The Attack of Hobert

Chapter 85 The Attack of Hobert

Around nine o'clock in the morning, the Bruce murder case officially began as a young judge in his late twenties sat down on the bench.

Hobart felt the judge's imposing presence and suspected that the judge was not the real "judge" and that he had come to the courtroom to play the role.

The prosecutor spoke first, stating Bruce's charges: "...the defendant threw about eight pounds of explosives into Mr. Wynter's yard."

"Before the trial, I consulted with professionals who said that eight pounds of gunpowder was enough to blow up Mr. Wynter's house, causing his family to suffer a devastating blow in their sleep."

"In addition, the massive explosion could also affect Mr. Wynter's neighbors, causing them varying degrees of injury, and could even start a fire, resulting in more casualties."

"Your Honor, we believe that the defendant's actions seriously affected the personal and property safety of dozens of citizens, and constitute typical crimes of bombing and intentional homicide!"

"Our statement is finished."

The judge said, "Now, please let the defendant's lawyer speak."

Dressed in a black lawyer's suit and wearing a wig, Hobert stood up and said, "Your Honor, and fellow spectators, I truly did not expect the prosecutor to make such an absurd judgment!"

Upon hearing this, the Wynter family's relatives in the audience immediately became agitated, with some even muttering curses.

The judge said to Hobart, "Defendant's attorney, watch your words."

"Your Honor, I am stating the facts," Hobart said. "The evidence presented by the prosecution is right here on the table in front of you. I believe the prosecution has confirmed that the fuse was simply made of paper. Even if it were lit, it would be difficult for it to burn the bomb. Moreover, the fuse was not connected to the gunpowder; it was just glued to the outside of the bomb."

"Gentlemen, can this kind of bomb be detonated? No matter how powerful the gunpowder is, this bomb will not explode at all!"

"The key point is that Mr. Bruce did not light the fuse at all, meaning that he did not commit any specific criminal act, nor did he use the gunpowder as a bomb."

"I need to remind the prosecutor that the crime of bombing is a specific dangerous crime. Unless the plaintiff provides evidence that the bomb will definitely be detonated, or Mr. Bruce has the intention to detonate it, the prosecutor's accusation is not specific enough and the crime of bombing is not established!"

"Since the charge of bombing is not established, the charge of intentional homicide is also not established. Therefore, I believe the prosecutor's argument is utterly absurd!"

The audience immediately erupted in curses from Wynter's family and friends, as well as cheers and shouts from Bruce's friends and family.

The judge lightly struck the gavel: "Silence! Attorney for the defense, do you have anything else to say?"

After everyone quieted down, Hobart said, "Your Honor, my statement is finished."

Next, the prosecutor spoke, continuing to describe the dangers and instability of the explosives, still maintaining that they posed a threat to the Wynton family's life and property.

When it was Hobart's turn to speak, he smiled and said, "Your Honor, Prosecutor, shall we conduct an investigative experiment and throw this piece of evidence at me to see if I'll be blown up?"

Hobart seized upon the loophole in the charge of bombing, forcing the prosecutor to change tactics: "Your Honor, it is quite possible that the defendant committed a crime of passion, which is why he did not properly handle the bomb's fuse. However, the moment the defendant threw the bomb into Mr. Wynter's yard, he had already committed the crime of intentional assault!"

This means abandoning the prosecution for bombing and instead sticking to the "defense line" of intentional homicide.

"Prosecutor, let's consider this scenario," Hobart said. "If I yelled at you, 'I'm going to kill you,' and then threw an unloaded pistol at you, wouldn't you also think that I was intentionally killing you?"

"Mr. Bruce may harbor resentment towards the Wynter family, but he hasn't taken any effective action. Gentlemen, since when has holding a grudge against someone meant facing over 20 years in prison?"

(If convicted of intentional homicide, Bruce could face at least 20 years in life imprisonment.)

Hobart questioned the prosecutor: "Are you trying to deprive people of their right to have emotions? Even demons and evil gods aren't this cruel. What gives you the right to do this?"

Hobart's brilliant thought experiments and defense drew applause and cheers from the audience.

The prosecutor gradually found himself unable to withstand Hobart's "offensive": "Defendant's lawyer, please do not try to argue. The defendant resented the Wynter family and threw a bomb at them. The causal relationship is established, and this is an indisputable fact."

"Does the defense attorney believe that it's not a crime for someone to throw a bomb into your house?"

"Guilty, of course guilty," Hobart said.

Everyone was somewhat surprised by this answer, and some even exclaimed in surprise.

However, Hobart continued, "Mr. Bruce's crime is the purchase and possession of dangerous goods, which, according to the relevant laws, is punishable by a fine of £10 to £30 and detention for a period of not less than fifteen days and not more than three months."

"As for the accusation of throwing a bomb at the Wynter family, that's a complete fabrication! It couldn't even be called a bomb, and Mr. Bruce had no intention of killing anyone; it doesn't constitute murder!"

With the trial at this stage, Hobart's not guilty plea was essentially successful, and the prosecutor found it increasingly difficult to launch an effective "offensive" in the subsequent defense.

In the stands, smiles gradually appeared on the faces of Bruce's relatives and friends, while the expressions of Wynter's family and friends grew increasingly serious.

In his final statement, Hobart said, "Your Honor, this case, seemingly a debate about a model bomb, actually represents the dwindling tolerance for error among the citizens of Backlund. If my client is indeed arrested and imprisoned for a prank, the open and inclusive spirit of the Kingdom of Loen will suffer a severe blow!"

The judge was moved by these words, and finally, in the sentencing phase, the judge stated: "The prosecutor has not provided sufficient evidence to prove the defendant's intent to kill, and has not established a specific dangerous crime. This court finds that the prosecutor's two claims of bombing and intentional homicide are not established."

"However, because the defendant purchased and possessed dangerous items, and the circumstances were serious, indicating a tendency to harm others, a fine of £30 and three months' detention are imposed!"

Bruce's family and friends breathed a sigh of relief. The £30 fine was not much for them, and three months was not a long time. This verdict was much better than being convicted of intentional homicide.

Wynter, sitting in the plaintiff's seat, was not satisfied with the result and shouted that he would appeal. The judge ignored Wynter, put away his documents, and left the judge's seat unhurriedly.

At this moment, Hobart was in a very strange state. The judge's verdict just now seemed to be a constant feedback from Hobart on his use of the law and the loopholes in the plaintiff's claims.

As the verdict was pronounced, Hobart seemed to hear a sudden, illusory shattering sound, and at that moment he felt his body and spirit were elevated.

The "lawyer" potion has been completely digested.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)