"We were arrested for illegal detention, but they killed someone! They must be severely punished!"

"We may not understand the law, but killing someone demands a life in return!"

"..."

Chen Daoguang and his three companions spoke one after another, offering "sentencing suggestions" to Zhou Quanmin and the other adjudicators. Their words contained no insults or attempts to disrupt the court. But... it made Zhou Quanmin fume, his body trembling with anger.

The incredibly confident display from Chen Daoguang and his three companions was completely beyond what he and the collegiate bench had imagined.

"Silence!"

Having no other choice, Zhou Quanmin took a deep breath. Staring at Chen Daoguang and his three companions, he said sternly, "From now on, during the court debate phase, the four of you are not permitted to participate without permission!"

As the Judgment Chief, he had the authority to do this to ensure the proper conduct of the trial. If he allowed Chen Daoguang and his group to continue their disruptive behavior, this case might drag on until tomorrow.

However, as soon as he finished speaking...

"On what grounds?" Chen Daoguang became even more defiant, questioning, "The court must be reasonable, mustn't it? Why can't we speak during the debate?"

Zhou Quanmin's face darkened. He simply ignored Chen Daoguang and turned to the prosecutor, continuing to move the trial forward. "The defense attorney just stated that Huang Lan's actions constituted self-defense against a violent crime and should not be deemed excessive. What is your procuratorate's basis for determining it was excessive defense?"

After such a lengthy trial, the core issue of the case had become very clear. If Huang Lan's actions were judged to be a legitimate use of the unlimited right to self-defense, she would be innocent. If judged as excessive defense, she would be guilty of intentional injury and negligent homicide, and would be sentenced based on the more severe of the two charges. The difference in sentencing between these two outcomes was vast. According to the prosecution's sentencing recommendation, it was approximately an eight-year fixed-term imprisonment.

This kind of death resulting from self-defense did not stem from malicious intent and would not escalate to the level of the death penalty. The "life for a life" Chen Daoguang spoke of applied to premeditated, intentional, and malicious homicides. For cases of negligent homicide with minor circumstances, the sentencing range could even be between three and seven years.

"Judgment Chief, our office meticulously examined the scene, compared video and audio recordings with police personnel, and reviewed eyewitness testimonies," one of the prosecutors stated, after composing himself from the disruption caused by Chen Daoguang. "It is certain that although the wedding hazing activities were somewhat excessive, they should not be classified as violent crimes. The criminal law clearly stipulates that violent crimes include murder, robbery, kidnapping, and other serious offenses endangering personal safety. The other party's wedding hazing activities are a folk custom and should not be elevated to the level of heinous crimes like murder, robbery, or kidnapping. Strictly speaking, this should be considered unlawful infringement."

The focus of the discussion between the two sides once again returned to the distinction between unlawful infringement and violent crime.

Zhang Wei, not to be outdone, stepped forward and argued forcefully, "Judgment Chief, Prosecutor, the clear distinction between unlawful infringement and violent crime lies in whether violent means were used to endanger another person's personal safety..."

In the courtroom, the most exciting segment, the free debate, finally got back on track.

As for Chen Daoguang and his three companions, who were barred from speaking, they were closely watched by the bailiffs to prevent them from interrupting. In this segment, each participant in the litigation could express their opinions and join the discussion. However, Chen Daoguang's method of discussion was merely a chaotic style of bickering. Such debates would not yield any results.

After being silenced, Chen Daoguang could only sit in his chair, watching his side's prosecutor and the opposing lawyer discuss matters 'calmly,' unable to interject. This made him itch with impatience, his face filled with frustrated anger.

These people couldn't out-argue him, so they resorted to underhanded tactics to silence him. If he could have joined the debate, this trial would have been over long ago!

...

「Meanwhile.」

In Jin City, inside a nursing home, Zhang Qingyuan and the others sat in the courtyard, glued to the projection screen, watching with dumbfounded expressions.

"What's with this Judgment Chief? Why isn't he letting Chen Daoguang speak?"

"What a pity, his performance ended so quickly."

"Honestly, I really wanted to see him debate, even though listening to him could infuriate a person to death."

"His 'reasoning' is actually quite something; he's just a bit blindly confident, actually thinking others can't out-argue him..."

"..."

Zhang Qingyuan and the others shook their heads, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Chen Daoguang hadn't roared at the court like that middle-aged couple who had been sentenced to twenty years. In comparison, he was always trying to 'reason' with them. It was just that his 'reasoning' lacked any basis in legal statutes, being purely subjective judgment, no different from bickering. That's why he received the 'gag order package.'

Wan Zhongyuan, who was mingling with the elderly, swallowed and suddenly asked, "Have you... ever seen this kind of thing happen in court before?"

This trial was indeed like a drama series, full of ups and downs. The lively public gallery was abuzz with constant chatter. Then there was the 'victim,' who excitingly confronted the prosecutor, actively participated in the debate, and was rewarded with the 'gag order package.' This was completely different from the dull court proceedings he had imagined. In his mind, a courtroom was supposed to be oppressive, somber, tedious, and boring, not nearly this exciting and stimulating. It made him want to watch the entire trial to its conclusion.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.