A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1502 Let the Bullets Fly for a While! (Please Subscribe!)
Because it was a public trial, and because some people had leaked information beforehand that Choi Kwok-ming would personally defend himself, many reporters were present at the scene today.

Hua Shier: I am one of the people involved.

After the audience finished listening to Hua Shier's reasoned and well-reasoned defense, the room erupted in cheers. Some applauded, some cheered, and the reporters thought to themselves: This defense was brilliant!

The presiding judge shouted, "Silence!" to remind the audience to maintain order in the courtroom, and then looked at the prosecutor:
"Does the prosecutor need a second round of arguments?"

The prosecutor looked gloomy. When he learned that the big star Cui Guoming was the defense lawyer, he and his colleagues laughed at him for overestimating himself. Just before the trial today, he was full of confidence and thought that the trial was a foregone conclusion.

But reality slapped him in the face. What a jerk! A big star like you, why aren't you singing? Why are you taking the lawyer exam? You know the legal statutes better than I do. What's even more outrageous is that you know the professional papers in the forensic field by heart.

He glanced at the densely packed reporters in the gallery and felt that today's trial was a disaster, a huge embarrassment.

Hearing the judge's question, he really wanted to stand up and refute the other party's arguments one by one with great spirit, until the other party had nothing to say, but I really can't do it!
His voice was so low it was almost inaudible:

"unnecessary."

The presiding judge then looked at Hua Shier: "Does the defense counsel have anything to add?"

Hua Shier said with great confidence: "No need."

He has said everything he needed to say. All the evidence is invalid, and he has no motive for the crime. Even if the court does not declare Guo Dapao innocent on the spot, it will not declare him guilty either. There is nothing to worry about.

Moreover, Hua Shier turned his head and glanced at the reporters in the audience; these were the people he had contacted after leaking information.

With all the evidence overturned, and under the scrutiny of the media and the public, this trial will surely be objective and fair.

The presiding judge and the two jurors exchanged their opinions in hushed tones for a period of three minutes, much longer than usual.

In the audience, reporters held their pens above their notebooks, ready to take notes at any moment.

Finally, the presiding judge struck the gavel: "Court is now adjourned. The panel of judges will deliberate."

The entire audience stood up, and the three judges retreated into the deliberation room through a side door.

The bailiff walked up to the defendant's dock and gestured for Guo Dapao to follow him.

Guo Dapao stood up, his legs a little weak, and he had to hold onto the railing to steady himself. This brat finally knew fear. He turned to look at the defense table, his eyes full of tension.

Hua Shier nodded slightly to him without saying anything.

Guo Dapao was taken out of the courtroom.

The previously quiet audience erupted into chaos in the gallery.

Reporters stood up one after another, some running outside to grab phones to send breaking news, while others rushed directly to the defense table.

Before Hua Shier could even tidy up the materials on the table, seven or eight microphones were already shoved in front of him.

"Mr. Cui, are you confident in your defense just now?" This is from Donglin local television station.

"Ming-jai, you're so sharp! Where did you find the forensic literature you cited earlier?" This was a reporter from Hong Kong Island.

"Attorney Cui, as a king of the music scene, why are you personally defending an ordinary butcher?" This was a question posed by a CCTV reporter.

Before Hua Shier could even speak, a barrage of camera flashes went off.

Reporters carrying cameras pushed their way forward, their lenses almost shoving into Hua Shier's face.

Hua Shier calmly put down the materials in his hand, straightened his collar, and the law firm badge on his left breast gleamed under the flashlight.

He smiled slightly and raised his hand to signal the reporters to be quiet.

"Everyone, please don't rush. I'll answer one by one. First, I'll explain why I took the bar exam and took this case. The defendant in this case, Guo Dapao, is my high school classmate. I know his character very well. When my lawyer told me that his case couldn't be overturned, I wanted to try it myself. So I took the bar exam and achieved a pretty good score!"

"But after I finished studying law, my thinking changed. I went from believing in my classmate's character to believing in the law and evidence even more!"

"You ask me if I have confidence?"

His gaze swept over the dozen or so reporters present, his voice steady and powerful:

"Of course I'm confident."

Hua Shier picked up the re-evaluation report from the table and waved it in front of the camera:
"Because today's court hearing has proven one thing: none of the evidence presented by the prosecution to accuse Guo Dapao of murder is tenable."

The reporters' pens were scribbling away.

Another reporter quickly asked, "Attorney Cui, do you think the court will acquit the defendant?"

Hua Shier looked at him and smiled slightly:
“I believe our judges are professionals. They can understand the new forensic report, the fact that there was only pig's blood on the knife, and Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Law: a defendant cannot be convicted based solely on his or her confession.”

The reporters' microphones almost poked Hua Shier's chin:
"Attorney Cui, please say a few words to the camera!"

Hua Shier straightened his tie, straightened his posture, and then faced the camera, saying each word clearly:
"If even irrefutable evidence like the knife only had pig's blood and no human blood can't get the defendant acquitted, then what's the point of having laws?"

The entire room fell silent for a second.

Then the reporters went wild.

"Mr. Cui is right!"

"Could you say a few more words?"

"Attorney Cui, your new album is selling like hotcakes. What are your expectations for this?"

Hua Shier waved his hand, smiled, and took a step back:
"I've said almost everything I need to say, and the deliberations are almost over. I need to go back and prepare. Everyone, please wait for the verdict."

"As for album sales," he winked at the reporter who asked the question, "I'm sorry, this is a courtroom, so please don't ask questions that are irrelevant to this case. But I can answer that question for you: I play music just as a hobby, so sales are irrelevant to me!"

The reporters were in an uproar. The previous album broke all records for Chinese albums, and you're saying it's just a hobby?
It felt like he got away with it!
Album pirate: He's putting on a show, and you don't care? You've already cursed him!

At this moment, the panel of judges, including presiding judge Li Jianguo and jurors Wang Deming and Zhang Shufang, was deliberating.

The case has attracted attention because of Hua Shier, which has indeed put them in a difficult position.

It should be noted that in this era, there was no concept of "presumption of innocence"; the default was "presumption of guilt with leniency." The prosecution's opinion was that since Guo Dapao's behavior was suspicious, although the direct evidence was slightly flawed, his actions and his confession to murder made him worthy of being cleared of suspicion.

According to the conventional practice of leniency for those who are suspected of being guilty, even if the death penalty is not imposed, the sentence should be at least ten years.

But what can we do now?
Hua Twelve overturned all the evidence in front of the media. If, as is customary, the case were to be dismissed based on insufficient evidence, with so many media outlets present today, one can imagine what public opinion would be like.
Wang Deming sighed, "Old Li, the evidence in this case is really weak. There's only pig's blood on the knife, not human blood. How can we convict them?"

Zhang Shufang chimed in, "Besides, Hua Shier's defense statement was full of classical allusions. If he is found guilty, wouldn't it be written as a wrongful conviction?"

Li Jianguo listened to their opinions and nodded; he had already made his decision.

Fifteen minutes later, the side door of the courtroom opened.

The presiding judge and jurors re-entered the courtroom.

The entire audience stood up.

Hua Shier stood before the defense table, his gaze calm. He noticed that the presiding judge was holding several sheets of paper—the judgment.

Guo Dapao was taken back to the defendant's dock by bailiffs. He was so nervous that he was trembling and his lips were white.

The presiding judge struck the gavel:
"Please sit down."

The entire room was filled with silence.

The presiding judge unfolded the verdict and cleared his throat:
"The court is now in session. After deliberation by the panel of judges, the judgment is as follows:"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room. In the audience, reporters' pens hovered in mid-air once more.

"The prosecution charged the defendant Guo Dalei with intentional homicide, and the court found the facts as follows during the trial."

"First, regarding the examination of physical evidence. The knife in question was re-examined, and the conclusion was that 'a large amount of animal blood (pig) was detected, but no human blood was detected.' The original examination only conducted a benzidine test and did not identify the species, so the conclusion was incomplete and could not be used as the basis for a verdict."

"Second, regarding the defendant's confession. His statement in the detention center, 'I'm in here because I killed someone,' is not corroborated by other evidence, and the defendant denied it in court. According to Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Law, 'A defendant cannot be convicted based solely on his confession without other evidence,' this confession cannot be used as the basis for a verdict." "Third, regarding other indirect evidence. The fact that the defendant was present at the riverbank and that the time of death coincided only proves suspicion; however, as the defense attorney stated, other passersby were also present at the same time, failing to form a complete chain of evidence."

He raised his head and spoke, word by word:
"In conclusion, the evidence in this case has significant flaws and cannot prove that the defendant Guo Dalei committed the murder."

"In accordance with Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Law, the judgment is as follows:"

"Defendant Guo Dapao is not guilty."

"Release him immediately in court."

The audience erupted in uproar, while some of the deceased's family members wept and others looked bewildered.

Guo Dapao's lips trembled, and tears silently streamed down his face.

Guo Xiaoxue burst into tears and rushed from the audience to the defendant's seat. The bailiffs did not stop her.

She hugged Guo Dapao tightly, crying her heart out: "Dad! We're home! We're home!"

Guo Dapao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word. He just gripped his daughter's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

Reporters swarmed forward, their cameras pointed at the defendant's dock, the defense's bench, and the butcher standing in the crowd, wiping away tears.

"Mr. Cui! Are you satisfied with the verdict?"

"Mr. Cui, please say a few words!"

Hua Shier did not dodge. He turned around, facing the cameras with a faint smile on his face.

"Satisfied? I wouldn't say I'm satisfied."

The reporters were taken aback.

"I am satisfied that the law has given a fair trial. What I am dissatisfied with is that my client should not have been imprisoned for more than a year in the first place, and the real culprit in this case is still at large!"

"That's all, thank you everyone!" He nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the defendant's seat.

When Guo Dapao saw him coming, he let go of Guo Xiaoxue, grabbed Hua Shier's hand, and cried like a child:
"Guoming. Guoming, me."

Hua Shier patted the back of his hand and laughed:

"Alright, enough with the cannons, if you're a brother, come and chop me up, hmm, be nicer to my daughter!" This phrase was so familiar, I almost blurted it out.

"Your daughter?"

Guo Dapao's face was covered in snot and tears, but he looked completely bewildered: "You mean Mengmeng?"

Hua Shier smiled and looked at Guo Xiaoxue: "Xiaoxue, greet them!"

Guo Xiaoxue rushed over and hugged him: "Dad! Thank you!"

Guo Dapao pointed to his daughter, then to Hua Shier, his face full of question marks!
Hua Shier laughed heartily: "Xiaoxue has already recognized me as her godfather!"

Guo Xiaoxue nodded repeatedly: "My godfather is so good to us, he even treated Grandpa's illness!"

Guo Dapao was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes: "Okay, okay, Xiaoxue, remember this, he's not your godfather, he's your biological father, just like me."

Another reporter came to interview Guo Dapao, and this guy reverted to his true colors, whistling and puffing in front of the camera:

"Let me tell you, if you ever end up in jail and the inmates ask you how you got in, just say you're a serious offender. That works really well."

reporter:
They finally learned how this guy had been detained for over a year despite insufficient evidence.

The sun was shining brightly that day.

Guo Dapao stood at the entrance of the courthouse, took a deep breath, and cried out in his heart, "This is the taste of freedom!"

The reporter who had followed him over blushed instantly when he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't hold it in!"

"What couldn't you hold in?" Guo Dapao was still wondering when he smelled a stench. Damn it!

Hua Shier, who had already boarded the bus and was waiting for Guo Dapao, was laughing so hard his abs hurt. He had let this guy on the bus, but he insisted on breathing in some kind of free air. Did he like the taste?

The next day, major media outlets reported on Guo Dapao's case.

Many of the newspapers prominently featured Hua Twelve's speech from yesterday:

"If even irrefutable evidence cannot secure his acquittal, then what is the point of the law?"

—Attorney Cui Guoming's courtroom testimony stunned the entire audience.

Upon the release of the report, readers and viewers were first amazed by Hua Shier's level of defense and the fact that he could easily score high marks on the bar exam.

However, there are always some conspiracy theorists who use their dark side to apply their views to everyone, so doubts soon arose.

Newspapers have cited numerous examples of defendants being convicted despite insufficient evidence. (I won't give specific examples here; you can search for them yourself if you're interested.)
The article further points out that although the evidence is insufficient and Hua Shier is right, people like Guo Dalei who are acquitted in the first instance and released in court are few and far between.

The normal procedure is that Guo Dalei will remain in custody, and the police will continue their investigation until new evidence is found, or a verdict will be handed down based on the principle of leniency in cases of doubt.

It is clear that Cui Guoming used his influence as a big star and the pressure of public opinion to influence this court trial.

Therefore, it is not fair.

As soon as the article was published, so-called experts jumped out to give interviews, criticizing Hua Shier for doing so, saying that it was irresponsible to ordinary people to release a serious criminal suspected of murder back into society.

Surprisingly, this kind of talk about "a hidden dragon and a phoenix chick, a lynx and a wild beast" has actually been agreed upon by quite a few people.

Condemnations erupted immediately, and public opinion began to turn against Hua Twelve.

The most anxious were Ma Xiao and Yang Baihui. Just as the former was about to use her connections to suppress the matter, Hua Shier stopped her, saying nonchalantly:
"Don't rush, let things play out for a while. The worse they smear me now, the more advantageous it will be for us in the future!"

As negative public opinion fermented, the prosecution surprisingly chose to appeal on the ninth day after the verdict, which was also the last day of the appeal period.

This immediately generated a lot of buzz, and many reporters flocked to Donglin, wanting to interview Hua Shier.

But just then, shocking news broke: the real culprit in Guo Dapao's body-dumping case had turned himself in!

A few days later, the hat-wearing team held a press conference, where the investigators formally apologized to Guo Dapao. His old classmate, Da Zeng, was also on the task force, and he was blushing.

The spokesperson then announced the progress of the case.

The suspect, Liu Tiezhu, surrendered himself a few days ago. The details he provided were completely consistent with the case. The murder weapon he provided and the first crime scene he identified both tested positive for the victim's blood.

This time, the police are 100% certain that Liu Tiezhu is the real culprit.

The appeal turned into a joke, and many media outlets and experts were quickly proven wrong.

As Hua Shier said, the harsher he was criticized and the more fiercely he was scolded before, the stronger the reversal will be when the truth comes out.

The wind direction has completely changed.

Just a few days ago, the newspapers were questioning him about 'using his celebrity status to interfere with the trial,' but now the headlines have changed to:

'The Wrongfully Accused Good Lawyer: A Complete Record of Cui Guoming's Acquittal Defense'

'The real culprit has surrendered! The superstar's lawyer strongly testifies to his friend's innocence, proving the superstar's character; public opinion owes him an apology.'

'Those who criticized Cui Guoming, don't you feel ashamed?'

'I also wish I had a good friend like Cui Guoming!'

Some media outlets have even begun to review the entire case, from the initial public skepticism to the prosecution's appeal, and then to the real culprit's surrender. By analyzing each step, they have concluded that Cui Guoming insisted from the beginning that "insufficient evidence means innocence," which is the true spirit of the rule of law.

Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!