Chapter 84 - 71: Intense

"What state would the defendant, Liu Jingqi, have been in!?"

The weapon was a sharp, broken wooden leg from a school desk. If it had been thrust at her neck with the same force... she would most likely have died.

In other words...

"That action far exceeded any threat the defendant posed to the deceased!"

"Moreover, it was a clear infringement upon the defendant Liu Jingqi’s personal safety and life—a violent and serious criminal act!"

"Considering Yang Jiale’s own thoughts, corroborated by the notebook, the defense believes..."

"...that Yang Jiale subjectively intended to murder Liu Jingqi. In this incident, Liu Jingqi was the victim, and all her actions were in self-preservation!"

Sun Bing threw out everything he had all at once.

"Furthermore, she didn’t even cause Yang Jiale’s death with her own hands."

"Instead, the deceased died from falling off the rooftop."

"The defendant did not engage in ’pursuit or excessive force,’ perfectly fitting the criteria for ’justifiable defense.’"

In short, it’s like this: you slap someone, and in a fit of rage, they do something that nearly kills you.

If, at that moment, you counter-attack without using excessive force but end up causing their death, the court will not convict you of intentional homicide. Instead, it will be ruled justifiable defense.

But applying this to the current case...

"Are you saying that a long-term bully is not only not the murderer, but is actually the victim?"

"And the bullied girl who died has now become the aggressor!?"

Huang Shi found it utterly absurd, as if he had just heard something completely irrational.

"Absurd... Your Honor, forgive my bluntness."

Normally, even when disagreeing with a statement, one wouldn’t use a word like "absurd."

Rebuttals are typically based on legal statutes and case facts, but Huang Shi simply couldn’t hold back.

"This is, without a doubt, the most absurd statement I have heard in my more than ten years of practice!" he roared.

But Zhang Wei just shook his head.

"But those are the facts."

Huang Shi’s face fell, his expression dark and grim. He clenched his fists tightly.

But he couldn’t come up with a clear rebuttal.

It couldn’t be helped. A rebuttal requires evidence!

And the defense had produced corroborating evidence: a notebook revealing hatred and murderous intent.

That alone wasn’t much. After all, thoughts aren’t crimes. Cursing someone out or having a wet dream won’t get you convicted of assault or rape.

Yang Jiale fighting back when bullied and nearly killing someone—that wasn’t a huge deal either. It was entirely arguable in court.

But when you combined the two... they formed a small, self-contained chain of evidence: ’intent to kill + an assault sufficient to cause death’!

At the prosecution table.

At the victim’s legal representative’s table.

"This is bad. If this continues, the tide will turn in the defendant’s favor," Lin Yue murmured with a frown.

Influenced by her family’s teachings, her legal insight was sharper than that of an ordinary law student. She knew exactly what Zhang Wei was doing and how the court would likely rule.

If they let the defense continue their arguments...

"Justifiable defense is impossible, but..."

Lin Yue paused, her expression turning serious before she spoke the answer.

"There’s an eighty percent chance it’ll be ruled excessive self-defense!"

Countless similar verdicts could be found on record.

In ’21, in the case of Li Mou, the person he was bullying, a man named Wang, snapped after being beaten. Wang pulled out a fruit knife and stabbed Li Mou frantically, nearly killing him. Before he died, Li Mou wrestled the knife away and killed Wang.

The verdict was that Li Mou’s actions did not constitute justifiable defense, but they did contain an element of self-defense. Therefore, he was convicted of excessive self-defense!

In ’20, in the case of Zhang X, the two parties got into a heated conflict. Zhang X struck first. The other person fought back with a brick. Zhang X then grabbed an iron rod and counter-attacked, killing the other person. That case was also ruled excessive self-defense.

Excessive self-defense can also lead to a heavy sentence.

But don’t forget...

"...Liu Jingqi is only sixteen..."

Lin Yue frowned, faintly seeing where this was all leading.

The defense had a natural advantage. Being sixteen could lead to a reduced sentence, so they didn’t need a total victory by arguing for justifiable defense.

They only needed to secure a minor win with a verdict of excessive self-defense!

Combined with her age...

"...there’s a ninety percent chance of a suspended sentence!" Lin Yue said.

This wasn’t hyperbole. It was a fact. Countless precedents showed that once these conditions were met, judges would almost always hand down a three-year prison sentence, suspended for three years.

In other words, if the defense presented by Zhang Wei and Sun Bing was successful...

...Liu Jingqi wouldn’t have to serve a single day in prison. She could even walk out of the courthouse today and go right back to taking her exams!

It was shocking, and it sounded as absurd as something made up, but it was based on actual legal precedent.

"Hah. A suspended sentence..."

A cold sneer appeared on Xu De’s face as he stared intently at Liu Jingqi, who was smiling from the defendant’s dock.

’Yang Jiale was dead... Zhao Li was dead... Yang Huan was the only one left in the family, all alone... How could I possibly let this person get a suspended sentence on my watch!?’

At that thought, Xu De didn’t hesitate for a second. He suddenly raised his hand.

In an instant, a loud voice shattered the silence of the courtroom.

"Objection!"

"Your Honor, the victim’s representative wishes to raise an objection!"

Everyone turned to look toward the victim’s representative at the prosecution table.

On the judge’s bench.

The three judges paused for a moment, then nodded.

"You may state your objection."

Hearing this, Xu De looked directly at the defendant’s dock and said,

"To the defense."

"In the practical application of the law, the same act committed by individuals of different age groups does not carry the same legal meaning!"

"Your side is deliberately ignoring the fact that the victim, Yang Jiale, was only seventeen years old!"

Ninety-five percent of people don’t understand something.

And that is... the cognitive gap caused by age also affects legal judgment.

For example, if Yang Jiale had accidentally killed Liu Jingqi in a situation that wasn’t life-threatening, then even if her actions were full of malice and hatred...

...the judge would have to consider whether another child of the same age, in a moment of being bullied, frightened, and tense, would have retaliated in the same way.