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

As we all know, this lawsuit was conducted live, and the vast amount of online public opinion it generated will inevitably have some impact.

only……

The key question is whether this influence affected the panel's judgment.

"That's the least tenable point," Li Ping laughed. "Open trials are a clear provision of the Criminal Procedure Law. Online live streaming is just one way to conduct an open trial, and it's perfectly legal."

"Wei Changfeng's claim that online comments interfered with the judiciary is baseless; there is no evidence to prove that the collegial panel was influenced by public opinion. It is purely subjective speculation and does not meet the legal conditions for remanding the case for retrial!"

The three of them chatted amongst themselves.

These four points of contention were discussed thoroughly, and the conclusions were highly consistent.

Song Mingyuan closed the file and made his final summary.

"The facts of this case are clear, the evidence is conclusive and sufficient, the conviction is accurate, the sentence is appropriate, and the trial procedure is legal."

My opinion: The appeal is dismissed, and the original judgment is upheld!

"..."

On the other side, in the court's rest area.

Jiang Chen and the others sat together, waiting for the results.

Tao Yi sat on the outside, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes repeatedly, her eyes revealing nervousness.

Chen Xiangdong, with his arm draped over the back of the chair and his brows slightly furrowed, spoke first.

"Attorneys Shen and Jiang, what do you think... the final verdict from the panel of judges will be?"

Shen Yi took a sip of water and said confidently, "Don't worry, Director Chen, if nothing unexpected happens, the appeal will be rejected and the original verdict will be upheld."

"The facts and evidence are irrefutable. The opposing side's grounds for appeal are all sophistry and have no substantial support. The panel of judges will not accept them."

Jiang Chen nodded and added, "Although the opposing lawyer is good at finding procedural loopholes, we have exposed their core defense points. They can neither produce new evidence nor offer new legal grounds, so it will be difficult for the second instance to overturn the verdict."

"This guy did such despicable things, spreading rumors and appealing all the way, tormenting the family for so long—twenty-three years is too good for him!"

This question is direct, reflecting the straightforward nature of soldiers.

Jiang Chen shook his head and patiently explained, "Director Chen, this is a basic principle of criminal procedure—appeals do not result in increased penalties."

"If only the defendant appeals, the appellate court cannot increase the defendant's sentence, even if the collegial panel determines that the circumstances are more serious, this principle cannot be violated."

"All the preparations we've made along the way are actually aimed at securing the 23-year sentence from the first trial and preventing the other side from bringing down the sentence."

"It now seems that this goal is basically secured."

Wang Jianguo, who was standing next to Chen Xiangdong, patted him on the shoulder and smiled as he tried to smooth things over: "Alright, Lao Chen, twenty-three years is enough for that kid to suffer."

"Going in in your early twenties and coming out almost fifty, your life is basically ruined!"

"If he hadn't appealed, he might have been able to save up for a reduced sentence. Now look what happened, he's just hoisted himself by his own petard."

Chen Xiangdong snorted, accepting the explanation, and his expression softened a bit: "Fine, twenty-three years it is. That's enough time for that beast to reflect on his actions."

"Those who dare to bully the children of martyrs, this is the price they will pay!"

Tao Yi sat to the side, let out a long sigh, her eyes a little red: "Thank you everyone, thank you so much..."

"I really don't know what I would do without you guys."

"Don't mention it!" Shen Yi waved his hand, his expression solemn. "Supporting the families of martyrs is simply our duty."

Just then, the court clerk strode over and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the panel of judges has finished its deliberations. Please return to the courtroom for the immediate pronouncement of the verdict."

The group immediately stood up, straightened their clothes, and quickly walked back to the courtroom.

The courtroom was already packed.

The soldiers in the gallery remained upright, their eyes all fixed on the judge's bench.

Pei Zhenbang sat in the front row on the other side, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

"Everyone stand up!"

At the clerk's clear announcement, everyone stood up in unison.

Presiding Judge Song Mingyuan, accompanied by two judges dressed in judicial robes, slowly walked in and took their seats in turn.

His gaze swept across the entire room with authority, his voice steady and powerful.

"Please sit down."

Song Mingyuan picked up the criminal ruling on the table, cleared his throat, and his solemn voice resounded throughout the courtroom.

"The Second Criminal Division of the Provincial Higher People's Court held a public hearing in accordance with the law on the appeal of Pei Yanzhou, who was convicted of rape and obstruction of testimony."

"After deliberation by the collegial panel and discussion by the adjudication committee, the trial has now concluded!"

He paused slightly, opened the ruling, and read it aloud, word by word:

"This court holds that the facts found by the original judgment that the appellant Pei Yanzhou committed rape and obstruction of testimony are clear, the evidence is conclusive and sufficient, the conviction is accurate, the sentence is appropriate, and the trial procedure is legal."

"The appellant Pei Yanzhou's grounds for appeal and his defense counsel's arguments lack factual and legal basis, and are therefore rejected by this court!"

"In accordance with Article 236, Paragraph 1, Item (1) of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, the ruling is as follows!"

The entire audience held their breath, all eyes fixed on him.

Pei Yanzhou stood in the dock, his body trembling slightly.

Song Mingyuan's words resonated deeply:

"The appeal is dismissed, and the original judgment is upheld!"

"This ruling is final."

"The original ruling shall be served on all parties within five days after the adjournment of the court!"

The gavel slammed down the moment the words were spoken.

Boom!

The clear, deep sound echoed in the courtroom.

The final verdict has been handed down, and the matter is settled.

In the audience, the two rows of soldiers breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

Zhao Lei's tense expression finally relaxed, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

The old sergeant's daughter has finally gotten justice!

In the dock, Pei Yanzhou swayed suddenly, his face ashen.

If the bailiff hadn't reached out and helped him up, he would have almost collapsed to the ground.

The final judgment after 23 years was like a mountain, completely crushing all his arrogance!

Pei Zhenbang suddenly stood up, his lips trembling for a long time.

He wanted to say something, but in the end, he slumped back into his chair, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

He spent exorbitant legal fees and pulled strings everywhere, going through all that trouble, but in the end he still lost everything!

The live stream chat exploded instantly, with the screen filled with a dense barrage of comments.

[We won! The appeal was dismissed and the original verdict was upheld!]

[This is truly gratifying! This is the consequence of evil deeds!]

[Twenty-three years! That scumbag is completely finished!]

[The appeal didn't increase his sentence, but it also didn't reduce it—perfect!]

[Thank you Attorney Jiang, thank you to the military legal aid team, and thank you to everyone who worked hard on this matter!]

The families of the martyrs will never forget! Justice will not be denied!

Jiang Chen stood in the plaintiff's seat, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Justice may be delayed, but it will never be denied!