Chapter 544 I Was Deceived

"Well, this issue is indeed difficult to judge. There is a lot of controversy in current judicial practice. I tend to believe that Wu Meifeng is guilty of illegal detention." Fang Yi nodded.

"Should we go to the detention center to meet Wu Meifeng again?" Zhou Ying asked.

"Wait for a while. After the procuratorate transfers the case to the court, we will meet again before the trial. During this time, you can search for the precedents of similar cases issued by the courts in our province." Fang Yi said.

More than half a month later, Wu Meifeng's case went to trial. There were five people sitting in the auditorium of the 15th Courtroom of the Intermediate People's Court, including men and women, and Wu Meiqin was among them.

Before the trial, Fang Yi had already talked to Wu Meiqin and told her that Wu Meifeng's behavior had indeed constituted a crime, but the charges were doubtful. Before this, Wu Meiqin had always been lucky and hoped that the court would find her sister not guilty. Fang Yi's words undoubtedly broke her fantasy.

At the same time, Fang Yi gave her another glimmer of hope, that is, Wu Meifeng might not be guilty of kidnapping, but guilty of illegal detention. The latter charge would be lighter than the previous one, and he might be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of less than three years.

There is an old saying: Choose the lesser of two evils, choose the greater of two benefits.

Wu Meiqin hoped that Fang Yi's words were right. In this case, her sister could spend less years in prison.

In the court at this time, the male prosecutor on the prosecutor's bench was reading the indictment against Zhao Sixi in his cold voice.

Zhao Sixi's lawyer sat in the first seat, and Fang Yi and Zhou Ying, the second defendant Wu Meifeng's defenders, sat in the second seat. The three of them listened to the contents of the indictment with their ears bent.

During the subsequent court investigation, Zhao Sixi confessed to the charges and criminal facts charged by the procuratorate, and recognized all the evidence presented by the prosecutor.

…

"The bailiff took the defendant Zhao Sixi out of the court to await trial, and brought the defendant Wu Meifeng into the court for investigation." The presiding judge said after concluding the court investigation of the defendant Zhao Sixi.

After a while, Wu Meifeng was brought into the court by the female bailiff. At this time, Wu Meifeng was thinner than before, her face was very poor, her hair was a little messy, and she was sitting in the defendant's box with a haggard look.

“...This court believes that the defendant Wu Meifeng and the defendant Zhao Sixi jointly committed the crime of kidnapping the victim Chen Yue. The two defendants were accomplices in the kidnapping, the defendant Zhao Sixi was the principal offender, and the defendant Wu Meifeng was an accessory.

Defendant Wu Meifeng's behavior violated the provisions of Article 239 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. The criminal facts are clear and the evidence is reliable and sufficient. He should be held criminally responsible for the crime of kidnapping.

According to the provisions of Article 176 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, if a public prosecution is instituted, please be sentenced in accordance with the law. Presiding judge, the indictment has been read out. "The prosecutor said coldly.

"Defendant Wu Meifeng, did you hear clearly the indictment just read out by the prosecutor? Do you have any objection to the criminal facts and charges charged against you in the indictment? What objections do you have?" asked the presiding judge.

"I have objections to the facts and charges charged in the indictment. I was deceived by Zhao Sixi, and I did not intend to kidnap Chen Yue..." Wu Meifeng said while sobbing.

"The public prosecutor can interrogate the defendant regarding the criminal facts charged in the indictment," the presiding judge said.

"Okay, presiding judge." The male prosecutor looked at Wu Meifeng with cold eyes, like knives: "Defendant Wu Meifeng, on the day of the crime, what were you and defendant Zhao Sixi doing near the county's primary school?"

"Zhao Sixi told me that Chen Yue's father, Chen Shouyi, owed him money..." Wu Meifeng was interrupted by the prosecutor before she could finish her words: "Defendant Wu Meifeng, answer whatever I ask, and don't say anything irrelevant. Did you hear that? ?”

"I heard it!" Wu Meifeng has been locked up in there for more than a month. In her subconscious, she only has the word "obedience" and does not have any youthful vitality or rebellion.

"What were you and Zhao Sixi doing near the primary school?" the prosecutor asked again.

"Zhao Sixi asked me to trick Chen Yue into a car and take her to the hotel." Wu Meifeng said honestly.

"Did you do that?" the prosecutor asked.

"Yes, I did it," Wu Meifeng said.

"What excuse did you use to trick the victim into getting into the car?" the prosecutor asked.

"I said I came to the Monopoly Hotel for an interview. I didn't know the way, so I asked her to help guide me." Wu Meifeng said.

"What happened next?" the prosecutor asked.

"When we arrived at the hotel, Chen Yue wanted to... want to get out of the car, but Zhao Sixi kidnapped him." Wu Meifeng said while sobbing.

"What did you do next?" the prosecutor asked.

"No...it's nothing. Zhao Sixi didn't...didn't let me get involved in what happened next." Wu Meifeng said while wiping her tears.

"Presiding judge, we have finished asking questions," the prosecutor said.

"Can defendant Wu Meifeng's defender ask questions to the defendant?" the presiding judge asked.

"Defendant Wu Meifeng, before carrying out the kidnapping of the victim, who first proposed the kidnapping of the victim, you or Zhao Sixi?" Fang Yi asked.

When the prosecutor asked the question before, he deliberately omitted the first part, and the previous "collusion" link was very beneficial to the defendant Wu Meifeng, so it was necessary for Fang Yi to let the defendant Wu Meifeng speak out.

When she went to the detention center for the last time to meet, Wu Meifeng was no longer as excited as she was at the beginning, and Fang Yi told her all the stakes. After Wu Meifeng was arrested, she collapsed and became emotionally unstable because of fear, but she was not stupid and knew what Fang Yi's words meant.

"Zhao Sixi mentioned it to me first," Wu Meifeng said.

"What did he say?" Fang Yi asked.

"He told me that Chen Shouyi owed... money to him, and he doesn't have... no money to pay us wages now because Chen Shouyi doesn't pay back the money.

He asked me to help him lure Chen Yue to the hotel, and he wanted to talk to Chen Shouyi about the debt. When he gets the money back... he will pay me my salary. "Wu Meifeng's mood stabilized a little and she said intermittently.

"How much salary does Zhao Sixi owe you?" Fang Yi asked.

"Two and a half months' salary, a total of six thousand yuan." Wu Meifeng said.

"Presiding judge, the defender has finished asking questions." Fang Yi said.

…

“The facts of this case have been clearly investigated, the court investigation has ended, and now the court debate has begun. The court debate mainly revolves around the disputed facts that have not been certified by the court and the issue of how the law should be applied based on the facts.

The prosecutor will speak first. "The chief judge said.

"Presiding Judge, Judge: The prosecutor believes that the defendants Zhao Sixi and Wu Meifeng in this case committed a joint crime. The two defendants constituted the crime of kidnapping. The defendant Zhao Sixi was the principal culprit and the defendant Wu Meifeng was an accessory.

In view of the seriousness of the criminal behavior of the two defendants and the great harm to society, the public prosecutor recommended that the defendant Zhao Sixi be sentenced to life imprisonment and the defendant Wu Meifeng be sentenced to ten years in prison. complete. "The prosecutor said.