As Gu Nianzhi spoke, she connected her laptop to the projector in the courtroom and explained to everyone, "Everyone knows that Luo Xinxue passed away ten years ago. Her death was determined to be a suicide. But recently, the famous military forensic doctor, Dr. Zhu, confirmed that Mrs. Luo did not commit suicide, but was murdered. "
"Objection. Luo Xinxue's case has been going on for ten years, and the prosecution period has long passed. This case should never have been filed. "Lawyer Jin threw out the first objection of the day.
Gu Nianzhi raised an eyebrow. Lawyer Jin really looked down on a rookie like her. He actually used such a flawed "objection" to gain the upper hand.
Gu Nianzhi retorted without hesitation, "Lawyer Jin, you're a disgrace to your reputation. According to Huaxia Imperial law, there is no prosecution period for murder cases, and it will always be valid. Seeing how someone like you can become the chief lawyer of JD Law Firm, I think my future is bright. "
Lawyer Jin was furious and protested to the judge, "Objection! The opposing lawyer's words have nothing to do with this case! "
"You're the chief lawyer representing the defendant, and I'm doubting your professional abilities. How is that unrelated to this case?" Gu Nianzhi retorted, not willing to lose any ground.
The judge was stunned by her words, and smiled slightly as he nodded to Gu Nianzhi, "If it's not directly related, then the less you say, the better."
"Yes, Your Honor." Gu Nianzhi didn't waste any more time, and picked up a laser pointer to aim at the large screen hanging on the wall of the courtroom.
The projector turned on, and a freezer appeared on the screen.
The camera then turned to a distant view of a body on the operating table.
Gu Nianzhi pointed at the image of the body with the laser pointer, "This is Luo Xinxue's body, which has been secretly stored in the underground freezer of the Military General Hospital for ten years. She is also the wife of former Colonel Huo Guanyuan, and the mother of Miss Huo Jialan."
"… Our goal is to prove that Luo Xinxue's cause of death was not suicide, but homicide. And the only direct evidence we have is this corpse. " The little red dot on Gu Nianzhi's laser pointer circled around Luo Xinxue's body on the screen, "This evidence is indeed too thin. But if we say it's big, it's the most powerful evidence. There's nothing a body can't tell you. "
The judge nodded, and focused on the screen, "… What did you find?"
"… The most important evidence is here." Gu Nianzhi said as she tapped twice on her laptop to bring up a photo.
This time, it was a clearer photo of Luo Xinxue's body.
She lay on the autopsy table with her eyes closed. The white cloth was pulled up to her chest, exposing her shoulders.
His face was pale to the point of turning green, but there was no sign of decay. There was an obvious cut on his neck.
Gu Nianzhi pointed to the incision and said, "This is where Medical Examiner Zhu made the incision. You can see her throat all the way to the inside of her stomach."
Everyone in the courtroom stared unblinkingly at the big screen. They were all a little nervous and knew that there must be a major discovery. Otherwise, Gu Nianzhi wouldn't have specifically singled out this photo.
As expected, Gu Nianzhi pulled up another photo. "Look, this is a side view of the deceased's laryngeal muscle. It was convulsing so badly that it was almost unable to swallow the pill."
"… I remember Luo Xinxue's autopsy report said she committed suicide by swallowing sleeping pills. If her throat was convulsing like that, then how did she swallow the sleeping pills? "Gu Nianzhi grasped the key point and pointed out the first obvious doubt.
"That's the biggest doubt. In such a convulsive state, she wouldn't have been able to swallow the pills on her own unless an external force was used to push them down her throat. She would've vomited them all out. " Medical Examiner Zhu made the final decision. As an expert witness, he declared that the possibility of murder was far higher than suicide.
It was because of this important evidence that the Imperial Capital Intermediate Court announced the case.
After the Bai's learned of the case, they immediately applied for a secret hearing on the grounds that the case might be confidential.
Even Huo Shaoheng didn't object to this.
Because of this, only the prosecution and defense, as well as their families, would be present during the hearing. It wouldn't be open to the media or the public.
Huo Shaoheng only requested that the final verdict be made public.
This was also accepted by the court.
Gu Nianzhi learned of the cause and effect when she was at home, and admired Huo Shaoheng even more.
It had been less than a month since New Year's Eve, but Huo Shaoheng had not only completed his own duties and dealt with Miss Dou's sudden return, but had also methodically put Bai Jinyi's case on the agenda.
From selecting an expert witness to preparing the evidence in court, he hadn't missed a single step.
Gu Nianzhi turned to look at the calm Huo Shaoheng, and sat down with a triumphant expression. The courtroom was immediately filled with whispers.
Bai Jinyi's defense lawyer, Lawyer Jin, asked again, "Miss Gu, I have a question."
"Please go ahead."
"May I ask how you can prove that the convulsions in the throat were caused before death? That it wasn't caused after death? "
Gu Nianzhi was slightly taken aback. This was indeed a misunderstanding. It was true that people would have muscle spasms after death due to various reasons.
But after Medical Examiner Zhu made this discovery, he immediately concluded that it was caused before death, so the conclusion that the victim had committed suicide by swallowing sleeping pills was not valid.
The defense lawyer's question precisely pointed out the error in their judgment. It was indeed very incisive.
This Jin Dazhuang really did have some skills.
If Gu Nianzhi and her lawyers couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, then the court would definitely rule that Medical Examiner Zhu's conclusion was invalid, so it couldn't have been murder.
The courtroom was suddenly silent. The sound of the central air conditioner was originally very soft, but in the silence, it seemed to be amplified. Gu Nianzhi could only hear the constant buzzing in her ears, like thousands of little bees spreading their wings at the same time.
She frowned at her laptop screen.
The screensaver on Gu Nianzhi's computer screen was dynamic.
A rare black orchid blossomed on the screen. The tiny seven-starred ladybug slowly climbed up the leaves of the orchid until it reached the flower's upside-down petals. It seemed to lose its footing, and suddenly fell into the depths of the orchid along the veins of the petals.
Gu Nianzhi looked at the image and suddenly had a vague idea.
The ladybug had fallen into the orchid, but who could prove how the ladybug had gotten inside?
Had it fallen in on its own, or had someone shoved it in?
… If there were no witnesses, perhaps only the ladybug would be able to prove it.
Gu Nianzhi's eyes lit up as she thought about it. She turned around and asked, "Medical Examiner Zhu, can you prove that the sleeping pills entered the victim's stomach before the laryngeal muscle spasm, or after?"
If the sleeping pills had entered the victim's stomach before the laryngeal muscle spasm, then it was entirely possible that the victim had swallowed sleeping pills to commit suicide. Medical Examiner Zhu's previous conclusion would likely be overturned by the opposing lawyer.
The only way to prove that the sleeping pills had entered the victim's stomach after the laryngeal muscle spasm was to prove that the victim's death was indeed a murder and not a suicide.
Medical Examiner Zhu thought about it carefully and took the laser pointer from Gu Nianzhi's hand. He pointed at the image and said slowly, "Everyone can carefully look at this laryngeal profile image. There are some serious scratching marks left behind when the sleeping pills were forcefully shoved into the throat. If the laryngeal muscle was in a normal state, swallowing such a dose of pills wouldn't cause such a result. "
Gu Nianzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She took the laser pointer back from Medical Examiner Zhu and nodded, "Thank you for your professional explanation, Medical Examiner Zhu." Then she turned to look at the opposing lawyer, Lawyer Jin, "Are you satisfied with this answer?"
Lawyer Jin smiled, "We will verify the photo again. Also, we request that a third party, neutral forensic examiner, be sent to conduct a new autopsy on Luo Xinxue's body. "
"Are you doubting Medical Examiner Zhu's professionalism?" Gu Nianzhi reacted quickly and immediately made Medical Examiner Zhu glare at Lawyer Jin.
"I'm not doubting. But Medical Examiner Zhu is from the military, so it's only right that we request an impartial and independent third party to conduct the autopsy. "
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