Lu Ming's mind has been groggy these days, but fortunately there is not much he needs to do. He just needs to exchange evidence with the prosecution and provide a report on Li Mingxuan's physical condition. The court will determine the trial time, and all of this is done by the administrative officer Chen Qinghua.
Lu Ming also took a few days off from school.
Soon, the first court session arrived. On May 21, Li Si's case had its first court session.
In Court No. 2 of the Donghai Ninth Circuit Court (Beiguan Court), Lu Ming and Liu Hanming are determining the members of the jury.
There are twenty candidates sitting in the jury box at a time. The defense representative Lu Ming and the prosecution representative Liu Hanming will ask questions. If both parties agree, the candidate will become a member of the jury.
Ultimately, a 10-member jury is selected. The jury for criminal cases adopts the principle of unanimous consent, that is, the voting results will only be valid if all agree or disagree.
When selecting jurors, both the prosecution and the defense have four opportunities to eliminate candidates without reason, and unlimited opportunities to eliminate candidates with reason. In other words, as long as the court approves your reasons, you can veto a juror candidate from entering the jury an unlimited number of times.
There are certain educational requirements for jury candidates, and they cannot have a criminal record.
In addition, lawyers, judges, doctors, firefighters, police officers, teachers and government officials cannot serve as jurors.
Because these people are so professional, there is a high probability that they will manipulate the entire jury, turning the entire jury system into a one-man show.
When selecting jurors, Liu Hanming prefers new immigrants, that is, immigrants within one generation.
Lu Ming thought to himself that this was amazing, as he had read a lot of psychology books in his previous life.
Generally speaking, people would think that new immigrants would be more sympathetic and tolerant towards their fellow immigrants who come to the East China Sea to make a living.
But the fact is just the opposite. Perhaps the people who hate foreign beggars like Li Mingxuan the most are the new immigrants. They think that people like Li Mingxuan lower the overall standard of new immigrants and make themselves discriminated against.
Liu Hanming can now accurately grasp the main psychological state of some groups. He is indeed a powerful figure.
Lu Ming focuses on people with strong logical analysis skills. The questions he asks are all the same, like the cows in the open space, which are logical questions.
The question is, a person has always regarded the model of a cow in an open space as his own cow. Although his cow is indeed in the open space, it is hidden behind the trees. So, is the fact that this person believes that the cow is in the open space correct
Then, Lu Ming will ask the candidates to give reasons for their answers, in order to judge their objective understanding of the matter.
Liu Hanming was a little surprised when he heard Lu Ming asking each candidate this question.
It is undoubtedly a naive idea for a rookie lawyer to hope that the jury can analyze the case through correct logical thinking.
What surprised Liu Hanming was, did this guy really think his client was innocent
A few hours later, the ten jurors agreed to by both of them officially formed the jury for this case.
The judge knocked the gavel and announced that the case would officially open at 3 pm and enter the trial procedure.
…
Room 302 of the Husky Hotel temporarily became the resting place for Lu Ming and others.
This place is not far from Beiguan Court and is a good place to take a break at noon.
The financial sponsor, Liu Laocai, voluntarily paid for 302 houses for one month to support Lu Ming in this lawsuit.
In the suite, looking at the smiling Liu Laocai, Lu Ming was speechless. He didn't know why he liked to meddle in other people's affairs.
In terms of kinship, Mingjia Entertainment’s big boss Liu Shouye and second boss Liu Shoucheng are his distant cousins, and prosecutor Liu Hanming is his nephew.
Even if the two parties have a bad relationship, they would not spend money to watch the fun. Those are really extraordinary bamboo shoots, they are old bamboo shoots.
"Mr. Lu, you guys can talk about business, I'm leaving now. I just came to see if you need me to do anything else!" Liu Laocai's face had fewer wrinkles when he smiled. Before leaving, he whispered in Lu Ming's ear: "Mr. Lu, this Liu Laoer should embarrass himself. Please!"
Lu Ming coughed.
There were many concerns. Although the outside world knew that Liu Laocai and Liu Shouye were not on good terms with each other, they were still relatives after all. Who knew if this guy was taking the opportunity to get information.
After all, people's hearts are hidden. Even if you help him with the lawsuit or are hired by him as the company's legal advisor, if deep-seated interests are involved, you may not be sold out by him.
Now it seems that it would be best if he did not stay to observe his litigation strategy.
The suite is exquisitely decorated with a long Western sofa with blue and white patterns, a dark oval coffee table, and a 7-inch TV.
In a suite of this level, a telephone is also a must-have item on the desk or cabinet.
Li Mingxuan was sitting on the side of the sofa, taking painkillers. The stitches on his face had just been removed, leaving a mess of scars. He looked at Lu Ming in confusion from time to time.
Perhaps until now, no one knows what Lu Ming wants to do. Does he really want to help him fight this lawsuit
Wang Da'an and Chen Qinghua were both there, and except for the operator Ji Ji, all the staff in the office were mobilized. After all, this was a big and eye-catching case.
In addition, near the door, there was a tall and sturdy bald man sitting on a chair. His ears were densely packed with earrings, making him look extremely tough.
His name is Datou, and he is a temporary bodyguard.
It was Lao Gui from the detective agency who was hired by Lu Ming as an intermediary.
Looking at Big Head's resume, he had served in the Imperial Marine Corps, and was an elite among the elites. He had participated in the Death Exploration, which was the Empire's unremitting pursuit of exploring the surrounding strange waters. Among their team, only Big Head managed to come back alive.
But because he was from Central China, it was difficult for him to become a professional soldier and get promoted. He eventually retired and went home. Since he had no special skills, he became a bodyguard.
His fee is not cheap, 20 imperial coins per day, and the minimum period is ten days.
In addition, if you really do it, you will be charged separately depending on the equipment used.
It was Lao Gui who suggested hiring temporary bodyguards. Speaking of which, this lawsuit is very eye-catching, and in order to avoid harassment, necessary security measures are still needed, even if it is just to help you block reporters and protesters when entering and leaving the court.
Lu Ming then remembered that a thug had entered his room and was killed by Zhen, so he accepted Lao Gui's suggestion.
Now when he glanced at Datou, Lu Ming couldn't help but think of Zhen again.
Maybe Zhen really has a dual personality. One is Zhen Hanzhu, a gentle and virtuous maid; the other is Zhen Bizhu, who, although still recognizes her as his maid, has a much stronger personality. Fortunately, it seems that with the warning signs, Bizhu's personality will awaken. In this way, Zhen herself should be safe at home. After all, she looks like a character like Mei Chaofeng.
He turned to look at Li Mingxuan and thought to himself, you guy, maybe I should have saved your life a long time ago. If you had really married Zhen Biju home, she would probably have scratched a few holes in your head with her claws.
Of course, it seems that Lord Long would not let this happen. In a roundabout way, his ultimate plan was to send Zhen to his side.
Who am I, anyway
Lu Ming shook his head helplessly.
I haven't found anything at Fernald College yet. I have been extremely cautious and have only learned about the history of the college from all aspects, but I haven't found anything special.
The Fernard Charitable Foundation was established a hundred years ago, which was also the time when the Fernard Orphanage, the predecessor of Fernard College, was established.
Starting from the Fernald Orphanage, the logo of Fernald College is the golden leaf pattern on the family heirloom.
However, I still spend too little time in school and have not made much progress in learning Western language. It seems that I should join the college's special Western language training class during the summer vacation.
In this world, if you want to enter the real upper class, you cannot do so without knowing Western languages.
"You've spent too much money on this lawsuit of mine!" Li Mingxuan looked at Lu Ming with a strange look in his eyes.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "It wasn't me who paid for it. Someone else paid for it for me."
"That's a favor from you, which is much more important than money!" Li Mingxuan picked up the cigarette on the coffee table and lit it.
Lu Ming was stunned for a moment and found that both he and Li Mingxuan seemed to have changed. After coming to Donghai, they both became smokers.
In fact, I also roughly understood Li Mingxuan's experience. His whole family was killed and he also had a leg broken. After escaping by chance, he fled all the way to Donghai. He was not like me who traveled around to hide his tracks, so he came to Donghai a few months earlier than me.
But on the way, his money was stolen, and his leg injury had not healed yet so he could not find a job. Naturally, he could not do as he did and ask an immigration company to make a fake identity and apply for a residence permit. So from the moment he entered Donghai, Li Mingxuan became the target of patrol police on the street.
Now, he has been involved in a murder case and has been tortured and even disfigured in the detention center.
It's not easy for him not to go crazy now.
While thinking about it, Lu Ming picked up the file on the table and looked at it again, especially a piece of paper inside, which contained the details of what Li Mingxuan had said.
According to Li Mingxuan, on the day of the incident, he and another follower sent the second concubine Li Xiaoyan to the downstairs of Jincheng Hotel. He originally wanted to leave, but the waitress Xiao Cui came down to tell him that the second wife Li wanted to see him.
After he went up, Li Xiaoyan tried to rape him.
Every time he saw this, Lu Ming felt helpless, as if since he came into this world, Li Mingxuan's fate had taken a sharp turn for the worse and became more and more miserable.
Not only did he become a crippled homeless man, he was also raped by a fierce woman. Then, he became a murderer and was disfigured.
It's like being possessed by the god of bad luck.
Lu Ming was suddenly startled and asked, "Li Si, according to what you said, when you arrived at Room 14 of Jincheng Hotel, the first thing Li Xiaoyan asked you was, where is the thing I gave you?"
"Yes." Li Mingxuan nodded, "Just these few words, but I kept the jade pendant she gave me that day at home, so I replied, 'I'll give it to you tomorrow'."
Lu Ming nodded slightly. Li Mingxuan was actually a very capable prosecutor. At such a life-and-death moment, he would definitely describe the details clearly, not missing a single word.
"Then, she said, 'Just keep it as a souvenir...' She smiled twice, gave you a seductive look, and then she came to pull you?"
Li Mingxuan nodded: "Yes." There was a trace of pain in his eyes. It seemed that the situation of being molested by that fierce woman had left a shadow in his heart.
"She grabbed your arm, and you were not as strong as she was. She pressed you down on the bed, and she touched you all over?"
“Yes…” Li Mingxuan lowered his head and bit his lip.
"Did your penis win at that time?" Lu Ming suddenly asked.
Wang Da'an and Chen Qinghua beside them were both stunned.
Li Mingxuan immediately looked up, his face full of anger, but then he sighed. How could he not know that according to his testimony, the prosecution would definitely ask these questions, and they might be more direct and sharper.
"Yes..." After hesitating for a while, Li Mingxuan squeezed out two words from between his teeth.
Lu Ming nodded and looked at the testimony again. "When she let go of your hand and went to grab your, ahem, you picked up the flying eagle sculpture on the bedside table and hit her on the head. Then, you pushed her away and ran out. When you looked back, you saw her standing up and yelling at you with an angry face."
"Yes." Li Mingxuan gritted his teeth and said, "She was definitely not killed by that blow from me."
Lu Ming nodded. According to the forensic report, Second Aunt Li's skull was hit several times by a blunt object. He did not tell Li Mingxuan this.
"You remember the details so clearly, which has both advantages and disadvantages. I cannot prove your previous identity as a prosecutor in court, so the prosecution will lead the jury to believe that you made up these clear details."
Lu Ming put down his testimony and looked at Li Mingxuan, "You understand this, right?"
Li Mingxuan was stunned and sighed, "You always see farther than me."
Wang Da'an and Chen Qinghua looked at each other. They knew that this Li Si claimed to be a prosecutor in the past. They didn't know if he was bragging or not. But from what he said now, he and Lawyer Lu knew each other before
Lu Ming looked at the testimony, "Where is the thing I gave you?" "Where is the thing I gave you?"
After repeating it twice, he asked, "Li Xiaoyan, have you ever asked for something back that I gave you?"
"Sometimes, especially with the jade pendant. She drank too much and cried, saying that it was given to her by Master Liu Er when he loved her the most. Now, she wants to give it to me. It was once her most precious thing, and she wants to give it to me..."
"Sometimes when she was drunk, she would throw some precious things from her memories with Liu Shoucheng to me as if they were garbage, and then she would ask for them back. This happened several times. So, I guess this jade pendant was her favorite in the past, and she would definitely take it back. But I didn't expect her to take it back before she sobered up. So, I didn't keep it with me. It's too precious. I was afraid of losing it, so I hid it in the safe."
Lu Ming nodded. "However, I still need to talk to Xiao Cui again. Something is not right here."