Too Bad I Take Things Seriously

Chapter 789: 280

But such random selection inevitably leads to situations where these citizens do not understand the law. In judicial practice, juries with low levels of cultural education often make incorrect verdicts. To avoid this, judges retain the ultimate authority to overturn verdicts. That is, if the jury’s verdict is problematic, the judge can deny the verdict, select a new jury, and retry the case.

And these jurors... were all local citizens. Coupled with their inconsistent levels of expertise, this offered Qin Mu’s side no advantage. Once the power of judgment was in their hands, it was uncertain what verdicts they might deliver.

"Yes, Xiao Qin, isn’t this... basically handing it over on a silver platter?"

Nearby, Zhang Qingyuan also looked up, a wry smile on his face. He too found it incomprehensible.

Feng Cuihua nodded in agreement.

Qin Mu observed their reactions and smiled faintly. "Indeed, juries present many problems, and many countries have abandoned the system. But... it’s the only way to find an opportunity for a comeback outside the strict confines of the law."

The three of them were taken aback. Exchanging glances, they momentarily failed to grasp the meaning behind Qin Mu’s words.

Qin Mu smiled and continued to explain, "At the pre-trial conference, the judge’s stance was quite clear. He believes our side lacks evidence to prove the contract was signed involuntarily due to deception. If he presides over the judgment, we will most likely lose."

Over the past two days, he had thoroughly researched Old Judge Anthony’s background. The judge was known for his objectivity and fairness, always ruling impartially, and was thus well-respected. However, there was one significant problem: he was far too rigid. For instance, in this particular case, Old Judge Anthony only recognized hard evidence and the so-called spirit of the contract. If Qin Mu couldn’t provide such evidence, he wouldn’t gain the judge’s support.

If they didn’t introduce a jury, the judge would have sole authority over the verdict and make the final decision. Defeat would be almost inevitable.

"But..." Chen Tiankuo swallowed nervously and couldn’t help but ask, "even if a jury gets involved, the situation won’t improve much, will it?"

The jury would consist of twelve members, all local residents, and most likely, some would be churchgoers. And with George’s eloquence, all the jurors might be swayed to his side, leaving us with little chance of winning.

But Qin Mu simply waved his hand. He reminded them, "We get to participate in jury selection. We should be able to pick twelve jurors who are satisfactory to us."

His goal was simple: to approach the case through the jury selection process. Attorneys for both sides had the right to veto potential jurors, so he could try to select a few who might be inclined to favor their side.

Moreover, even if they couldn’t secure a majority of the jurors, winning over just one would be enough to avoid defeat. The case would then have to continue. A jury’s decision requires unanimity to be effective. The opposing side couldn’t be certain of persuading every single juror. freewebnøvel.com

Hearing this, Chen Tiankuo opened his mouth, looking as if he wanted to say something but then hesitated. Actually, there was something he hadn’t voiced: George was a truly exceptional orator. He suspected the opposition might genuinely be able to persuade every single juror.

「Meanwhile.」

「Jin City.」

Inside a nursing home, at two o’clock in the morning, lights switched on again in the elderly residents’ dormitory building. In the corridor, several elderly men, wrapped in coats and carrying small stools, were chatting away despite the dark circles under their eyes.

"This is really exhausting. The time difference with overseas is so inconvenient; news only arrives in the dead of night."

"Old Zhang said they’re about to officially go to court. This time, there’s that... whatchamacallit... a jury involved, made up entirely of ordinary people. Foreign systems are truly bizarre."

"Ordinary people can be judges? Does that mean street sweepers and manure throwers can participate in judging others too?"

"I’m curious, do they get paid for it?"

Li Weiguo, Song Tiancheng, and others, after learning the latest developments, quickly moved through the various dormitories, spreading the news to everyone. Once they heard the news, everyone lost any desire to sleep. Full of energy, they began to discuss it animatedly.

Of course, the main topic of discussion was this so-called jury system. Old Zhang hadn’t explained it clearly over the phone, so they only had a superficial understanding. They didn’t fully grasp what the jury system truly entailed. They only knew that under this system... ordinary people could act as judges and pass judgment on others.

Their first impression was that it seemed unreliable. Their second thought was whether jurors received a salary. If it were up to them, they figured spectating from the gallery was far less hassle and much better than being a juror.

"The formal court session is still three days away. This case has been dragging on for quite a while, huh?"

"The opposition is ruthless too. Even before the formal hearing, they threw one of their own teammates under the bus. That teammate was really hard done by."

"Xiao Qin has run into some serious trouble this time. Are legal tactics overseas always this aggressive?" ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"That move by the opposition was indeed clever, just a bit costly in terms of personnel."

As they chatted, everyone grew increasingly eager about the case, wishing they could rush overseas to witness it themselves. The legal system overseas was so restrictive; they didn’t even allow live broadcasts. They could only learn about the case’s latest developments through Old Zhang’s verbal accounts. But this method... was a far cry from actually attending the trial and observing it firsthand. They always felt something was off. For instance, they hadn’t been able to witness the opposition’s maneuver of personally sending their own teammate to jail.

「In Jin City.」

Within a particular villa, Zhang Wei was at his computer in the study, still working on recent cases from the law firm. He turned to his wife, who was behind him, and said, "Honey, you go on to bed."

This villa... was one he had acquired after initiating the nationwide online lawsuit. Their standard of living had significantly improved, moving from a simple resettlement apartment to this villa. And all of this was thanks to Qin Mu.

In fact, to his knowledge, many lawyers in Jin City had recently upgraded to larger homes. They had undergone a complete transformation and were now living quite comfortably.

I wonder how Qin Mu’s case overseas is progressing.

Working late into the night, he stretched and his thoughts drifted once more to Qin Mu’s case abroad. Not long ago, he had even helped find a representative attorney to assist Qin Mu with the international litigation. Considering the time, the pre-trial conference should be over by now.