Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 113 - 112 Is the Little Apprentice Very Stupid? A Win-Win Deal (Please Subscribe, Aim for Premium!)

Chapter 113: Chapter 112 Is the Little Apprentice Very Stupid? A Win-Win Deal (Please Subscribe, Aim for Premium!)

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...

In the courtroom.

Lin Yumeng’s closing argument continued.

A good closing argument can turn the tide and recover a hopeless situation.

It can shift the stagnant trial and make the indecisive jurors lean in favor of one’s case.

And now, Lin Yumeng’s closing argument was having that effect.

"Because I’m not very smart, I can’t present a powerful closing argument, so all I can do here is explain the case to everyone, hoping you won’t mind my simplicity."

As Lin Yumeng spoke, she picked up the document Zhang Wei had given her and started flipping through it from the beginning.

"First, let’s confirm why the witness was at the crime scene. He followed the suggestion of a stranger who called him without any doubt and went to the crime scene."

"Who is this stranger? The witness doesn’t know, and I can assure you that it wasn’t my client because he didn’t call the witness that day. He does not know the witness at all, and there’s no interaction between them."

"Then, during the armed robbery, the witness said he saw a tattoo and a man threatening him with a knife, but he didn’t see the man’s face clearly because he was too scared to look."

"So, the question arises, why could he immediately identify my client if he didn’t even get a clear look at the assailant’s face?"

Some jurors indeed began to ponder this.

After posing the question, Lin Yumeng turned another page of the document and answered her own question:

"Because the field officers caught my client and made the witness identify him without any comparison."

"I may be slow, but I know one thing: people caught by field officers are generally not good people, and I believe the jurors think the same way. When you walk on the streets and see someone with tattoos, who looks fierce and evil being questioned by field officers, what’s your first reaction?"

"Could it be that he is a bad guy?"

In the jury, someone unconsciously nodded.

"Right, that’s what I thought too!"

Lin Yumeng nodded as well, then instantly continued, "But my teacher told me that such preconceived notions are incorrect. As a rational legal professional, you should not judge a person solely based on a one-sided impression!"

"Like the defendant in this case, he was in such a position when he got restrained by two field officers, and then, the witness was called over to identify him after the armed robbery. What was his first reaction? Could it have been that upon seeing the officers he assumed..."

"Oh, it must be this guy; he definitely robbed me!"

"I may be slow, but that’s what I would think. If I had been robbed, I would also hope to catch the criminal quickly, and upon seeing a field officer apprehending someone who looks like the suspect, I too would believe that he was the one who robbed me."

Lin Yumeng said this and looked towards the jury box.

"But do you know, this identification is not admissible, because the Martial Association did not line up my client and other possible suspects for the witness to identify. They only provided one suspect, and the witness did not even need to make a choice. You might think that the witness identified the criminal, but I can tell you that such identification is influenced by the officers and cannot be used as evidence!"

"So the next morning, the Martial Association informed the witness to identify the suspect again, and just as I mentioned before, the witness didn’t pick out the person who robbed him from the lineup. Instead, he identified the person he pointed out the night before, my client. I believe this identification is also inadmissible, biased, and cannot be used as evidence!"

Lin Yumeng emphasized again in front of the jury, but her heart was racing while she spoke.

Confronting 12 jurors all at once, she wasn’t as calm as Zhang Wei.

She paused for a moment, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then continued flipping through the pages.

"Next, I asked about the wallet. I asked the witness if the wallet that was stolen was found?"

"The witness answered no, the stolen items were not found."

"Isn’t that strange?"

Lin Yumeng said, mimicking a contemplating expression.

"The same question goes, was a wallet found on my client by the Martial Association? Again, no. So, this case has no physical evidence. The most crucial stolen item, the wallet, hasn’t appeared. The case actually hinges only on the witness’s identification, which is unreliable."

"You may be puzzled, and indeed, I asked my teacher since I’m not very smart and have to ask him about everything."

"I asked if the wallet is gone, doesn’t that prove my client’s innocence, that he didn’t rob anyone? But he answered that the Martial Association might speculate that the criminal discarded the wallet en route. But I find it really strange, why would someone throw away a stolen wallet when they cannot know they will be caught immediately? Wouldn’t that be a waste of effort?"

Hearing this question and answer, the 12 jurors on the jury bench looked at each other.

Even though this girl seemed slow, what she said made some sense indeed.

Ying Qingli fled late at night; how could he possibly know he was about to be caught? If he discarded the wallet in panic during his escape, it would likely have been found by the officers of the Martial Association.

Moreover, discarding the "loot" haphazardly could mean that they themselves might not be able to find it later, then wouldn’t that have been a robbery for nothing?

"That’s why I believe this case is already very clear, the witness’s identification is not credible, and there is no evidence; even the underground parking lot has no surveillance records, and no one can confirm with absolute certainty that it was my client who robbed the witness."

"Also, have you ever doubted the problem with the witness being there? In fact, I’m curious too, but sadly the prosecutor wouldn’t allow me to ask questions, and I didn’t dare to ask why."

"So let’s shift our focus back to the case. My mentor once told me that there’s a basic human rights agreement in criminal trials, known as ’presumption of innocence.’ I’m not smart and didn’t know what it meant, so my mentor explained to me that during the trial phase, if the existing evidence is insufficient to prove the defendant guilty and also cannot prove innocence, we should presume innocence."

"I believe that this is most fitting for this case because my client truly is innocent. Please, you must believe me."

"Even though he might look a bit fierce and not seem like a good person, that is not a reason for him to be guilty. I may not be smart, but I know better than to judge a book by its cover. Wouldn’t you all agree?"

"All right, my closing statement is finished."

Having said this, Lin Yumeng bowed to the jury in thanks:

"Thanks to everyone for listening for so long, I know I’m not smart, and this is also my first time giving a closing statement, I am actually very nervous inside, thank you all for not looking down on me and for listening to me this whole time~"

The jurors watched as she returned to the defense bench, with many of them falling into deep thought.

The judge also glanced at Lin Yumeng, harboring some doubts.

Such a closing argument is not something a newcomer could make.

He had seen many first-timers in the courtroom, and when they gave their closing arguments, some of them couldn’t even speak clearly, and others were so scared that their legs shook.

The performance of Lin Yumeng, however, had been very, very good.

"Since the closing arguments for both sides have ended, I invite the jury to follow me into the deliberation room to discuss the verdict," said the judge.

"Court is now in recess!"

Following the judge’s proclamation, the court temporarily adjourned.

"Whew~~"

Lin Yumeng let out a breath, taking several deep breaths at the defense bench.

"Xiao Meng, your closing argument was great!"

Tie Ruyun was the first to come forward, looking excited.

Lin Yumeng’s closing argument had made a big impression on him.

Although he knew that Zhang Wei had helped her a lot, Lin Yumeng’s courtroom performance had already surpassed any other colleague from her cohort he had seen before.

Of course, except for the outlying case of Zhang Wei...

"Yeah, you did even better than me!"

Li Yueqin’s tone was filled with excitement and a tinge of sourness; she didn’t know if she was envious of Lin Yumeng’s performance or jealous of the help she got from Zhang Wei.

In any case, she felt happy, yet also that her own performance paled in comparison to Lin Yumeng’s.

"I don’t know anything; I just said what Master taught me to say."

Lin Yumeng "modestly" made the remark, attributing the credit to Zhang Wei.

And what about Zhang Wei? He was still sitting in the gallery, next to a very pale-faced Prosecutor Xiao Baihe.

"Do you think you have won again?" Xiao Baihe looked hostile and spoke aggressively.

"Actually, I think we could both win!"

Zhang Wei’s remark left her slightly taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"Just wait here for me a minute!"

Zhang Wei said and headed straight for the defendant’s bench.

Xiao Baihe saw Zhang Wei pulling Lin Yumeng over to Ying Qingli; the three of them talked for a moment.

Then, Zhang Wei went over to the prosecution bench and had a chat with Tan Yingying.

Even though Tan Yingying seemed scared, she nodded in response to what Zhang Wei said.

In the end, Zhang Wei waved at Xiao Baihe, signaling her to come over.

"What on earth is this guy up to!"

Although Xiao Baihe was in a bad mood, she could only get up and walk over.

Five minutes later, the judge’s office.

Both the prosecution and defense were gathered together, and the presiding judge also left the conference room to join them.

"What’s the situation with both of you, the jury is about to deliberate a verdict!"

"Your Honor, we are aware that the verdict is imminent, but please hear us out, the prosecution and defense have reached an agreement!"

Zhang Wei said, gesturing to the side with a hook of his hand.

Tan Yingying immediately stepped forward, "Your Honor, the prosecution is ready to withdraw charges against the defendant Ying Qingli!"

"Withdraw charges?"

Though surprised, the judge also understood.

Because from the jury’s deliberation, things weren’t looking good for the prosecution, and barring any surprises, the case was likely heading towards an acquittal.

"Are you sure about this, defense?" So, the judge asked the defense once more.

The jury’s leanings are currently in your favor, something even a fool could see, yet you agree to not having an acquittal?

Zhang Wei patted Lin Yumeng on the shoulder, who immediately nodded:

"Your Honor, the prosecution and defense have reached an agreement, and the defense concurs!"

"Alright then, I’ll inform the jury later. Since you’ve reached an understanding, I have no objection!"

The judge nodded and returned to the conference room to notify the jury about the withdrawal of charges.

When the four individuals exited the office, Xiao Baihe was the first to express confusion.

"Zhang Wei, you should have won, why let us withdraw the charges, and yet you talk about a win-win outcome?"

"It’s simple. Your little assistant just joined the Serious Crimes Division, right? If she loses her first major crime case, wouldn’t she have to go back to the Minor Crimes Division?"

"But what’s the difference between withdrawing a case and being acquitted?"

"Withdrawing a case looks better for you on the surface, and besides, I have a gift for you!"

Zhang Wei said and gestured towards Tie Ruyun, Li Yueqin, and the defendant Ying Qingli, who were waiting in the corridor.

The three hurried over to join them.

"Next, after the judge announces the prosecution’s withdrawal, we need to find a meeting room to discuss the upcoming matters," Zhang Wei immediately suggested.

The announcement of the withdrawal was quickly delivered, and the courtroom adjourned.

Zhang Wei and the group immediately entered a meeting room, everyone gathering around the table.

Zhang Wei dialed the number of the Major Crimes Unit’s Wu Yong and put the call on speakerphone for everyone in the meeting to hear.

"Captain Wu, can you hear me?"

"Of course, loud and clear, but aren’t you supposed to be in a trial? What do you need from me?"

"It’s about a case you have at hand, of course. I’ve already spoken to the prosecution, and since I helped them withdraw one case, it’s only fair to offer them a new case!"

Saying this, Zhang Wei looked at Ying Qingli.

"Ying Qingli, how much do you know about your boss, Wang Tianmeng?"

Upon hearing this name, Wu Yong on the phone suddenly paused.

Tan Yingying and Xiao Baihe were somewhat curious. Who was this Wang Tianmeng?

"I don’t know much about my boss, I’m just his driver."

"That’s exactly what we need, a driver. Do you know which bank he usually visits?"

"Yes, he usually goes to the Baihua Bank branch in Chengnan District, not far from the old street near his company."

"Then do you know who he usually meets with on weekdays, or about his underlings? What kind of business are they doing?"

"I do know a bit about that. But my boss hasn’t treated me badly, and I’ve always turned a blind eye to his dealings, I..."

When Zhang Wei heard Ying Qingli still wanted to stick to his gang loyalty, he just smiled faintly.

"Do you know that your boss plans to make you take the fall?"

"What do you mean?"

"I’m being quite clear, your boss plans to put all of this on you, including the business affairs, he’s ready to make you the scapegoat."

As he spoke, Zhang Wei also took out a document.

"Your boss thinks he has been very secretive, but actually, it’s quite the opposite. He opened an account with the bank in the name of one of his relatives, and just a few days ago, he transferred money out of it. This sum was 150,000, and it went to an ordinary worker’s account. At first, I was curious what the problem with this worker was, and then through investigation, I discovered that this worker has a younger brother who committed murder and is currently locked up in Iron Island Prison."

"Guess why Wang Tianmeng transferred this money to a murderer? I can tell you, he is neither related nor previously connected to that criminal..."

"Oh, right, Prosecutor Tan Yingying, I want to ask, if Ying Qingli gets convicted, where will he be sent?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Yingying immediately explained, "Normally, armed robbery wouldn’t result in incarceration at Iron Island Prison, but the defendant Ying Qingli has multiple priors, and the judge will consider these factors. I guess it’s highly likely Iron Island Prison..."

Hearing Zhang Wei’s suspicion and Tan Yingying’s explanation, Ying Qingli’s face turned ashen.

He looked at the bank transfer record, his heart unable to calm for a long time.

All these clues were already quite obvious, and Ying Qingli was no fool; he immediately saw through Wang Tianmeng’s intentions.

"But what about this robbery charge?"

"Remember the question I had my apprentice ask? Inquiring whether the witness recognized Wang Tianmeng. Although he didn’t answer, his expression told me everything!"

"Zhang Wei, are you saying, it was Wang Tianmeng who signaled that person to frame the defendant in your case?"

Over the phone, Wu Yong also sensed something was amiss.

"Exactly, it should be so!"

"If I’m not mistaken, after framing Ying Qingli, Wang Tianmeng planned to stage a fake suicide in the prison due to Ying Qingli’s fear of punishment. Then, he’d prepare a confession letter, pushing all his usury crimes onto Ying Qingli. After all, a driver who often worked with him would be the perfect fall guy!"

Zhang Wei said this, looking towards Ying Qingli.

"Have you ever heard the saying, ’sooner or later you pay for what you do’ When you chose to reflect and seek out your former boss Wang Tianmeng, you and he were no longer on the same path. It’s strange that he, clearly engaged in illegal business, still kept you by his side!"

"Lawyer, have I run out of options now?"

"Exactly, if I’m not wrong, you should have some records of Wang Tianmeng’s criminal activities, right? Don’t tell me that after being his driver for so long, you really know nothing about his business. You were once in the same trade, you should be clear about your own situation, shouldn’t you?"

"Yeah, I’m clear. Very clear!"

Ying Qingli nodded emphatically, and then began to tell the prosecutor duo and Captain Wu, who was on the phone, about Wang Tianmeng.

It took 30 minutes for his statement to end.

"These testimonies should be enough to prosecute him, and as for the arrest warrant for Wang Tianmeng, let’s request it under the grounds of obstructing justice and interfering with witnesses!"

Zhang Wei said this, glancing at the time, "There’s still time left today, and the judge should still be in the office; you should move quickly!"

He urged Tan Yingying and Prosecutor Xiao Baihe to take quick action; it wasn’t critical whether Ying Qingli’s case was retracted or not.

Wang Tianmeng was the big fish!

"Exactly, Prosecutor Xiao Baihe, we have been keeping an eye on Wang Tianmeng. Now all we need are the search and arrest warrants. Once you sign the arrest warrant, I’ll apply for the search warrant, and then we can turn his company upside down. How could we not find any clues?"

On the phone, Captain Wu also started to urge them.

Prosecutor Xiao Baihe gave a meaningful look, and Tan Yingying immediately took action, rushing towards the judge’s office.

"Zhang Wei, you’re actually helping us this time, but I still have to say thank you. If we can arrest Wang Tianmeng, I owe you a favor!"

Although Xiao Baihe was reluctant to admit it, if they were to catch Wang Tianmeng, she indeed needed to really thank Zhang Wei.

"What favor, we’re all friends here!"

Zhang Wei chuckled, then suddenly extended his hand towards Xiao Baihe.

"Enough talk, 500 Yuan, oh, no, we agreed it was 500 per person, so for my apprentice and I, that’s 1000 Yuan!"

"You..."

Any budding sense of goodwill Xiao Baihe had towards Zhang Wei vanished in an instant with that sentence!