Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!

Chapter 283 - 181. After arguing based on reason, can only the law override sentiment? (2nd update 2)

Chapter 283: 181. After arguing based on reason, can only the law override sentiment? (2nd update 2)

Huo Danru nodded, "The logical relationship of this sentence is like this: because he likes you, so I feel I also started liking you... This actually has already manifested the ’emotional transference’ phenomenon in Psychology. The degree might not be severe, but it’s already very typical."

"Then how about this sentence? — ’Sean harmed Zhou, so he truly deserves to die! I have killed him, I’ve avenged Zhou.’

Huo Danru continued to sit upright, "If this sentence is viewed in isolation, it indeed could be seen as a confession; but just as in the previous sentence, it’s already revealed that he’s experiencing emotional transference in Psychology, so this sentence cannot be considered a sober and independent confession."

"Then how should it be understood?"

Huo Danru said, "It could perhaps be understood as the lines recited by an actor who has fully immersed into the character. Although Mark spoke those words, they are not from ’Mark himself,’ but are spoken as the person he wanted to become."

"From the contextual correlation of his expression, that person should be Zhou Guanghan whom Mark mentioned multiple times."

"Because Sean killed Zhou Guanghan, and Mark feels he has transformed into Zhou Guanghan to exact revenge."

Xiang Yuan curled his lips, "It means that Mark’s above statement cannot be taken seriously, much less used as confessional evidence in court."

Huo Danru nodded, "Yes."

Xiang Yuan smiled, then turned to another page and read the last key question that Shi Nian asked Mark during the recording before it was broken: "Say it again, you killed Sean, didn’t you?"

Xiang Yuan circled the sentence with a laser pointer and walked to the jury, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, why not try to silently repeat this sentence in your mind? Does it not have a blatant guiding intention? My client was a lifelong friend of another murder victim, Zhou Guanghan. They shared interests, and even chose neighboring seats in class, so Zhou Guanghan’s death inflicted deep psychological trauma on my client, causing him to experience a psychological emotional transference effect."

"He hoped to become Zhou Guanghan, to love the girl Zhou Guanghan loved; he wished to turn into Zhou Guanghan, to directly catch that murderer, and then avenge him greatly. That is why he uttered those so-called ’confessional statements’ under an unstable mental state, statements which the prosecution considered as confession."

"But even in an emotionally unstable condition, under Shi Nian, who was a journalist, repeatedly guided him, he did not again admit to being the killer of Sean. From this, it is evident that the above so-called confession was merely a wish voiced in a fantasized world under emotional transference."

"There is no murder, no confession, only psychological trauma following a dear friend’s sudden violent death, a transference caused by prolonged grief... Yes, even though there was an act of harm caused by an uncontrolled emotion upon sudden awareness of a journalist’s recording, the nature of it is completely different."

"As the lawyer of my client, I am willing to acknowledge the harm caused in a state of mental instability, and assume all the medical and subsequent compensation expenses for Shi Nian; but, I ask the judge and jurors to understand, my client has made no so-called confession, and there is no direct evidence to substantiate my client actually murdered Sean. I thank you all on behalf of my client, who still hasn’t recovered from the trauma of losing a dear friend."

After Xiang Yuan finished speaking, the courtroom fell into a lengthy silence.

Tang Yanqing turned to her brother, "From a fellow lawyer’s perspective, how do you think he spoke?"

"Very well," Tang Yanqing frowned deeply, but still objectively evaluated, "Psychology is an abstract discipline after all, the education backgrounds of the judge and jurors vary, not everyone can understand. So the smartest move is, of course, to have an expert witness."

"With my mom’s professional qualifications, her words carry substantial authority, hence the jurors initially believed most of her confirmed testimony;"

"Then Xiang Yuan played the emotional card, the psychological trauma caused by the sudden death of a dear friend, the deep-seated grief... all evoke enormous sympathy from the jury. After all, everyone had more or less gone through such situations, so the jurors would develop immense compassion for Mark through empathy."

"Then Xiang Yuan represented the defendant to sincerely apologize to Shi Nian and promised to actively compensate for related expenses... This complete respect for the law and the courtroom then wipes out Mark’s negative image from the harm case."

Tang Yanqing frowned, "So, will Mark walk away with impunity?"

Tang Yanxi cautiously said, "Unless the prosecution now presents another heavyweight witness. The weight at least cannot be lower than the expert witness for the defense."

.

The courtroom situation was extremely unfavorable for the prosecution, Shi Nian was extremely anxious below, but unfortunately, all his anxiety could not aid An Cheng.

It was An Cheng’s turn to cross-examine the witness.

An Cheng stood up, seemingly inadvertently turned and glanced at Shi Nian, then arranged her shirt and skirt before heading towards Huo Danru.

Shi Nian received An Cheng’s glance, and it stirred him internally.

Without speaking, Lingxi, she understood An Cheng’s intention.

There was another key witness in the case who had yet to be persuaded, and An Cheng had spoken to her numerous times about this witness. But several times she had declined.

But now, with the unfavorable reversal of court circumstances, perhaps only the appearance of that single person could help the prosecution regain its footing.

Shi Nian resolutely stood, pressed her phone, and headed towards the door.

.

In the courtroom, An Cheng arranged her attire and walked towards Huo Danru. She first bowed respectfully to Huo Danru, then unceremoniously said in a frigid tone to the judge, "Your Honor, I want to question the legitimacy of the defense witness’s identity. I find Dr. Huo Danru unsuitable to appear in court as a witness, especially not as a defense witness to oppose me."

The judge was also very puzzled, "Why?"

Huo Danru had maintained a professional and graceful demeanor without any fluster due to personal matters. But at this moment, she also did not expect An Cheng would say this, making her slightly anxious.

"Chengcheng!"

But An Cheng did not look at her, still with a face as cold as ice, said, "Because she is currently dating my father, and they are already talking about marriage. As his daughter, I have always hesitated about their relationship, especially disinterested in them wanting to marry."

An Cheng raised her chin, "Therefore, I have reason to doubt that Ms. Huo Danru’s sudden appearance in court today as a defense witness against me was deliberate. If such a witness can assist the defendant, where is the fairness of the law, and where is the dignity of the court?!"

.

The courtroom instantly erupted into a brouhaha.

And due to the presence of many media people, many of whom recognized Huo Danru and knew of Du Songlin’s name, numerous reporters aimed their cameras at the two women, eager to capture every nuance of their expressions.

Tang Yanxi couldn’t stay seated, intending to get up, but Tang Yanqing held him firmly.

"Brother, what can you do by standing up now? Yell at the court or what?"

Tang Yanxi looked down at his brother, "Do you intend for me to just watch them ruin their relationship?"

There was already a mountain of estrangement between him and An Cheng, and if their mother and An Cheng have such a public falling out in court, then... perhaps there would never be a future.

Mother was a proud woman, and An Cheng was equally so. If two proud women stand in opposition like this, how could they ever live in harmony in the future?

Tang Yanqing still sat up straight, his long legs crossed, and his gaze fixed on the two women.

"At least from a courtroom strategy, An Cheng didn’t do anything wrong. Now the expert witness is the defense’s biggest trump card, and if An Cheng can successfully question the witness’s identity, thus canceling the witness’s testimony, then we will win."

Tang Yanxi lightly shook his head.

"That may be so, but if the court revokes my mother as a witness along with her testimony, it would mean questioning her professional competency and integrity in the name of law. For a psychologist, a marriage counselor, if her competency and professionalism are publicly questioned, then her career is finished."

.

In the court, the judge was also astonished as he questioned Huo Danru, "The defense witness, is what the prosecutor said true?"

Huo Danru lifted her gaze to look at An Cheng, her body tightly tensed.

Amidst the flashing lights of the media, she slowly stood, "Your honor, the situation stated by the prosecutor is untrue."

What?

Everyone, including An Cheng, was in shock.

Huo Danru inhaled deeply, striving to remain calm, "I was once in a relationship with Prosecutor An’s father, Du Songlin, and talked about marriage. But that was once, and now I have no personal relationship with Prosecutor An!"

Having said that, even An Cheng herself took two steps back.

The truth certainly wasn’t that way, Huo Danru hadn’t broken up with her father. Yet given the current dilemma, and perhaps driven by her actions, Huo Danru suddenly made this decision.

Between her father’s happiness and the case, how should she choose?

-

Thanks to the following supporters:

copies: Shi’er Ma

copies: hongxiu070425