Hong Kong Film: Night Cop

Chapter 603 The Lawsuit Was Won
After listening to the statements from the Department of Justice's lawyers, the judge struck the gavel, looked at both lawyers, and said, "Both sides have finished their statements. Defendant's lawyer, you previously stated that the defendant acted in self-defense. Please provide evidence to prove that Lin Yueji acted in self-defense."

It's a case from twelve years ago. If there were evidence, the murderer would have been arrested back then, instead of waiting until now.

Everyone in the courtroom turned to Sandy, eager to see how this beautiful lawyer would exonerate Lin Yueji and what evidence she had on hand.

Sandy remained calm, took out a statement and had it handed to the judge. Then she stood up and spoke eloquently: "According to the forensic examination of the murder weapon, there are two fingerprints on it, namely my client, Ms. Lin Yueji, and the deceased, Chen Qiang."

"I can infer from this that Chen Qiang also touched that murder weapon back then, and may even have wanted to use it to kill my client. That's why my client fought back, which falls within the scope of legitimate self-defense."

Upon hearing this, Li Fei, who was sitting below, smiled slightly and thought to himself, "The most accurate explanation of self-defense is whether the first perpetrator had the intent to harm."

Li Fei realized this and understood that there was a chance for Lin Yueji's case to turn around, so he told Sandy how to win the case.

All those previous news reports and public opinions were simply creating momentum for Lin Yueji, letting people in Hong Kong know that Lin Yueji's killing of Chen Qiang was out of desperation.

Under such circumstances, no matter how just the jury is, they will definitely be biased towards Lin Yueji after hearing this.

"You are just quibbling."

The lawyer from the Department of Justice immediately objected, standing up and saying, "There's no video footage of what happened back then, so it proves nothing. It's not even certain whether the deceased, Chen Qiang, took the murder weapon and intended to kill the defendant."

“Attorney Wang, just tell me if there were any of the victim’s fingerprints on the murder weapon,” Sandy said calmly.

"You...you're just making excuses."

Twelve years have passed; how could he know whether Chen Qiang had ever handled a knife?

Seeing the dark look on Attorney Wang's face, Sandy smiled slightly, secretly excited. It seemed like this was a sure win. Li Fei was a bit shameless, but he saw things differently from others and immediately found the loopholes in the case.

"This is evidence."

Sandy corrected Attorney Wang.

After saying that, Sandy turned to the judge and said in a serious tone, "According to the principle of giving the benefit of the doubt to the defendant in Hong Kong law, although we committed murder in the absence of direct evidence, it was still a legitimate act of self-defense."

The principle of "benefit of the doubt to the defendant" in Hong Kong law is an important principle in criminal procedure law, reflecting the concept of presumption of innocence.

This principle requires that, during the trial, if there is any doubt about the defendant's guilt or innocence, a judgment favorable to the defendant should be rendered, that is, the defendant should be presumed innocent.

This principle emphasizes that the prosecution must provide conclusive evidence to prove the defendant's guilt, and if the evidence is insufficient to eliminate reasonable doubt, the defendant should be acquitted.

The principle of "benefit of the doubt to the defendant" originated from the Roman legal tradition and is consistent with the Chinese ancient book "Shangshu" (Book of Documents) which states "when in doubt, the lesser charge should be imposed."

It embodies the concept of human rights protection and judicial balance, aiming to protect the legitimate rights and interests of defendants and ensure judicial fairness.

Sandy's actions left everyone in the courtroom speechless; they never imagined a lawsuit could be conducted in such a way.

The case is from twelve years ago, and the murderer has turned himself in and confessed to the crime.

I thought the murderer would go to jail, but the situation took an unexpected turn.

According to the beautiful lawyer, the murderer was forced to kill because if she hadn't killed that person, she would have been killed by him.

Although this is just speculation, and there is no witness testimony or physical evidence, the fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to two different people.

The beautiful lawyer wasn't wrong; according to her testimony, Lin Yueji's actions constituted legitimate self-defense.

Since the other party cannot prove that Lin Yueji did not act in self-defense, the benefit of the doubt should be awarded to the defendant, which would be very advantageous for Lin Yueji.

Sandy smiled confidently, her little fists clenched tightly inside her wide sleeves, thinking to herself: I've won.

Immediately afterwards, Sandy turned her head and glanced at Li Fei, who was sitting there smiling.

This scoundrel seems to know more about the law than I do. If I ever have any legal questions in the future, I can ask him for advice.

Next, the Department of Justice certainly wouldn't let Sandy win so easily.

They engaged in a war of words, but the scope remained the same: a verbal battle over whether murder was justified in self-defense. By the end of the morning, the audience was left speechless.

It seems like there's a turning point in this case!
fantastic.

This beautiful lawyer, in particular, is incredibly sharp-tongued; she can shut up even the lawyers in the Department of Justice with just a few words.

It seems that if I ever get into trouble in the future, I can hire this beautiful lawyer to handle my case.

Court adjourned.

When lunchtime arrived, the judge did not continue but instead asked everyone to finish their lunch and rest for an hour before continuing.

After an hour's lunch break.

The trial continues.

Sandy was the first to step forward again, and then invited He Lijin and her son to come forward.

Through He Lijin and her son's account, everyone in the courtroom gained a better understanding of Chen Qiang.

This guy is a complete scumbag and a bastard.

It's pretty much the same as what's being reported in the news.

They absolutely deserved to die.

He Lijin and her son also recounted how Lin Yueji had taken care of them over the years, showing that Lin Yueji was not a cruel person and that she felt remorse after committing the murder.

Two hours later, both sides had given their respective accounts, and finally, they made a summary. As for the next verdict, that was a matter for the judge and jury to discuss.

After deliberation by the judge and jury, the judge ultimately delivered his verdict.

"The reason for this case... According to Hong Kong law, the benefit of the doubt rests with the defendant. It is now determined that Lin Yueji acted in self-defense and bears no criminal responsibility. She is innocent and released in court."

As soon as the judge finished speaking, cheers of "Bravo!" echoed throughout the courtroom.

He Lijin and her son were so excited that they hugged each other.

Lin Yueji also burst into tears. She had thought she would go to jail, but she never expected that she was innocent.

"Sister Ji, are you alright?"

After being released, He Lijin went up and hugged Lin Yueji.

"Thank you," Lin Yueji said gratefully.

If it weren't for He Lijin speaking up for her so many good words, she might not have been acquitted so easily.

"Congratulations, Attorney Sandy, you've won a case that seemed impossible to win."

Li Fei walked up to Sandy and extended his hand to congratulate her.

This time, Sandy didn't mock Li Fei. Instead, she shook his hand and then let go, saying, "If it weren't for your guidance, I wouldn't have been able to win."

"What kind of advice?"

At this moment, Liang Xiaorou, who was next to Li Fei, asked curiously.

"I'll tell you when I get back."

Seeing so many people in the courtroom watching them, Li Fei spoke softly.

(End of this chapter)