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

As Jiang Chen calmly took his seat, the presiding judge immediately gave a signal.

"The defendants will now defend themselves."

First is Gao Jianming.

He swallowed hard, forcing out his last bit of courage, and spoke in a dry voice.

"I...I didn't kill anyone."

"I admit that I had management problems. I didn't manage the drug procurement and personnel well, but I really didn't know they would abandon the elderly, let alone think about letting them die."

"Those were all done by my subordinates on their own; it has nothing to do with me!"

"I am willing to refund all expenses and request the court to grant leniency..."

He continued to shift all blame, only admitting the least significant management responsibility.

Following closely behind was Wang Hao, the operations manager.

He looked up, his voice trembling with emotion: "He's lying! I... I can confess!"

"Gao Jianming arranged everything for me—the drug procurement, the feeding standards for the elderly, and even the late-night driving—all of these were rules he set. I just followed them!"

"I know I was wrong, I'm willing to plead guilty and accept punishment, and I request the court to give me a lenient sentence!"

In short, the identity of the mastermind was directly pinned back on Gao Jianming.

Clearly, Gao Jianming hadn't considered these things.

His own supervisor actually turned around and accused him!

But upon closer reflection, it seems normal.

after all……

If he doesn't step forward and identify himself, then in the end, it will be the supervisor who takes the blame!

Gao Jianming suddenly turned his head, staring at Wang Hao with eyes full of shock and anger.

Just as he was about to say something more, he was stopped by a bailiff.

Subsequently, the two caregivers, Lü Qian and Zhang Ting, also offered their explanations.

"We confess. Wang Hao told us to feed the old man his medicine, and we didn't dare disobey."

"We know we were wrong, please give us a lenient sentence!"

Driver Liu Jun also spoke up in a deep voice: "I plead guilty!"

"It's always Gao Jianming and Wang Hao who notify me to go out in the car; I'm just the driver!"

"I accept the court's judgment."

All four accomplices pleaded guilty.

Moreover, in their accounts, Gao Jianming is always the dominant figure!

Hearing their accusations, Gao Jianming's face turned pale and then red.

His lips were pressed tightly together, and he could no longer speak.

When it came time to divide the money, everyone was eager and enthusiastic.

At this point, all the blame was placed on him.

This corresponds to that saying.

In this world, nobody's loyal!

The presiding judge remained calm, his gaze fixed on the defense table.

"Now, please let the defense counsel present their defense arguments."

Fu Chengyu slowly stood up, and he reached out to straighten his lawyer's robe.

Although the situation was already dire, he still tried to remain calm.

Fu Chengyu knew that a not guilty plea was no longer possible.

Therefore, he focused all his efforts on reducing the charges and mitigating responsibility.

"Presiding Judge, Judges, the defense counsel hereby presents the following defense arguments."

Fu Chengyu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he spoke seriously.

"First, regarding the charge of intentional homicide, the defense argues that the characterization is incorrect and that this case should be classified as manslaughter."

"The defendant did not have the subjective intent to actively seek the death of the elderly. His intention in administering the medication was to keep the elderly calm and make them easier to care for, not to kill them."

"The abandonment was an unauthorized and irregular operation by subordinates, and Gao Jianming was unaware of it."

"The direct cause of the elderly man's death was his own illness and the outdoor environment. The defendant's actions were negligent and not an indirect act of indifference to the death."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jianming's eyes lit up.

It has to be the lawyer you hire yourself, someone who will always be on your side.

"Secondly, regarding the charge of fraud, the defense argues that the charge is unfounded."

Fu Chengyu smiled faintly and continued.

"The elderly care service contract is signed voluntarily by both parties, and prepayment is a common practice in the elderly care industry. The 'non-refund of remaining fees' is a civil contractual agreement, and both parties acknowledge its validity."

"The defendant was operating the nursing home normally and did not intend to illegally possess the property; therefore, it should not be considered criminal fraud."

"Third, regarding corporate crime, the defense argues that the evidence is insufficient."

"The purchase of prohibited drugs and the abandonment of the elderly late at night were all private actions of subordinates, not collective decisions of the unit, nor were they implemented in the name of the unit, and the benefits did not all belong to the unit. Therefore, it should not be considered a corporate crime, and Gao Jianming should not bear the principal responsibility for corporate crimes."

Fourth, regarding the distinction between principal and accessory offenders, the defense argues that Gao Jianming should not be considered a principal offender.

"As the dean, Gao Jianming was only responsible for macro-management and did not directly participate in specific criminal acts. The core criminal links were all carried out independently by his subordinates. His responsibility was only for oversight and he should not bear all the main responsibility."

"In conclusion, the defense argues that the charges in the indictment are excessive and the apportionment of responsibility is inappropriate!"

"Gao Jianming is a first-time offender with no prior criminal record. He is willing to actively make restitution and requests the collegial panel to grant him a lighter or reduced sentence based on the principle of proportionality between crime and punishment."

This defense dismantled the charges layer by layer, diminishing Gao Jianming's responsibility at every turn.

Fu Chengyu attempted to downgrade a serious crime to a lesser one, showcasing the defense skills of a seasoned lawyer.

The live stream chat exploded instantly!

[This is infuriating... I really want to tear his mouth apart!]

To become a high-earning lawyer, you must learn to lie through your teeth!

That's right, sometimes lawyers make money by compromising their conscience!

[Tsk tsk tsk! He's really good at talking! It's clearly twelve lives lost, but he insists it's just negligence?]

[He takes all the benefits while his subordinates take the blame?]

[They claim the contract is voluntary? That's based on the premise that the elderly will receive proper care! A contract signed under false pretenses is considered voluntary?]

I actually admire him; even at this point, he can still lie through his teeth. That's dedication!

"Does the prosecutor have any supplementary arguments?" the presiding judge asked.

The prosecutor immediately stood up, his tone sharp: "Yes!"

"The prosecutor responded to each of the defense's arguments one by one."

The prosecutor confronted Fu Chengyu directly, showing no restraint whatsoever.

"First, indirect intentional homicide does not require an explicit order to kill; knowing that the act will result in a socially harmful outcome and allowing that outcome to occur constitutes an intentional crime!"

"The fact that the defendant repeatedly committed the same acts over three years without ever being stopped is sufficient proof that his indifference to the outcome of death was not negligence!"

"Secondly, when the defendant set up the unfair contract terms, he had already predetermined the purpose of embezzling the remaining payment by causing the elderly person's death. This constitutes using a legal form to conceal an illegal purpose, and meets the elements of the crime of fraud!"

"Third, the acts involved were carried out in nursing homes, under the guise of company regulations, and with the profits belonging to the company, which fully meets the characteristics of corporate crime."

"Fourth, Gao Jianming, as the actual controller, approved all key expenditures and decided on all core systems. He was the initiator and decision-maker of the criminal chain and should be identified as the principal offender according to law!"

"We maintain that all charges in the indictment are true!"