Chapter 961 - 417: The Dog-Selling Case
Qin Mu noticed the situation.
He also stepped onto the stage to participate in the fifth round of drawing lots.
The fifth round only involves lawyer teams from four regions, so there are only two cases.
"How is it? How is it? Did you draw a criminal case? Are we the prosecution or the defense? Who is our opponent?"
Zhang Wei saw Qin Mu finish drawing and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.
Qin Mu glanced at the case he drew and shrugged.
Indicating for Zhang Wei to look for himself.
"Whoa! Another criminal case?"
At first glance, Zhang Wei was overjoyed.
Qin Mu's luck...
Sure enough, it's much better than his, drawing a criminal case that is most favorable for them.
However...
As he continued reading, he frowned.
Because what they drew was not the prosecution side, but the defense side.
Moreover.
The case sounds absurd.
Zhang San is a fan of xx addiction.
One day, his craving acted up but he had no money to buy "drugs" to satisfy his craving.
So he took a bold approach.
He lingered at a certain elementary school, caught a student, and stuffed him into a sack.
Then...
He sold him to a nearby restaurant owner, Li Si, claiming the sack contained a dog.
For only fifty yuan.
Li Si, suspecting nothing, dragged the sack directly into the kitchen.
He ordered the chef, Wang Wu, to handle the dog.
Having slaughtered no less than a hundred dogs, Wang Wu was very skilled as he threw the sack on the ground.
In a daze, he seemed to hear a human scream.
Li Si also heard the sound.
Instead of opening the sack immediately, he marveled, "Wow! This dog can actually make human sounds?"
Then.
He had Wang Wu continue dropping it.
Following his boss's orders, Wang Wu smashed the sack onto the ground several times.
Eventually, the "dog" inside the sack stopped moving.
Only then did Wang Wu skillfully open the sack, intending to gut the dog and clean its innards.
But what he saw...
Was a horrifying sight.
The elementary student bound by Zhang San had been beaten to death.
Afterward.
The prosecution received a report, thoroughly investigated the matter, and legally arrested Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu.
"We drew the side defending Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu..."
Zhang San frowned and began analyzing seriously, "Zhang San's actions of kidnapping and falsely selling dog meat certainly constitute a crime."
In order to make money.
He kidnapped an elementary student, stuffed him into a sack, and falsely claimed it was a dog, selling him to restaurant owner Li Si.
This series of actions...
Already involves kidnapping, trafficking of women and children, fraud, and so on.
But...
Kidnapping involves restricting someone's freedom, threatening their safety, and coercing relatives or close acquaintances into relinquishing assets illegally.
But obviously.
Zhang San's mind didn't grasp this, treating the person as a dog.
Selling for fifty bucks.
This does not constitute kidnapping or extortion.
Fraud refers to fabricating facts or concealing the truth to illegally acquire assets.
Zhang San falsely claimed the person as a dog, selling to Li Si, clearly concealing the truth.
However, the fraud involved only fifty yuan.
Far less than the 2000 yuan required for a case to be filed.
Thus, it doesn't constitute a crime.
Trafficking of women and children refers to acts of abduction, deception, purchase, sale, delivery, or transfer of women or children for sale.
Zhang San's actions...
Clearly aimed at selling, kidnapping the student, constituting this crime.
Moreover.
Zhang San's trafficking caused the student's eventual death, thus establishing causation.
Obviously.
The student's death wasn't intrinsically linked to the trafficking, and doesn't fall under trafficking resulting in death.
Unless during trafficking, he administered sleep or tranquilizer drugs leading to death, only then can it be deemed as causing death while trafficking.
Thus.
Zhang San still faces criminal liability for intentional homicide of the student.
By calling the student a dog, he exploited Li Si's and Wang Wu's negligence, clearly establishing causation, outright constituting intentional homicide.
"The defense for Zhang San... can begin by arguing he wasn't involved in long-term trafficking, aiming for reduced sentence."
Zhang Wei pondered briefly, murmuring, "But Li Si's and Wang Wu's actions..."
Zhang San's defense seems feasible.
But Li Si and Wang Wu's actions left him uncertain.
Subjectively.
Neither Li Si nor Wang Wu intended harm nor knew the sack contained a person instead of a dog.
Yet objectively.
Li Si directed Wang Wu, causing another's death; thus the action itself has some negligence.
Moreover.
When Wang Wu fell for the first time, they both unexpectedly heard a scream from someone.
Logically speaking...
At this moment, they should have opened the sack to check the specific situation.
They both had the obligation to assist others.
But neither of them opened the sack and instead continued to fall, leading to the tragedy.
Therefore.
Strictly speaking, both of them are guilty of manslaughter.
The sentencing range...
Is at least around three years.
For a moment, he couldn't find a suitable defense strategy for Li Si and Wang Wu.
In desperation.
He could only turn around and look at Qin Mu again.
Only to find...
Qin Mu's attention was not on this case itself but was looking at the other side.
Namely, the elite lawyer team from Qianzhou.
"Huh? Our opponents... it's actually Zhao Baiqin and them again?"
Zhang Wei blinked, quite surprised.
In the previous rounds.
They drew lots and encountered the lawyer team from Qianzhou.
At that time, Qin Mu quickly discovered loopholes in the financial flow sheet and won the lawsuit.
But...
The advancement was based on a scoring system, and the performance score of Qianzhou's lawyer team was not low, so they advanced as well.
They also made it to the semifinals of the final four.
On the other side.
Zhao Baiqin also noticed the gazes of Qin Mu and Zhang Wei, clenching his fist unconsciously.
He silently chanted in his heart: "This time... let me end you myself!"
This time...
It was still in his most adept field of criminal defense, and they drew the prosecutor's side.
The case was very advantageous for them.
This might be his best chance to avenge the humiliation.
However...
Regarding Qin Mu, he was already extremely wary, not daring to be careless.
He hurriedly found other familiar elite lawyers and gathered them together to discuss this case.
There was still half an hour before the mock trial.
He could still seek help from outside, brainstorm, and strive to have no loopholes in his own side, to eliminate Qin Mu!
When it comes to connections...
He never feared anyone!
"We're done for, we're done for... Those lawyers seem to be from the criminal defense field, Zhao Baiqin is determined to eliminate us."
Zhang Wei couldn't help but swallow as he saw this scene.
His expression showed some worry.
At this time, beside Zhao Baiqin...
Several dozen elite lawyers from the criminal defense field had already gathered.
Although they had all been eliminated, their strength remained formidable.
So many people...
If they really came up with a winning strategy, the upcoming trial wouldn't be easy to handle.
"It doesn't matter."
Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, he began to contemplate the solution to this case in his heart.
Zhang San's actions...
Would probably be difficult to defend, as all the evidence was conclusive.
At most, it would be a reduction in sentence.
But whether Zhao Baiqin's side would allow a reduction remained to be seen.
In our country.
The act of trafficking children is very serious, with high sentences, up to the death penalty.
Moreover...
This case involved a death, Zhang San likely won't get less than ten years.
Therefore.
The focus of the defense should be on Li Si and Wang Wu.
Although they had negligence and infringed on legal interests, they never had criminal intent and are innocent.
...
Half an hour later.
The second mock court.
All parties to the trial entered one after another, standing in their respective positions.
Qin Mu and Zhang Wei stood side by side at the defense attorney's table for the defendants, facing the lawyer team from Qianzhou.
After "sharpening the spear at the last minute."
Zhao Baiqin's face was filled with even more confidence, excitement, and eagerness.
"Dong——"
Soon.
The Judgment Chief knocked the gavel, announcing the start of the trial.
Zhao Baiqin couldn't wait to stand up, accusing as the prosecution: "We accuse Zhang San of kidnapping an elementary school student, pretending it to be a dog selling it to restaurant owner Li Si, Li Si directed Wang Wu..."
He first accused Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu of their actions.
Then continued.
Saying gravely: "Zhang San's kidnapping of the elementary school student constitutes the crime of trafficking women and children, legally punishable by eight years in prison."
"The elementary school student ultimately died, Zhang San should bear the main responsibility, constituting intentional murder, legally punishable by seven years in prison."