MWC – Chapter 5 The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (Part 3)

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

Over there, Lu Ming, standing in front of Zhao Jinsong, shook his head somewhat disheartenedly. He took a few steps back, then walked to his seat and flipped through the documents on the table. One of them was Zhao Jinsong’s testimony. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “That doesn’t make sense!” Immediately, he caught the attention of the judge and the jury.

He quickly walked to Zhao Jinsong and asked, “So, if you didn’t receive any tip about a body in the car and it was just an accidental collision, why did you search the trunk of the vehicle?”

Zhao Jinsong smirked, “Because he looked nervous and kept glancing at the trunk, so there was sufficient reason to suspect contraband in the car.”

“Witness, please answer clearly, who is ‘he’ referring to here?” Lu Ming raised his voice.

Zhao Jinsong snorted coldly, “It’s Zhao Yuancheng. He looked nervous, and besides, after you got out of the car, you looked nervous too.”

Lu Ming smiled, “I wan’t nervous at that time. And even if he and I were nervous, have you considered it might be because Zhao Yuancheng collided with your bicycle in the wrong lane? You’re a police officer. Wouldn’t he and I be nervous?”

Zhao Jinsong looked at Lu Ming and said calmly, “As you said yourself, with your and his identities, why would you be nervous seeing me? If it was just a collision, would you care about me? If it wasn’t for illegal items hidden in the car, and serious evidence of a crime, would you be nervous?”

Li Mingxuan relaxed slightly, nodding slightly. Indeed, this young and promising detective was starting to lose his composure, partly because he looked down upon Lu Ming, who was questioning him, which made him feel annoyed and unable to think straight.

After all, in a place like Wuan City, if you didn’t have money, how many would look up to that waste?

In reality, Zhao Jinsong’s response was so swift, using the opponent’s words and shields to break the opponent’s spear.

Very clever.

Lu Ming smiled faintly and nodded, “So, what do you suspect the contraband is?”

Zhao Jinsong shook his head, “I don’t know, but based on my experience dealing with gangsters…”

Lu Ming immediately interrupted him, “Please correct your wording. The Twin Dragons Society is a legally registered civilian organization, and furthermore, Long Daxing is merely an honorary director. Even if some individuals within the Twin Dragons Society have engaged in illegal activities, it does not mean the entire organization is a gang, let alone linked to Long Daxing! Zhao Yuancheng and I are not members of the Twin Dragons Society, as confirmed by recent police raids.”

Zhao Jinsong’s expression turned even more disdainful, and he sneered, “Fine, I’ll change my wording. Based on my experience dealing with Mr. Lu’s close friends, the contraband in the car must be of significant importance.”

Li Mingxuan smiled. This young police officer had potential. He was worth getting to know better and bringing into his circle. But as he watched Lu Ming’s figure, Li Mingxuan felt a strange sensation rising within him. How did this guy suddenly become so articulate, almost like a lawyer? Although he had failed and lost focus, unable to counter Zhao Jinsong effectively.

Seeing Zhao Jinsong replace “gangsters” with “Mr. Lu’s close friends,” many members of the jury couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Clearly, they were increasingly convinced that Lu Ming was associated with shady characters. Spending too much time with gangsters increased the likelihood of resorting to extreme measures like murder when faced with a problem.

Lu Ming looked at Zhao Jinsong. “So, Officer Zhao, it seems that you’re a frequent violator of police regulations. One could say that you don’t care about following police guidelines at all.”

“Objection! Objection to the defense’s baseless questioning of the witness’s professional integrity!” Li Mingxuan, who had been observing Lu Ming, raised his hand to object.

“Objection sustained,” Boris said.

Looking at Lu Ming who hadn’t spoken yet, Lu Ming smiled and said, “Officer Zhao, according to police regulations, you can conduct a search based on reasonable suspicion of Zhao Yuancheng’s belongings. If the suspicion is well-founded, you can also search the passengers in the same vehicle.”

“But since there was no prior report and it wasn’t a police deployment, you were originally dealing with private matters. If you suspected serious contraband in the car, according to police regulations, what should you have done at that moment?”

Zhao Jinsong said coldly, “We are required to have two people present and apply for a search warrant from the court. However, the composition of the individuals close to you and Zhao Yuancheng is complicated. At that time, there was only me. If I had applied for a search warrant, I was afraid the contraband in the car would be swapped. This is not unprecedented. Therefore, frontline detectives have some discretion, and the court acknowledges this.”

“So, you mean police regulations are not absolute, and there are gray areas. You should also implement rules in these gray areas.”

Zhao Jinsong pondered for a moment and nodded. “You could say that.”

Lu Ming smiled and continued, “However, the incident occurred only a few steps away from the Old City Patrol Station. You could have easily blown the whistle for backup. Moreover, in such special circumstances, you could have requested the vehicle to accompany you to the police station and then applied for a search warrant. This would already be considered the court’s special concession to detectives.”

“So,” Lu Ming looked at Boris, “I believe that it’s these so-called gray rules that have led to many injustices. By defaulting to the gray areas in the law, some detectives have become accustomed to lawlessness. In this case, although it met the conditions for a legal search under police regulations, these detectives are used to doing as they please. Thus, they can illegally search civilians without a warrant.”

“It’s not just me. Many people who have friends in ‘complex circles’ have had similar experiences. Ordinary citizens are often harassed by these rogue detectives, especially those without power or influence. They are even less likely to be treated politely!” Lu Ming looked at the jury and said, “I think many people have had similar experiences—being cursed and searched by detectives for no reason, perhaps just because they didn’t want them to jump the line? They would immediately be pressed down and harassed!”

Some jurors listened intently, nodding silently.

Li Mingxuan gradually felt something was off and abruptly stood up. “Objection! Objection to the defense directly addressing the jurors.”

“I haven’t directly addressed any juror, have I?” Lu Ming smiled and looked at Boris. “In court, I believe the gray areas of police power are precisely what lead to the rampant abuse of power by some rogue detectives, such as Officer Zhao here in the witness stand. He’s an excellent detective, receiving numerous commendations and even hailed as the shining star of our county’s police force, with limitless prospects in the future.”

“But even such an outstanding police officer has become accustomed to violating police regulations without seeing any problem. That’s the biggest issue here in court.”

Finally, after Lu Ming finished speaking, Li Mingxuan immediately said, “I believe that when the evidence is clear, arguing about how it was obtained at this point is meaningless.”

Lu Ming glanced at Li Mingxuan. “It’s of great significance. But, prosecutor, you don’t understand. I think Judge Boris will understand.”

“Just a few months ago, the Chief Justice of the Empire’s Supreme Court overturned a death sentence in a murder case precisely because some of the evidence obtained during the search process was suspected to involve illegal actions.”

Li Mingxuan was stunned. Was there such a case?

The situation in the four northern provinces was unique. Many local customs and traditional regulations prevailed there. When Imperial law reached these regions, it often adapted to local customs. For example, the buying and selling of people were recognized in all four northern provinces. Imperial law had abolished slavery a century ago, except for slaves from the Southern Chieftaincies. Slavery was not recognized, and neither were the rights of black slaves as citizens.

Therefore, legal professionals in the northern provinces were not so sensitive to the latest trends in Imperial law.

Boris looked at Lu Ming, nodding. “However, the case dismissed by the Federal Supreme Court was not because the crucial evidence belonged to illegally obtained, but mainly due to insufficient evidence from the prosecution.”

It was the first time Boris had encountered someone so clear about the changes in Imperial Federal law in the North, which surprised him. He even felt a sense of familiarity with a stranger in a foreign land.

Usually, when discussing legal matters with colleagues or even with Li Mingxuan, a newly minted legal professional from the provincial capital, Boris often felt like he was talking to a wall.

Lu Ming looked at Boris. “But the nature is the same. In court, whether or not illegal evidence is crucial, we should exclude it. Moreover, I believe the more crucial the evidence, the more it should be legally obtained. Otherwise, detectives will taste the sweetness of this approach, as it enables them to solve cases and gain rewards by trampling on the legitimate rights of citizens. They will increasingly erode the legitimate rights of citizens and create many miscarriages of justice. Illegal crucial evidence can be said to be the fruit of the poisonous tree. It may look delicious, but if we treat it as food, our justice system will gradually decay, and police power will expand indefinitely. In the end, the so-called law will become a mere decoration.”

Boris nodded, pondering.

Li Mingxuan shook his head. Was this greedy old man trying to take advantage of the situation again?

Standing up, “In court, I request we return to the main issue.”

Lu Ming nodded. “I am addressing the main issue.” He looked at Boris and raised his voice. “Therefore, Your Honor, based on Officer Zhao’s statement, I have sufficient grounds to conclude that the main evidence, A, B, and C, was obtained illegally. I request the exclusion of this illegal evidence!”

Evidence A, evidence B, and evidence C are the body found in the trunk, the fruit knife, dog hair, and other traces left by the murderer.

If these three crucial pieces of evidence are excluded, then this case would cease to exist. It’s as if the body and everything related were never discovered.

Where would the murder case be then?

With Lu Ming’s resolute words, the spectators and jurors were immediately stirred.

Li Mingxuan’s expression changed, and he suddenly stood up. “In court, what the defense is saying now is irrelevant to this case. Idealism has never been the true essence of law, especially in criminal cases. Each case is incredibly bloody and ugly, not something we can casually chant slogans about in court. The case doesn’t become less important just because we’re in court, and the grief of the deceased’s family is not insignificant. Did the screams of agony and the cruel torture of the dying not exist in that dark basement?”

Pointing at Lu Ming, he gritted his teeth. “Based on the existing evidence, Lu Ming is undoubtedly the murderer. Is it fair and just to let this murderer go just because there were some minor flaws in the search process? This isn’t justice; this would be a disgrace to the law!”

The spectators and jurors were moved by Li Mingxuan’s tearful statement, nodding in agreement.

Indeed, if this case were to let a murderer go just because there were some procedural issues in collecting evidence, what kind of world would it be?

Lu Ming also nodded inwardly. What Li Mingxuan said made sense, and he agreed with it to some extent. The laws of the oceanic and continental systems had their own advantages and disadvantages, but since this world operated under oceanic law, it naturally followed the rules of oceanic law.

Looking at Boris, Lu Ming calmly said, “The defense is skilled at influencing the emotions of the jurors, but the law is the law. The law itself is ugly. Only ugly matters need the judgment of the law. Emotion, in fact, is the enemy of the law…”

Before Lu Ming could continue, Li Mingxuan rudely interrupted, “Alright, let’s talk about the law. Since the Chief Justices of the Imperial Federal Court have not excluded crucial evidence, even if that evidence was obtained illegally, what reason do we have to be innovative?!”

“This is not about being innovative!” Lu Ming looked at him calmly. “Many precedents were not set by the Federal Supreme Court. Why can’t this case be the first example of the fruit of the poisonous tree? This case could mark the beginning of a new era for Imperial law, a milestone judgment that will be recorded in history and become a guiding case for the Empire, to be studied by all legal professionals for generations to come, thus ensuring it’s remembered forever!”

Boris listened, his eyes shining brighter and brighter.

Imperial law focused on precedents. If there were truly groundbreaking cases guiding the times, they would indeed be remembered in history. The judge in this case would be featured in law school textbooks for decades, even centuries, to come.

Li Mingxuan saw Boris’s expression and was suddenly stunned.

A cruel possibility flashed through his mind. Could this case really be lost?

From the perspective of the case itself, he had never considered the possibility of losing.

But unexpectedly, this ignorant fellow Lu Ming had somehow touched Boris’s soft spot.

This greedy old man loved beauty and money, but those were far less important to him than his reputation.

If the case were truly lost, what would the new Commissioner Shi Xin, think? It was not difficult to imagine.

Actually, just a moment ago, although Li Mingxuan had realized the danger and delivered an impassioned speech that moved the jurors, he had never thought the case would be lost. But now, looking at Boris’s expression, it was clear that those beautiful women and money were suddenly insignificant.

Filled with immense unease, he wanted to say something, but Boris made a gesture, and he, along with the associate judge and the court clerk, began to discuss quietly.

Li Mingxuan looked at Lu Ming, only to find Lu Ming looking back at him. The eyes of this once foolish fellow were now so clear, as if they were bright stars in the night sky.

Li Mingxuan was perplexed, unable to understand what had happened. This fool seemed to have changed completely.

Suddenly, he realized. Yes, that’s it. Lu Ming had begun attacking the relationship between Zhao Jinsong and Zhao Yuancheng, accusing them of premeditation.

In fact, the purpose was to reveal that the two had no connection. Therefore, the car accident was an incidental event. So, just because of a minor collision, if Zhao Jinsong, without a search warrant, opened the trunk of the other party’s car, then it would constitute an illegal search.

That is, from the very beginning, Lu Ming’s goal was clear: to invalidate illegal evidence.

His previous arguments were clearly a trap, causing the prosecution to fall into it completely. On the contrary, if they desperately tried to prove there were no informants or leaks, it would introduce too many variables, and the case might develop towards framing and entrapment.

In this way, it would be tantamount to proving that the evidence came from an illegal search.

But, was it really premeditated by him from the beginning? Had everything been planned out?!

How was that possible? Li Mingxuan stared blankly at Lu Ming. At this moment, Lu Ming seemed completely unrecognizable to him. It seemed like Lu Ming cared more about the outcome of the case than he did.

Commissioner Shi Xin, sitting in the spectators’ gallery, looked at Li Mingxuan, who seemed lost in thought, and had no idea what he was thinking.

But it was obvious that the case could be lost at any moment, yet Li Mingxuan looked confused and didn’t know what to do to remedy the situation.

Would interrupting the judges’ deliberations help?

Shi Xin’s expression turned incredibly grim.

“No, I… I did indeed receive an anonymous tip-off call at the police station beforehand, but I was eager to make achievements and wasn’t sure if it was a prank call. I couldn’t afford to offend the Double Dragon Society… So, I just wanted to confirm…” Zhao Jinsong seemed to realize that the situation was not good, his face pale, stuttering as he spoke.

Lu Ming was stunned.

Yes, the one who made the call must be the mastermind behind killing Long Daxing and framing himself.

Should he ask further questions? This way, he might gain some insight into the identity of the mastermind.

However, this was a double-edged sword that could lead the case in an unknown direction.

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Lu Ming’s mind.

But as long as Zhao Jinsong was still alive, there would always be a chance to find out the truth.

Gritting his teeth, “In court, the main witness for the prosecution suddenly changed his testimony after taking the oath. I now seriously doubt the credibility of this witness and request the exclusion of illegal evidence and the revocation of all testimonies from witness Zhao Jinsong!”

Boris looked at Zhao Jinsong and shook his head.

“Bang!” He struck the gavel. “After deliberation, this court rules that evidence A, evidence B, and evidence C are illegal evidence and are to be excluded from this case!”

There was an uproar in the spectators’ gallery and the jury box.

Lu Ming immediately said, “In court, the defense requests the dismissal of case number Wu’an 953447 due to insufficient evidence from the prosecution.”

With no body and no damning evidence in the witness’s testimony witnessing Long Daxing’s murder, the case naturally ceased to exist.

Boris nodded. “This case is dismissed. The prosecution can refile charges after finding new compelling evidence!”

There was no verdict, so there was no need for the jury to vote. Instead, the case was dismissed directly. Therefore, it did not fall under the “res judicata” principle because with the case being dismissed directly, as long as the prosecution found new compelling evidence, they could refile charges.

But the problem was, where could they possibly find new compelling evidence? Unless Lu Ming suddenly admitted to committing the murder himself.

As Boris struck the gavel, he nodded at Lu Ming, thinking that this young man had potential and ideas. After this case settled down, he wanted to have a chat with him.

Moreover, there seemed to be some hidden secrets behind the murder.

If he was truly innocent, perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take him on as his disciple.

Zhen Shi, feeling dazed and confused, didn’t understand what had happened when Xie Wenquan congratulated her. Seeing Lu Ming and Xie Wenquan hugging, it seemed as though they were celebrating the victory of the case.

Zhen Shi gently moved her numb feet, finally relieved that she wouldn’t be confined in the solitary room in the courthouse anymore. These past few months had been too difficult to bear.

Meanwhile, Xie Wenquan, extremely excited, hugged Lu Ming tightly, patting his back vigorously.

In his heart, besides admiration, there was nothing else!

Unexpectedly, in this small town, he encountered a genius defense attorney.

Throughout the entire trial, it wasn’t something that could be won by mere guidance from an expert. The clever maneuvers required on-the-spot performance, and a natural instinct for the ebb and flow of the courtroom.

This case was won too ingeniously. In the Imperial legal world, regardless of region, this confrontation between prosecution and defense could be considered a classic showdown. The defense’s various traps, combined with their understanding of the judges and the prosecution’s mindset, reached the pinnacle.

Ironically, the jury, whom the prosecution most wanted to influence, was never considered by the defense from the beginning.

Under Xie Wenquan’s excitement, he exerted too much force while hugging Lu Ming, causing Lu Ming to feel a bit suffocated and start coughing.

Bitterly smiling inwardly, his small physique was truly like that of a weakling?

Suddenly, he felt a strange gaze on his face, which turned out to be the fiery gaze of the incredibly beautiful policewoman, Han Anni.

Helplessly, Lu Ming could only pretend not to notice.

He never expected that his first love in this world would have such a complicated relationship with him, almost like a doomed fate.

On the other hand, Li Mingxuan, looking pale, turned to look at Commissioner Shi Xin again.

Shi Xin had already stood up, not bothering to give Li Mingxuan another glance, leaving Li Mingxuan with a silhouette that seemed like a volcano about to erupt.