Chapter 348: Chapter 241: Backstab! Courtroom Tactics!

Bribery...

You want to report bribery too!?

No... why say ’too’?

In an instant.

The courtroom, once filled with noise, slowly fell silent as Zhang Tao and Li Ye’s faces went slack, their mouths forming an ’o’ shape, dumbfounded as they watched both sides in the courtroom.

On the judge’s bench, Zhao Jiaqi glanced at Xu Liang, then at the plaintiff’s lawyer Sha Jin, and a ’?’ popped up in his mind.

Bribery was something he had seen countless times in his decades-long career.

Reporting it in court wasn’t unheard of either, and just recently, Xu Liang accused Liu Shennan of accepting bribes.

But...

Both sides accusing each other was truly a first for him!

Sha Jin accused Xu Liang of bribery, and Xu Liang accused Sha Jin right back, which led to the question: who bribed whom, and who accepted it!?

At the plaintiff’s bench.

"What... is this?"

Chai Shiring suddenly frowned, glanced at Xu Liang, and then focused his gaze on Sha Jin.

Sha Jin was taken aback, forgetting the words he was about to say...

Business card? The other side still kept his business card!?

No, shouldn’t that just be tossed aside... unless the other side planned to set him up with it from the start!?

In an instant, Sha Jin’s brow furrowed.

"The intelligence doesn’t match... wasn’t the news saying his litigation methods are very old-fashioned..."

Sha Jin murmured to himself, having investigated his opponent.

Based on the information available, his opponent seemed like a traditional lawyer who only looked at evidence and wouldn’t use any tactics outside the case, yet now...

Chai Shiring’s eyes shifted, and he quickly had an idea, turning to look at Sha Jin.

"Do you know what to do next?"

Sha Jin paused, then nodded, "I know."

Mutual accusations?

You’re just an independent lawyer, no team...

Blue Shield Law Firm won’t let you off!

With this thought, a cold smile appeared on Chai Shiring’s face, while Han Chengguang beside him maintained a gentle smile, as if nothing had changed.

Everyone then continued to listen to the trial proceedings.

...

At this moment, on the judge’s bench.

"For the defendant, you..."

Zhao Jiaqi’s mind went blank, his lips moved for a moment, then he shook his head, looking at Xu Liang with a peculiar expression:

"Can you take responsibility for your statements!?"

"I stand by my professional ethics, assuring the court and all present in the listening gallery!"

Xu Liang stood up, his expression extremely serious, his sharp gaze instantly piercing towards Sha Jin.

"On April 21st, the plaintiff’s lawyer Sha Jin attempted to bribe our side."

"And the bribery location... was at the Qingshi City Detention Center!"

"Moreover, before attempting to bribe me as the defense lawyer, the other side also tried to bribe our clients ’Wu Fang’ and ’Kong Jian’!"

Detention center?

That means... a third party could vouch for it!?

In an instant, Zhao Jiaqi’s expression became serious, he said in a deep voice: "Is there any surveillance video to serve as evidence?"

"Sorry, as Lawyer Sha chose a blind spot of the cameras, there is no video evidence available to prove it."

Xu Liang shook his head, which made everyone frown immediately.

No objective evidence, only testimonies....

The key testimony is from the person being tried, which greatly reduces its credibility.

Zhao Jiaqi felt a bit irritated, a straightforward fake drug case, how did it turn into a case of mutual accusation between the lawyers.

But he still kept his composure, turning his head towards the defendant.

"Defendant Wu Fang, Kong Jian, is what your defense lawyer said true?"

"Did Lawyer Sha meet with you privately on April 21st?"

Upon hearing this.

At the defendants’ bench, Kong Jian quickly spoke up to agree.

"He met with us!"

"I remember it was at 12 o’clock."

Zhao Jiaqi continued: "Did he mention collaborating on testimony, or bribing..."

"He did!"

Kong Jian recalled a bit more, then continued:

"The plaintiff’s lawyer Sha Jin, personally promised Wu Fang and me in the detention center’s reception room, that if we confessed as they wanted, they would cover all health-related treatment costs for the defendants!"

This is...

Coercion!?

In an instant, Zhao Jiaqi’s eyes sharpened, he asked again: 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Was there anyone else present to testify!?"

Kong Jian showed hesitation.

The reception room had officers overseeing phone calls, but... it’s been over ten days, the person might not remember.

The surveillance doesn’t have audio recording, not to mention Sha Jin had gestures of covering his mouth...

"No." Kong Jian shook his head helplessly.

Zhao Jiaqi wasn’t discouraged.

He contemplated for a moment, then had the clerk contact the Qingshi City Detention Center.

To meet someone in the detention center, one has to apply, and applying... would certainly leave a signature trace!

Even if this couldn’t confirm Sha Jin’s bribery.

But, for the plaintiff’s lawyer to bypass the defense lawyer and meet with the defendant’s representatives privately... that in itself is suspicious!

Moments later, the clerk handed the detention center’s information to the three judges on the bench.

"Plaintiff, do you have any objections to what the defendant stated about bypassing the defense lawyer to meet privately with the accused!?"

Zhao Jiaqi turned to look at the plaintiff’s bench.

More accurately, he looked at Sha Jin!

Sha Jin took a deep breath, spoke in a deep voice:

"Honorable Judge, at 1:17 PM on April 21st, the client’s representative had not yet been assigned this case."

"Our side holds no suspicion of bypassing the defense lawyer to meet privately."

"Furthermore, regarding the alleged bribery mentioned by the accused..."

As he spoke.

Sha Jin paused, then delivered an unexpected answer which stunned everyone present.