How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?-Chapter 528 - 242: Internet Violence Assistance Foundation

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The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

The courtroom was in session.

Gu Heng sat steadily in the plaintiff's seat.

His two legal representatives sat on either side of him, while the remaining members of the legal team took their places in the spectator's seats, each wearing a headset and holding their notebooks, ready to record the trial in its entirety.

With 117 defendants, overseen by bailiffs, they sat at the front of the spectator's section.

There was no alternative...

There were simply too many defendants...

The defendant's bench couldn't seat them all...

With 117 individuals, it was impossible to try everyone at once, so the rule was to defend three at a time, proceeding with a trial for three defendants before moving on to the next group.

Which is to say...

The 117 defendants would be divided into 39 rounds...

By my calculations, even at a basic 1–2 hours of trial time each, without a wink of sleep, it would take three full days and nights...

And as a live-streamed case on the whole internet, the vast courtroom was set up with over a dozen cameras, capturing every moment from every possible angle without obstruction...

...

As the judge and jury took their places, the defamation case that had captivated the nation finally began.

"Now, the court is in session."

"Call the defendants: the person in charge of the Weibo account Song Chenhui, the person in charge of the Weibo account Wang Liang, and the person in charge of the Douyin account Wu Qingfen to come to the court."

Following the judge's announcement of the proceeding and the quick rap of the gavel, the three reporters were seated, and Gu Heng's lawyer spoke on behalf of the plaintiff.

"Your Honor and members of the jury, greetings.

I am the legal representative of the plaintiff for this case..."

After the brief introduction by the attorney, Gu Heng's lawyer immediately fired the opening salvo.

"The defendants, Song Chenhui, Wang Liang, and Wu Qingfen, as influencers on social media with a huge fan base and public following in Hua Country, should have been guiding the country's 900 million internet users in establishing correct values. Yet for the sake of internet traffic, they have stooped to spreading baseless rumors and defamation, inciting netizens to attack my client online, causing severe harm to my client's mental and physical well-being.

Song Chenhui fabricated three defamatory posts on Weibo on June 13, June 14, and June 21, resulting in 1.92 million views and 15,000 comments.

Wang Liang released two defamatory posts, receiving 1.55 million views and 9,000 comments.

Wu Qingfen posted three videos with 7.51 million views, 33,000 comments, and 97,000 likes.

According to the relevant judicial interpretation, if the same defamatory information through an information network is clicked on or viewed more than 5,000 times, or reposted more than 500 times, it shall be deemed as 'serious circumstances' stipulated by Article 246, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Law, and could constitute the crime of defamation.

As explained by Article 4 of the regulations on the crime of provoking troubles: creating a disturbance in a public place, leading to a serious disorder of public order, can be considered the crime of provoking trouble.

The crime of Song Chenhui, Wang Liang, and Wu Qingfen is clear, and our evidence is sufficient.

This meets Article 293 of the Criminal Law: the crime of provoking troubles.

Article 246 of the Criminal Law: the crime of insult and defamation.

The three defendants have violated multiple charges through the same act, but this conforms to imaginative competition, and I earnestly ask the judge to choose one serious crime for sentencing!

Our demand, I hope the presiding judge and the jury members reflect judicial fairness, protect the legal rights and interests of my client, punish the crime, and seek justice by penalizing for the crime of provoking troubles!"

This is the caliber of a top-notch firm...

The opening statement raised the stakes high, labeling the accused as instigators of trouble rather than defamers—

After all, the maximum sentence for defamation is three years.

But for the crime of provoking troubles, it's up to five years...

Hearing the words of Gu Heng's lawyer, the defense attorney for the defendants shook his head helplessly in his heart...

If not for the high attorney fees, they really would not have wanted to take this case.

One was just a small lawyer from an ordinary law firm, while on the other side? A team of elite lawyers from the top ten law firms in the country. Facing such a lineup, even suitable for international litigation, how could he, a common attorney, go head-to-head with the opposition?

As a defense attorney, he knew from the start that the case was a sure loss.

Therefore, he hadn't planned to argue for innocence from the beginning but aimed to reduce the sentence as much as possible...

With this in mind, the defense lawyer for the defendants also stood up and said calmly, "We acknowledge the authenticity of the evidence presented by the plaintiff, but do not recognize the 'provoking trouble' claimed by the opposing lawyer!

Before the trial, our client had made multiple attempts to contact the plaintiff, had a clear understanding of the criminal facts of the defamation, and expressed repeatedly the willingness to admit guilt, apologize, and compensate for the losses to the victim.

We have submitted all these evidence to the court, which the opposing lawyer has requested to review.

Considering that our client has a good attitude of admitting their mistake and has deleted the defamatory work in time, effectively mitigating the situation, and not causing public disorder, I believe, our client does not commit the crime of provoking troubles!"

The team, consisting of over twenty top-notch lawyers, had already pre-determined countless strategies.

Whether arguing for innocence or for sentence reduction, they had prepared dozens of plans.

Soon, Gu Heng's lawyer pulled out the most relevant defense strategy from the laptop and stood up to rebut...

The crime of provoking troubles was once jokingly called one of the three great 'pocket crimes' together with speculation and hooliganism.

However, with the development of the judicial system, speculation and hooliganism have disappeared from the annals of justice, leaving only the crime of provoking troubles still extant...

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