Capítulo 16: Original Sin
On Monday, Martin called Rachel and reminded her to bring Priya to the job, while he left the office in the Camaro.
That second-degree murder case has been dragging on for a while, and it's going to court if it doesn't go.
Driving on the very congested streets of New York, Martin was a little disappointed with this dream car in the hearts of many otakus.
Although the Camaro produced in 1973 is classic, and the power output is very smooth after renovation and modification, it is really not as good as those ordinary new cars that use electronic power assist systems and automatic transmissions.
The steering wheel is so heavy that the half-clutch engages with the car so that the front muscles on the side of the calf are about to cramp...
No wonder Leonard and the others lost interest after only half a month of playing.
Martin decided to go back and get a new car. This Camaro is considered an investment and can be sold to those otakus sometime.
After driving for nearly an hour, Martin came to the Island City Prison by the sea.
This is the largest heavy prison in New York State. It only detains felons who have committed felonies such as murder and rape. Although the defendant in the second-degree murder case has not yet been sentenced, he is also temporarily detained here.
Martin applied for a lawyer's meeting in accordance with the regulations, which was quickly approved by the prison.
"I have to say you are the youngest criminal lawyer I have ever met."
A tall and strong African-American guard took Martin to the reception room and reminded him kindly before leaving: "The guys here are not very safe. If they try to attack you, remember to press the alarm button under the table."
"Thank you, I believe I will be safe with you here."
Martin isn't showing off his three-time National High School Kickboxing Championship.
As soon as I sat down and took out the documents, the door opposite the reception room opened, and a heavily armed policewoman walked in with a gaunt girl in her twenties.
After opening the handcuffs, the policewoman pressed the girl on the chair opposite Martin: "The lawyer's meeting stipulates that you have two hours to talk, and you can't have any other behavior that may cause danger..."
After saying the rules according to the script, the policewoman glanced at Martin, who nodded in greeting, with some nostalgia, then opened the door and left.
Martin looked at the girl's appearance while sorting out the documents, and saw that her hair was dry, her dark circles were serious, and her thin cheeks indicated that her recent nutritional status was not very good.
"So the lawyer I waited for a month was a rookie like you?"
The girl looked up at Martin, her voice was a little hoarse: "I look pretty good, does my mother want me to have a last break before I go to jail?"
"To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that you hadn't been promoted when I took your case, you shouldn't be able to pay my current consultation fee based on your family situation."
Criminal cases are different from civil cases. Unless it can be proved that the prosecution has committed serious negligence, the client must pay the lawyer's fees no matter how the sentence is pronounced.
Martin is now a senior lawyer, and the hourly consultation fee has risen from $400 to $1,800. This is due to his lack of seniority and practical experience, otherwise it should be doubled under normal circumstances.
Hearing Martin mentioning her family, Amanda finally lost her self-defeating disguise, and the whole person became much sadder.
"Amanda Somme?" Martin began to check the information: "Twenty-one-year-old, second-year fashion design student at the University of Pennsylvania, half scholarship...May 13, 2007, in the Walmart parking lot with her boyfriend There was an argument, and then the vehicle was knocked over and dragged 310 meters, causing the boyfriend to die... Charged by the New York District Attorney on suspicion of second-degree murder."
Martin's tone was neither salty nor light, and he couldn't hear any emotion: "Is there anything you want to add about the basic information?"
Amanda shook her head feebly.
Martin took a new voice recorder from his briefcase, opened it, and placed it on the table.
"You need to understand one thing, I am your lawyer and I will help you, so I hope you will not resist or resist me, let alone deceive and conceal our next conversation, understand? "
"Can you really help me?" Amanda raised her head, her dull eyes brightened for the first time: "I mean, will you help me out?"
"I'll try to do it." Martin tried to look more believable. "If you can do what I just said."
"I'll cooperate." Amanda nodded.
The case isn't really that complicated.
Amanda became boyfriend and girlfriend with a college classmate named Sokya Spencer last year. It was good at first, but as time went on, Amanda felt that her boyfriend was too controlling, and she was not even allowed to marry other people. Men have a normal conversation.
In May of this year, Amanda and her boyfriend went to Walmart to buy ingredients for the next week. After entering the supermarket, the two went to get their own things separately. During this period, Amanda met a male passer-by to strike up a conversation, and the two briefly chatted a few words, which happened to be seen by Sokeya.
On the way out of the supermarket to the parking lot, Sokya expressed her dissatisfaction. Amanda simply proposed to break up and had a very fierce quarrel with Sokya, during which she smashed him a few times with the bag in her hand, and then Get in your new BMW X5 and get ready to leave.
Sokya ran to the car and tried to stop it, but Amanda drove him directly and knocked him to the ground. She was dragged under the car for nearly 300 meters, and she was out of breath before the ambulance arrived.
After listening to Amanda's self-report, Martin shook his head helplessly and began to ask for more details.
"Has Sokya ever tried to hurt you in public..."
"How many times did you break up with him? How did he react..."
"Did the passers-by who chatted with you leave contact information..."
Amanda answered honestly one by one, and there should be no signs of concealment from the surface.
After asking all the questions you can think of, UU read www. uukanshu.com Martin's face was sinking, and he was lost in thought while sorting out the documents.
I can't stand my boyfriend's desire to control—the subjective motive for murder is there.
Driving over and dragging boyfriend over - there's an objective homicide too.
Five eyewitnesses testify that Sokya didn't restrain Amanda at all—not even an excuse for self-defense.
No wonder the prosecution did not come to reach a plea agreement with Amanda, and the court did not allow bail. This case looked like a perfect second-degree murder case, which could be included in the Harvard Law School textbook as a typical case of crime explanation.
"I'm in big trouble, right?"
Amanda looked at Martin's serious expression, and the last glimmer of hope faded away.
Martin pondered for a while, then raised his head and said, "Amanda, I must tell you the truth. If you cannot find new evidence before the trial, according to the previous precedent, you will be sentenced to fifteen years in prison without parole."
Later, he added: "Of course, this is the worst case. I will try to find a way to see if I can reduce your sentence."
This is the most basic professional skill of a lawyer. It only tells the client the worst situation. If a relatively good result can be obtained later, the client will be more grateful and trust the lawyer.
Amanda has been in prison for two months, and she was mentally prepared for it.
Seeing that her face was gradually turning grey, and her whole body was slowly shrinking like she was being drained, Martin shook his head a little reluctantly.
Although Sokya didn't hurt Amanda's behavior, the suffocating desire for control was really annoying. Amanda just wanted to escape, but in anger, she made a big mistake and almost destroyed her entire life. life.
It is not without reason that jealousy and anger are listed as two of the seven deadly sins...
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder