??11: Chapter 9 The Show Begins
11: Chapter 9 The Show Begins
Facing the severe interrogation of the magistrate, Adam was trembling with fear; he glanced at Arthur in the prosecutor’s seat, then at the magistrate, who seed to be burning with fury.
Tears filled his eyes as he stood there alone, weak and pitiful, yet at a loss for what to do.
Arthur spoke calmly, his tone unchanging, as though it was not a human speaking, but a precision machine.
“Your Honour, the police did not resort to any thods of torture to extort confessions, as is clear from the indictnt.
The defendant, Adam Evans, voluntarily surrendered to the arrest and has made no secret of the cris he has committed.
All interrogation procedures were carried out in compliance with the police’s internal principles and can withstand scrutiny by you and the general public.”
Upon hearing Arthur’s remarks, Adam also nodded incessantly while silently shedding tears.
He sobbed, stamring, “Your, Your Honour, the police did not use any thods of torture to extort confessions.
I, I have made no secret of my cris, as the indictnt clearly states.
I’m, I’m sorry, I’m guilty.”
The reactions of Arthur and Adam directly infuriated the magistrate, further confirming his suspicions.
He slamd down his gavel on the bench, almost bellowing as he demanded.
“Adam!
I’m asking you, you!
Why are you concerned with what the indictnt says?
Why repeat the police’s words?
Why unconditionally agree with others’ opinions?
Do you know what will happen if the police’s indictnt holds?
You will be hanged; you will face the death penalty!
Oh, child, don’t be foolish!
Do you know whose side you’re on?
I’m giving you an opportunity!
To let you expose the truth to the public so that you can receive a fair trial!”
Adam, frightened by the furious magistrate, fell to the ground in tears, sobbing, “I’m sorry, I’m guilty.
Your Honour, I’m sorry for making you angry.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a plump middle-aged lady from the jury sprang up.
She was like a spring that had had enough pressure and suddenly stood up, angrily accusing the magistrate.
“I don’t understand the law, nor do I know what the police’s principles are.
But from the standpoint of a mother of three children, you can’t yell at a nine-year-old child like you are doing, let alone terrorize him with the death penalty.
It’s not only undignified but also immoral!
You can’t treat him like this!”
The mont the middle-aged lady spoke, she imdiately elicited the empathy of the other mothers present.
They loudly criticized the magistrate and Arthur, complained about why they had to bring such a small child to suffer in court, and even threatened to protest at the front of the Supre Court after the trial over the injustice they experienced in the courtroom.
The magistrate rapped his gavel a few tis, but no matter what, he could not silence them, and it only made their accusations louder.
The bailiffs wanted to step in to maintain order, but when they saw how indignant the won were, they couldn’t help but hesitate.
Most of the bailiffs were married n, and they understood that reasoning with won who were enraged was not a wise option.
Besides, regarding this matter alone, they too were inclined to support the won.
Before the won had finished speaking, the n also began to express their opinions.
A bespectacled office employee spoke out, “Your Honour, if I rember correctly, Adam Evans is rely a suspect at this point, far from being convicted.
But your tone sounds as if you are questioning a bona fide criminal.
And this child seems quite polite, behaving appropriately since the beginning of the trial; it’s hard for
to believe he committed any cri.”
A burly factory technician nodded, “This kid nad Adam is much better than my own little troublemaker.
Mine is even two years older than him but doesn’t know to say hello to his father.
This child looks well-behaved; if my son were like him, I don’t know how much worry I would save.”
Facing the bailiffs who were working without putting in the effort and the restless and discontented jury, the magistrate, with no other recourse, could only wipe his sweat with his handkerchief and ekly ask them for rcy.
“Please, gentlen and ladies, pay so attention to the order of the court.
I assure you that I will pay attention to my tone from now on.
This was my mistake, and I apologize to you all.”
Seeing the magistrate make a promise, the won then rolled their eyes at him and angrily sat back down in their seats.
The n also closed their mouths, which had been open with discussion, to see if the situation would improve later on.
The scene was dead silent, yet the nearly solidified air was filled with the sll of gunpowder.
The clerk sitting to the right of the magistrate noticed the icy atmosphere of the scene and couldn’t help but suggest to the judge.
“Sir, I don’t think the situation is fit for continuing the trial.
I propose a ten-minute recess to let everyone cool their heads.”
The magistrate quickly seized the opportunity to agree, “If that’s the case, then let’s have a ten-minute recess.
Ladies, what do you think?”
None of the won wanted to pay attention to the judge, and in the crucial mont, it was Mrs.
Peel, who knew the magistrate, that broke the deadlock.
“No one wished to see things develop this way.
Therefore, we respect your decision.”
The magistrate was like a man reprieved; clutching his head, he hurriedly prepared to go to the back room for a cup of tea to calm down.
anwhile, the bailiffs were ready to take the little Adam, who was sitting on the ground crying incessantly, back to the waiting room.
Seeing him cry like that, each of the won of the jury felt as if their hearts were breaking.
Mrs.
Peel, seeing this and feeling pity, proposed, “Let
stay with him.
I know how to comfort a child’s emotions.
Although it might not be proper, if Adam’s mood doesn’t improve, I’m afraid the trial cannot continue.”
The magistrate at this point could hardly utter a word of disagreent, even if he showed a hint of reluctance in his expression, these won might tear him apart on the spot.
He nodded and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Mrs.
Peel.”
The other won also spoke up one after another, requesting, “Mrs.
Peel, let
accompany you.”
“They’ve really gone too far.”
“I can hardly imagine that this is how interrogations are conducted in court!”
“My husband once thought of having our child study law, grow up and beco a judge.
Now it seems like such a bad idea.
If he truly learned the law, he might not even recognize his own mother soday.”
The magistrate was verbally attacked by the won but dared not retort a single word.
At this point, he only wanted to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.
However, before his buttocks even left the seat, Arthur, who had been silent the whole ti, suddenly spoke up.
“I’m sorry to delay everyone’s precious resting ti, but would you be willing to sacrifice just ten short minutes to listen to
say a few words?”
Arthur unbuttoned his coat and placed the police uniform and officer’s sword on the seat behind him.
He rolled up his taut shirt cuffs, his strong arms resting on either side of the prosecutor’s bench, and wearing only a white shirt, he pleaded with everyone.
“The following words, I am not speaking to you as a sergeant of the London tropolitan Police, nor as the prosecutor of this case, and certainly not as an executioner wanting to send little Adam to the gallows.
Rather, like everyone here, I am simply speaking as an ordinary London citizen with simple moral concepts and normal values, a good friend who knows the defendant Adam Evans, understands his family situation, hobbies, behavior habits, and past deeds.”
About this case and my personal experiences over the past six months, I’d like to have a brief chat with everyone.”
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