Are You Crazy? He's only an Intern Lawyer?-Chapter 32 - How do I feel like it’s just beginning

The judge was about to speak, but Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, standing next to Tan Yingying, immediately rose.

“I believe the defendant was aware of his situation.

The public defense attorney had already explained the other options to him.

If the defendant insisted he was innocent, he could have paid the bail, but he did not do so.

This indicates that he has waived his right to argue his innocence.

As for his plea, he signed it himself, and we cannot ignore this legally binding document just because the defense attorney admits a mistake!”

As Xiao Baihe made her point, she gave Zhang Wei a challenging look, “And besides, this time, someone died!”

“Your Honor, human life is of utmost importance, and the victim’s family also hopes to find the real perpetrator to seek justice for them.

I hope Your Honor can represent justice and give the victim’s family a chance to seek it!”

Upon hearing this, the judge’s expression became extremely grave.

He then remembered that this was not a minor case in the misdemeanor court but a negligent homicide case.

“Indeed, the prosecution makes a valid point.

The family of the deceased has the right to pursue justice.

The motion is denied, and the plea is deemed valid!”

With the judge’s gavel decision, Zhang Wei’s pretrial motion had failed.

Whether it was the defendant, his wife, or Zhang Hui in the witness stand, all showed signs of disappointment, their expressions conveying helplessness and defeat.

Tan Yingying looked at Xiao Baihe excitedly, while the latter once again fixed Zhang Wei with a challenging stare.

Yet, to Xiao Baihe’s surprise, Zhang Wei did not show a hint of discouragement, unlike everyone else.

“Your Excellency, since the motion has been denied, the defense has no further comments.

However, I would like the court to clarify one matter.

Who exactly am I up against?

Is it the prosecuting attorney in charge of this case or the ace prosecutor from the serious crimes unit?”

As Zhang Wei spoke, he pointed at Tan Yingying and Xiao Baihe, “Your Excellency, I’m just a rookie lawyer who has passed the bar exam and can only take on public welfare cases.

I’m really scared to go up against the ace prosecutor, you know~”

Although Judge Wang wasn’t too fond of the boisterous Zhang Wei, he felt there was some merit to his words.

After thinking for a moment, he warned Xiao Baihe, “Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, please be mindful of your role in the upcoming trial.

You are here as an observer; you are not the chief prosecutor.

Please be careful not to exert undue pressure on others!”

“I understand, Your Honor!”

Xiao Baihe’s eyes turned cold, and she glared at Zhang Wei but nodded in agreement.

“This Zhang Wei has some skills, attempting to restrict my actions after one setback.

I’ll remember you!”

Xiao Baihe noted Zhang Wei in her memory, while those on the defendant’s side felt very dejected.

“Junior, it seems we have failed.” Zhang Hui felt that the case was lost.

Once the motion failed and they could not withdraw the case, they would have to face the Procuratorate Headquarters—that would be a tough battle.

But Zhang Wei just offered a sly smile, “Lost, did we?

I feel like it’s just the beginning.”

“Junior?” Seeing Zhang Wei’s smile, Zhang Hui felt a chill in her heart.

“No matter.

Through this motion, I’ve gauged our opponents’ depth.”

Zhang Wei, pointing at Tan Yingying, said mockingly, “She’s also a rookie with no skills or experience.

A misdemeanor prosecutor dealing with a felony case is highly irrational.

The only one I need to be wary of is Xiao Baihe at her side.

That’s why I had the judge warn them a moment ago, hoping it will have some effect.”

Just then, the judge announced,

“Since the motion has been denied, we will take a short break.

Pretrial will begin in one hour!”

In the first exchange, Zhang Wei was at a disadvantage, but he did not see it that way.

An hour passed quickly.

The trial restarted.

Because this was a criminal case requiring a jury of 12, selection had to be made from the pool of prospective jurors.

On the prosecution’s side, Xiao Baihe’s gaze remained firmly fixed on Zhang Wei.

After watching for a long time, she finally turned to Tan Yingying and said:

“Let’s see how this newcomer fares.

Usually, at this point, many lawyers ask targeted questions, such as their views on manslaughter or whether they sympathize with the defendant, and so on.

Many lawyers even start by clarifying the main subject of the trial.

What we need to do is take note of these questions, and then it’s your job to rebut each potentially influential question during the opening statement phase.

Do you understand?”

“Mhm, I’ve got it all down.

If he asks a lot of questions, I’ll rebut them all!”

Tan Yingying took notes of Prosecutor Xiao Baihe’s instructions diligently in her notebook.

At the same time, she also looked towards Zhang Wei, curious to see what kind of questions this rookie lawyer would pose to select the jurors.

Zhang Wei then walked to the front of the jury box under the watchful gaze of the entire courtroom.

“Ahem, hello, all the jurors…”

Zhang Wei cleared his throat and asked with a smile, “I’d like to know, how is your relationship with your parents?”

Juror: “???”

Tan Yingying: “???”

Xiao Baihe: “???”

Other people in the courtroom: “???”

Zhang Wei, unconcerned with the other people’s confusion, approached a young man and asked, “May I ask how your relationship with your father is?

Is it one of love and filial piety, or do you occasionally argue, or possibly it’s fraught with frequent conflict or non-communication?”

“My relationship with my dad is pretty good.

Although I moved out, I go back to visit him every week.”

Zhang Wei nodded and then asked, “That’s good to hear.

Do you listen to what your dad says?”

“Of course, I always listen to my dad the most!”

“Oh~ Is that so.”

Zhang Wei looked at the courtroom with a smile, “Your Honor, the defense dismisses this juror and thanks him for his participation.”

Judge Wang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but dismissing jurors was within the rights of the defense attorney, so he couldn’t object.

Zhang Wei then approached a woman with dyed hair and asked with a smile, “Sister, what’s your relationship with your father?”

The woman lifted her eyelids and answered abruptly, “The old man at home has long since died!”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

What about your mother?”

“The year after the old man died, she left me, and we’ve been out of contact for nearly ten years.

I don’t even know if she’s alive or dead now.”

“I see.

But if your father were still alive, would you listen to him?”

“Of course not, my dad was often drunk and liked to talk nonsense when he was.

I couldn’t be bothered with him even when he was alive.

If I had listened to him, I might be an alcoholic by now!” The woman waved her hand dismissively.

Seeing the reaction from this “filial daughter,” Zhang Wei nodded with satisfaction, “Your Honor, the defense accepts this juror.”

At the prosecutor’s table.

Xiao Baihe’s mouth fell slightly open, and her facial muscles twitched a bit.

She was shocked by Zhang Wei’s questions and didn’t realize she was losing her composure.

Tan Yingying, on the other hand, wondered whether she should take note of these “stupid questions.”

But even if she did, how could she rebut them?

Surely she couldn’t persuade everyone to listen to their parents—it wasn’t a family court, what nonsense would that be?

Zhang Wei’s questioning continued, swiftly weeding out several more “obedient children.”

“The jury has now been finalized.

The formal trial will begin tomorrow!”

As Judge Wang struck the gavel, the day’s pre-trial came to an end.

As everyone in the courtroom gradually left, prosecutor Tan Yingying approached Zhang Wei and handed him a list.

“A witness list?

Who have you added?”

“Take a look for yourself!” Tan Yingying retorted before quickly scampering away.

Zhang Wei looked down at the list and muttered to himself, “Just as I thought.”

“Junior, what’s with the list?” Zhang Hui came over and took a look at the witness list.

Zhang Wei smiled and pointed at two new names added to the form, deducing, “It seems my questioning today caught the other side off guard, so they’ve made a hasty move, planning to bring the victim’s parents to the stand.”

“Isn’t that terrible?

Testimony from the victim’s family usually puts the defendant at a disadvantage.”

“No, I think the opposite.

The prosecution’s witnesses can also become our weapon to strike back at them!”

“Senior sister, could you please comfort the defendant and his wife?

It’s best if you can keep an eye on them to ensure the defendant doesn’t do anything irrational!”

“Understood, junior.

But if I’m going to comfort the defendant, what will you be doing?”

“I, on the other hand, have more important things to do!”

Zhang Wei said, smiling as he walked toward Xia Qianyue on the witness stand.

“Silly, come and tell me, what’s your relationship with Xiao Baihe like?

Are you very close?”

“Of course, we’re close.

We’ve been roommates for three years.

But why are you interested in her?

She’s not the chief lawyer for the opposition, is she?”

“Well, she’s a beauty after all, isn’t it okay to learn a bit about her?”

“Zhang Wei, go to hell!”

Watching the two of them leave with arms over each other’s shoulders, clearly very close, Zhang Hui was dumbfounded.

At a time like this, his junior brother still had the mood to flirt?

Zhang Hui shook his head, banishing these thoughts, and quickly made his way to the defendant’s side.

…

The next day, in the morning.

After the court session began, it was the prosecution’s turn to present their case and offer evidence.

As a criminal case, the prosecution, acting as the accuser, had the responsibility to present evidence.

The first witness was none other than a Martial Association field staff member who had been on duty at the scene.

“Hello, Zhong Waigong.

Could you please explain the situation at the scene at that time?”

“Of course, it was just after 7:50 p.m., and I was patrolling the Jinnan Road section of the city center.

My walkie-talkie reported a dispute nearby and asked me to hurry over and mediate.

When I got to the scene, I found the defendant and several others had gotten into a confrontation.

It was clear they were arguing, and one of them had been pushed to the ground by the defendant.”

Tan Yingying nodded, then looked toward Prosecutor Xiao Baihe on the prosecution’s bench.

Seeing her nod in return, she continued to ask:

“The person who was pushed to the ground, do you know who he was?”

Zhong Waigong nodded and responded with certainty, “I do.

It was the victim of this case, Wei Hong!”

As soon as he said this, all eyes in the courtroom turned to the defendant Lin Xiao.

Many people in the jury box had disapproving looks on their faces.

Lin Xiao turned and looked toward his wife in the visitor’s seating, seeking comfort.

But the prosecutor’s questioning continued.

“You saw the defendant push Wei Hong.

What do you think about the defendant’s behavior at that time?

Was he very agitated or indifferent?”

“He…”

“Objection!”

Just as Zhong Waigong was about to speak, Zhang Wei interrupted him first, “Leading the witness to speculate.”

“Objection sustained,” Judge Wang glanced at Tan Yingying, his eyes carrying a warning.

Tan Yingying quickly bowed her head, regrouped her thoughts, and then continued, “Then, after pushing the person, did the defendant say anything to you?”

“He said a lot.

When I suggested taking them all away, he got even more agitated, saying that he was innocent, and that he hadn’t done anything wrong!”

“Innocent, huh?

Do you think he was lying?

From your professional perspective, do you think he was acting guilty…”

“Objection!”

Before Tan Yingying could finish her question, Zhang Wei interrupted again.

“Your Honor, Zhong Waigong is just Martial Association field staff, not a professional psychologist.

He cannot accurately judge my client’s psychological state in that situation.

His answer cannot be accepted as expert opinion!”

“Objection sustained!” Judge Wang stared at Tan Yingying, reminding her, “Prosecutor, please consider your questions more carefully, and do not ask meaningless ones!”

“Oh, yes, Your Honor!” Tan Yingying quickly admitted her mistake, her expression somewhat anxious.

This scene made Prosecutor Xiao Baihe shake her head secretly and also slightly changed her gaze toward Zhang Wei.

This guy, he seemed to be playing dumb!

Tan Yingying, having been interrupted repeatedly by Zhang Wei, had lost her flow.

“Well, that, I…”

“Your Honor, it seems the prosecution has no questions to ask!” Zhang Wei stood up again, looking at Tan Yingying.

“Prosecutor?” The judge also glanced at Tan Yingying.

“I, I have finished my questioning…”

With the eyes of both the judge and Zhang Wei on her, Tan Yingying hurriedly walked back to the prosecution’s bench, her face filled with trepidation.

The judge, however, did not attend to these matters but continued to preside, “The prosecution’s questioning has ended, and now it’s the defense’s turn to question.”

Zhang Wei approached the witness stand and greeted, “Hello, Zhong Waigong.”

“Hello!”

“May I ask, Zhong Waigong, when you arrived at the scene, did you see that the defendant was very agitated?”

“Yes, he was very agitated.”

“Then I would like to ask, do you have a wife?”

“Huh?”

Upon hearing Zhang Wei’s question, the witness was baffled.

At the prosecutor’s bench, Xiao Baihe quickly nudged Tan Yingying with her elbow, and the latter finally reacted.

“Objection, irrelevant questioning!”

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But Zhang Wei had anticipated this and smoothly continued, “Your Honor, I assure you that within the next minute, I will demonstrate the relevance of this question to the case!”

After a moment’s thought, the judge chose to trust Zhang Wei, “Objection overruled, but remember your words!”

“Thank you, Your Honor!” Zhang Wei expressed his gratitude.

Tan Yingying sat back down in dejection, while Xiao Baihe beside her also remained silent.

“Zhong Waigong, please answer my question, are you married?”

“I am married.”

“Do you love your wife?”

“Of course, I love her very much.”

“Then if she were in danger, would you protect her?”

“Hmm, I would.”

“Good, thank you for your answer.”

Zhang Wei said, raising his hands and exaggeratingly asking, “So please simulate what you would do if you and your wife were shopping and suddenly four burly hooligans appeared, speaking obscenely to your wife and looking at you provocatively.

What would you do?”

“I…

I might probably step out to stop them from continuing,” Zhong Waigong was stumped by the question, somewhat at a loss for a response.

Zhang Wei, however, changed his tone suddenly, “What if they don’t plan to give up, keep pestering you, and one of the hooligans has already laid hands on your wife and insulted you, calling you a coward, a loser, a…”

“I might punch him!” Zhong Waigong interjected without thinking.

Suddenly, all eyes in the courtroom turned to him.

This response caught people’s attention and made all the jurors ponder for a moment.

“Oh, you would punch him~” Zhang Wei laughed heartily, explaining to the jury, “Interestingly, my client did just that, although he did not punch anyone, he only pushed one of the hooligans away!”

The jurors looked at each other, as if they felt that this matter was really not a big deal.

Seeing the tide turning, Zhang Wei immediately continued, “Ladies and gentlemen, my client is just an ordinary person, trying to protect his wife from four burly men surrounding them.

What could he do, is it wrong for him to push someone away?”

“Objection!” This time, Xiao Baihe stood up, “Your Honor, this is the time for questioning, not for the defense attorney to make closing arguments!”

Zhang Wei appeared unconcerned, instead looking around the courtroom and smilingly inquiring, “Your Honor, I recall you warned Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, didn’t you?

The prosecution hasn’t spoken yet, how come she’s the one speaking first?”

“Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, this is your final warning.

Do it again, and I’ll charge you with contempt of court!”

With a raised finger, the judge issued the warning before looking at Zhang Wei, “Objection sustained, the defense should continue with questions, not make targeted statements.”

“My mistake, Your Honor, I retract my previous statement.”

Zhang Wei smiled apologetically, but how sincere he was in his heart, only heaven knew.

“I have no further questions for the witness.”

Pleased with himself, Zhang Wei returned to the defense bench.

As he passed the prosecutor’s bench, he deliberately winked at Xiao Baihe.

This gesture naturally infuriated her, with a glint of flaming fire almost perceptible in Xiao Baihe’s eyes.

“Please prepare the next witness for the prosecution!”

From the bench, Judge Wang tapped his gavel to draw attention.

At the same time, he also began to reassess Zhang Wei with a sidelong glance.

“This rookie lawyer is no simple character, not only are his questions tricky, but he also manages to dominate the usually strong-willed Xiao Baihe in court.

Truly impressive!”