Tokyo Barrister: Start the law firm bankruptcy

Chapter 942 The calm before the storm

Aso's legal team, in a sense, has surrendered. They simply hope the court will take into account the defendant's remorse and give him a lenient sentence.

In the view of a seasoned lawyer like Nishio, there is absolutely no chance of overturning this case.

The Aso case has had a huge impact.

This is not simply a legal case.

The significant impact of the verdict on the public must be taken into account.

The reason Nishio said that the trial of this case was just a formality was because, in his experience, this case was definitely not solely decided by Judge Yamashiro, who was presiding over the case.

The verdict in this case will inevitably have to be discussed and decided by the trial committee of the Tokyo High Court.

The so-called trial committee is a senior judge in the court who discusses difficult cases to ensure that the judgment is on the right track.

There is no room for defense in this case.

Aso's actions constitute illegal fundraising; that's beyond question.

The only possible defense is a lesser charge. For example, some victims' investment amounts might be counted twice, or the amounts from multiple investments might be added together, and so on.

Nishio also commissioned a well-known accounting firm to audit the case materials.

And an audit report favorable to Aso was produced.

The amount involved in the case can at least be reduced.

Such a defense is conventional and should be acceptable to both the prosecutor's office and the court.

The lawyers on the legal team unanimously agreed with this defense strategy.

however--

The only variable is the lawyer Kitahara in front of me.

Nishio and Kitahara were not acquainted. He was also surprised that Aso had hired such a lawyer.

However, after a detailed investigation of Kitahara's records, he discovered that Kitahara had been actively involved in several recent high-profile cases, such as the Yoshizawa Trust case involving Tokyo Central Bank and the Nippon Steel case. It's just that the media often focuses more on the power struggles between the plaintiffs and defendants in these cases, neglecting the courtroom battles.

After realizing Kitahara's unusual behavior, Nishio was naturally afraid that Kitahara would get out of control.

Young people, like newborn calves, are not afraid of tigers.

It's normal to want to make a good impression in court.

But if this ruins the overall situation, then things will be terrible.

Therefore, Nishio specifically came to remind Kitahara.

Faced with this "well-intentioned" reminder, Kitahara simply gave a professional smile and said nothing.

Seeing Kitahara's reaction, Nishio assumed that the young man understood his meaning, and his mood relaxed slightly.

However, unlike Nishio—

Those sitting in the courtroom, including Iwanaga, Imanishi, and Komikado, all knew that the biggest variable in this trial was the lawyer Kitahara!
Inside the courtroom, the sound of people discussing things in hushed tones echoed.

The prosecutors were making final preparations. Their assistants were busy organizing court documents for Prosecutors Takada and Akie. On the legal team's side, Nishio and other senior lawyers were reviewing pre-written legal documents, preparing their legal statements for the upcoming trial.

Those in the gallery were discussing what the upcoming court hearing would be like.

The hushed nature of this discussion inadvertently amplified the pressure on the court.

After a while.

The red light on the access card reader at the hidden door next to the judge's bench is on.

The next second—

The hidden door opened.

A dignified middle-aged woman in a black robe slowly walked out. She wore glasses. Her expression was solemn, yet exuded a gentle intellect. Her demeanor perfectly blended feminine gentleness with the authority of a judge.

This is the judge from the mountain city.

A well-known scholar of constitutional fundamentalism.

The moment the judge appeared—the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

Nine judges emerged from the hidden door.

They slowly walked toward the dock.

The court clerk, standing in the center of the courtroom, then said:
"Judges, take your seats. All rise!"

Inside the courtroom, everyone stood up.

In that instant—the solemnity of the courtroom arose.

That power, that authority to decide freedom and life and death, at that moment, almost suffocated the onlookers.

After the judge took his seat, the court clerk said, "Please sit down."

The judge from the mountain town sat on the bench, flipping through the prosecution's evidence outline.

In Japan, the criminal procedure law follows the so-called "one-complaint-only" approach.

The "one-document prosecution" system means that when the prosecution files a public prosecution, it only submits the indictment to the court. Case files, evidence, and other related documents are not allowed to be transferred to the court. The original intention of this system is to prevent judges from forming a preconceived notion that the defendant is guilty.

However, the trade-off is reduced efficiency in court proceedings, since judges need to review the prosecutor's evidence on-site.

Therefore, when the trial begins, the prosecutor will submit an additional evidence outline to help the judge quickly grasp all the evidence in the case.

However, the evidence in the Aso case is substantial.

Even the most accomplished legal experts need time to grasp the full picture of a case.

The judges from the mountain town and other judges thus began to peruse the materials on the bench, gaining a general understanding of the case files.

The evidence and legal opinions submitted by Aso's legal team were also placed on the judge's table. The judges also reviewed them from time to time and compared them with the prosecution's evidence.

The entire courtroom was unusually quiet.

Everyone could clearly hear the rustling sound of pages turning coming from the judge's bench.

have no idea--

What kind of convictions did the judges on the platform form while reviewing the materials?

It's pre-trial preparation time now.

The judge on the bench is familiarizing himself with the case file.

The court clerk below the stage was checking the lawyers' credentials and adjusting the format of the court transcripts.

The period leading up to the start of the trial is agonizing.

Aso's legal team was naturally terrified.

Some lawyers in the legal team were observing how often the judge picked up their documents. If the judge picked them up and read them, they couldn't help but feel a little pleased. If he only glanced at them for a few seconds and quickly put them down, some lawyers felt dejected.

Prosecutor Takada, on the other hand, remained completely calm and composed.

The case file for the Aso case is over 200 volumes.

Judges who adhere to the principle of using only one indictment are simply not able to familiarize themselves with these 200-plus case files before the trial.

They could only rely on the evidence outline submitted by the prosecutor on site.

Furthermore, Chongqing lacks experience in adjudicating financial crimes.

Even courts that adhere to the principle of using a single indictment can only follow the prosecutor's outline.

Prosecutor Takada believes that this so-called "one-case-per-indictment" system is hypocritical.

On the surface, this places the court in a neutral position.

In reality, they are simply easier to manipulate.

About 20 minutes later.

The judge from the mountain city looked up and said, "Clerk, please have the bailiffs bring the defendant into the courtroom."

(End of this chapter)