Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 407 Why are you only arriving now? (Bonus Chapter 1)

Lionel considered the possibility that the court might force a conviction on those three charges, or that it might release him under pressure, or even adjourn again to delay the proceedings...

But he never expected that he would end up with such an absurd charge that was completely outside the scope of the prosecution!
He instinctively glanced at the lawyer Jules Fayol beside him, whose face was also filled with shock and confusion, clearly not expecting this at all.

Lionel couldn't help but speak up: "Wait! Mr. Judge, I don't understand, does the charge I admit to include 'contempt of justice'?"

Haven't I been standing here the whole time, obeying court order, answering all questions, and even pleading guilty?

Isn't this a sign of respect for the judicial process?

A smug smile appeared on Judge Louis-Auguste Bernard's face.

He began to explain slowly and deliberately: “Mr. Sorel, you are indeed ‘standing’ here. But you seem to have forgotten where you were before you stood here?”

This court asks you, after receiving the formal summons from the Palais de Justice in Paris, requiring you to appear in court on September 1st, until yesterday, before you appeared in the port of Calais.
"Where were you for a whole month?"

Lionel: "..." The whole world knows he's in London.

Judge Bernard didn't give him time to reply to this obvious answer, but continued speaking on his own, his tone becoming increasingly smug:
"Based on customs and port authority records, and the information we have—"

After receiving the summons, you did not submit any application for departure to this court, but instead left the territory of the French Republic without authorization and illegally for the United Kingdom, only returning hastily the day before the trial!
This not only violates current border control regulations, but more importantly, you knowingly fled jurisdiction without permission, knowing you were about to face legal proceedings!

He paused, then emphasized, "This behavior is a blatant challenge and contempt for judicial authority! And 'contempt for the judiciary' does not require a separate prosecution!"

If a judge believes that a party has damaged the dignity of the court or violated judicial procedures, the judge has the right to take immediate action against obstruction of justice in court!

Your illegal departure from the country while under prosecution constitutes this contempt!

The courtroom erupted in another uproar!
Who would have thought that the other side would come up with such a tricky angle to pronounce judgment on Lionel—but technically it makes perfect sense!
In Europe at that time, border control was not strict. You did not need to apply for a passport before going abroad. You only needed to have your documents checked or fill out a simple form when entering or leaving the country.

However, entering or leaving the country without registration is not a serious offense; if discovered, one will usually only be reprimanded or fined a small amount.

However, if the person involved is involved in a lawsuit, that's a different story. Strictly speaking, Lionel does need to apply to the court before he can "legally" leave the country.

Lionel could not possibly explain to Judge Bernard in court how he got to London.

For the first time, he turned to his lawyer for help. Jules Fayol shook his head helplessly and said in a low voice, "Mr. Bernard is absolutely right. This is indeed within the judge's jurisdiction."

At this moment, Judge Bernard spoke again: "Lional Sorel, do you plead guilty to this crime?"

Lionel looked at Bernard's face, then turned to the bewildered prosecutor Alexandre Dupont, a feeling of utter absurdity welling up inside him, almost making him laugh out loud, but he forcibly suppressed it.

He really couldn't deny this crime, and there was absolutely no room for ambiguity, so he simply nodded and said, "I plead guilty!" Then he shut up and didn't offer any further explanation.

A murmur rippled through the gallery; everyone knew that Lionel's guilty plea this time had a completely different meaning than before.

Judge Bernard struggled to control the muscles in his face so that his smile wouldn't appear too blatant.

He was in a dead end before, and now that Lionel had pleaded guilty, he had to deliver a guilty verdict.

However, in the event of defeat in war and a shift in public opinion, no matter how the sentence is handed down, no matter how lenient it may be, it is still a trial of speech and thought. Not only will the judge lose his position as the presiding judge, but he may even be used as a scapegoat to vent the public's anger.

If he were acquitted, it would mean that he would become a disposable tool used by the nobility, the church, and some opposition members within the Republican Party, his reputation would be ruined, and he would be a laughing stock in the Parisian judicial system for the rest of his life.

Even their own children will be affected, because in this era, individuals and families cannot be separated.

I just used all my legal knowledge and almost burned my brain to come up with this charge, which is not only based entirely on the facts, but will also certainly not offend the public.

He also fully maintained his dignity as the presiding judge, and his colleagues in the legal profession would only give him a thumbs up after seeing this.

Prosecutor Alexander Dupont, however, began to truly despair; he knew everything was over.

Louis-Auguste Bernard was able to deliver a "guilty verdict" against Lionel without ever escaping the prosecutor's charges, thus perfectly extricating himself from a deadly predicament.

Even if that old bastard Bernard were to refute those accusations against him, no one—nobles, military, legal professionals, or even the general public—would find fault with him; they would even praise him for handling the situation exceptionally well.

So at this moment, standing in the midst of the raging public outcry, he is the only one left.

Judge Bernard nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Now that you have pleaded guilty, you must pay the fine within two weeks; otherwise, you will be prosecuted again."

Of course, if you are experiencing financial difficulties and are unable to pay on time, please apply to this court for an extension within one week. We will grant you a certain grace period after assessing your financial situation.

After he finished speaking, he and the audience in the gallery all laughed.

But Lionel was not about to give up so easily. He stared at Judge Bernard and pressed, "So, Your Honor, how does the court intend to rule on the three main charges—'undermining military discipline,' 'incitement to disobedience,' and 'insulting the state'?"

That's the key point. After all, these three offenses had already caused a huge public outcry. If the other party wanted to use a fine of 500 francs to cover everything up, they would be too naive.

Judge Bernard's expression turned "serious" again. He cleared his throat: "Given the defendant Lionel Sorel's 'admitted wrongdoing' during the trial, this court, after careful consideration..."

He deliberately used the word "admit his mistake" in an attempt to create the impression that Lionel had bowed his head and that the court was magnanimous.

However, before he finished speaking——

Lionel abruptly interrupted him, saying firmly, "I am not 'admitting a mistake'! Mr. Judge, please listen carefully, and please write this down!"
I plead guilty! I admit that I made those statements against colonial wars, and I admit that I believed they were wrong and unjust! I plead guilty for the beliefs I held and the truth I spoke!
But this absolutely does not mean I 'admit my mistake'! Nor does it mean I 'repent'! There is a fundamental difference between the two!

His gaze was intense as he stared directly at Judge Bernard, showing no sign of backing down: "You can sentence me to contempt of justice, you can fine me five hundred francs, or you can imprison me on those three charges!"

But don't even think about distorting my stance, don't even try to twist my 'confession' into 'admitting wrongdoing'!

This sudden and forceful rebuttal plunged prosecutor Alexander Dupont into even deeper despair.

He looked at Bernard with a pleading gaze he had never seen before, hoping that the other man could once again use his "wisdom" to find a way out for him as well.

But Bernard clearly had no intention of doing so. He looked at Lionel with displeasure and said, "Mr. Sorel, please be patient and let me finish."

I hereby declare that, given that you have been outside France for an entire month prior to the trial, and that you were still making statements against colonial policies just days ago, and even this morning…

I request that the prosecutor take your words and actions over the past month into consideration, draft new documents, and submit them to the court for a separate trial.

He turned to the prosecutor's seat: "Mr. Dipont, do you understand?"

Alexander Dupont gritted his teeth and replied, "Understood, Your Honor!"

Bernard has essentially passed the buck back to the prosecutor's office, effectively putting him on the stake.

Needless to say, even if I prepare the new documents and take them to court tomorrow, that old bastard will definitely take leave.

Now it's his turn to choose whether to be a scapegoat, a target of venting anger, or a disposable tool, losing all his reputation.

The reporters were so excited they were almost trembling, their pens flying as they recorded this unprecedented scene in the history of the French rule of law.

The onlookers and Lionel's supporters applauded enthusiastically, and some even disregarded court discipline and cheered loudly.

Jules Fayol glanced wistfully at Lionel, then at the presiding judge and the prosecutor, and shook his head with a smile.

This was the most thoroughly prepared trial of his life, and he even thought he might go down in history for his eloquent defense of Lionel—but he didn't even get to utter a single word of defense.

But the result was simply perfect.

Just as Judge Bernard raised his gavel, about to announce Lionel's immediate release in court—

"boom!"

The heavy oak doors of the courthouse were suddenly pushed open from the outside!
A middle-aged man with a solemn expression stood at the door.

He held a scroll of documents tied with a red ribbon tightly in his hand and walked steadily toward the center of the courtroom.

Many veteran journalists and politicians present immediately recognized him—it was Jules Korde, the current Minister of Justice in Jules Ferry's cabinet!

His appearance plunged the entire courtroom back into speculation and astonishment.

Bernard's heart was pounding—he didn't want any more reversals today.

The Minister of Justice of the Cabinet personally attending a trial in a minor offense court? This is extremely rare in the history of the Republic!
Minister Jules Kold ignored the commotion in the gallery, and did not look at Judge Bernard and Prosecutor Dipont, whose expressions had suddenly changed on the judge's bench. His gaze did not even linger on Lionel.

He stood in the open space in the center of the courtroom, waving the roll of documents in his hand:

"With great mercy and wisdom, His Excellency President Grevey has officially signed the pardon document for Lionel Sorel!"
Whatever crime he is convicted of today, he will be pardoned!

Whether it was Bernard, Lionel, or the journalists and citizens in the audience, everyone was stunned.

Only the prosecutor, Alexandre Dupont, was almost in tears. He really wanted to ask his superior, "Why did you take so long to arrive?"

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(End of this chapter)