America: From a Fallen Child Star to the Head of the University of the West

Chapter 68 is on file.

Just two days later.

Philadelphia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court.

This neoclassical building on Market Street is hosting a highly anticipated hearing today.

On the steps leading to the courthouse, reporters were already waiting in ambush. All the camera shutters were naturally set off for the composed young man in a suit—

Sean Penn.

Surrounded by several security personnel and Vincent Carter, Sean made his way through the crowd of reporters, smiling politely at the cameras but remaining silent.

"Mr. Pan, are you confident about today's hearing?"

"Mr. Pan, there are reports that the New Jersey prosecutors are also planning to indict you. What's your opinion on that?"

"Mr. Pan..."

All the questions came rushing in like a tide, only to be left behind just as quickly. No matter how fast the reporters ran, it was all in vain.

……

Courtroom No. 7.

This is a standard federal courtroom, with dark oak trim, high ceilings, and the American flag and Pennsylvania state flag flanking the judge's bench. The gallery was packed, with many people even standing in the aisles.

"Everyone stand up!"

The bailiff announced loudly, and then everyone stood up.

A female judge with a full head of silver hair and a serious expression entered through a side door and took her seat in the judge's bench. Her nameplate read: Margaret O'Brien.

"Please be seated." Judge O'Brien struck the gavel. "This court is now beginning the hearing of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania v. Sean Penn. Case number 2:24-cr-00147."

She opened the file in front of her and continued, "The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether the prosecution has sufficient evidence to bring the defendant to trial. The defendant is charged with: conspiracy to commit fraud, in violation of Title 18, Section 1349 of the United States Code; and conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, Section 1512."

"Defense attorney, please confirm the defendant's identity."

Vincent stood up and replied, "Your Honor, I am Vincent Carter, representing the defendant, Sean Penn. The defendant is present in court, waives his right to have the indictment read, and pleads not guilty to all charges."

"It's on record." Judge O'Brien nodded, then turned his gaze to the prosecution's table. "Prosecutor, please present your case."

As soon as he finished speaking, a male prosecutor in his forties in the prosecution's seat immediately straightened up.

His name is Michael Madison, a senior prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After Pennsylvania Attorney General Harrison fled back to Harrisburg, the entire case was handled by him, the Philadelphia District Attorney, and Assistant Attorney Wilson from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.

His involvement marked the official entry of the entire case into the federal level.

"Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen," Madison straightened his tie and began his opening statement.

"At the heart of this case is an elaborate scam. The Avalon Foundation, a financial institution masquerading as a charitable organization, defrauded at least $200 million through fraudulent investment schemes between 2018 and 2023. Thousands of investors lost everything, many of them retirees and ordinary working families."

"The defendant, Sean Penn, as a public figure in Hollywood, used his fame and influence to endorse the fundraising activities of the Avalon Foundation. We have evidence showing that the defendant not only knew that the foundation's operating model was problematic, but also received a considerable 'endorsement fee' from it."

"Even more serious," Madison's voice rose several octaves, "is that as the investigation gets closer to the truth, a batch of crucial evidence was stolen during transport. We have reason to believe that the defendant is connected to this attack on police officers."

"The prosecution will call witnesses and present physical evidence to prove that the defendant was aware of the Avalon Foundation's fraudulent activities and actively participated in the cover-up. Thank you."

As soon as Madison sat down, a very low murmur arose in the courtroom.

"Silence." Judge O'Brien struck the gavel. "Defense, please present your case."

Vincent walked to the center of the courtroom with unhurried steps.

"Your Honor, the prosecution's statements just now sounded alarming. Conspiracy to commit fraud, obstruction of justice, and even implied involvement in violence against police officers. If I were a juror, I might also think the defendant is a heinous villain."

"But the problem is that the prosecution's statements are full of phrases like 'there is reason to believe' and 'there may be a connection.' This is not evidence; it's speculation. In American courts, speculation cannot lead to a conviction."

"My client, Sean Penn, did make public statements supporting his fundraising campaign, but that is not the same as knowing it was a scam."

"My client is an actor, not a certified public accountant or an SEC investigator. He was invited to an event that appeared glamorous, just like the hundreds of similar events Hollywood hosts every year. You can't call him an accomplice simply because he attended an event that later turned out to be a scam."

"As for the attack on the police," Vincent's tone became even sharper, "the prosecution has, to date, not produced a single piece of direct evidence linking my client to those four masked robbers!"

"In fact, my client was with his assistant on the day of the incident, and he later appeared at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Party of the Transport Workers Union. There are hundreds of witnesses who can corroborate his whereabouts. And Thomas Reynolds, who initially accused my client—of course, his own words before his death also prove that he had almost nothing to do with the whole thing."

"The defense requests the court to dismiss all of the prosecution's charges, as they lack sufficient evidence to warrant a formal trial. Thank you."

Vincent returned to the defense table, and Sean gave him an approving look.

"Prosecutors, call your first witness," Judge O'Brien said.

……

The next two hours were a long and intense tug-of-war over evidence.

The prosecution first subpoenaed an SEC investigator, attempting to use his testimony to prove the Avalon Foundation's fraudulent modus operandi. This investigator detailed how the foundation attracted investment and how it used funds from new investors to pay "returns" to older investors, forming a classic Ponzi scheme.

But under Vincent's cross-examination, the investigator had to admit that their investigation found no evidence that Sean Penn knew these operational details or received any benefit from the proceeds of the fraud.

"So, you mean," Vincent pressed, "that the so-called endorsement fee my client received was actually a one-time speaking fee of $25,000, which he subsequently donated to another certified charity?"

"According to our records, yes," the investigator admitted.

"Thank you, no other questions."

The prosecution's second witness was a handwriting expert. He was asked to analyze the internal document allegedly bearing Sean Penn's signature.

"Expert," Prosecutor Madison asked, "based on your analysis, is the defendant's signature on this document genuine?"

"Frankly, I cannot draw a definitive conclusion," the handwriting expert said, adjusting his glasses. "Because the original document used for comparison has been lost, I can only analyze the copies. Based on the existing samples, some features of the signature differ from the defendant's known handwriting."

"A discrepancy?" Madison frowned. "But you can't rule out the possibility that the defendant himself signed it, can you?"

"I...cannot rule out that possibility. But likewise, I cannot confirm it."

Vincent immediately stood up: "Your Honor, I request the court to note that the prosecution's crucial physical evidence—the original document—no longer exists. Now they can only present an unverified copy and have an expert say, 'I'm not sure.' What kind of evidence is that?"

"Objection valid." Judge O'Brien looked at the prosecution. "Prosecutor, you need to present stronger evidence."

……

At 3 p.m., the hearing entered its most crucial stage.

The prosecution called their key witness: Philadelphia Detective Daniel Brown.

Brown, dressed in his crisp police uniform, walked to the witness stand, raised his right hand to take the oath, and then sat down. His expression was that of a standard police officer, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Detective Brown," Prosecutor Madison began, "please describe to the court the events of the January 15th attack on the armored truck."

Brown cleared his throat: "At approximately 7:17 a.m. that day, a Philadelphia Police Department escort vehicle transporting evidence was ambushed on State Route 13. Four masked attackers, using a heavy pickup truck and two motorcycles, subdued the two officers in the vehicle in less than three minutes and stole a batch of evidence documents related to the Avalon Foundation case."

"How are the two officers?"

"One dead and one seriously injured. Constable James Coleman was pronounced dead yesterday, while Constable Robert Hamilton remains hospitalized."

A sigh rang out in the courtroom.

"Detective Brown," Madison continued, "in your investigation, is the defendant, Sean Penn, considered a suspect?"

Brown's gaze swept over Sean in the dock before he answered:

"In the early stages of the investigation, Mr. Pan was indeed within our scope of concern because the stolen evidence was detrimental to him, and he had a clear motive."

"However," Brown's voice became strained, "after a thorough investigation, we found no direct evidence linking Mr. Pan to the attack."

Madison's face darkened. "But you can't rule out the possibility that he was involved in the planning, can you?"

"Objection!" Vincent stood up without hesitation. "The prosecution is leading the witness to speculate."

"Objection valid," Judge O'Brien said. "Prosecutor, please watch the way you phrased your question."

Madison changed his approach and asked, "Detective Brown, how many suspects did you arrest later?"

"We originally planned to arrest five suspects, but actually arrested four. After investigation, one of them was released, and the remaining suspect is still at large."

Did these three suspects confess to who was behind their scheme?

"No. They remain silent, or only admit to involvement in one robbery but refuse to provide any further information."

"So, how did you identify these suspects?"

Brown's gaze swept over Sean again, this time with a complex mix of emotions in his voice.

"Actually, the initial breakthrough came from Mr. Pan himself. He found some clues at the crime scene that helped us narrow down the scope of our investigation."

Whispers arose from the audience.

Vincent seized the opportunity to stand up and cross-examine the questions.

"Detective Brown, I'd like to confirm a few things. First, did my client cooperate with the police investigation?" He looked at Brown.

"Yes."

"Secondly, did the clues provided by my client directly lead to the suspect's arrest?"

"...You could say that," Brown replied after thinking for a moment.

"Third, throughout the entire investigation, did you find any evidence to prove that my client had any form of contact with the attacker?"

Brown was silent for a few seconds.

"Answer the questions, Detective," Judge O'Brien urged.

"No," Brown finally spoke. "We found no such evidence."

"Thank you. No further questions."

"OK."