continuing to stare at the screen.
And as Xu De stood up.
Everyone from all three parties across the entire Second Courtroom made a shocking discovery. And that was...
The camera did not move!
That is right.
The camera clearly captured the footage of Xu De and Wang Chao leaving the office, but... the viewing angle remained exactly where it had been while recording their conversation earlier!
This was...
A secret recording?
All of a sudden.
Up on the judge's bench, the three judges cast looks of disbelief at the calmly composed Xu De.
Over at the defense table, the seven lawyers wore panicked expressions before turning their heads in unison to look at the witness stand.
As for the witness stand...
He did not move... the camera did not leave...
Lu Guangjun stared at that continuous recording angle, his entire body freezing in place as if his brain had been heavily smashed by an iron hammer.
His face suddenly turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled.
If this video camera had remained in the office the entire time, then he...
Lu Guangjun felt his vision gradually spinning. He breathed rapidly but still felt suffocated.
The court clerk continued playing the recording.
Just as Lu Guangjun had feared.
Not long after, on the projected screen...
The Lu Guangjun in the video suddenly revealed a visible panic on his face. Even through the screen, one could sense exactly how much immense pressure he was enduring internally.
Under such circumstances.
Lu Guangjun suddenly made a move that went beyond everyone's expectations.
He walked to the door, turned his head to check if anyone was around, and accurately glanced back at the security camera in the corner of the office.
Finally, he deliberately turned his back to the security camera, anxiously picking up his cell phone to dial a number.
And precisely because his back was turned to the security camera, Lu Guangjun completely failed to realize...
He was facing perfectly toward the secret camera's lens. Even the trembling of his lips was captured with crystal clarity!
In the next second.
A voice exploded in everyone's ears.
"The deceased's family hired a lawyer. It looks like they want to pursue criminal responsibility. Will you not be able to get the letter of forgiveness now? Lu Guangjun, this is all your fault! Why did you have to go out of your way to tell Xiaoqi that she could not bully her classmates? If you had not said anything..."
Lu Guangjun: "Can you be reasonable for once!?"
"It was Liu Jingqi who forced her to stand on the rooftop, and it was also her who deliberately shook Yang Jiale's legs to scare her, which led to her falling to her death..."
At this moment, the entire Second Courtroom descended into dead silence for a full several dozen seconds.
Several dozen seconds could be considered short, but it could also feel incredibly long.
But at this moment, all three parties collectively felt as though years were passing by in seconds. Everyone's breathing froze as they stared blankly at the video, their brains completely unable to process the situation.
Self-destruction...
Lu Guangjun... had completely self-destructed.
Liu Jingqi's intentional murder, his own acceptance of bribes, collusion to falsify testimonies, and the incitement of conflict...
Gulp.
Up on the judge's bench.
Presiding judge Zhang Bingxin suddenly swallowed hard, his dazed eyes shifting toward the witness stand.
On the witness stand.
Lu Guangjun gasped heavily for air, looking exactly like a drowning man. He stared blankly at the screen. Even though the video had finished playing, he remained completely motionless.
Everyone had lost their voices.
Until...
"Objection! Objection! Objection, objection!"
A sharp, furious roar suddenly swept over overwhelmingly from the defense table.
Zhang Wei and Sun Bing's eyes carried a thick terror. Right now, even their pupils were trembling. They slammed their hands forcefully on the table, using every last ounce of strength in their lives to roar, "Objection!"
"Presiding judge, this is an illegal recording! It is a secret recording! It is an illegal collection of evidence!"
"This has already violated the witness's personal privacy! We apply for it to be dismissed! We apply for a rejection!"
"Illegal evidence must not be admitted!"
"The witness was engaging in unconscious idle chatter! This has no legality, and the privacy of the caller has been severely violated!"
A series of near-roaring voices echoed endlessly.
All seven lawyers had gone mad.
At this moment, the so-called discipline and court order had all been thrown to the back of their minds.
No one had ever expected Xu De to actually pull a move like this on them.
What was this?
Irrefutable evidence!
Once admitted, it would be irrefutable evidence that would instantly nail the defendant to a cross, to the point where a retrial would not even be necessary!
Madman... he was a complete madman!
Zhang Wei slammed the table forcefully and shouted angrily, "Lu Guangjun was lured into this! The collection of evidence was illegal! This piece of evidence is invalid, and we demand a retrial!"
The defense table was incredibly clamorous.
Meanwhile, the prosecution table seemed exceptionally quiet.
"Irrefutable evidence... this is irrefutable evidence!"
A monstrous storm raged within Huang Shi's heart. He was breathing heavily, his eyes widened to the extreme as he stared in disbelief at Xu De, who had held back his words until now.
The other party had actually waited for Lu Guangjun and the others to finish spouting their perjury before smashing this video into their faces...
Insanity.
This was simply far too insane!
Huang Shi had no idea how to describe the man's sheer audacity. His mind was completely filled with the warnings Hu Guang had given him back then.
Right after.
A wave of sheer ecstasy surged in his heart.
This was irrefutable evidence. As long as the cross-examination succeeded...
Legitimate self-defense? Excessive defense?
Any form of defense would be reduced to mere pebbles on a train track. Their only fate would be to be crushed into powder!
This piece of evidence would transform into steel rails, carrying them straight toward the destination of a guilty verdict!
It was just that...
Faced with the overwhelming wave of objections from the defense.
Over at the representative's seat.
Xu De seemed to have suddenly turned into an ostrich. He remained completely silent, refusing to utter even a single word.
'Speak... speak!'
Huang Shi felt extremely anxious in his heart. He could not help but clench his fists, gritting his teeth tightly.
'Speak up! Cross-examine... cross-examine them quickly! Hurry up, why are you not opening your mouth... speak!'
A long while passed.
Not a single movement came from the prosecution's side, almost as if they were tacitly agreeing to the defense's objections.
Looking at Xu De who was acting like a turtle.
Huang Shi's face gradually turned beet red, his fists clenched tight.
He was screaming wildly in his mind.
'Now that you have finished your evidence ambush... hurry up and cross-examine them!'