Chapter 114: Not a Single Penny Wanted, What Is Wanted Is the Dignity of the Law!
On the judicial bench.
After Yu Caixia heard the statements of the public prosecutor and the defense counsel, she briefly organized them.
Afterward she looked toward Su Bai.
“May I ask whether the victim’s side has anything further that needs to be supplemented?”
Su Bai had already organized the key points just stated by Jiang Min.
He slightly raised his head.
“Presiding Judge, our side needs to make a supplement.”
“Alright, please state your side’s viewpoint.”
Faced with Yu Caixia’s agreement, Su Bai continued speaking:
“With regard to what the public prosecutor has already mentioned just now, I will not repeat it.”
“However, regarding the statements of the defendant’s lawyer, I would like to express several viewpoints.”
“First, what I need to emphasize is that at the time, the location where Qin Xiaofeng committed the killing was on the road, in broad daylight, at around ten in the morning, and at that time there were still pedestrians on the road.”
“In broad daylight, without the slightest concealment, without avoidance, he directly stabbed a pregnant woman five consecutive times on the road, causing her death.”
“Although this may not have been premeditated murder, committing a crime in public with such cruel means, whether it was premeditated murder or a crime of passion, in terms of its impact on society, is enormous!”
“It absolutely must be sentenced severely and strictly!”
“The second point is this: I would like to ask the defendant’s lawyer, the defendant’s lawyer just now stated that Qin Xiaofeng did not, at the first moment, learn of Lu Ying’s status as a pregnant woman.”
“This expression, at the first moment, is very ambiguous.”
“I would like to ask the defendant’s lawyer, what does at the first moment refer to?”
“Does it refer to Qin Xiaofeng’s not knowing beforehand that Lu Ying was pregnant?”
“But!”
“According to the confession and the evidence, immediately after Lu Ying was stabbed by Qin Xiaofeng, she informed Qin Xiaofeng of her status as a pregnant woman, and requested that Qin Xiaofeng not continue harming her.”
“So what time exactly does this at the first moment refer to?”
“Fine!”
“Let us count it as referring to Qin Xiaofeng’s not knowing Lu Ying’s status as a pregnant woman at the moment he first swung the knife.”
“But in the course of these several consecutive stabbings, Lu Ying had already expressed her attitude of admitting fault, and had also stated that she was pregnant.”
“Then in this process, did Qin Xiaofeng choose to continue swinging the knife despite already knowing the circumstances, and did he choose to continue committing the crime?”
“Knowing that the other party was pregnant, and choosing to continue committing the crime, should that not warrant severe and strict punishment?”
“The third point: according to the statement of the defendant’s lawyer.”
“One of the principal defense viewpoints is that Qin Xiaofeng belonged to the category of a crime of passion, and was not carrying out murder, but the consequence caused by this emotional crime was two deaths in one body.”
“He faced a strange pregnant woman, and after a verbal dispute, took out a knife and killed her!”
“According to what the defendant’s defense lawyer said, Qin Xiaofeng belongs to the category of a crime of passion in criminal psychology, Qin Xiaofeng had only just reached adulthood, and this psychological condition is a normal circumstance, but do other people, when they have only just reached adulthood, keep knives in their cars?”
“When faced with a verbal dispute, do they directly take out a knife and stab several times in succession?!”
“Qin Xiaofeng had only just reached adulthood, but this is not an excuse for emotional crime!”
“As an adult of eighteen years of age, he should have possessed the capacity for independent thought, and this has no relation whatsoever to his having only just reached adulthood.”
“Since he has already reached the age of adulthood, then in law he should be subject to equal rights!”
“One cannot use the psychology of a single individual to represent the psychology of the general public.”
“With respect to the viewpoint of the defendant’s lawyer, whether from an objective perspective or from a subjective perspective, I do not agree!”
After Su Bai had stated the above viewpoints, he continued speaking and applied pressure:
“At the same time, regarding the matter of Qin Xiaofeng’s surrender, I also have doubts.”
“On the day of the incident, it was at ten in the morning on the 22nd of that month.”
“According to the evidence provided by the law enforcement side, Qin Xiaofeng was apprehended on the afternoon of the 24th of that month while en route to a nearby law enforcement department.”
“Among these facts, according to Qin Xiaofeng’s confession, he was preparing to surrender himself.”
“The defendant’s determination that Qin Xiaofeng had the circumstance of surrender should be based on the provision among the circumstances of surrender that where a criminal, after fleeing, during the process of being wanted and pursued, voluntarily presents himself, and upon investigation is indeed found to have been preparing to present himself, or is apprehended by law enforcement organs during the process of preparing to present himself, this shall be recognized as voluntary presentation.”
“However.”
“My understanding of the circumstances is not like this.”
“Presiding Judge, according to the oral evidence of relevant law enforcement personnel already submitted by our side, at the time Qin Xiaofeng was apprehended while on the way to the nearby law enforcement department, he displayed an obvious resistant attitude.”
“And he engaged in a certain degree of resistance.”
“The most crucial point is!”
“The law enforcement side did not include this point in the relevant materials regarding surrender, which obviously constitutes a violation of the relevant procedures.”
“Our side believes that the procedures of the law enforcement materials were in violation, and based on this point, Qin Xiaofeng cannot be determined to have surrendered himself through voluntary presentation.”
Su Bai had already developed an understanding of the judgment at first instance.
The principal viewpoint for sentencing him to a suspended death sentence at first instance was precisely that Qin Xiaofeng had the circumstance of surrender.
But a university student who had only just reached adulthood, after committing a crime of passion, and who had moreover been richly indulged and doted on by his parents, according to Su Bai’s judgment based on prior experience.
Would either.
Surrender himself within the first day.
Or directly not surrender, but instead have some hesitation, struggle, and resistance in his heart.
To surrender only after two days had passed, and moreover to be apprehended en route, was obviously not very normal.
Therefore, he had Li Xuezhen further investigate the detailed process of the surrender.
Relying on her powerful network of relations and background, Li Xuezhen quickly investigated the truth of the matter, and indeed, just as he had thought, there were doubtful points within it.
The most important suspicious point was precisely this, if it was truly surrender, if it was truly frank and voluntary presentation, then why would there have been resistant and fleeing behavior?
And!
The most important point is!
This resistant and fleeing behavior was not recorded by the law enforcement side!
Why was it not recorded?!
According to the procedural steps of the law enforcement side, this point absolutely had to be recorded.
As to why it was not recorded, this key issue, presumably, was also very clear.
If Li Xuezhen’s network of personal connections had not been so strong, this point could never have been discovered.
In summary, it still came down to social connections!
Su Bai smiled and glanced at Li Xuezhen.
Li Xuezhen was intently staring at Qin Xiaofeng with a serious expression on her small face.
Su Bai: …
After Su Bai finished his statement.
The courtroom scene appeared somewhat restless.
Especially Jiang Min at the defendant’s table.
The circumstance of surrender could be said to be an important condition in determining whether Qin Xiaofeng received a suspended death sentence.
Setting other things aside for the moment.
If surrender were recognized, then at the very least a suspended death sentence could be guaranteed with high probability.
But if surrender were not recognized, then with high probability it would be the death penalty, accounting for seventy percent.
This was the key distinction between surrender and non surrender.
But.
Good heavens, Su Bai had not only blocked him completely on the first key point.
He had also struck him at the point of surrender, was that not fatal!
Wan Yuping and Qin Anhai at the family seating area, after hearing Su Bai’s words, were also stunned for a moment.
There was a thud in their hearts, but neither of them spoke, they maintained silence, and it was unknown what they were thinking in their hearts.
They merely looked nervously toward Qin Xiaofeng at the defendant’s seat.
When Qin Xiaofeng heard Su Bai’s statement, he felt somewhat flustered in his heart.
Because.
At that time he had indeed not intended to surrender, it was his mother who called him and told him to head in that direction.
And also said.
That if he were caught, he should say that he was surrendering himself.
He had not expected that not long after he arrived at that place, he would be apprehended.
He resisted.
Only when he knew that success was impossible did he simply resign himself.
After arriving at the law enforcement unit.
He knew that if he said he was surrendering himself, he would receive a lighter sentence, and it happened that he was indeed on the road to the law enforcement department, so he simply explained that he had been preparing to surrender himself.
However, the law enforcement side had already determined that he was voluntarily presenting himself.
Yet now the opposing lawyer had raised it again, and had even submitted evidence, what did this mean?
At the same time, the audience members watching the live trial broadcast.
Did not very well understand the lengthy content Su Bai had just stated.
And asked questions in the livestream rooms of various legal commentators.
I understood the earlier part, the general meaning was that this Qin Xiaofeng deserves to die! I did not quite understand the later part, being caught on the way to the law enforcement unit, should that not count as being arrested? How did it become voluntary presentation, and what does this resistance mean? Is there any expert who can explain it?
The explanation, in general terms, is that this case has enormous problems!
What do you mean? Enormous problems?!
?????
Inside Luo Daxiang’s livestream room, people were likewise asking questions.
The content was: “Teacher Luo, please explain to us the meaning of this Lawyer Su’s argument.”
Luo Daxiang smiled and nodded: “Alright!”
“In fact, this trial has only two key points.”
“The first concerns the accusation of intentional homicide.”
“The second concerns the circumstance of surrender.”
“Everyone should also know that homicide is divided into different situations, and only particularly egregious situations can be determined to merit the death penalty.”
“The first key point between Lawyer Su for the accusing side and the lawyer for the accused side lies precisely here.”
“The defendant’s lawyer uses emotional crime to excuse Qin Xiaofeng, because the determination of emotional crime, compared with other criminal situations, results in relatively lighter punishment.”
“Whereas Lawyer Su’s viewpoint is that killing openly in broad daylight, and during the process continuing the attack after learning that the other party was pregnant, whether it is emotional crime or some other crime with purposeful intent, all have enormous social impact, all are committed for the purpose of intentional homicide, and mitigation of the crime would be unfair to the law.”
“And the second key point is very simple, surrender.”
“However, the circumstance of surrender is divided into many kinds of situations, and here I will not discuss them one by one, what Lawyer Su for the accusing side is rebutting is whether Qin Xiaofeng belongs to the category of surrender, and he is also questioning the evidence provided by the law enforcement side.”
Comment:
Then why was this not raised earlier, does this mean that the materials provided by the law enforcement side had problems?
Luo Daxiang smiled: “This kind of situation is not very easy to judge.”
“Within it there are many possibilities for determining surrender, and one cannot determine it solely on the basis of a single situation.”
“Alright, let us not speak more idle words for now, let us continue watching the hearing.”
In the courtroom.
Bang bang bang!
Yu Caixia slightly frowned and briefly reviewed the evidentiary materials.
Afterward she summarized the issues of both sides and spoke:
“With respect to this case, there are now the following points on which the defendant Qin Xiaofeng needs to be questioned.”
“The party must answer truthfully, and false answers or concealment of facts are not permitted.”
“If there are false answers, then the responsibility shall be borne entirely by the defendant.”
Faced with Yu Caixia’s stern warning, Qin Xiaofeng stood at the defendant’s seat and seriously nodded: “Alright Presiding Judge.”
Yu Caixia continued speaking:
“First, with respect to the accusing side’s accusation that when you were carrying out the attack, the victim Lu Ying stated the fact that she was pregnant, do you have any objection to this matter?”
This was a fact that had already been confessed at the law enforcement organ, Qin Xiaofeng could not deny it.
He could only nod and admit it.
“No objection.”
“Mm!”
Yu Caixia continued asking: “What was the principal motive that led you to commit the crime?”
“The principal motive.”
“The principal motive was that I felt she was troublesome, so in a moment of impulse I acted.”
“Then can you explain why there was a knife in your car?”
“What was the reason for placing the knife there?”
“The reason for placing the knife there was that during those days, I needed to cut fruit, so I casually left the knife in the car.”
There was nothing particularly problematic in Qin Xiaofeng’s answers to the above questions.
They did not differ much from the provided materials.
Yu Caixia slightly nodded, glanced at the materials, and then continued asking:
“Then.”
“With respect to the accusing side’s accusation that during the process of surrendering yourself, when you were subjected to apprehension by law enforcement, you displayed a certain degree of resistance, how do you explain this?”
Faced with this question.
Qin Xiaofeng understood that he absolutely had to answer well.
He remained silent for several seconds.
Qin Xiaofeng told a lie: “The situation at the time was that some people suddenly rushed out and wanted to catch me, I was nervous at the time and did not know who they were, and that is why I resisted.”
“So your meaning is that during the process of apprehending you, the law enforcement side did not present proof of identity?”
At this time, Su Bai suddenly spoke and asked, directly interrupting Qin Xiaofeng’s train of thought.
Bang bang bang!
Yu Caixia struck the gavel: “Counsel for the accusing side may not interrupt questioning, this serves as one reminder.”
“Alright Presiding Judge.”
The objective achieved, Su Bai nodded and did not say anything further.
Yu Caixia glanced at Su Bai, and knew what he was thinking in his heart.
However, this was beneficial to the hearing, so she also did not impose any further penalty.
She continued speaking:
“With respect to the question just raised by the accusing side, the defendant should explain it.”
“At the time, did the law enforcement personnel declare their law enforcement identity?”
Explain it?
How could this be explained?
He could not possibly state his real thoughts.
Qin Xiaofeng looked toward his defense lawyer Jiang Min, and seeing that Jiang Min showed no reaction whatsoever, there was a thud in his heart as it sank.
“Presiding Judge, I was anxious at the time and did not notice.”
Faced with Qin Xiaofeng’s words, everyone present understood.
That being anxious and not noticing was obviously a lie.
The greatest possibility was that he had no intention of surrendering himself.
And moreover.
The law enforcement side had not recorded Qin Xiaofeng’s resistance.
Within this, the waters were very deep!
Bang bang bang!
After Qin Xiaofeng finished speaking, Yu Caixia struck the gavel.
According to the current state of the hearing.
In terms of evidentiary review, collection had already been completed before the hearing, and there was no major problem.
She turned her head and looked toward the other two adjudicators, and the other two adjudicators nodded to indicate that this hearing likewise had no major problem.
The evidence was conclusive.
Yu Caixia spoke: “Does the defendant’s lawyer have anything further that needs to be stated in response to the accusations made by the accusing side?”
Faced with Yu Caixia’s inquiry, Jiang Min knew that the other key points were secondary, but with respect to the determination of voluntary surrender, he absolutely had to regain the initiative.
Thus he spoke regarding this point:
“Presiding Judge, with respect to our client’s being apprehended during the course of surrendering himself, and his having engaged in resistant conduct.”
“Our side believes that our client had only recently reached adulthood and had not yet acquired independent social experience, therefore when facing relevant law enforcement personnel, he would have some stress reactions.”
“Our side requests that the Presiding Judge take this factor into consideration.”
“Presiding Judge, our statement is concluded.”
Bang bang bang!
Yu Caixia slightly nodded and struck the gavel, and made a general summary of the present case.
“With respect to the trial arguments of the accusing side and the accused side, after deliberation the members of the collegial panel have reached the following summary.”
“First, the fact that Qin Xiaofeng intentionally killed is established, although there was a certain emotional component to the crime, the five consecutive stabbings demonstrate intentionality.”
“Second, during the process of the attack, Qin Xiaofeng learned the fact that Lu Ying was pregnant.”
“Third, Qin Xiaofeng was apprehended during the process of surrendering himself, but engaged in a certain degree of resistance, and this was not recorded by the law enforcement side.”
“Do the parties have any objection to the above three points?”
Public prosecutor Zheng Lijun: “Our side has no objection.”
Jiang Min let out a sigh: “Our side has no objection.”
Su Bai: “Our side has no objection.”
Bang bang bang!
“All parties have no objection to the above summary, next we proceed to the court statement.”
Court statement.
Su Bai let out a long breath, up to the present point Yu Caixia had not made any determination whatsoever with respect to the arguments of both sides.
No one knew what the specific situation would be.
By comparison, the court statement might be the most important stage of the hearing in causing Yu Caixia to develop a tendency.
At the same time.
Everyone present in the courtroom also understood that the court statement was the final key point.
At the family seating area.
Wan Yuping and Qin Anhai were both exceptionally nervous, because in this final stage, their son’s life and death might be decided.
Likewise.
With respect to this final court statement, Chu Lei was also very anxious, because it would affect whether the criminal Qin Xiaofeng would receive the punishment that the law properly required.
Bang!
Yu Caixia spoke: “The prosecution will now make its statement.”
Zheng Lijun briefly organized the litigation materials, and then began his statement.
“The prosecution’s statement is as follows:”
“The prosecution believes that Qin Xiaofeng is suspected of intentional homicide, and has caused serious social impact.”
“Should receive severe punishment, so as to uphold reverence for the law and the equal rights of all persons.”
“Every citizen ought to possess the equal obligation to enjoy the law…”
“Presiding Judge, our statement is concluded.”
Zheng Lijun’s statement was conventional and proper, and it could be said that he directly applied a template.
Bang bang bang!
After hearing the prosecution’s statement, Yu Caixia looked toward the defendant’s table: “The defendant’s counsel is now requested to make a statement.”
“Alright Presiding Judge.”
Jiang Min slightly nodded.
In this case, as matters currently stood, their side occupied a certain slight disadvantage.
However, the Presiding Judge had still not made a determination, and that meant they still had an opportunity.
The stage of the court statement.
Was their final opportunity.
Jiang Min raised his hand: “Presiding Judge, with respect to the statement, our side applies to display certain materials related to this case.”
Bang bang!
“Application approved.”
“Alright Presiding Judge.”
Immediately afterward, Jiang Min handed certain materials to the staff member beside him.
“Presiding Judge.”
“These materials concern evaluations of Qin Xiaofeng by school personnel and teachers.”
“The evaluations of Qin Xiaofeng by school personnel and teachers are for the most part positive.”
“Among them, one schoolteacher evaluated Qin Xiaofeng in the following manner: I had never imagined that Qin Xiaofeng would kill someone, ordinarily at school, Qin Xiaofeng always completed his studies conscientiously, respected teachers, and was friendly to fellow students.”
“The impression of Qin Xiaofeng was always that of a good student, a good child, and they feel deep sorrow that Qin Xiaofeng made such an erroneous decision.”
“The above.”
“Based on the evaluations of school classmates and teachers, it can be seen that Qin Xiaofeng was ordinarily friendly with others in his academic environment.”
“In this criminal matter, when facing interrogation by the relevant law enforcement personnel, Qin Xiaofeng likewise confessed everything without concealment, and directly admitted his criminal offense.”
“When facing a university student who has only just reached adulthood, emotional fluctuations do indeed occur, and this is also one of the key factors that led Qin Xiaofeng to commit such a criminal act.”
“To know one’s mistakes and to correct them is the greatest good, in terms of legal conduct Qin Xiaofeng indeed has the fact of crime, but I ask the Presiding Judge and the two adjudicators to consider other factors and to grant him a certain opportunity to reform himself and begin anew.”
“Our side is willing to make compensation to Lu Ying’s relatives.”
“Presiding Judge, our statement is concluded.”
After Jiang Min finished his statement, Su Bai: ???
No, you are saying that a university student who has only just reached adulthood should reform himself and begin anew.
Then what about the pregnant woman whom he mutilated and killed?
Compensation?
Can it be compensated?
On the judicial bench, Yu Caixia again struck the gavel: “The defendant is now requested to speak.”
At this moment Qin Xiaofeng felt apprehensive and uneasy, because he did not know what final result he was facing.
However, Jiang Min had previously already taught him how to speak in his statement.
He let out a light breath, and Qin Xiaofeng, apprehensive and uneasy, began to state:
“I have already deeply recognized the mistake I committed, and I am willing to accept the judgment of the court, and willing to accept the judgment of the law.”
“Presiding Judge, I have finished my statement.”
Summed up, there were only two points: a sincere attitude and admission of guilt and acceptance of punishment.
“Mm!”
Yu Caixia slightly nodded: “The victim’s entrusted lawyer is now requested to speak.”
Su Bai’s gaze roughly passed over the defendant’s seat and the defendant’s table.
This statement content.
Good heavens.
They were putting on a double act here?
Were they playing the emotional card here?
The emotional card!
That was his specialty!
After briefly organizing his thoughts, Su Bai’s voice was firm.
“Presiding Judge, our statement is as follows:”
“Faced with the defendant’s statement, our side expresses disagreement.”
“What is meant by to know one’s mistakes and to correct them is the greatest good?”
“Yes!”
“Qin Xiaofeng may indeed have realized his mistake, but when facing the mistake he committed, should he not bear the responsibility he ought to bear?”
“What was the thing he did?”
“What he did was shatter a family, cause two deaths in one body, make the victim’s family live day and night in remembrance of the victim, and in the street, because of an argument, fly into a rage and kill, thereby producing enormous social impact…”
“He made a mistake, and he can correct it, but what mistake did the victim’s family make? What mistake did the victim make?”
“He drove a vehicle and scraped against a pregnant woman, what mistake did the pregnant woman make?”
“After the dispute arose, Qin Xiaofeng immediately took a knife from the car and stabbed the victim five consecutive times!”
“Five consecutive stabbings, what kind of concept is that?!”
“In the course of those five consecutive stabbings, what was he thinking?!”
“In broad daylight, he was able to do such a thing, so even if he knows he was wrong, even if he surrendered himself, even if he bore his own mistake, what mistake did the victim and the infant in her womb make?”
“What was originally a family of three has now become one solitary person, can a single sentence of I admit I was wrong, I surrendered myself, compensate for the loss suffered by the victim’s family?”
“It cannot!”
“As for compensation, we do not want a single penny, what we want is the dignity of the law!”
“The death penalty!”
“To impose the death penalty is to uphold the dignity of the law!”
Su Bai’s voice was sonorous and forceful, echoing throughout the courtroom.
Outside the courtroom, upon hearing Su Bai’s words, the netizens all felt somewhat impassioned.
Damn! That is so right, he killed a pregnant woman and still talks about what nonsense of knowing one’s mistakes and correcting them, if a person like this is released he is still human trash, what use are good evaluations from school classmates and teachers? Absolutely no use! Who cannot say polite things?!
Exactly! I think so too, that so called defense lawyer even brought this kind of thing out to make a statement, and also talked about to know one’s mistakes and to correct them is the greatest good, how about I stab him twice and then tell him I know I was wrong, is that acceptable? Is that not complete nonsense?
Exactly! In broad daylight he stabbed five times in succession and killed a pregnant woman, death penalty, it must be the death penalty!
Absolutely, the victim’s family does not want a single penny, and what is it for? It is for legal justice, and I ask that the court’s judgment not disappoint all of us, because delayed justice is no justice!
Exactly! Support, support!!!
In the courtroom.
Bang bang bang!
Presiding Judge Yu Caixia struck the gavel: “Court statements are concluded, the court now enters the recess stage, and the members of the collegial panel will deliberate on the judgment result. Court will reconvene in one hour to announce the judgment!”
Bang bang!
After announcing the recess.
Yu Caixia stood up and left the judicial bench, and the other two adjudicators also immediately followed and left the bench.
In the courtroom.
Wan Yuping looked at Qin Anhai nervously: “What should we do? I always have a bad premonition…”
Qin Anhai patted Wan Yuping’s arm and comforted her: “Do not worry, there probably will not be any problem.”
“Xiaofeng… nothing will happen to him.”
“Mm…”
Faced with Qin Anhai’s consolation, the anxiety and tension on Wan Yuping’s face did not lessen in the slightest, only her gaze remained fixed upon the defendant’s seat, and her heart was extraordinarily flustered.
Inside the collegial panel’s deliberation room.
Yu Caixia looked toward the other two adjudicators and asked: “How do you view this judgment?”
Jin Yufang slightly frowned and then spoke: “According to the retrial hearing arguments and the evidence submitted by both sides, Qin Xiaofeng ought to fall between the judgments of the death penalty and a suspended death sentence.”
“However, Qin Xiaofeng openly and publicly stabbed the victim five consecutive times in the street, causing her death, and then fled the scene.”
“I support the death penalty.”
Jin Yufang had conducted research in certain major crime fields, and with respect to conduct such as Qin Xiaofeng’s, causing severe impact and killing the victim by cruel means, she had always required severe punishment.
The other person, Wang Chuanjie, as an adjudicator in the criminal field, likewise expressed his opinion.
“This case… all the evidence shows that Qin Xiaofeng is guilty, but Qin Xiaofeng had only just reached adulthood not long before committing the crime, and this point does need to be considered.”
“Considered? What is there that needs to be considered about this point? If he had only just reached adulthood, he was still already over eighteen years old. As an adult, when facing what he has done, he should bear the punishment he deserves.”
Wang Chuanjie rubbed his brow: “What I meant was that this point needs to be considered, but I did not say that I do not support a death penalty judgment…”
Jin Yufang: … then why did you not say so earlier?
Wang Chuanjie: “But you did not give me the opportunity either!”
After hearing the two, Yu Caixia slightly nodded, but did not state her position.
Instead, she asked another question: “With respect to the evidence of non surrender submitted by the accusing side, I have confirmed that there is no problem with it, but the law enforcement organ determined that Qin Xiaofeng belonged to the category of surrender, what do you think?”
“What is there to think about? The accusing side has already submitted evidence… Presiding Judge, we all understand this…”
“I merely admire the accusing party’s lawyer, whose connections are so strong that he was able to obtain evidence of this aspect…”
“Mm!”
Yu Caixia slightly nodded: “Then it shall be so!”
So how?
Seeing this, the two did not ask further questions, but they also secretly guessed the judgment result regarding Qin Xiaofeng.
Very quickly, after the recess had been announced, one hour passed.
After the clerk announced that court was reconvened, Yu Caixia and the two adjudicators returned to their seats at the judgment bench.
In the courtroom.
Everyone’s gaze was focused on the Presiding Judge’s seat.
Whether it was the defendant, the defendant’s table, or the defendant family’s seating area.
All were exceptionally concerned with the result of this judgment.
Wan Yuping’s mouth kept muttering without pause: “It is impossible that he will be sentenced to death.”
“That woman also bears responsibility in this matter, how could they possibly sentence my son to death.”
“It is impossible…”
Wan Yuping’s gaze remained tightly fixed upon the defendant’s seat, and her heart was pounding faster.
On the judicial bench.
Presiding Judge Yu Caixia slowly spoke, her voice stern: “The judgment result will now be announced.”
Court clerk: “All rise! The Presiding Judge is requested to announce the judgment result!”
Swish swish swish!
Everyone in the courtroom stood up.
Bang bang bang!
Yu Caixia struck the gavel and began announcing the judgment result:
“The cause of action in this case:”
“With respect to Qin Xiaofeng intentionally committing a crime and causing death, the victim did not accept the second instance judgment, and the Supreme Court instructed the Nandu High Court to retry this case.”
“The judgment result is now announced:”
“First: it is determined that the defendant Qin Xiaofeng is guilty of the crime of intentional homicide.”
“Second: it is determined that at ten o’clock in the morning, at the Xinghua Street intersection in Nandu, the defendant Qin Xiaofeng killed the pregnant woman Lu Ying, and in the course of carrying out the crime learned that Lu Ying was pregnant and continued carrying out the crime, thereby causing enormous social impact.”
“Third: it is determined that there are objections to the circumstance of the defendant Qin Xiaofeng’s surrender, and that at the time of surrender he displayed obvious acts of resistance, and the intention to surrender was not clear.”
Three consecutive determinations!
“In summary.”
“This court holds that the second instance judgment lacked strong evidence, and the original second instance judgment is now revoked!”
“The judgment is altered, the defendant Qin Xiaofeng, having committed the crime of intentional homicide and caused severe adverse social impact, is sentenced to death, and deprived of political rights for life!”
“This court has lawfully formed a collegial panel to conduct review.”
“This court’s death penalty judgment shall be transferred to the Supreme Court for approval, and after the Supreme Court approves it, the death penalty procedure shall be executed!”
“All litigation requests of the defendant’s side are rejected!”
“This case is one retried pursuant to the instruction of the Supreme Court, and if the defendant’s side has any objection, it may submit relevant evidence to the Supreme Court or relevant review and supervision departments, and apply for revocation.”
“The written judgment shall be issued to all litigation parties within ten days after the close of court.”
Bang!
The sound of the gavel falling echoed within the courtroom…
In Wan Yuping’s mind, only one sentence continued to reverberate: “Sentenced to death… and deprived of political rights for life…”
“Why…”
“He is still only a child!”
“Why sentence him to death?!”
Wan Yuping cried out loudly in a broken voice: “I refuse to accept it, I refuse to accept this judgment!”
“Why should Xiaofeng be sentenced to death?”
“He is still young! He still has a very long stretch of life ahead of him!”
“If you judge him like this, then this is intentional killing!”
“I refuse to accept it! You are intentionally killing, and I am going to sue you as well!”
Faced with Qin Xiaofeng being sentenced to death, Wan Yuping simply could not accept it, and directly roared in the courtroom.
Qin Anhai’s face was dim, but he still pulled Wan Yuping back: “Enough, stop making trouble!”
Although Qin Anhai could not accept this result in his heart, he also knew that Xiaofeng had been spoiled by them.
Only…
The death penalty was too cruel for them, and Wan Yuping fundamentally could not accept it.
Moreover, Qin Anhai knew that the death penalty required approval by the Supreme Court.
They still had an opportunity…
But!
They still had an opportunity…
What they had not considered was the victim Lu Ying’s family.
Lu Ying had been struck and then stabbed several times, together with herself and her infant.
Faced with this result, could Lu Ying’s family accept that reality?
They could not!
At the moment they heard the court’s judgment announced, Chu Lei, this grown man, directly burst into uncontrollable tears in the courtroom.