A madman in France? How come he's always at crime scenes!

Chapter 20: Case Closed! Acquitted!

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar, and the audience members couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Li Jun brought down the gavel again to restore order, then turned his gaze to the prosecutor:

"Please provide further supplementary comments from the prosecution."

Zhang Jian was in a bit of a dilemma.

At this point, the prosecution has undoubtedly lost ground.

It's not that the evidence is insufficient; on the contrary, the evidence is very complete.

But the most troublesome part of criminal trials is that it's not just about proving "who caused the result" and then it's over; it's also about proving "why this person should bear criminal responsibility."

Zhang Jian sighed inwardly, but still spoke:

"Your Honor, the prosecutor maintains the charges in the indictment."

The court clerk lowered her head to confirm the court transcript, then turned to look at the judge's bench. The presiding judge was deep in thought, while the lay jurors beside him were also discussing in hushed tones.

In the civil suit seat, Wang Li finally sensed that something was wrong.

She gripped Sun Wei's wrist tightly, with such force that Sun Wei frowned.

"Attorney Sun, what does he mean?"

Sun Wei did not answer immediately, but looked at Wu Liang opposite her.

Wu Liang was leaning back in his chair, his expression calm and composed, and he even took a moment to look up at him.

Sun Wei, however, understood the look in his eyes.

Little girl, you think you can mess with me? You're still too green.

Sun Wei took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her anger.

These kinds of people are the most annoying. They clearly keep every word in court within the bounds of procedure, yet their faces scream, "I did it on purpose."

Wang Li kept pressing for answers.

"Are we going to lose? Is he about to come out? No way! My mother-in-law is dead!"

Sun Wei whispered, "Don't speak. Keep quiet in the courtroom."

"I'm asking you if you're going to lose!"

Sun Wei turned her head and gave her a cold look, then whispered sharply:

"Wang Li! The presiding judge hasn't announced the verdict yet. Making a scene now will only affect the judgment!"

Wang Li's voice abruptly stopped.

The chat room was already buzzing with arguments.

[Does he really want to be innocent?]

[Can a dead person be innocent? I find that hard to accept.]

[Hey you, didn't you hear me? Criminal law isn't for comforting family members.]

Luo Xiaoxiang did not speak again.

Based on his professional judgment, he already had a general idea of ​​the outcome.

Inside the courtroom, Li Jun raised his head.

"Court debate is adjourned."

"The defendant, Zhou Hai, makes his final statement."

When Zhou Hai stood up, his legs were still a little weak.

He looked at the judge's bench, then at the gallery.

His parents sat in the back row, their eyes red, but they dared not utter a sound.

Zhou Hai's lips moved slightly.

"I am so sorry that this happened, I will never forget it in my life."

"But... I really didn't see it."

"I'm not trying to run away, nor am I trying to shirk responsibility. But I really didn't know she was there; I shouldn't be a criminal."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head.

There were no flowery words, nor any cries of injustice.

But it is precisely this kind of plain and simple statement that is most touching.

Li Jun announced a recess for deliberation.

The gavel fell.

During the brief wait, the courtroom felt as if it had been sealed shut, and everyone felt a sense of oppression.

A few minutes later, the panel of judges re-entered the courtroom.

"Everyone stand up."

Everyone stood up.

Zhou Hai only realized what was happening after being reminded by the bailiffs, and hurriedly stood up straight.

Li Jun picked up the judgment.

"The court found that on August 12, 2018, at approximately 6:8 AM, the defendant Zhou Hai was driving a small car... which resulted in the death of the victim Liu Guifang. This court confirms this."

First, confirm the fact of death.

Wang Li's eyes suddenly lit up.

But the next second, Li Jun continued reading:

"Regarding whether the defendant Zhou Hai constitutes the crime of negligent homicide, after investigation..."

"...The existing evidence is insufficient to prove that the defendant Zhou Hai discovered or should have discovered that the victim was in front of the vehicle while driving."

"The prosecution's charge that the defendant's actions were foreseeable under criminal law is not supported by sufficient evidence."

Li Jun's voice was steady.

But every word felt like a weight hitting Wang Li's heart.

"Although the defendant Zhou Hai's actions objectively resulted in Liu Guifang's death, they are not considered a crime in accordance with Article 16 of the Criminal Law."

The verdict is as follows.

"Defendant Zhou Hai, not guilty."

Release immediately.

boom!

Even though no one spoke, everyone felt as if their hearts had exploded.

Zhou Hai froze on the spot.

He seemed not to understand, or perhaps he understood but couldn't believe it.

Zhang Jiajing covered her mouth, almost screaming out loud.

Won.

We really won!

The boss actually managed to turn a case that was being criticized by the entire internet into a not-guilty verdict!

In the back row of the audience, Zhou Hai's mother's legs went weak, and she almost sat back down in her chair, but Zhou Hai's father hurriedly helped her up. The two elderly people dared not cry loudly, and could only lower their heads, their shoulders trembling incessantly.

In the prosecutor's seat, Zhang Jian closed the case file, his expression complex, but he did not lose his composure.

He had anticipated this outcome.

Sun Wei closed her eyes.

Lost.

If the criminal charges are dismissed, the accompanying civil suit will naturally be difficult to uphold in this case. At least the 1.5 million yuan in compensation is now essentially nonexistent in this trial.

Wang Li, however, seemed to have had her soul ripped out.

"Innocent?"

She repeated it to herself.

"Innocent?!"

The next moment, she suddenly turned her head to look at Sun Wei.

"Didn't you say you could win? Didn't you say he was definitely responsible? My mother-in-law is dead! My husband is dead! Are you just going to watch him come out like this?"

Sun Wei's expression changed.

"Wang Li, calm down, there's still a chance for a second trial..."

"What do you mean, 'calm down'?!"

Wang Li suddenly stood up, causing the chair to sway backward with a thud.

The bailiff immediately looked at her.

But she had already taken half a step forward, rushing straight toward the defense table.

"You surnamed Wu! You'll die a horrible death! You helped a murderer get away with it! You're all in cahoots!"

The bailiffs quickly stepped forward and stopped her.

Unable to break free, Wang Li turned her anger towards the judge's bench and shouted at Li Jun:

"And you! By what right did you get acquitted? Wasn't it your mother who died? You people sitting up there, just opening and closing your mouths, you wiped out lives!"

The entire audience suddenly changed color.

Li Jun's face instantly darkened.

"Bailiffs, remove him from the courtroom."

Wu Liang then stood up and spoke in a deep voice to the judge:

"Your Honor, the plaintiff in the incidental civil suit verbally abused the judges in court, disrupted court order, and personally insulted the defense counsel. We request the court to record this in accordance with the law and take appropriate action based on the circumstances."

Wang Li continued to shout and curse loudly, her voice sharp and piercing.

Two bailiffs restrained her from both sides and forcibly removed her from the courtroom.

The moment the door closed, the courtroom finally fell silent again.

Sun Wei remained seated, her expression more than just unpleasant.

This is called despair.

How did I end up with such a terrible teammate?

Even if she had lost, she could have left gracefully, gathered materials, and appealed in the second instance.

As a result, Wang Li's final outburst not only extinguished any sympathy she had online, but also dashed any hopes of a second trial.

Wu Liang walked over from behind the defense table and paused briefly as he passed Sun Wei.

Sun Wei looked up, her eyes blazing.

"Attorney Wu, are you feeling quite pleased with yourself?"

Wu Liang thought about it carefully.

"Not bad, just average."

Sun Wei: "You!"

Zhang Jiajing quickly lowered her head, afraid that she would laugh out loud.

Wu Liang turned around and waved.

"Zhang Jiajing, hand Attorney Sun a business card."

Zhang Jiajing was stunned.

"what?"

"Attorney Sun is quite capable, but she's not very lucky with clients," Wu Liang said with a smile. "If you want to change your work environment in the future, you can contact our Yuanda Law Firm."

Sun Wei's face finally broke down, turning bright red.

"Wu Liang!"

"Yes, I'm here."

Wu Liang answered naturally, and Zhang Jiajing had already handed him her business card.

Sun Wei gritted her teeth and accepted it.

After all, tearing up a business card in court is rather undignified.

……

The Zhou Hai case became a trending topic on social media that very afternoon.

#Parking Garage Run-over Case: Acquitted!

What's even more damaging is that after Wang Li's final verbal abuse in court was transcribed in writing, public opinion completely reversed.

[They even dared to yell at the judge! I can't even imagine what this person is like normally.]

Is it possible that her mother-in-law was sleeping outside because...?

Although Attorney Wu has a sharp tongue, he handled this case brilliantly.

What's the phone number for Yuanda Law Firm? I have a friend there...

Zhang Jiajing felt like she was floating on air as she watched the number of consultation appointments starting to increase in the backend.

"Boss! We've got several more criminal case inquiries!"

Wu Liang lay on the chair, crossing his legs and swinging them back and forth.

Before I could even speak, my phone rang.

Caller ID, Strategy.

Wu Liang answered the call.

"Officer Fang, there's no need for too much congratulations, a few minutes will suffice."

Fang Lue's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone.

"Okay, congratulations, Attorney Wu."

"That's it?"

"That's all."

"...Officer Fang, if you ever visit your father-in-law in the future, please don't bring two bags of Want Want gift packs."

Fang Lue laughed and didn't respond to the comment, quickly lowering his voice.

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I just wanted to let you know there's been a new discovery in the Ni Dayong case."

Upon hearing this, Wu Liang straightened up, his smile fading.

"What was discovered?"

"We re-examined the clues about Jiang Cuilan's abduction eighteen years ago and compared them with the list of abductees from that year."

"This woman seems to be someone of unusual status."