companion ghost

Trial Chamber No. 5

"Your Excellency," defense attorney Gary stood up again with a big belly, "request to call a witness for the defense: James Zhukov, the chief of the forensic team of the Manhattan Police Department in New York and also the deputy leader of the on-site investigation team, to testify in court."

Judge Donovan nodded, the bailiff opened the door, James walked in and sat on the witness stand, his eyes met Shen Lie's, and the corners of his mouth quickly twitched into a sad expression.

Shen Lie: "..."

Could you be a little more serious in court now?

James seemed to have understood the implication in Shen Lie's eyes of 'you put away that damned hippie smile on your face or dad will kill you' in Shen Lie's eyes, and quickly corrected his expression and posture.

Ning Yuan: "Hahahahahahaha."

Shen Lie rubbed his temples with a headache.

Gary began to ask with a smile: "Mr. Zhukov, you are the team leader of the forensic team and the deputy team leader of the identification team of the Manhattan Police Department, right?"

James nodded: "Yes."

Gary asked again: "At the same time, you are also the forensic doctor and expert in charge of my client's case, right?"

James glanced at Joanna and said, "I'm the forensic doctor in charge of dissecting Peggy's body, but I don't know who the appraiser is. I'm just the deputy team leader. I don't have to personally appraise the physical evidence, especially in my autopsy room. When there is a corpse waiting to be dissected."

Gary was blocked by James, his face no longer had the same smile as before. He took out a piece of paper and said, "According to the records, since you have been working as a forensic doctor for five years, the accident rate is as low as [-]%. Is that true? ?”

James smirked: "I don't pay much attention to how good my job is, but since you have the investigation results in your hand, I guess that should be the case."

In the courtroom, the jury laughed softly, and Shen Lie couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips a little.

Gary's complexion was not good, and he directly cut to the topic without going around in circles: "Then, during the entire period you accepted this case, did you find my client, Joanna's fingerprints or DNA?"

James instantly understood why he was being called to court.

But he can only tell the truth, just like what Shen Lie said: "...No."

"So, from your professional point of view, is my client the murderer?"

"Objection!" Shen Lie stood up and said coldly, "Mr. Zhukov's major is forensic medicine, not a police officer."

"Your Excellency, judging the significance of DNA and fingerprints is within the professional scope of forensic medicine." Gary also refused to budge.

Judge Donovan thought for a while, then glanced at Shen Lie: "The objection is invalid, witnesses please answer the question."

James glanced at Shen Lie, then at Gary, and said slowly: "It's probably because the murderer is very smart and cunning, thus avoiding the residue of DNA and fingerprints. After all, we have handled many such cases before. If DNA can be found in any case, so there are so many unsolved cases.”

Gary said again: "Or! It's because my client is not the murderer at all, so her DNA can't be found. Is it possible?"

James could only say: "Yes."

"Thank you, there is no other question." Gary gave him a hidden smile, returned to his seat and sat down.

Ning Yuan was worried: "Old driver, he is, I was a little moved by him."

Shen Lie snorted from his nose and stood up.

"Mr. Zhukov," as soon as he called James' surname, James trembled, and Ning Yuan watched it very amusedly, "Did you find any DNA or fingerprints other than the defendant's on Peggy's body?"

"No." James said firmly.

"So," Shen Lie concluded, "you didn't find anyone's DNA on the body? What does that mean to you?"

James looked at the jury: "It means that the murderer was very cautious and careful, and very smart."

"Like the accused Joanna?"

"be opposed to--"

Before Gary could tell the reason for his objection, Shen Lie smiled at him, "I withdraw. There is no other question."

Judge Donovan said to James: "Defense witness, you can go down."

When James passed Casey and Dino in the jury, Casey gave him a thumbs up.

Shen Lie stood up and said to Judge Donovan: "The prosecution requests to call witnesses—"

"Your Honor," Gary stood up and interrupted Shen Lie, holding a folder, "The defense has a motion."

Shen Lie frowned.

motion?

Judge Donovan was also surprised: "A motion about what?"

Gary said: "Against the prosecution's charge of first-degree injury and illegal disposal of a dead body."

WTF? !

Shen Lie frowned even tighter: "Is the defense clear-headed? If you really want to submit a motion, why didn't you bring it up during the hearing?"

Gary still laughed: "The prosecutor's pace was too fast during the hearing. I'm old and I can't keep up."

fart!

"The charge has already passed the grand jury, and it is useless for you to object now."

"Oh, this judge is free to judge."

Judge Donovan was so angry that his head ached. He tapped the hammer and said angrily, "The court will be adjourned for 15 minutes. You two, come to my office!" After finishing speaking, he walked away angrily. up.

Shen Lie followed him to the office, and Ning Yuan followed him with a dazed expression.

Judge Donovan's Office

"What do you two think of as my court? Huh? Debate competition?" Judge Donovan was still in his robes, angrily, "Defense attorney, do you think I'm not in your eyes? Submit it in the cross-examination session motion?"

Gary panicked: "No, Your Honor, you misunderstood. I originally planned to file a motion during the hearing, but the hearing was arranged too early, and I haven't had time to fully grasp the situation of this case—"

"That's your problem, you bear your own mistakes." Shen Lie said coldly from the side.

Judge Donovan turned his head and stared at him fiercely: "Did I let you speak, prosecutor?"

Shen Lie readily admitted his mistake: "...I'm sorry, Your Excellency."

Judge Donovan pinched the bridge of his nose: "Defense counsel, tell me about your motion."

Gary hastily handed over the documents: "We oppose the crime of first-degree injury and illegal disposal of corpses proposed by the prosecution. This is completely nonsense."

Shen Lie's heart sank, and he knew that the defense had already understood, but his face didn't show the slightest bit: "Your client scratched the victim's face and dug out the child in her stomach—"

"Presumption of innocence[note], prosecutor," Gary interrupted him, "and here's the thing, the autopsy report shows all of this was done before the victim died, when she wasn't a corpse, naturally It is not a crime of illegally disposing of a dead body."

Shen Lie gritted his teeth.

"In addition, Your Honor," Gary continued, "in the legal sense, an unborn fetus is not a person in the legal sense, so there is no crime of intentional injury."

"I'm sorry, the crime of first-degree intentional injury is aimed at Peggy, not the fetus in her womb." Originally it was indeed aimed at the fetus, but now Shen Lie can only rely on wherever he can, "Since it is What was done before death should be the crime of intentional injury.”

"Against Peggy, you have already been prosecuted for first-degree homicide, and then prosecuted for one crime of intentional injury, which has resulted in overlapping charges for the second time!" Gary also refused to budge.

Shen Lie retorted: "Scratching the face, cutting off the chest, and digging out the fetus, do you think it can be ended with a simple crime of murder?"

"This is already a felony!"

"enough!"

Judge Donovan slammed the table down, and both Shen Lie and Gary shut up.

Judge Donovan looked back and forth at the document in his hand, which was the motion submitted by Gary. The office was quiet, and Ning Yuan dared not speak.

After 10 minutes, Judge Donovan pushed the glasses that were about to slide off the bridge of his nose. His eyes full of experience swept over the two lawyers, one fat and one thin, and said, "Although I don't like this kind of lawyers who are in the courtroom." I just filed the motion, and I don't want this to happen again, but I still have to agree with the defense lawyer's motion that the crime of illegally destroying the corpse is excluded." Seeing Shen Lie open his mouth to say something, Judge Donovan said again, " At the same time, the crime of intentional injury cannot be ruled out. Go back to court immediately!"

Shen Lie relaxed slightly, bowed to the judge, and walked out with long legs first. Gary was about to leave, but was stopped by Judge Donovan. Although he was nearly fifty, he was still hale and hearty. Falcon-like eyes hooked Gary's eyes, and he paused word by word: "I don't want this to happen again, understand?"

Gary nodded, walked out the office door, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

This case, including the prosecutor and the judge, is not easy to fool.

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【Note】Principle of presumption of innocence: the defendant defends himself as innocent before being convicted.