10:50.
Both the prosecutor and defendant took their seats, while the journalists responsible for the live broadcast were placed on the outermost circle, with Yang Ruoxi sitting in the listening gallery.
Zhang Cheng led Zhu Hong to sit at the prosecutor's table.
Sitting high above was the panel of clerks and the presiding judge Zhao Yi, who was broad-shouldered, dressed in a judge's robe, with a very serious expression.
Zhang Cheng recognized this judge, who was known to be very rigid in his thinking among judges.
He wasn't afraid.
The information currently favored them, the more rigid the judge, the higher their chances of winning!
Thinking of this.
Zhang Cheng's lips slightly curled into a smile.
In a fleeting moment.
"Silence!"
A voice filled with authority accompanied by the sound of the gavel rang in everyone's ears.
Zhao Yi, the presiding judge, spoke, and the surrounding noise gradually faded away.
He looked at the time on his wristwatch.
11:00!
Zhao Yi stood first, followed by the clerks, as both the prosecutor and defendant also stood.
Zhao Yi spoke, his voice echoing around the courtroom.
"This court will publicly try the case brought by the Hanhai People's Procuratorate against the defendant Chen Dong, accused of intentional murder..."
"The case will be tried solely by Judge Zhao Yi, along with other judges..."
"Now... declare the court in session!"
After the usual opening declarations, everyone sat down.
"Next, the prosecutor and defendant will state their demands."
Presiding Judge Zhao Yi turned his head towards Zhang Cheng.
"Prosecutor's lawyer, you may begin your response."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng stood up without the slightest hesitation.
"Honorable presiding judge, judges..."
"The defendant is accused of intentional murder, intentional injury... among other charges."
"Our demand is to uphold the first trial verdict!"
As the words fell.
Outside the courtroom circle, a cluster of flashing lights accompanied by the sound of shutter clicking appeared, with journalists' cameras continually capturing the scene.
Zhao Yi nodded.
He then looked towards the defendant's side.
"Defendant, please state your demands."
Taking this time.
Zhang Cheng raised his eyebrows, looking at the defendant Xu Liang.
Only to see the other party stand up straight, with a stern face, not intimidated by the courtroom atmosphere.
Just don't know.
What kind of defense the other party will make.
Zhang Cheng thought to himself, his greatest fallback being a switch to a life sentence in the second trial as a victory.
Only...
"Honorable presiding judge..... Our demand is..."
"Not guilty!"
In a daze, the two words fell.
Presiding Judge Zhao Yi was momentarily stunned, Zhang Cheng also paused, and it felt as if time in the courtroom stopped for a moment.
The next second...
Xu Liang scanned around, and finally set his gaze on Zhang Cheng.
"I am defending Chen Dong for a plea of not guilty!"
Not guilty?
Plea of not guilty!?
"Click click click!!!"
In an instant, the sound of cameras clicking in the courtroom rumbled like waves.
Defend a death row convict for not guilty!?
So radical?
Zhang Cheng was taken aback.
Defend a death sentence for intentional murder in the first trial for not guilty!?
No matter how you look at this case, his chances of winning are high. Not to mention a not guilty plea, even reducing the sentence is difficult to argue...
Where did this crazy lawyer come from!?
Presiding Judge Zhao Yi was similarly surprised, yet he still struck his gavel.
"Defendant, state your basis."
With these words, everyone at the scene held their breath, furrowed their brows, and stared intently at Xu Liang.
Zhang Cheng kept pondering what the other party had found out that made them dare to defend Chen Dong in this manner.
Until...
"Honorable presiding judge, I am employed as Chen Dong's defense attorney for the Chen Wei case."
"Due to the need to investigate regular records, I went to the police station to retrieve Chen Dong's records, which stated that the defendant Chen Dong was 19 years old."
"And as this case is involved in a doubtful incident seven years ago regarding Zhang Cui's death and the harm to Chen Qingqing."
"Thus, I went to Hongfu District Fourth People's Hospital to look for records of whether Chen Qingqing had received treatment."
"During my investigation at the hospital, I happened to discover something..."
As he spoke.
Xu Liang pulled out a copy and a statement given by the hospital from his document bag.
What is this?
The entire audience, including the presiding judge, looked at it in confusion.
Zhang Cheng furrowed his brows, feeling like something was amiss, and the half-visible replica felt oddly familiar.
Until Xu Liang spoke up.
"This is the medical birth certificate of the defendant Chen Dong!"
"The birth certificate shows that Chen Dong was not born in 1985, but on June 30, 1987!"
"By the end of the first trial, Chen Dong's age was not 19, but 17!!"
17?
That means....
Zhang Cheng paused, and the next moment, his eyes widened drastically, almost jumping up, staring intently at Xu Liang.
17?
17!!!
"Damn... damn damn damn..."
Cold sweat suddenly seeped out on Zhang Cheng's forehead, dry throat, and his thoughts churned wildly.
"Not right, how can there be a problem with the age... how can there be a problem with the basic records!?"
Faced with the irrefutable legal representation, in an instant, he felt as if there were two mountains pressing on his shoulders.
Zhang Cheng had calculated everything, never expecting that the damn age could also be fake!
Why didn't the first trial lawyer say it earlier!?
Zhang Cheng's face turned ashen, silently cursing in his heart.
Xu Liang handed over the proof and evidence to the clerk.
After verification, the clerk handed it to Presiding Judge Zhao Yi, who frowned, acknowledged the authenticity of the information.
"It's a bit difficult to judge..." The clerk whispered.
Zhao Yi was silent, looking up at Xu Liang.
"According to legal provisions."
"Chen Dong cannot be sentenced to death, the first trial verdict should be invalidated, and even a suspended death sentence cannot be delivered, the maximum is life imprisonment!"
Xu Liang continued to speak.
"Based on police-provided clues, Chen Dong was very cooperative during the interrogation, without intentional resistance."
"Considering his good behavior, and given that the incident originated from the Zhang Cui case seven years ago, we believe the punishment in the previous case should be reduced!"
Reduced?
Even further reduced!?
Zhang Cheng grew anxious.
His mentality gradually became somewhat anxious.
His bottom line was for Chen Dong to be sentenced to life, yet, the authenticity of the birth certificate, once confirmed... made the opponent's lower bound his bottom line!
Not to mention further developments, regarding so-called punishment reductions!
How to win... how to win!?
Zhang Cheng's forehead was drenched in sweat, his mind racing as he sought a way to defend.
But no matter what method, it was like an ant before that legal provision.
'Reduce authenticity... Yes, reduce the authenticity of the opponent's evidence!'
Thinking this, Zhang Cheng immediately spoke:
"Honorable presiding judge, the evidence provided by the opposing attorney cannot prove which registration error exists between the birth certificate and the household record!"
"It's highly possible that the birth certificate is registered incorrectly while the household record is correct, which means Chen Dong is already 19!"
"Our side..."
Before he finished, Presiding Judge Zhao Yi, visibly displeased, struck the gavel.
"Prosecutor, it is not yet your turn to speak, please observe courtroom order!"
Zhang Cheng immediately shut up, but at least the message was delivered.
Zhao Yi turned to Xu Liang again.
"Defendant, please continue your remarks."
Xu Liang chuckled, not bothered by Zhang Cheng's words, instead casting a smiling gaze at him.
This gaze instantly made Zhang Cheng's heart flutter.
Before he could think deeply, a voice rang in his ear again.
"As the opposing attorney just mentioned."
"Upon acquiring the medical birth certificate, we were also puzzled about which between the household record and birth certificate is real, and which is fake."
"So, I conducted a thorough investigation to locate the vaccination dates and treatment records during Chen Dong's birth."
"And precisely because of this..."
"We found the second evidence, a psychological diagnostic file for the defendant Chen Dong!"
Saying so, Xu Liang once again took out a document from his bag.
He held the document high, scanning the entire courtroom, finally fixing his gaze on the now dazed and disordered Zhang Cheng.
And what was written in this file...
"The defendant Chen Dong..."
"Suffers from severe depression, severe neuro-cognitive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, mild autism, and dissociative disorder....."
After a string of words was spoken.
The entire courtroom was pin-drop silent, everyone was frozen, including Presiding Judge Zhao Yi who was stunned again and again.
What... what's this!?