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

Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Closing Date of the Chen Kaiwen Case

Today is the closing statement day in the Chen Kaiwen case.

Given the high level of public attention the case received, the court made an exception and allowed the trial to be streamed online. At the same time, millions of people across the United States were watching the trial on various devices.

Sean sat on the sofa in the living room, with a live feed of the courtroom displayed on his laptop screen.

In the bottom right corner of the screen was a small window, which was a video link with the Philadelphia campaign office.

Matthew and George Kelly's faces appeared in that small window.

"Mr. Pan, the live broadcast has started." Matthew's voice came from the speaker.

"I saw it." Sean stared at the screen. "Mr. Kelly, what do you think today will be like?"

Kelly's old face occupied most of the small window. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Closing arguments are the last chance for both sides. The prosecution will reiterate the points that were detrimental to us yesterday, such as the two fully loaded magazines. The defense, on the other hand, will try to draw the jury's sympathy to the limit."

"The final outcome depends on the hearts of the twelve people on the jury."

Meanwhile, in Courtroom 5 of the Newark Federal Court.

"Fellow jurors," Prosecutor Erin McCarthy began her closing statement as she stood before the jury box, "you have heard a great deal of testimony and evidence over the past few days. Now, I will help you sort through the core of this information."

"On January 26, 2024, the defendant, Chen Kaiwen, carried a fully loaded Glock 19 pistol and a spare magazine that was also fully loaded with bullets to participate in a protest at the entrance of the 76ers' training center."

"This is not an ordinary citizen carrying a weapon for self-defense. This is someone who came prepared."

McCarthy walked to the evidence table, picked up a transparent evidence bag containing the two magazines.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please look here. Two magazines, each holding 15 rounds. A total of 30 rounds. The defendant is carrying 30 rounds of ammunition to a peaceful protest. What does he intend to do with these 30 rounds?"

"The defense tells you that the defendant acted impulsively after hearing racist remarks. But my question is: would someone acting on impulse prepare two fully loaded magazines beforehand?"

McCarthy's gaze swept over each juror.

"The defense also brought in a psychology expert to tell you what kind of post-traumatic stress reaction the defendant had. But please note that this expert was hired by the defense. His so-called diagnosis was nothing more than finding excuses for the defendant's behavior."

"The facts are simple: the defendant, Kevin Chen, fired a shot at an unarmed man in a public place. He nearly killed Mr. Morey. This was not impulsive, this was not self-defense, this was premeditated attack."

"I urge my esteemed jurors to make the correct judgment based on the facts and evidence, and to find the defendant guilty."

McCarthy then took his seat.

In Sean's apartment, on his computer screen, Kelly shook her head in a small window.

"The prosecution is playing it safe," his voice came through the video link. "The issue with those two magazines is indeed difficult to explain."

Although he was not a law student, he still made a judgment based on his own experience.

"What do you think David and Vincent will do?" Matthew asked curiously.

"No rush, let's watch for now." Sean chose to calmly stare at the screen.

-

In court, it was the defense's turn to make closing arguments.

David Lin stood up and walked to the jury box.

"Fellow jurors," his voice was calm and firm, "the prosecutor just asked a question: What was the defendant planning to do by bringing two magazines to the protest?"

"I'll tell you the answer: he doesn't intend to do anything."

David Lin took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and held it up.

"This is New Jersey's 2023 hate crime statistics report. The report shows that hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased by 140 percent over the past three years. In Philadelphia and the New Jersey area, this number is even higher."

"Kevin Chen is a young Chinese American who grew up in Philadelphia. He witnessed violence against Asian Americans firsthand and was himself a victim of racial discrimination. In this environment, he obtained a gun license and carries a weapon to protect himself. This is permitted under New Jersey law."

"Yes, he carried two magazines. But that doesn't prove he intended to harm anyone. It only proves that he—"

"He was very scared."

David Lin approached the jury box.

"Now, I'd like you to imagine a scene."

"You are a minority. You have been humiliated with all sorts of hurtful words since you were a child. You study hard, work hard, and try hard to integrate into this society. But no matter how hard you try, there are always people reminding you: you are different, you are an outsider, you don't belong here."

"Then one day, you're standing in the middle of a group of people, speaking out for your community. A powerful white man rolls down his car window and yells at you in the face."

"At that moment, all the humiliation, all the anger, all the repression boiled up inside you. You lost your mind. You did something you never thought you would do."

"This is Chen Kaiwen's story."

At this point, David Lin unconsciously paused; this was, in fact, his own story. His unintentional pause, however, allowed his words to linger in the jurors' minds.

"The prosecution says it was premeditated assault. But if Kevin Chen really wanted to kill Morey, given the distance between them and the lethality of the Glock 19, Morey wouldn't be sitting here in court today testifying," he continued. "The fact is, Kevin Chen fired one shot in a fit of extreme emotion, and that shot only hit Morey in the shoulder. Then he froze. He didn't fire any more shots, he didn't try to run away. He just stood there, waiting for the police to arrest him."

""

"Was this the act of a premeditated killer? No! It was the act of a young man who collapsed under immense pressure."

David Lin turned to the judge's bench.

"Your Honor, jurors, I am not defending Kevin Chen's act of firing the gun. Firing the gun was wrong, without a doubt. But the purpose of the law is not merely punishment, but justice."

"Chen Kaiwen has already paid the price for his actions. He was arrested, detained, his reputation was ruined, and his future was shrouded in shadow. He is willing to take responsibility for his actions."

"But please don't label him as a premeditated murderer. That's not true."

"I urge all jurors to consider all the evidence and circumstances and to render a fair verdict. Thank you."

David Lin returned to his seat at the defense table.

Judge Herris looked at the jury.

"The jury will now withdraw to deliberate. Do not discuss this case with anyone until you have reached a unanimous verdict."

Court adjourned.

The atmosphere in Sean's apartment became somewhat heavy.

"Attorney Lin's arguments were very persuasive," commented Matthew, who is also Asian. "But I wonder if the jury will be convinced."

Kelly paused for a moment before speaking, "The jury deliberations could take hours, or even days. All we can do now is wait. His statement was actually quite good and could resonate with some other minority groups."

"But regardless of the outcome of Kevin Chen's case," he said, looking at Sean on the other end of the video, "Pan, your own case is still pending. Judge Herris will handle your case in two days."

Sean nodded. "I know."

"Son," Kelly's tone became serious, "are you ready to speak in court?"

"Speak up?"

"As the defendant, you have the right to make a final statement after the closing arguments. This is your opportunity to face the jury directly," Kelly said. "Given your public image and the political significance of this case, I suggest you make the most of this opportunity."

Kelly is right; this is an opportunity for hype, but it also carries risks.

"Yes, I'll consider it."

For the first time, Sean felt that the sky could be described as lonely: at that moment, an airplane flew overhead, leaving a white trail in the orange-red sky.

The sounds of the city drifted through the window: it could be car horns, the footsteps of pedestrians, or the rumble of construction somewhere.

Sean, tired from reading the materials, stood by the window, silently observing everything, but his mind was wandering to something completely different.

Two days later, he will be standing in court again.

This time, it was his turn to defend himself.