When it was time for their appointment, they went straight in.

AHEM. Zhang Wei suddenly looked rather embarrassed.

He quickly explained, "The previous cases... well, those were because the clients didn't cooperate. If they had listened to me, their sentences... they definitely would have been much lighter!"

"You can ask Mr. Qin if you don't believe me."

Bai Xuelan and her two companions looked skeptically at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu's mouth twitched. He nodded and said, "I can testify to that. The defendants Lawyer Zhang previously represented... I was the one who got them convicted."

Bai Xuelan: "..."

Liang Chengbin: "..."

Hua Li: "..."

They all felt something was off.

"Alright," Zhang Wei began, "let's discuss each of your situations. Please, don't omit any details. Tell me everything that needs to be said, and don't hold anything back. I will ensure strict confidentiality."

Zhang Wei then looked at everyone and very professionally opened his laptop. He prepared to record any relevant and useful information.

Criminal defense differs from civil cases; any detail can affect the outcome.

And this time... What he aimed for wasn't just a defense for a reduced sentence, but a full acquittal—a defense of innocence!

Ever since receiving Qin Mu's call, he had proactively gathered information about the case from various sources.

According to his straightforward values, an act of bravery, of helping someone in distress, couldn't possibly violate criminal law!

This case didn't need to aim for a reduced sentence; it should go straight for an acquittal!

If possible, he even wanted to get all the so-called compensation waived... completely!

Moreover, this case marked his and Qin Mu's first-ever collaboration, a truly groundbreaking event, and he was very confident they could succeed!

"This is what happened. I was walking normally on the street that day..."

Bai Xuelan first sat in front of Zhang Wei and recounted the events of that day.

When she was suddenly robbed, she was initially flustered too but immediately chased after the man in the black T-shirt. However, on her own, she clearly couldn't catch up. So, she tried to shout for help from passersby. She had only shouted "Robbery!" a few times when she noticed the pedestrians on both sides of the road were clearly moving aside, creating a path.

So, she tried a little stratagem: she started shouting, "Stop, thief!"

But at first, still, no one stepped forward.

It wasn't until Qin Mu and Liang Chengbin successively stepped forward that she saw a glimmer of hope of catching the robber.

However, she hadn't expected what happened next. The robber, panicking and his stamina waning, attempted to dart across the road to escape.

As a result, a tragedy ensued.

"So, from what you saw, the other party was losing stamina and then attempted to run to the other side of the road, is that correct?" Zhang Wei asked after noting down her account.

"He was well-built and ran quickly, correct? And he appeared to have no injuries or any pre-existing medical conditions?"

"During the chase, did you observe Mr. Qin or Mr. Liang engage in any excessive actions?"

He meticulously went through each question that could potentially influence the verdict on the charges.

Bai Xuelan, clearly perceiving Zhang Wei's professionalism, answered all his questions cooperatively.

Next, it was Liang Chengbin's turn, followed by Hua Li, and then Qin Mu.

"My wife had asked me to go to the supermarket to buy some pork for dumplings," Liang Chengbin began. "I heard someone shout, 'Stop, thief!' and without really thinking, I just took off after him. I admit I yelled a few curses at the time..."

"I was driving normally," Hua Li stated, "doing about sixty miles per hour on a road where the speed limit is also sixty..."

"I had just finished dinner with the seniors at the nursing home when I heard the commotion and also gave chase..." Qin Mu added.

Once all four had recounted the incident, Zhang Wei proceeded to ask each of them about their family circumstances and other pertinent details.

Among the four of them, Liang Chengbin's family situation was, by far, the most difficult.

Zhang Wei listened and then fell silent for a good ten seconds. He felt a profound admiration for Liang Chengbin.

If he were in Liang Chengbin's shoes, with such family circumstances, he definitely wouldn't have gotten involved in someone else's trouble.

"Rest assured," he said, taking a deep breath and speaking with conviction, "you will all be found innocent in this case!"

He spoke with conviction, as much to reassure Liang Chengbin as to affirm his own sense of justice.

A case like this... whether you look at it from the perspective of natural justice, common human decency, morality, or the law itself, it shouldn't result in any punishment whatsoever!

Criminal charges were out of the question. He felt they shouldn't even be held liable for civil damages!

"Really?" Liang Chengbin asked nervously.

Zhang Wei said with a smile, "Really."

Afterward, he turned to Qin Mu, ready to seriously discuss the case with this "kindred spirit."

"This case touches upon criminal law, civil law, and procedural law, among other areas. From a criminal law perspective, it involves suspected involuntary manslaughter—that is, causing death by negligence."

Qin Mu nodded and recited the relevant legal statute: "Article 233: Whoever negligently causes the death of another person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years; if the circumstances are relatively minor, the sentence shall be fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years."

Zhang Wei was somewhat surprised.

Still, he continued, "I looked into it yesterday. The expanded interpretation offers a specific explanation for negligence. Objectively, three conditions must be met: an act must have been committed that led to a person's death; death must have indeed occurred as a result; and a causal link must exist between the act and the resulting death..."

Qin Mu followed up with his analysis, "In this case, while our actions do have a causal relationship with the outcome, the deceased engaged in hazardous flight to evade pursuit. That specific danger was not created by us."

"He possessed independent criminal capacity and full conscious awareness. He had no disabilities or illnesses and acted on his own initiative. Furthermore, we didn't use threats, intimidation, or any overly provocative language..."

"Well said," Zhang Wei interjected. "Moreover, criminal law clearly defines negligence. It requires that the perpetrator could have foreseen the potential consequences of their actions. No reasonable person chasing a robber could possibly foresee that the robber would end up being fatally struck by a vehicle..."

In the law firm, the two of them became engrossed in an animated discussion.

Zhang Wei looked as if he had found a true kindred spirit, his excitement palpable. Qin Mu understood all the professional terms Zhang Wei used perfectly and could even bring up many criminal law theories that Zhang Wei himself had never encountered.

Meanwhile, Bai Xuelan, Liang Chengbin, and Hua Li listened, feeling as though they were trying to decipher an arcane script. Their expressions were blank, and they found themselves increasingly unable to follow the conversation. Many of the professional terms and lines of legal reasoning were completely foreign to them.

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.