Death penalty?
How is that possible!!?
How could the crime committed by Chen Dong possibly warrant the death penalty!?
The case file provided by the police must have indicated the possibility of manslaughter, if the judge had considered it, the worst would have been involuntary manslaughter...
How did it become intentional murder!?
"Isn't this judge wrong?"
Yang Ruoxi watched the verdict on TV, suddenly furrowing her brows.
"No matter how you think about it, it shouldn't be a death penalty. Even if it was intentional murder, with these circumstances, it's at most life imprisonment..."
She studied law.
Although her law firm had gone bankrupt before, this didn't mean she had a problem with her fundamental skills!
Xu Liang frowned deeply, remained silent for a long time, and looked at the prosecution's position on the TV.
That was Chen Jian's family's position.
Chen Jian wasn't there, but Zhu Hong was...
Seven years ago, Zhu Hong did not participate in the incident of Zhang Cui's death and Chen Qingqing's victimization.
So the police had no reason to detain her!
"Is it her mischief?"
Xu Liang's mind was in turmoil, frowning.
Just as he was silent, a furious shout suddenly broke his thoughts.
"Death penalty? How the hell did they decide that!?"
The voice was somewhat familiar.
Xu Liang turned to look, his face shadowed, a mountain of flesh blocking his view, and as he raised his head slightly, a familiar and furious face came into sight.
He was stunned and instinctively said, "Officer Wang?"
Wang Chao, dressed in casual clothes and glaring angrily at the TV, suddenly froze, frowned, and looked down to see Xu Liang, and then he was taken aback.
"Lawyer Xu!?"
Wang Chao was a bit shocked, slightly restraining his angry expression.
Xu Liang glanced at Yang Ruoxi and then at Wang Chao, feeling a bit hesitant.
"You two are..."
"She's my sister, my biological sister." Wang Chao explained.
Before the other could inquire further, he explained on his own volition:
"She took my mother's surname, I took my father's surname."
Xu Liang nodded, still feeling a bit puzzled.
"But you're here for..."
"My mom told my sister to come collect rent. I heard it was on Hongfu Street, where Lawyer Xu is, so I came over, just happened to have something to discuss with you."
Wang Chao explained, then looked at Xu Liang, hesitating to speak, wanting to speak but holding back.
"I want to..."
"Talk to Lawyer Xu about Chen Dong's case."
Chen Dong...
His thoughts returned.
Xu Liang frowned, unsure how to evaluate.
He had thought about less than seven years for Chen Dong, even considered the judge being strict and giving twenty years.
He had even thought about life imprisonment!
But it turned out to be... the death penalty!
Not even a suspended death sentence!!!
"What do you want to discuss about him?"
Yang Ruoxi took a deep breath, only finding the verdict on the TV just now absurd, and now stared at her brother asking.
Wang Chao looked at Xu Liang, speaking gloomily.
"Lawyer Xu, to be honest, the captain of the squad skinned me these days, telling me to go home and reflect."
"But I've reflected for a long time... damn it, I still can't figure out... why Chen Dong has to die!?"
Wang Chao sat on two stools, his expression extremely hideous.
Thinking about it, he wanted to slap the table, but thinking about his sister nearby, he forcibly held back.
Seeing him like this, Xu Liang furrowed his brow.
"So, the real reason you're looking for me is..."
Yang Ruoxi guessed her brother's thoughts, furrowing her brow, and said:
"You want to reduce Chen Dong's sentence?"
Wang Chao nodded gloomily.
Yang Ruoxi shook her head instantly, her red lips slightly parted.
"Emotionally, I support you, but objectively... I advise you to give up."
Having been a lawyer herself, she naturally knew how difficult this case was.
If it were at the first trial, it would be fine, but the first trial was over, and under the first trial's decision, the second trial was like hell, with a ninety percent chance of being in vain!
Wang Chao was unwilling; he had previously asked Yang Ruoxi indirectly, who had said she couldn't do anything, which led him to think of Xu Liang.
He looked at Xu Liang.
"Brother Liang, this case..."
"It's a bit tricky."
Xu Liang pondered for a moment but didn't give a precise answer.
"Tricky?"
Wang Chao was stunned, but instead of being disappointed, his eyes lit up.
Tricky means it's difficult to execute, not impossible!
"Do you have confidence?"
Yang Ruoxi was a bit surprised, her eyebrows furrowing.
Not that she doubted his ability, but.....
"Taking on a case like this if it goes bad can easily lead to the end of your career."
"This case has already led to the death penalty. If the second trial upholds the original verdict, there will be a mark of a death penalty client on your resume..."
Yes, this is why most lawyers are reluctant to take on second trials of death penalty cases.
The difficulty is high, the margin for error is low, and any mistake will leave a permanent mark.
Most crucially...
Yang Ruoxi frowned, speaking softly:
"You should know your status affects the court hearing..."
What status? The status of assisting the police in a criminal investigation!
In the past, the law clearly stipulated that lawyers involved in police investigations needed to avoid conflicts of interest and could not handle lawsuits involving personnel related to the case.
In this world, though not strictly prohibited.
But taking it on would still add a lot of difficulty, which is highly irresponsible to the client.
However...
"Add difficulty?"
Xu Liang smiled, not caring much.
Not to mention that he hadn't taken it yet, even if he did take on this lawsuit, failing the second trial would be nothing more than standing still.
It doesn't matter if it's more difficult.
"Brother, do you really have a way!?"
Wang Chao saw him like this, and his heart filled with joy.
Though this lawsuit was unrelated to him, he still felt a trace of happiness emerging from the bottom of his heart.
"Don't get excited; let me first understand the situation and then see if there's a way."
Xu Liang advised, pondering for a moment, and finally decided to focus on the disputes in the courtroom.
"This death sentence verdict is a bit unusual, completely beyond what Chen Dong deserved!"
Next to him, Yang Ruoxi nodded, taking out paper and pen from her bag.
"Snap!"
The pen cap opened, and her slender fingers held the ballpoint pen, writing a few lines on the paper.
"Four factors usually influence the outcome of a case."
"The presiding judge, the prosecution lawyer, the defense lawyer, and the evidence."
Hearing this, Wang Chao quickly spoke: "The court's evidence was provided by the police, and there's nothing wrong with it!"
Yang Ruoxi nodded and crossed out the evidence.
"Then the problem lies with the remaining three."
Xu Liang looked at the TV and asked: "Which law firm is Chen Jian's prosecution lawyer from?"
"Zhang Cheng, the top-notch lawyer from Chengen Law Firm."
Yang Ruoxi looked at the screen for a while and analyzed the blurry image.
Though her firm had gone bankrupt, she knew Hanhai City's lawyers very well.
"That firm has a grip on the grassroots in Hanhai, and even if a boutique or Red Circle law firm came from Upper City, they wouldn't necessarily beat him in Hanhai City!"
Chen Jian spent a lot to hire him.
As for Chen Dong's defense lawyer...
"Is it a court-appointed lawyer?"
Xu Liang frowned and suddenly looked at Wang Chao for confirmation.
Most lawyers are hired by the clients, but there is another type called court-appointed lawyers!
For instance, in some cases, the defendant can't afford a lawyer due to financial difficulties.
In that case, the court would contact the bar association to appoint a lawyer for the defendant, during which they receive only a minimal stipend.
This leads to some showing a very passive attitude, thus infringing on the defender's rights.
"Yes, something like legal aid."
Wang Chao nodded.
"No wonder..."
Xu Liang frowned deeply.
But even so, it doesn't warrant Chen Dong a death sentence. The problem probably lies..... in the courtroom?
After a long time, Xu Liang looked up, looked at Wang Chao, and said seriously:
"Bring Chen Hua, have him bring all the data he can get to see me, I'll be at the law firm waiting for you."
Hearing this, Wang Chao was instantly filled with joy.
"Alright, brother!"
With that, he hurriedly walked out.
Xu Liang also stood up, preparing to return to the law firm to think of a way to break the case.
But just as he stood up, Yang Ruoxi couldn't help but speak.
"You really want to take this case!?"
Xu Liang paused, looked back at her, said nothing, and then turned away.
Taking it or not...
It's no one else's business.