America 1929: John F. Kennedy, the Great Writer

Thomas Cronin's surrender transformed the entire incident from a "war of public opinion" into a "war of law."

He named the middleman, corroborating the source of the five thousand dollars.

It was the New York Daily News' legal department that transferred the money through a shell company. He also provided phone conversations from the mayor's office, confirming that Dilla had instructed him to "get rid of" the case.

The chain of evidence is now complete.

But the Tammany Association and Hearst did not give up. They deployed the most expensive legal team in New York, attempting to manipulate the proceedings.

The hearing was held in a large conference room in the state capitol building. Although it wasn't a courtroom, the atmosphere was even more tense than in a courtroom.

Reporters crowded the back row, their cameras and microphones pointed at the podium.

Arthur, as a special counsel, sat next to Samuel. Across from him was Robert Stern, the chief lawyer for the New York Daily News.

Stern stood up, straightened his tie, and said in an arrogant yet professional tone:

"Your Honor, members of the Committee. First, we must question the legality of this evidence. Mr. Cronin surrendered under immense psychological pressure and public pressure, not voluntarily. Does this constitute some form of forced confession?"

He turned to Arthur, a hint of mockery in his eyes:

"Mr. Kennedy, in particular, as the author of this series of inflammatory articles and a stakeholder in this case, is now sitting in the investigation seat. Doesn't this violate the principle of recusal? This is a classic case of being both player and referee."

Stern, as expected of a veteran lawyer, immediately grasped the key issue.

Logically, Arthur should indeed avoid it.

A commotion erupted in the press box. Everyone was watching to see how Arthur would respond.

Arthur remained calm. He didn't even look at the documents in his hand.

He recalled the days when he would later wield power on his keyboard, and the endless debates about "procedural justice" versus "substantive justice."

He slowly stood up, placed his hands on the table, and looked at Stern.

"Mr. Stern, you spoke of procedural justice. That's good."

"I also really like procedural justice. For example, when I go to court to sue for defamation, I hope the court will follow the proper procedures, rather than throwing my case in the trash because of a $5000 phone call."

"That's another matter..." Stern tried to interject.

"No, it's the same thing," Arthur interrupted him, his voice rising abruptly.

"You're standing here now, citing legal provisions to demand my recusal, because you're afraid. You're not afraid of me, you're afraid of the truth."

Arthur left his seat and walked to the front of the stage.

"You say I'm inciting public opinion? No, Mr. Stern. I'm just stating the facts. As I wrote in the story, Lenny crushed Curry's hand not because he wanted to be a judge, but because Curry kept hitting him."

"Now, you and your employer are just like that Colley. You use newspapers to spread rumors, use money to bribe judges, and use power to suppress dissent. When you do these things, do you talk about procedural justice?"

"Now, when the truth is about to come out, when the witnesses have come forward, and when the clerk you bribed is confessing, you come to talk to me about the 'principle of recusal'?"

"What you're demanding isn't procedural justice, but a fraudulent process designed solely for your benefit!"

Arthur sneered, his gaze sweeping over all the reporters present:

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's like a robber breaking into your house, stealing your things, and killing your dog. Just as you're about to grab your shotgun to fight back, the robber's lawyer jumps out and says, 'Wait! This shotgun isn't registered! Your counter-attack procedure is illegal!'"

Laugh out loud.

The reporters laughed so hard they were doubled over, and Stern's face turned a deep purplish-red.

Stern shouted, "Objection! That's sophistry! That's a personal attack!"

"This is common sense. The state legislature appointed me as a special advisor, and my mission is to tell everyone how ugly the dealings are behind these so-called legal tricks!"

He turned around and pointed at Stern:

"You can continue playing your legal games, Mr. Stern. You can apply for an extension, you can apply for recusal, you can appeal to the Supreme Court. We have plenty of time."

"But please remember, the public has discerning eyes. Every day you delay, every time you manipulate procedures, your credibility in the public eye will crumble a little."

"Of Mice and Men is still ongoing. George and Lenny's story isn't over yet. Do you want to be the villains in the story? Congratulations, you already are."

After Arthur finished speaking, he sat back down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

There was a deathly silence, followed by thunderous applause.

Samuel Sibyl tapped his gavel, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face:

"Silence! Silence! Although Advisor Kennedy's remarks... well, somewhat emotional, the questions he raised are worth considering. Mr. Stern, regarding the recusal application, this committee rejects it. This is a special administrative investigation, not a judicial trial, and is not subject to this clause."

This hammer blow sealed the deal.

That evening, the headlines were almost entirely about Arthur's metaphor of "robber and shotgun".

The New York Herald went even further, running the headline:

This isn't procedural justice, it's our justice.

Below the report, "Of Mice and Men" has been updated with a new chapter.

In that chapter, George tells Lenny, "Sometimes the world is unreasonable. But if we're going to survive, we have to find a reason for ourselves."

……

Three days later, under immense pressure, the Manhattan County Court announced the reopening of the "JFK v. New York Daily News libel case".

On the same day, the state legislature passed a resolution to formally impeach the clerk involved in the case, Thomas Cronin, and to launch an investigation into the presiding judge, McLaughlin.

This was a complete victory.

Arthur sat in his office, writing a manuscript, while Isabella was organizing documents, her face radiating a long-lost sense of ease.

Arthur lowered his head, looking at the last few chapters of the draft of "Of Mice and Men".

As this first investigation progresses, the book will also come to an end.

Meanwhile, in faraway California, Hearst looked at the newspaper in his hand and finally understood something.

This young man was unlike any opponent he had ever encountered before.

He doesn't understand rules, lacks martial ethics, and doesn't even care about money.

Hearst wearily told his secretary, "Give him the money, settle out of court. Whatever the price, shut him up."

But what Hearst didn't know was that for a time traveler, there are some things that money can't buy.

For example, the thrill of watching the wheels of history roll forward while you sit in the driver's seat.