Me! A disgraced celebrity! Starting by seeking justice for impoverished students.

Pei Yanzhou suddenly looked up, his face full of panic.

His lips trembled for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence.

In the end, he could only stammer out his words.

"Your Honor, I... I was just drunk and confused... I didn't mean to hurt her..."

"Twenty-three years is too long. I'm still young. I know I was wrong. I beg the court to be lenient..."

He kept repeating the same few sentences over and over.

They could neither offer any new arguments nor dare to insist on their innocence.

He could only express his fear of a long prison sentence.

Ultimately, he didn't know he was wrong; he was just afraid.

After saying only a few words, Pei Yanzhou lowered his head and whispered, "I...I'm done talking."

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhenbang, sitting in the front row of the audience, frowned.

He clenched his fists with a look of disappointment and frustration.

At such a crucial moment, he actually said something like that!

If it weren't for the fact that he only had one son, Pei Zhenbang wouldn't have cared so much.

Wei Changfeng, standing beside him, frowned slightly, then calmly stood up and took over the conversation.

"Your Honorable Presiding Judge and Judges."

"Based on the facts and evidence of this case, the defense counsel presents the following arguments."

"First, the facts of the rape charge found in the original trial were unclear and the evidence was insufficient."

"The two parties had a good relationship as classmates before, and the victim did not violently resist throughout the incident. It cannot be presumed that it was rape based solely on her intoxicated state."

He spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic.

Even at such a disadvantage, he was still able to maintain his composure.

After winning numerous lawsuits, Wei's reputation as "Iron Mouth" is well-deserved!

"Second, the charge of obstructing testimony cannot be established."

"The 300,000 yuan was a personal injury compensation paid voluntarily by the appellant's family out of remorse. The letter of understanding was signed and fingerprinted by the victim himself, and there was no violence, coercion, or illegal detention throughout the process."

"The so-called 'verbal pressure' is just normal negotiation and communication, and it does not meet the criteria for the crime of obstructing testimony."

"The first instance court's conviction based on subjective presumption lacks legal basis."

Hearing this, many people laughed.

Wei Changfeng is still clinging to this point, but the facts are already clear.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, he had no choice but to pretend to be blind.

But the judge wouldn't listen to his side of the story.

"Third, the original sentence was excessively harsh and violated the principle of proportionality between crime and punishment."

"The 15-year sentence for rape and the 8-year sentence for obstructing testimony are both maximum sentences, clearly influenced by the victim's status as a martyr's family member and inappropriate online public opinion."

"Identity cannot be a reason to exceed legally prescribed sentencing standards; otherwise, it constitutes unfair sentencing!"

This third point is Wei Changfeng's killer move.

Identity factors cannot be a reason to exceed sentencing standards!

Once it exceeds that, what category does it fall under?

This constitutes unfair sentencing!

Fourth, there were flaws in the original trial procedure.

"The entire first instance trial was broadcast live online. The plaintiff's lawyers brought their own audience and manipulated public sentiment in court, making it difficult to guarantee that the panel of judges would make a completely neutral judgment."

"According to the relevant provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law, this situation meets the statutory conditions for remanding the case for retrial."

Wei Changfeng paused, then emphasized his words.

"In summary, we respectfully request the appellate court to ascertain the facts and, in accordance with the law, acquit the appellant or overturn the original judgment and remand the case for retrial."

"Even if the charges are upheld, please significantly reduce the sentence and deliver a fair verdict that fits the crime!"

After he finished speaking, he calmly sat down, displaying a professional demeanor as if he were arguing his point.

His performance was relatively stable, which eased Pei Zhenbang's anxiety.

No wonder they hired such a top-notch lawyer at a high price!

Even if the evidence is unfavorable, you can still find room for defense by using rules and logic!

But at that moment, the live stream chat exploded with noise.

[He's really good at twisting the facts! Being drunk and not resisting means it's consensual? What kind of twisted logic is that!]

To put it bluntly, they're just nitpicking and exploiting loopholes, completely ignoring the basic facts!

Let his daughter experience the same thing, and see what he thinks!

Honestly, this lawyer is really something. If the evidence hadn't been so solid, I might have been completely fooled!

[They're so stubborn! Even after all this evidence, they still claim innocence!]

"The appellant and his/her defense counsel have finished presenting their opinions."

Song Mingyuan looked at the prosecutor's seat and said, "Please let the prosecutor present his or her opinion."

Prosecutor Zhang Hong stood up in response.

He spoke loudly and refuted each point one by one.

"In response to the defense's grounds for appeal, the prosecutor appeared in court and responded to each point as follows."

"First, the facts of the rape are clear and the evidence is conclusive."

"Hotel surveillance footage, medical records, and witness testimonies all confirm that the victim was severely intoxicated and had lost the ability to defend herself or express herself. Sexual intercourse under these circumstances should be legally considered as a violation of the woman's will."

"The claim of 'harmonious relationship and tacit consent' is completely unsupported by any evidence and is purely subjective conjecture!"

Pei Zhenbang's face suddenly stiffened.

Unexpectedly, the prosecutor's first sentence directly rejected their appeal, leaving no room for negotiation!

If Pei Zhenbang hadn't failed to bribe him beforehand, he might have even reasonably suspected that the prosecutor had been bought off by the plaintiff!

Before this lawsuit, he made phone calls to various parties to build relationships.

They even called certain officials.

Unfortunately, the expected turnaround did not materialize.

Those officials are not people he can buy off with money.

"Second, the plaintiff's charge of obstructing testimony is legally justified."

"The complete negotiation recording clearly proves that the payment of 300,000 yuan was on the premise of signing a letter of understanding and withdrawing the report, which is a typical case of bribery to obstruct testimony, and not a simple civil compensation."

"The defendant's subsequent accusation of extortion against the victim further confirms his malicious intent to evade punishment!"

Every word Zhang Hong uttered was like a nail, piercing Pei Yanzhou's heart.

He felt his limbs were incredibly heavy, and his breathing became rapid.

He now deeply regrets his impulsive actions that night.

If given another chance, he would never repeat the same mistake.

It's just a pity.

Where in the world are there so many chances to start over?

"Third, the original sentence was appropriate and based on law and regulations."

"The appellant's crime was egregious, and he subsequently refused to plead guilty, colluded with others to recant his testimony, and maliciously defamed the victim, who was a martyr's family member. Therefore, in accordance with relevant judicial guidance documents, he should be severely punished!"

"All sentences were within the legally prescribed range, and there were no cases of excessively harsh sentences."

The third rebuttal directly rejected the other party's accusation that the sentence was too harsh!

Fourth, the original trial procedure was entirely legal.

"Open trials and live streaming are statutory measures taken by the people's courts to implement judicial transparency, and are not procedural defects."

"The defense's claim for a retrial based on 'public opinion influencing impartiality' is unsupported by any factual evidence and is therefore invalid!"