America: Child stars start with The Shining

Chapter 87 The Premiere of "Oliver Twist" [Please Subscribe, 4/4]

The hearing has officially begun.

The judge first confirmed some basic information about Charles, and then inquired about his age, address, guardianship status, and source of income.

Charles answered each question calmly, responding to each point according to his prepared remarks.

His income comes from film salaries, business collaborations, video revenue sharing, and a portion of the operating profits of his record company.

His account is managed by a trust institution, his daily expenses are budgeted, and his educational arrangements have been submitted to the court.

This is the most basic procedure at the start of the trial. The judge listened while taking notes, and then turned to Trevor to verify everything.

Then, the inquiry process began.

Just then, a representative from the child welfare department quickly stood up.

She was a woman in her forties, wearing a dark gray suit, with a very serious expression.

She began, "Your Honor, we do not deny that Mr. Charles has a stable source of income, nor do we deny that he has demonstrated extraordinary business acumen."

"However, we must emphasize that he is still only eight years old."

She looked at Charles, her tone becoming more forceful.

"An eight-year-old child does not have the capacity to fully understand legal consequences, property risks, and the complexities of social relationships. Just because a child can earn money does not mean that he or she can live independently."

Upon hearing this, the observers in the back row nodded slightly.

This is also the biggest controversy today.

Ciel is too young.

Even if he produces a lot of proof of income, it's hard for everyone to believe that he can really break free from his guardian's control.

Machiko Dai was clearly a little nervous and subconsciously looked at Komikado.

Komekado, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned and appeared quite relaxed.

After the other party finished speaking, he slowly stood up and said, "Your Honor, I completely agree with what the other party just said; there is absolutely nothing wrong with what she said."

The representative from the child welfare department was slightly taken aback.

What's going on?

Why would this guy agree with her? Why isn't he playing by the rules?

Komekado turned around, looked at her, and said, "Just because a child can earn money doesn't mean he can live independently."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "But the problem is, the reverse is also true."

Does an adult who has absolutely no earning power necessarily have the right to guardianship of a child?

The hearing room fell silent for a moment.

Ciel looked at Komikado with an appreciative gaze.

As expected of the lawyer recommended by Reagan's side, he's definitely reliable.

Komikado casually picked up the documents on the table, turned to the judge, and continued in a light tone, "I think, Your Honor, the evidence we've submitted is already very clear..."

"A minor who has already started working, paying taxes, consistently generating business value, and effectively assuming adult responsibilities."

"If society allows him to make movies, allows his image to appear on magazine covers, allows companies to profit from him, and allows television stations to discuss his value..."

""

"Then I think he is qualified to pass the Juvenile Liberation Act."

The reporters in the gallery almost simultaneously lowered their heads, quickly taking notes on what Komekado had just said.

Ciel noticed this and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The scales of victory have, without a doubt, begun to tip in their favor.

The hearing went very smoothly. No matter what difficult questions the child welfare department raised, Komekado responded to them all with ease.

These words seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

As soon as a representative from the child welfare department raised a question, he was able to immediately seize on the loopholes in their words and then counterattack in various ways.

Even Charles couldn't help but be amazed by his response.

In the end, even the representative from the child welfare department began to look rather grim.

She was certainly not unprepared; in fact, she had already reviewed most of the materials submitted by Charles before today.

The problem is, the opposing lawyer is completely unconventional!

How can courtroom questioning be handled so haphazardly!

Moreover, it seems that the judge was quite satisfied with the defense lawyer's arguments.

She couldn't help but sigh and stopped asking questions.

When Trevor saw her sit back down, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest and froze in place.

No one can help him anymore.

Then, the judge lowered his head and wrote a few strokes on the document.

He then announced a ten-minute recess.

This matter is about to come to an end.

As the gavel fell, the reporters all looked excited.

They exchanged glances, clearly eager to write up what had just happened in a news report.

Charles leaned back in his chair and let out a soft breath.

Ten minutes later, the judge returned to the hearing room, and everyone stood up again.

This time, the atmosphere in the hearing room was completely different from before; everyone seemed to have a premonition that the outcome was about to be announced.

After the judge sat down, he first organized the documents, and then slowly began to speak: "This court has reviewed the financial information, educational arrangements, trust management documents, and relevant witness statements submitted by the applicant."

"At the same time, this court also heard the opinions of representatives from the child welfare department, the current guardian, and the applicant himself."

At this moment, Charles also unconsciously became a little nervous.

The judge continued, "The special nature of this case is that, although the applicant, Charles Hamilton, is young, he already possesses stable..."

They have a consistent and verifiable source of income, and their living, educational, and financial arrangements are relatively well-established.

"At the same time, the current guardian has made significant shortcomings in fulfilling their guardianship responsibilities and has engaged in serious misconduct in media incidents."

Trevor lowered his head, his face pale.

The judge paused for a moment, then said, "Therefore, this court holds that maintaining the existing guardianship relationship is not in the best interests of the applicant."

The judge looked up at Charles and said, "This court grants Charles Hamilton's application for the Liberation of Minors Act."

"From today onwards, the applicant gains independent legal status. Their financial accounts continue to be monitored by the trust institution, educational arrangements must be reported to the court regularly, and major commercial contracts still need to be reviewed and filed by legal counsel."

"This case is now closed!"

The gavel fell, and everything finally came to a close!

Boom!

There was a brief moment of silence in the hearing room, followed immediately by a continuous stream of discussions.

The state government observers in the back row exchanged glances, their expressions visibly relaxing.

The result they wanted has finally come.

California's first high-profile case of minor liberation has come to a close in a way that is both beautiful and informative.

Charles sat in his seat, not particularly excited, but simply letting out a soft sigh of relief.

From this moment on, he was finally free from anyone's control.

From this moment on, he finally gained complete freedom.

Everything seemed somewhat unreal.

More than a year has passed since he arrived here. Looking back, he was a child who had been kicked out of Trevor's home and whose future was uncertain.

Although it is still...

But a major issue in Charles's heart was ultimately resolved in this way.

Komekado walked up to him, bent down, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "How about that? I told you so, didn't I? This is a sure-win trial. Congratulations."

Charles glanced at him, finally smiled, and said, "That's right, and also, Attorney Komikado, you're much more reliable than you seem."

Komekado immediately stood up, revealing a somewhat dissatisfied expression, as if he was very unhappy with Ciel's attitude.

Mayuzumi Machiko whispered from the side, "Are you praising him? Let me tell you, this guy has a terrible personality."

"Shut up, Dai!"

Charles couldn't help but laugh, and he too stood up and walked out of the hearing room.

Outside the hearing room, as soon as the courthouse doors opened, reporters poured out like a flood.

Within minutes, the news began to spread rapidly throughout Los Angeles.

Charles wins the case!

California's first high-profile case to liberate a minor has been officially passed!

An eight-year-old Hollywood child star has gained his own independent identity!

This news is destined to be the headline news in all newspapers tomorrow.

Charles naturally didn't care how the news was reported; for him, as long as the matter came to a satisfactory conclusion, that was enough.

From that point on, he and Trevor had absolutely no contact whatsoever.

Sinclair Oil Company could no longer threaten him in this way.

Of course, for him, the biggest benefit of the passage of the Juvenile Liberation Act was that his guardians' various forms of control over him were completely ineffective.

The previously frozen bank cards have finally been unfrozen, saving me a lot of trouble.

In addition, he finally has the status of an independent legal entity, and he will no longer be subject to any restrictions when engaging in any business activities!

For Charles, this made it easier for him to carry out some of his subsequent business plans.

Meanwhile, at the Broadway theater, rehearsals for "Oliver Twist" had also ended.

During this period, Charles has been busy with court proceedings and rehearsals, leaving him somewhat overwhelmed.

Fortunately, this difficult period is finally over.

As he pondered, Charles straightened his clothes.

He glanced at the front of the stage from backstage; by then, some audience members had already taken their seats.

And among them, there must be quite a few people who came specifically for him.

Because today is the day the new version of the musical "Oliver Twist" officially premieres on Broadway!