Hobert's Connections

Chapter 84 Hobert's Connections (Bonus chapter for everyone's monthly votes)

Hobart concealed his emotions: "I feel sorry for your friend's situation, but I still have to tell you that he needs a lawyer to defend him, otherwise he will not only have to pay compensation but also face imprisonment."

"Oh, storm on!" Dai Lun exclaimed excitedly, "Bill's driving skills were at their best after drinking. It was that wretched tobacco merchant who didn't understand the rules of navigation on the river at all! That damned swindler, no one was hurt, yet he insisted on sending Bill to jail..."

Hobart waited quietly until the other party had vented his emotions before saying, "If you want me to defend your friend Bill, please have Bill's family bring the lawsuit and relevant documents to my law firm tomorrow or Saturday."

Then Dai Lun asked the question that almost every client asks: "Can we win this case?"

"I need to review the plaintiff's complaint before I can give you a specific answer," Hobart replied, taking out a pen and paper from his briefcase and writing down the law firm's address.

After putting away the address and thanking Hobert and Jacob, Dai Lun hurriedly left.

Hobart also bid farewell to Jacob, promising to return in a few days.

It was past three in the afternoon when we returned to the law firm by horse-drawn carriage.

Hobart took out the third case that Barton had given him and began to study it again. This case was not urgent, so Hobart put it last.

In fact, Hobart had already read these materials several times, but now he just wanted to sit quietly until the end of the workday, and always appear to be busy.

"Hobert!" A colleague said to Hobert while he was slacking off, "A client has specifically requested that you defend their client."

Hobert was taken aback: "Me?"

When did I become so famous?

"Yes," my colleague reminded me. "I overheard a few words when I came in. It's a not-guilty plea, and it sounds quite complicated. If you're not confident, you should just refuse."

"Thank you." Hobert got up and went to the reception room. As soon as he entered, he saw a woman in her forties or fifties sitting in a chair. She was dressed elegantly and wore some jewelry, but she looked a little anxious.

Behind the woman stood a middle-aged man who looked somewhat familiar and a young man who looked unfamiliar; they were probably the butler and the servant.

As soon as the butler saw Hobart enter, he smiled and said, "Attorney Hobart, we meet again."

Hopper then remembered that this was Mr. Barron's butler: "Yes, butler, it's good to see you again. How is Mr. Barron?"

He finally understood why this woman had specifically requested him; it turned out that Baron had introduced her to him.

"Very good," the butler said. "The master bought another horse a few days ago, and we can often hear him laughing heartily."

Hobert smiled and nodded.

The woman sitting in the chair asked somewhat uneasily, "Is this Attorney Hobert?"

He was much younger than she had imagined. Was it really okay to hire him?

"Yes, madam," the butler introduced, "this is Mrs. Kent, Mr. Barron's aunt. She has some legal issues and hopes to get your help."

Hobart sat opposite Mrs. Kendall and began to learn about the case.

Mrs. Kent has an only son, Bruce Kent, who divorced last year. He harbors resentment towards his former in-laws, believing that they were the ones who ruined his marriage.

So not long ago, Bruce bought some gunpowder from the black market, made it into the shape of a bomb, and threw it into his father-in-law's yard.

Bruce's father-in-law's family was quite frightened. After they called the police, the prosecutor charged Bruce with bombing and intentional homicide.

Mrs. Kent, who had recently lost her husband, went on a trip with friends and was only informed upon her return that Bruce's case would go to trial this Saturday, which is the day after tomorrow.

Mrs. Kent quickly asked relatives and friends for help, and Mr. Barron recommended the conscientious and responsible lawyer Hobart to his aunt.

After understanding the general situation, Hobart asked Mrs. Kent, "Are you sure Mr. Bruce didn't light the fuse when he threw the homemade bomb?"

"I'm sure!" Mrs. Kent said. "I visited poor little Bruce in prison, and he said it was just a prank. The fuse he made was glued to the outside of the bomb, so even if it was lit, it wouldn't detonate the gunpowder."

Hobart nodded. "Did you bring a copy of the plaintiff's complaint?"

"I brought it."

As Hobart read the lawsuit, Mrs. Kent said angrily and anxiously, "The Wynter family (Bruce's former father-in-law's family) are a bunch of scoundrels!"

"When Bruce was dating Wayne's daughter, I warned him that Wayne didn't have much money and liked to look down on people, and that he should be careful about such a marriage. Later, I was right."

"Oh, Goddess! That despicable Wayne not only ruined my son's family, but now he wants to send my son to jail. How could there be such a bastard?"

"There's no need for you to be angry, Madam. Seeking justice for our clients is precisely where our value as lawyers lies," Hobart said with a smile. "I've just reviewed the plaintiff's complaint and I'm quite confident in this defense. Would you like to retain me to represent your son?"

"Of course, Attorney Hobart, the moment I saw you, I knew that only a young and promising lawyer like you could save my poor little Bruce," Mrs. Kent said sincerely.

Hobart thought to himself: Madam, you clearly didn't trust me just now. Did you change your mind after seeing the confidence I showed?

"Then please have Madam sign the power of attorney," Hobart said. "I need to keep the plaintiff's complaint for further review."

After seeing Mrs. Kent and her party off, Hobart realized that his previous serious approach to every commission had paid off. Apart from the case with Da Lun, all the cases he received that week were referrals from acquaintances.

This indicates that his previous engagements have allowed him to build a network of contacts, enabling him to establish himself in the legal profession. If he continues to maintain the same high standards he applies to every case, this network will continue to expand.

Hobart took his first not-guilty plea very seriously. In addition to reviewing relevant materials, he went to the Minsk prison the following Friday morning to talk to Bruce and learn more about the details of the bomb.

After making thorough preparations, Hobart arrived early on Saturday at the Backlund Court, one of the three formal courts in Backlund, which mainly handles criminal cases involving ordinary citizens.

The formal courtroom is much more spacious than the magistrate's courtroom, and the judge's bench is set on a high platform, which looks very imposing.

In addition, bailiffs are responsible for maintaining order, which puts an invisible pressure on people.

The audience area is also very large, probably able to seat two or three hundred people.

Besides Mrs. Kent, Mr. Barron, and others, there were also Bruce's friends, totaling twenty or thirty people.

Also present were the plaintiff, the Wayne family's, relatives and friends; the two sides sat in different places and occasionally glared at each other.

Fors also arrived on time, this time bringing her notebook to record some details of Hobart's defense.

To express my gratitude for everyone's support with monthly votes, here's an extra chapter. Last month and at the beginning of this month, you all voted for the author with a lot of monthly votes, so I'm adding an extra chapter as a thank you.

(End of this chapter)