Chapter 79: Chapter 79: For this crime, the maximum penalty is death.
During these two anxious days, he had specifically researched the crime of throwing objects from a height.
Although this act had been criminalized in the last two years, sentences were typically less than a year, mostly consisting of criminal detention or control orders. The most common outcome was simply a fine.
He felt that for someone like him, who hadn’t caused any harm, a 500 yuan fine would be the absolute maximum.
"A fine?"
Shen Dao looked at Gao Feng, who stood before him claiming to have "specifically researched" the crime of throwing objects from a height, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
If he had truly understood... he wouldn’t have failed to comprehend the charge of "endangering public safety by dangerous means" written clearly on the summons.
The charge Qin Mu had filed against him, clearly stated on the summons, was "endangering public safety by dangerous means."
Yet Gao Feng still treated this as a simple case of throwing an object from a height.
Shen Dao shook his head and didn’t bother explaining further to Gao Feng.
He just waved his hand and instructed the police officer behind him, "Take him back to the station for now. Retake his fingerprints and compare them with those on the beer bottle."
Although Gao Feng had confessed, and the entire process was recorded by a body-worn camera, fingerprint comparison was still a necessary procedure.
「Half a day later.」
In Jin City, at the police station.
After the fingerprint comparison, the identity of the object thrower was definitively confirmed as Gao Feng.
The police station then began drafting a criminal report, detailing the events and their assessment for the court. Before the trial, the list of defendants, which had initially encompassed all residents of the building, was amended to name Gao Feng as the sole defendant.
Afterward, Shen Dao went to the detention room to remind Gao Feng to find a lawyer.
"Find a lawyer? How much would that cost? It’s just one lawsuit; I’ll admit defeat. Just tell me how much compensation I need to pay, and that’s it," Gao Feng said, shaking his head repeatedly.
His attitude clearly showed he had no intention whatsoever of hiring a lawyer.
Seeing this, Shen Dao’s mouth twitched slightly.
He couldn’t help but remind him, "This time, your single act has resulted in two criminal charges. It’s not just for throwing an object from a height but also for endangering public safety by dangerous means. The plaintiff is suing you for the latter."
"And the latter... carries a very severe penalty. You really should hire a lawyer."
Although the law didn’t mandate legal representation at trial, having a professional lawyer significantly increased the chances of winning.
A professional lawyer... is far better than someone ignorant of the law making a haphazard defense.
Even if you lose, a lawyer can help minimize the sentence.
"Sentenced? Don’t try to scare me. I didn’t cause any harm; surely, they won’t sentence me to several years, right?" Gao Feng retorted, somewhat defiantly.
Shen Dao glanced at him and said indifferently, "For this crime, even if no serious harm occurred, the sentence is three to ten years. If serious harm did occur... the maximum penalty is death."
Once Shen Dao finished speaking, Gao Feng’s eyes widened, and his complexion changed slightly.
The dismissive look he’d worn moments ago vanished completely.
He had indeed seen the charge of "endangering public safety by dangerous means" on the summons, but he hadn’t taken the time to understand it.
In his mind, as long as no serious harm was done, any crime would likely result in just a fine at most.
But Shen Dao told him...
Even without causing any harm, it was still three to ten years!
He swallowed hard and hurriedly asked, "Then... if I get a lawyer, can I win?"
Shen Dao was utterly speechless. "You should be thinking about how to get your sentence reduced first."
This case... was airtight; the evidence was conclusive.
The residential complex’s surveillance footage, Gao Feng’s confession, fingerprints, and a host of other evidence were all sufficient to prove Gao Feng was guilty of endangering public safety by dangerous means.
This crime has three constituent elements.
The first, and most crucial, element is an act that is socially harmful enough to endanger public safety.
At the time, it was when people were out for evening strolls, and the residential area was full of people.
Gao Feng’s actions undoubtedly met this criterion.
The second element is that the individual has reached the age of criminal responsibility and possesses the mental capacity for it.
Gao Feng was well over eighteen.
The third element is subjective intent, meaning the act was committed deliberately.
Without a doubt, a beer bottle flying over the greenbelt and landing on a walkway in the residential area must have been thrown intentionally.
It couldn’t possibly have been an accidental fall.
With these conditions met, Gao Feng couldn’t escape this charge!
Yet Gao Feng was still thinking about winning...
What he should really be worried about now was whether he’d get three years or ten.
「That evening.」
Inside the detention center.
Upon hearing of his detention, Gao Feng’s good friend and colleague, Zhuang Huarong, rushed over to visit him.
Full of exasperation, he said, "What can I even say about you? Yanzi is just a gold digger! Why are you so hung up on her?"
"Getting so drunk over her! Throwing away your bright future for her!"
"The company sent out a notice as soon as they heard the police station took you. You’ve been fired."
"A job paying three thousand yuan a month, gone just like that! Was it worth it for Yanzi?!"
Gao Feng’s face flushed red and then paled under Zhuang Huarong’s barrage of criticism.
He’d never expected... that a carelessly tossed bottle could lead to such dire consequences.
He sighed softly and said to Zhuang Huarong, "Never mind that now. Can you help me find a lawyer? The more badass, the better."
Zhuang Huarong was stunned.
He couldn’t help but ask, "Are you crazy? Good lawyers are expensive; a single case can cost tens of thousands at least! You want to hire a lawyer just to save a few hundred yuan in fines?"
"It’s not about a few hundred yuan. I might... be facing prison time."
Gao Feng looked at his friend, nearly in tears.
Zhuang Huarong was completely bewildered, having no idea what had actually happened.
Gao Feng had told him about the incident after it happened.
He’d even helped him look up the relevant laws, and they’d both thought it would, at most, be a fine of a few hundred yuan.
How had it suddenly escalated to talk of a prison sentence?
Gao Feng sighed heavily and continued, "The trial is in seven days. I’ve saved some money from working these past few years. You have to help me find a badass lawyer..."
Zhuang Huarong nodded blankly, promising to help.
「The next day.」
Zhuang Huarong, with a lawyer in tow, walked into the police station.
"Dude, let me tell you, this lawyer is seriously badass! He’s handled many major cases in Jin City. After hearing about your situation, he took the case without hesitation and even said he’d give a 20% discount!"
Gao Feng swallowed hard as he listened to his friend’s introduction.
He then looked at the lawyer beside Zhuang Huarong.
The lawyer, impeccably dressed, offered a faint smile and extended his hand. "Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Wei. I specialize in arguing for sentence reductions and have a decent reputation in Jin City’s legal circles."
Seeing Gao Feng still looked stunned, Zhang Wei continued his pitch: "Don’t mind my track record of losses; my actual specialty is sentence reduction. In Jin City, I doubt you’ll find anyone more suited to your case than I am."