Chapter 153 - 101: A Tricky Angle

...should be judged harshly and severely...

The moment the words left his mouth,

the defense lawyer, Zhang Wei, blanched. He looked up, his expression utterly grim.

But the judge’s bench showed no reaction. It was clear they had no intention of stopping the opposing counsel’s interruption, wanting only to get through the facts of the case quickly.

At the defendant’s table,

Zhang Wei took a deep breath and said in a low voice,

"Counsel, I must remind you,"

"that the Criminal Law clearly distinguishes between ’accidental death’ and ’negligent homicide’!"

"Negligent homicide is a criminal offense wherein the perpetrator causes the death of another person through an act of negligence, either by carelessness or overconfidence."

"Accidental death, on the other hand, is caused by an unforeseen event or force majeure!"

For example,

let’s say you’re giving your friend a ride on your motorcycle. You see a river and think you can jump it. Your friend tries to talk you out of it, but you don’t listen. You gun the engine, attempt the jump, and your friend dies in the process.

That is negligent homicide.

It’s a textbook case of death caused by overconfidence.

But if you and your friend are out riding and suddenly a pedestrian darts out from a blind spot—jaywalking against the light—and you lose control, crash, and your friend dies,

that is an accidental death.

You have not committed a crime. You bear no criminal liability and are only required to pay some civil damages according to the law.

The former has a traceable, avoidable cause, while the latter is a matter of pure chance.

"In the case at hand,"

"the deceased, Zhao Li, had no connection to the defendants, and Yang Jiale’s fall from the building was an extraneous factor."

"The deceased also suffered from a ’cardiogenic thrombosis,’ and sudden death is a low-probability event. The combination of these two factors makes this a clear case of accidental death!"

Zhang Wei began his defense, his logic sharp.

From this perspective, Zhao Li’s death did indeed seem accidental, especially since death from an acute medical condition is, by definition, an ’accident’.

"Objection!"

From the prosecutor’s table,

the instant Zhang Wei finished speaking, a series of clear, logical points formed in Xu De’s mind.

He looked at his opponent with a dismissive smirk, and a torrent of words spilled from his lips.

"Counselor for the defense, I can tell you unequivocally that this death..."

"...is a textbook case of negligent homicide under the ’multiple-cause, single-effect’ principle!"

Sometimes, a charge of negligent homicide doesn’t require you to know the victim.

You might have never even met them, but you can still be found guilty through a chain of causation—that is, ’multiple-cause, single-effect’.

"If!"

"If there had been no bullying in this case, there would have been no fall! Without the fall, there would have been no shock! And without the shock, there would have been no sudden cardiac death!"

"As for the intervening factor of a ’special medical condition’..."

Xu De stood up, staring directly at Zhang Wei without a hint of compromise in his voice. He stated decisively,

"The law does not absolve a perpetrator of responsibility simply because the victim had a pre-existing condition!"

"Furthermore, this incident was not entirely unforeseeable!"

In the justice system, a person’s subjective awareness carries significant weight.

The incident occurred at No. 18 High School. At the time, countless students were walking around below, and there were pedestrians outside the school as well.

When there is a large crowd, one has an obligation to consider: could there be someone with a heart condition among them?

If someone were to fall from a building at that moment, could it shock such a person and cause their death!?

Obviously, the probability is very low—so low that an ordinary person would likely ignore it.

But... if it happens on your watch, and you failed to consider it, then it is, one hundred percent, negligent homicide!

Only if the bullying took place in an extremely isolated location, with no one for miles around, and an unsuspecting person with a heart condition just happened to appear out of nowhere, could it possibly be deemed an accident with no criminal liability.

And clearly, in this case, the scene does not meet that condition.

"In conclusion,"

"the three defendants are clearly guilty of ’negligent homicide’!"

"They should be sentenced for multiple offenses and be tried for this crime concurrently with the other charges!!!"

With that,

Xu De turned to the judge’s bench, awaiting Zhang Bingxin’s decision.

His argument had been perfectly clear.

Zhang Wei knew he had no rebuttal. His face was a mask of fury, his hands clenched into tight fists.

Arguing further was pointless. In the end, it would all come down to the judge’s personal stance.

On the judge’s bench,

Zhang Bingxin rubbed the bridge of his nose, the pressure weighing heavily on him. He spoke in a solemn tone,

"Regarding this charge, no further deliberation is required in this hearing."

’It was overruled...’

’The attempt to reframe negligent homicide as accidental death was completely rejected.’

At the defendant’s table,

Zhang Wei’s heart was filled with resentment.

The sentence for negligent homicide wasn’t severe—three to seven years.

But his real goal had been to separate Zhao Li’s death from the list of Liu Jingqi’s crimes, to make her actions seem less heinous on the surface.

It might not sound like much, but it could have been the very thing that saved Liu Jingqi from the death penalty.

"Counsel for the defense, do you have any other objections!?"

Presiding Judge Zhang Bingxin composed himself and pressed on.

Zhang Wei opened his mouth, then hesitated, the words catching in his throat.

Finally, he steadied himself and took a deep breath.

’The case isn’t over... There’s still room to fight... I still have a chance!’

"Your Honor!"

"The prosecution’s amended indictment mentions that..."

"...thirteen years ago, the defendant, Liu Jingqi, formerly known as Zhang Yueyue, committed a crime in Lianshan County, two thousand kilometers away from Lusen City."

Zhang Wei took another deep breath and began his second move.

And what was his second move?

To dismantle.

With the case now extending to Taocun Village, there were four lives lost. If the responsibility for all of them was bundled together—especially with his client having already confessed—it meant a guaranteed death sentence.

But... what if he could take it apart?

What if he could dismantle the case until only one victim, Yang Jiale, remained!?

If he could break it down so that the three defendants were only held jointly responsible for a single homicide, then even if they admitted to the facts, they might not have to bear the full weight of the consequences!