Chapter 164 - 105: Classic Case Selection! Newspaper

’The third hearing should be over by now, barring any surprises...’

’How long did the defendant get?’

He muttered to himself, then turned and walked toward the law firm’s newspaper rack.

Only...

Unlike usual, a crowd was gathered in front of the rack.

Lawyer Zhong squeezed his way through, a look of confusion on his face as he scanned the people around him.

"What’s going on? Why is everyone crowded around reading newspapers so early in the morning?"

"Are your cases over?"

He asked skeptically.

Hearing this, the intern at his side, Lawyer Liu, flushed red. He looked up at Lawyer Zhong and, after struggling for a moment, suddenly blurted out:

"No..."

"It’s that case from No. 18 Middle School. The verdict came down yesterday at 5:20 PM!"

’The verdict is in?’

’About what I expected.’

Lawyer Zhong nodded to himself and asked casually, "How long did they get?"

Based on his understanding, it was a case involving three minors. The Juvenile Protection Law would have already shaved off most of their liability, which would then be divided among the three. Add in some skilled work from the defense lawyer... and barring any surprises, the defendant’s sentence shouldn’t have been severe.

The prison term should have been under 12 years. If they had a letter of forgiveness, they might have even gotten it down to 8!

"The death penalty," Liu said, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Right, the death penalty..."

Lawyer Zhong nodded. He was about to turn and leave, but he froze mid-stride.

He turned back to look at Liu, his face a mask of astonishment.

"The death penalty?"

"Are you serious!?"

’A minor? The death penalty?’

’Wait, how are those two concepts even put together in Dongguo?!’

Lawyer Liu was just as shocked. He pointed at the newspaper, unable to wrap his head around it, but still managed to say:

"That’s what it says in the papers!"

The moment he finished speaking, Lawyer Zhong snatched the newspaper without hesitation. He fixed his gaze on it, and countless headlines swam before his eyes.

[LATEST CASE UPDATE! Progress in the No. 18 Middle School Case as Lusen City Intermediate People’s Court Concludes Trial. Our reporters have learned the defendant has allegedly been sentenced to death...]

[KARMIC JUSTICE! GOOD IS REWARDED, EVIL IS PUNISHED! Defendant Liu Jingqi Sentenced to Death, to be Carried Out Immediately! The Lusen City Court Will Not Spare Any Evildoer!]

[SHOCKING! From a Case No One Would Take to a Stunning Reversal, From a Seven-Year Sentence to the Death Penalty, This Lawyer Actually...]

[...]

Staring at these headlines, Lawyer Zhong’s face turned ashen. He reached up to touch his head, then blinked again.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a hallucination.

One report might be clickbait, but if... all of them said the same thing, it could only mean the information was true!

But that raised another question...

"A minor? The death penalty?"

"Huh?"

An expression of utter disbelief washed over Lawyer Zhong’s face. He felt like his decades of legal studies had been for nothing. He’d really seen it all now.

His eyes wide with shock, he quickly grabbed several different newspapers.

He read one after another, but...

Every single one of them mentioned the death penalty!

’The death penalty? The defendant was actually sentenced to death? That’s a verdict the prosecution couldn’t have even hoped for, so how could it possibly have been handed down to the defendant?!’

But that was the reality.

Lawyer Zhong stared at the details of the case he had once refused to take, finding it more and more incomprehensible. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out how this had happened.

Until...

A thought suddenly struck him.

’Wait a minute, wasn’t the defense counsel from Zhenghe’s elite team? Zhang Wei was in charge.’

As Lawyer Zhong recalled the case details, the corner of his eye twitched.

’The client was a minor and had the advantage of the case’s ambiguous facts... How did he manage to turn a potential seven-year sentence into the death penalty?’

’Is Zhang Wei a complete hack!?’

He mulled it over. Even if the man was incompetent, he couldn’t possibly be *this* incompetent.

Even if they had confessed right then and there at the first hearing, it still wouldn’t have resulted in the death penalty!

"What... What in the world happened!?" Lawyer Zhong’s face was a picture of utter bewilderment.