The Mad Prosecutor Picked Up AI - Chapter 59
Only Noblemtl
Episode 59: The Trial is Sacred
Min Jong-guk and Lee Seung-ho clearly caused injury, which led to Sung Jun-ho’s death. Furthermore, since two or more people assaulted him jointly, it constitutes special assault.
Special assault resulting in death. Naturally, this is a crime punishable by a heavier penalty than negligent homicide.
After the indictment was changed, time flew by without me knowing. I had to go to trial again with the changed charges, and my lawyer tried to destroy the evidentiary value of the video I submitted. In the end.
“I will hand down the verdict of 2023godan1024. Order. I sentence Min Jong-guk to 5 years in prison and Lee Seung-ho to 3 years in prison on charges of special assault and special assault resulting in death.”
He was sentenced to imprisonment without a suspended sentence or probation. And it was a whopping 5 years for Min Jong-guk, a teenager.
Considering his age, he would have received a much lighter sentence or even a suspended sentence. He couldn’t even reach an agreement with the plaintiff, and he didn’t show any signs of remorse, such as denying the charges and manipulating the scene of the crime, so it seems like he was given a harsher sentence on purpose.
It’s a shame that he took a person’s life, but the sentence he received was only 5 years. It’s a bit disappointing. But I couldn’t ignore the court’s move to show leniency to high school students who hadn’t even finished their 20th birthday yet.
“Dad. What is this? Huh? Let go of it! What are you doing? Dad! Dad!”
As soon as the sentencing was over, a courtroom officer came and handcuffed Min Jong-guk and Lee Seung-ho.
The two, who were excited about going home and having dinner, thought they might be able to leave the courtroom with a suspended sentence or probation, were startled when the court officer handcuffed them as soon as the prison sentence was announced and called out to their father. Then, they began to cry as they were being dragged away.
‘Good.’
[Good.]
Min Chi-seung felt his heart break as he watched his crying son, but Aliota and I nodded our heads in satisfaction.
Shedding tears is a good start. It may not be regret or self-reproach for the dead Sung Jun-ho, but anger or sadness about his own life that requires him to go to prison.
Anyway, that’s where it starts. Even if it’s not a reflection, at least I’ll get some relief. Now that I know that if I continue to act like this, trusting my lawyer dad, I could end up in jail.
If you are sentenced like this, you may be more careful in the future when something similar happens. Even if you are put on trial, they will not exempt you from punishment because it is your first offense or because you have no criminal record.
Anyway, my solo debut as a public prosecutor ended brilliantly. I got the defendant a sentence that fit his crime.
As I came out of the courtroom after the trial with a relieved heart, I saw Min Chi-seung. He was beating Moon Seong-jae to pieces in front of the courtroom.
“It’s pathetic.”
Looking at that figure, I could see Min Jong-guk’s future. He would not have thought of pointing out his child’s mistakes, scolding him, or guiding him on the right path. Instead, he would have been busy harassing his subordinates and covering them up.
While I was watching that scene, Seong Jun-ho’s aunt approached me.
“Thank you, Inspector.”
“Don’t worry. It’s something I have to do.”
“Our Junho also told me to say thank you. I had a dream last night.”
“Yesterday was before the verdict was even announced.”
My aunt, who is said to have a miracle, must have seen her nephew in her dream again.
“The sentence wasn’t important to Jun-ho. What was important was finding out the truth about how he died. Now he can rest in peace. It’s all thanks to you, prosecutor.”
His eyes were wide open as if he had been crying throughout the trial.
“The lawyer over there said let’s settle.”
“I will probably appeal.”
“yes.”
“I’m going to suggest that we reach an agreement with the victim because it will be more advantageous in terms of sentencing. If you don’t feel like it, you can refuse.”
My aunt wiped her eyes once and straightened her posture.
“I want to reach an agreement.”
“You have a big heart.”
“Not really. I’m also a person with a lasting impression.”
“yes?”
As he was tilting his head, not knowing what she meant, his aunt glared at Min Chi-seung with a murderous look.
“I’ll settle. I think he’ll get a suspended sentence on appeal anyway.”
“That’s true.”
“So I’m trying to give my son a friend.”
“Friend?”
“Yes, there is something like that. The next ten years will probably be hard. Food will be tasteless, and nightmares will keep you awake at night.”
I couldn’t help but shiver at the sight of my aunt smiling brightly while looking at Min Chi-seung.
‘I don’t think the ‘friends’ my aunt talks about are people?’
[I think you’re talking about ghosts.]
I didn’t believe in ghosts in this day and age, but since he had made remarks that seemed to indicate that he had noticed Aliotta before, it seemed plausible.
“Okay, I’ll take my leave now. Thank you so much for everything.”
“goodbye.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.”
My aunt, who was about to leave, stopped and handed me an envelope.
“It’s something I don’t need. No, it’s something I can’t have. Strangely, whenever I try to get it, the number changes as if my fate has changed.”
“?”
“Money is something that people desire, and when they have too much of it, they become despondent. I don’t think the prosecutor will be swayed by money because he has such strong will.”
“Oh. I can’t accept something like this. Thank you, but I will only accept your heart.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“yes?”
Money? Weren’t you just going to give me money? Now that I think about it, the envelope was really thin. Could it be a check?
When I opened the envelope, I found a piece of paper inside. On the blank white paper were seven numbers written, and underneath them was the date.
“Oh, this is… … .”
When I looked up, my aunt was already gone.
“Is this a lottery number?”
[Looking at the date written on it, I wonder if it’s the winning number for that day? It’s the day after tomorrow.]
‘Do you believe this?’
[I don’t believe it. I only believe in accumulated data.]
It’s not against the law since I didn’t give him money anyway. I just stuffed the paper into my pocket.
At that time, Wi Jun-woo approached.
“Inspector, you are here.”
“Manager, thank you for your hard work.”
“You too, inspector. Oh, but.”
“why?”
Wi Jun-woo coughed in vain and said.
“Judge Hong Sang-jin said he wanted to see you. He asked me to come to his office.”
“Why is that? Judge Hong is a bit scary.”
“Isn’t it because of the prosecutor’s words and actions during the trial?”
“Why am I acting like this?”
“Tell me why? You keep calling the defense team lethal, and calling them sly… .”
“stop.”
“I can do more.”
“I told you, I understand.”
Come to think of it, Judge Hong Sang-jin was a serious and respectful person. I heard that he always used formal language and respected people younger than him, and that he never gave people a chance to get close to him.
He said that he was afraid that if he got close, the intimacy would affect the trial. He seemed like someone who lived only for the trial.
That’s why I said I hate people who make a surprise show at the trial or who treat the law lightly. People who are strict, solemn, and serious in everything. It’s impossible for such people to like my tone of speech.
[It’s fortunate that they didn’t give Hyungwang a penalty.]
‘I know.’
[But since it’s the first time, I may have let it slide. From next time, I may give you a warning or disciplinary action. That will also have a negative impact on the trial results.]
‘Ha. What should I do? It won’t be easy to change my speech.’
[Can’t you really fix it?]
‘If I could have fixed it, I would have done it sooner. I told you, this is my chronic disease.’
I felt like I needed to meet Judge Hong Sang-jin.
* * *
dripping.
As I knocked and entered, Judge Hong Sang-jin, who was reading something, raised his head and looked at me.
“Welcome, Inspector Do Hyeon-gwang.”
“yes.”
Judge Hong Sang-jin took off his glasses and sat down on the sofa at the head of the office, and I sat on the long sofa next to him. Leaning back on the sofa, Judge Hong Sang-jin spoke to me in a serious voice.
“I was just reading the records of Prosecutor Do Hyeon-gwang.”
“My records?”
“The Gunnae-myeon branch office has achieved great results.”
Wow. As expected. You’ve already done some background research on me.
“Yes. I wanted to keep quiet because I was proud of myself, but… … .”
[Hyun Gwang. I think it would be better not to overdo it.]
‘Don’t worry. When have you ever seen me cross the line?’
I scolded Aliotta, who was getting scared and kept nagging, and then started bragging about myself.
“I caught serial killers, uncovered illegal private gambling dens, and completely destroyed drug supply lines. Whether you search the Gunnae-myeon branch office or anywhere else in the country, there is no prosecutor who has achieved nationwide results in such a short period of time as I have.”
[… … I’ve seen this two hundred and sixty-eight times. It’s crossing the line.]
“… … .”
“Sometimes, there are people who only look at my academic background and don’t recognize my abilities. I have to stand up and brag about these things. If I don’t and just sit back, the world will look down on me.”
Judge Hong Sang-jin nodded.
“I guess I can brag about this. I have eyes, so I know that Prosecutor Do’s skills are outstanding. However, if we are going to continue to meet in court, there is one thing I need to ask you. This is the first time Prosecutor Do has been in charge of a trial alone, so he doesn’t seem to know much about it. If we continue like this, I think we will clash a lot.”
Judge Hong Sang-jin and I belong to the same trial department. That means that Judge Hong Sang-jin will continue to be in charge of the cases I am in charge of. It seemed like he was warning me in advance because we will clash over every little thing in the future anyway.
“What are you talking about?”
“As I said during the trial, I hate surprise shows. If there is a list of evidence or witnesses that need to be cited in the trial, please submit them in advance from now on. That way, both the opposing lawyer and I, who will be conducting the trial, will have enough time to review them.”
“All right.”
This time, I was suddenly assigned to the case a day before the trial, so I couldn’t find out the evidence in advance and submit it. However, in the future, I will be able to investigate in advance, so I won’t have to add evidence suddenly like this.
[Is that really true?]
‘… … Let’s just assume that’s the case and move on.’
“And one more thing. It’s because of Prosecutor Do Hyeon-gwang’s speech.”
“My speech?”
“What should I say about your tone? It’s too cheap and frivolous. It’s not like you’re haggling over prices in the market, and it’s too frivolous for a prosecutor to stand in court.”
“Are you ignoring the tens of millions of merchants who are working hard in the market right now? Are you saying that prosecutors, unlike the vulgar merchants, should have a refined tone of speech? Is this your personal opinion, or the official opinion of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office?”
“No, that’s not what I mean… … .”
Judge Hong Sang-jin, who had been clearing his throat for a moment, continued speaking.
“What I mean is, people who deal with the law should be a little more serious. They should feel the weight of their words with their whole body. Because of the trial, some people go to jail, some get fined. Some get their names cleared, and some repent for their wrongdoings. No matter how small the case is, it is a big case to the parties involved. Anyone who stands in such a court should be careful about their speech and every word.”
“Was there such a law? What law, article, and clause?”
“… … .”
[… … two hundred and sixty-ninth.]
Judge Hong Sang-jin took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. He seemed to be trying hard not to get angry.
“Prosecutor Do. The trial is sacred.”
“The trial is refreshing?”
“… … .”
“Fresh? Like fish? Flapping? Are you saying it has a vividness that feels raw? Chewy like sashimi and melts in your mouth? Are you saying that the trial is like sashimi, melting away in the blink of an eye, but expensive?”
“Prosecutor Do Hyeon-gwang!”
Eventually, Judge Hong Sang-jin’s voice, which had been polite, grew louder.
[It seems like this is a huge challenge in Judge Hong Sang-jin’s life.]
‘You need challenges to develop further.’
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Words that should have appeared in your head and then disappeared just pour out of your mouth. Will you continue to do this in court?”
“Your Honor.”
“yes.”
“Actually, I’m sick. It’s a disease where I say whatever comes to my mind.”
“Are you asking me to believe that now?”
Finally, Judge Hong Sang-jin’s nostrils grew larger than usual.