Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 290 - 288: Motion Procedure, Recognizing Father On the Spot?

Chapter 290: Chapter 288: Motion Procedure, Recognizing Father On the Spot?

In the Criminal Department.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Upon learning that the prosecutor for the case was Guo Wufeng, Zhang Wei simply could not stay calm.

It had to be Old Guo. Why Old Guo? How come it’s always Old Guo?

A series of questions flashed through his mind.

Guo Wufeng taking the case personally meant that there was no chance for reconciliation between the two.

He sat in the conference room, silent.

Old Tie and his entourage also remained quiet.

After a while, Tie Ruyun gave Lin Yumeng a look.

The latter pouted unhappily.

Why should it be me? You’re the leader, why can’t you speak up?

But, ultimately, an apprentice is an apprentice, and she moved to action after pouting.

"Master, don’t worry, the worst is just losing the case, it’s not like you’ve never lost before~"

The apprentice spoke, then suddenly realized, "Wait, Master, have you ever lost a case?"

"I’ve not lost a case in decades!"

Zhang Wei’s voice deepened, and his face grew darker.

"Master, you’re joking again! You weren’t even born a few decades ago!"

The apprentice laughed, thinking Zhang Wei’s casual joke had cheered her up.

But she noticed that no one else was laughing, so her smile quickly faded.

"Right, Master, I feel like there’s no point in fighting this case, so why did you still sign with that client?"

The apprentice voiced the question on everyone’s mind, not just hers and Tie Ruyun’s and Li Yueqin’s.

Even the other twenty-odd newcomers were all ears.

Although they had all passed Jincheng’s preliminary and secondary examinations, the Criminal Department was short-staffed, so the recruitment standards had been lowered a bit.

Therefore, many among the newcomers were novice attorneys and beginners in the workforce. They were also very curious.

"Actually, this case indeed has no chance, but who says I’m definitely going to lose?"

Zhang Wei widened his eyes, then began to laugh.

His laughter was not one of joy but was eerie and somber.

Seeing this, Lin Yumeng felt inexplicably afraid.

The others, seeing his smile, thought Zhang Wei seemed unfathomable.

But there were also some newcomers who considered themselves somewhat capable and felt Zhang Wei was just bluffing.

There’s no point in fighting this case in the first place; even if Zhang Wei is Jincheng’s top lawyer and recently famous in Dongfang Capital for being formidable, it couldn’t really turn the situation upside down, right?

"Anyway, it’s Friday tomorrow, and we can make a procedural motion to feel out the Procuratorate Headquarters!"

Zhang Wei finalized the plan, then went back to his office to take care of business.

Leaving a crowd of newcomers looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Um, Old Tie, if this case goes to court, can we go and observe?"

A female student blinked her eyes, looking at Tie Ruyun with expectant eyes.

It wasn’t just her; the other newcomers were energized as well.

After all, this was a rare chance to watch a trial led by the infamous Lawyer Zhang of Dongfang Capital.

"Er, your new employee handbook..."

"Old Tie, we’ll definitely memorize the employee handbook, but we really want to observe Lawyer Zhang Wei’s trial!" the female student blinked again, her face full of hope.

Seeing this, the other girls also followed suit, gazing at Tie Ruyun with eager eyes.

Old Tie, having been single for over thirty years, had never seen such a scene and immediately compromised.

"Don’t cause trouble for Zhang Wei, remember you are there just to observe, and make sure you take good notes!"

He left this remark and gave a few more instructions before returning to his own desk to get busy.

"Oye!"

And when the newcomers saw that the boss agreed, they all cheered.

As new lawyers, they all fantasized about speaking eloquently in a courtroom.

And now, one could closely observe Lawyer Zhang Wei’s demeanor during a court trial, which was a tremendous opportunity.

Not to mention the excitement of the newcomers outside.

At this moment, however, seated in his office, Zhang Wei was anything but excited.

Because he had realized that this case was almost unwinnable using normal methods.

Gao Xiaoping’s actions were indeed illegal medical practice.

Although she had a medical license from her hometown, Dongfang Capital did not recognize it.

Moreover, since Bei Chong Island had merged with Dongfang Capital, all regulatory standards had to align with Dongfang Capital’s.

In other words, all expectant mothers on Bei Chong Island were required to register for childbirth at hospitals.

Thus, the actions of the client, who was also the defendant, were clearly unlawful.

If the assistant prosecutor went after Gao Xiaoping by the book, there would be no issue whatsoever.

And...

Zhang Wei thought of something, opened a webpage, and started searching for some keywords.

He quickly found a lot of information.

Some of the information highlighted the risks associated with choosing a midwife for delivery.

Authoritative data suggested that giving birth in a hospital was the safest option for both the child and the parents, whereas choosing an unlicensed midwife was akin to putting the mother and child’s lives in the hands of the Grim Reaper.

After looking over the data, Zhang Wei rubbed his forehead.

Difficult!

The case was exceedingly challenging!

Not only was the evidence solid, but the defendant was not innocent either; she had indeed committed a crime.

"What about a settlement?"

Zhang Wei pondered briefly but immediately dismissed the idea.

Who was the prosecutor?

Guo Wufeng!

If he was willing to make a settlement with Zhang Wei, it would be as if the sun rose from the west.

"Forget it, let’s wait for tomorrow, take it one step at a time!"

Thinking this, Zhang Wei began to prepare.

...

The next day, Friday.

Inside a conference room at Dongfang Capital City Court,

Zhang Wei sat next to his client Gao Xiaoping, facing two others across the table.

One of them was glaring continuously, as if someone owed him money that had never been repaid, which was none other than Guo Wufeng.

The other person, dressed in formal attire, appeared calm and collected; he must be Xiao Chen, the assistant prosecutor from Bei Chong Island.

The latter, following the rules, had initiated the public prosecution against Gao Xiaoping at the Bei Chong Island Procuratorate and then transferred the case to the Procuratorate Headquarters.

The former was the person now handling the case.

"Um, sorry, I got called into a meeting by my boss just now and arrived a bit late!"

The conference room door opened again as a young judge, donned in a black robe but looking quite young, hurried in.

This judge was a young man in his thirties.

At such an age, he was considered fairly young within the judicial profession, indicating he was relatively inexperienced.

He was also wearing glasses and moved quickly as if he was rushing against time, giving the impression that he didn’t want to keep anyone waiting.

After sitting down, he introduced himself to both parties:

"Hello, everyone. My surname is Liu, and you can call me Judge Liu. I was promoted to Dongfang Capital City Court last year from a lower court, so if there’s anything I can improve in this case, please feel free to tell me, and I will make sure to correct it!"

Judge Liu’s introduction made it clear to Zhang Wei that the judge was not only inexperienced but also lacked a strong personality.

Such a judge might feel apprehensive around those with more seniority.

Like...

"Judge Liu, since you’re here, can we start with the ’pre-trial motions’ then?"

While Guo Wufeng seemed to be asking the judge, his tight face and commanding presence added a palpable pressure to the atmosphere.

"Yes, yes, Director Guo, you’re right, let’s begin the motion proceedings then!"

Judge Liu’s attitude toward Guo Wufeng was extremely humble, as if he were a well-trained student.

"Hmph, it should be this way, after all, our time is precious!"

No sooner had the judge finished speaking than Guo Wufeng snorted, looking toward Zhang Wei, "Lawyer Zhang, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. If your client voluntarily pleads guilty, we can be lenient in our sentencing!"

"Old Guo, when you speak of leniency, what exactly are we talking about?"

Zhang Wei looked at Guo Wufeng, his eyes narrowing.

Guo Wufeng’s brow furrowed, feeling somewhat annoyed within.

Are you familiar with me, calling me Old Guo?

Didn’t you see the judge calls me Director Guo?

You, a defense attorney, actually call me Old Guo—those unaware might think we’re on familiar terms. Quit trying to cozy up to me!

However, although Guo Wufeng was quite irritated inside, he knew after many interactions that the other party had thick skin.

"10 years!"

"What?"

Hearing this number, Zhang Wei was taken aback.

"If lenience results in 10 years, then what would be the sentence without leniency?"

"11-15 years!" Guo Wufeng said coldly.

Well then!

Truly, well then!

Zhang Wei had realized that the people opposite him had no sincerity at all.

It wasn’t just Zhang Wei, Gao Xiaoping felt the same fury upon hearing the term, her fists involuntarily clenching tightly.

"Cough cough, let me sort this out!"

Zhang Wei noticed the change in his client’s emotions and immediately interrupted.

"The prosecution charges my client with the crime of unauthorized medical practice; this charge relates to someone practicing medicine without a medical qualification, generally resulting in a sentence of up to three years imprisonment, criminal detention, or public surveillance. Only when it causes serious harm to the health of the patient does it carry a sentence of 3-10 years imprisonment."

"If I remember correctly, the criminal law states that only if the patient dies can a sentence of over 10 years be given, right?"

As he spoke, Zhang Wei said gravely, "My client, Madam Gao, has been a midwife on Bei Chong Island for years, and she has seen many couples, but there haven’t been any cases where a mother died directly because of her intervention, right?"

"Lawyer Zhang does play word games quite well, doesn’t he?"

Guo Wufeng sneered, tossing out a report.

"Your client has been practicing on Bei Chong Island for over 20 years, serving over a hundred couples, among which there were mothers who bled excessively and died during childbirth..."

"That was postpartum hemorrhage, and the medical examiners also mentioned vaginal and cervical lacerations, as well as a case of coagulopathy. I’m just a midwife, I couldn’t help them!"

Before Guo Wufeng could finish, Gao Xiaoping directly interrupted him.

"But if these mothers had given birth in a regular hospital, they could have avoided such situations. Regular hospitals have a range of strict pre-birth checks, which might have saved those mothers who died from excessive bleeding!"

Guo Wufeng wouldn’t indulge Gao Xiaoping, interrupting her just as coldly.

"I believe I’ve done nothing wrong. You are just twisting facts to suit your theories!"

Gao Xiaoping immediately slammed the table and stood up.

This scene startled even Judge Liu, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"Whether you’re wrong or not isn’t for you to say, nor for us to say, but for the law to decide!"

Guo Wufeng, unable to tolerate a defendant acting arrogantly in front of him, also slapped the table and stood up to retort.

For a moment, the two were at loggerheads, creating a tense and heavy atmosphere in the conference room.

Judge Liu, along with Assistant Prosecutor Xiao Chen, watched the two in stunned silence.

It was just a pre-trial motion procedure, did it need to be this intense?

Only then did Judge Liu remember the advice of his predecessor after taking over the case.

"Xiao Liu, I’m not sure whether to congratulate you or sympathize with you on this case. The evidence is irrefutable, and the defendant is unlikely to escape. However, you won’t have an easy time because the prosecutor is Old Guo from the Procuratorate Headquarters, and the most troublesome is the defense side’s Lawyer Zhang Wei—he is quite a handful!"

Judge Liu initially wasn’t concerned, but now he regretted it.

Before the defense attorney even opened their mouth, their client and the prosecutor were already arguing.

What was he to do?

Xiao Chen was equally bewildered. Is this how Dongfang Capital handles motions? Why does it feel like a battle?

The cases we handle at the Procuratorate on Bei Chong Island are minor rural matters, where everyone is amiable during pre-trial consultations. None are as exaggerated as this!

"Both of you, please sit down. This is a pre-trial motion, not a court session!"

Judge Liu immediately spoke up to offer a word of comfort.

Both parties sat down sullenly, but the anger on Guo Wufeng and Gao Xiaoping’s faces had not dissipated.

In the end, it was Zhang Wei, who had remained expressionless, who began to speak as he flipped through the report.

"Actually, Old Guo makes some sense. Whether my client is at fault is not for us to decide, but for the law to determine."

"However, according to your report, the last maternal death following childbirth was five years ago, and it has just been barely five years since Bei Chong Island was integrated into Dongfang Capital. This means that five years ago, my client still had a valid medical license."

"There’s an adage that the law does not punish past actions. For matters that occurred more than five years ago, my client hasn’t violated any procedures, and I believe that the law cannot accuse her of any wrongdoing, can it?"

Hearing Zhang Wei’s words, Guo Wufeng scoffed:

"Hmph, Lawyer Zhang, you really are Lawyer Zhang, trying to absolve your client of all guilt with just a few understated sentences!"

Zhang Wei laughed heartily, "Old Guo, even if my client did make a mistake, it would only be within the past five years. If you really want to pursue this matter, then what about when you were a child—copying homework, peeking under girls’ skirts, or even cursing teachers behind their backs? Doesn’t that also suggest deceit, indecency, and slander? Would you like those old stories to be dug up?"

"When did I curse my teachers, peek under girls’ skirts, or copy homework?"

Guo Wufeng immediately retorted, frustrated, "You’re deflecting from the issue at hand."

Zhang Wei replied calmly, "I’m just stating the facts as they are. And even if we are to negotiate a settlement with the prosecution, I would only advise my client to acknowledge the events of the past five years!"

At the head of the room, Judge Liu, seeing that both parties had finally concluded their exchange, quickly asked, "So, according to the defense’s position, your terms are...?"

Zhang Wei raised three fingers, "Three years. We are only willing to agree to a maximum of three years, with a two-year probation and the possibility of parole in the final year."

Upon hearing this, Guo Wufeng immediately widened his eyes.

"What a generous offer, pleading guilty for three years with two years probation, allowing for parole in the last year—isn’t that the same as not serving any time in prison at all?"

"But my client has pleaded guilty, hasn’t she?" Zhang Wei spread his hands, feigning innocence.

I’ve given you my terms, and I’ve shown a cooperative attitude. What more do you want?

It’s just that this case cannot be won. If there had been the smallest chance, I, Zhang Someone, would not have been so accommodating!

Seeing Zhang Wei’s demeanor of "I’ve seriously considered it and this is the offer I’ve come up with; take it or leave it," Guo Wufeng could not stand idly by.

"While Lawyer Zhang’s statement isn’t wrong, in these five years, your client continued midwifery with an invalid license, even after being advised explicitly by the local Procuratorate, which constitutes a deliberate offense, raising the seriousness of the crime."

"Moreover, under her midwifery, there are still newborns who have died. If these babies had been delivered at the local hospital, they might not have died so young. Those are living lives, aren’t they? Those must be counted against her too!"

Hearing Guo Wufeng’s words, Zhang Wei couldn’t help but retaliate fiercely, "Old Guo, you’re being completely unreasonable! A fetus has no right to life before its birth; in the eyes of the law, they are not considered full persons!"

"Do you think the jury will listen to your arguments?"

Guo Wufeng scoffed, confronting Zhang Wei directly, "Tell the jury that their children weren’t considered persons or even lives while in the womb, so their deaths were inconsequential, and see if they will feel sympathy for you and your client!"

Such heartless statements clearly will not win the jury’s sympathy; in fact, they’d be lucky if the jury didn’t view them with outright hostility.

"So this means there’s no room for negotiation?"

Zhang Wei raised an eyebrow, looking at Guo Wufeng.

The latter snorted sternly, "Hmph, we’ve given our conditions. Your client must be held responsible for the children who have died over the years. Furthermore, she acted with full knowledge of her wrongdoing, which is a deliberate violation of the law, elevating the severity of her crime. Even if we were inclined to give her a chance, the law wouldn’t permit it!"

"Actually, I think ten years is indeed a bit excessive..." Judge Liu said weakly from the side.

"Judge Liu, shut your mouth!" Guo Wufeng glared at him, and Judge Liu stopped speaking abruptly.

In front of Old Guo, this new Judge Liu had no authority to speak of.

Zhang Wei knew that Guo Wufeng was set on harshly punishing Gao Xiaoping; otherwise, he wouldn’t have put his foot down so firmly.

There was no point in them staying here; what, were they supposed to stay and endure more of Guo Wufeng’s wrath?

"Fine, we’ll settle this in court!"

Zhang Wei left these words behind and took his client to leave.

"Zhang Wei, let me give you some advice: you’re going to lose this time. If I were you, I’d urge my client to plead guilty right away; it’s the best outcome you can get!"

As Zhang Wei reached the door, Guo Wufeng’s mocking words echoed in his ears.

Feeling assured of Judge Liu’s timidity, Guo Wufeng no longer showed Zhang Wei any respect, not even bothering with the formal title of ’lawyer.’

"Old Guo, let me tell you something too: nothing in this world is absolute. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe I will turn the tables yet!"

"If you can turn the tables, I, Guo Wufeng, lay it on the line here: I’ll call you ’Dad’ right on the spot!"

Hearing Guo Wufeng’s words, Zhang Wei left without looking back.

Inside the meeting room, Xiao Chen, as well as Judge Liu, all stared at Old Guo, dumbfounded.

You must be incredibly confident.

But what if you get proven wrong?

Will you really call Lawyer Zhang ’Dad’?

Such a scene would be... too awkward to bear, wouldn’t it?