chapter 1

In the summer of 2012, the local Detention Center contacted me, saying that a criminal suspect accused of intentional homicide wanted to appoint me as his Defense Lawyer.

I was completely baffled and asked if there had been a mistake.

This was only my second year in practice. Not only was I a rookie Lawyer, but my limited practical experience was all in civil cases, mainly handling disputes over marriage, family, and inheritance. My experience in criminal Defense was zero.

“Cases involving human life should be handled by specialized criminal Lawyers. This is no joke. He must have picked the wrong person.”

That was my reply to the Detention Center, and I promptly refused this strange appointment.

But things were not so simple.

The next day, the Detention Center contacted me again, saying that the suspect had specifically named me. He was sure he hadn’t made a mistake.

When something is out of the ordinary, there must be a reason. This time, I didn’t immediately refuse. Instead, I first asked the officers handling the case for details.

It was a case involving the murder of a university teacher, with the crime scene at the Victim’s home. The perpetrator beat the Victim and then strangled him with a rope. Two days later, the Victim’s student discovered the body and reported it.

The Police quickly identified the suspect, who turned out to be the Victim’s younger brother.

Around the time of the crime, nearby residents saw him at the scene; Fingerprints and Footprints collected at the scene matched his; both of his hands had rope marks and abrasions consistent with the cause of the Victim’s death.

It’s worth noting that he also had a serious Criminal Record-he was a juvenile offender who had served fifteen years in prison and was released two years ago.

During questioning, the suspect was highly uncooperative. Apart from his name, age, and place of origin, he refused to answer any other important questions.

Fortunately, the evidence collection process went smoothly. Once all the forensic results were in, the facts of the suspect’s crime were basically established.

Although the suspect continued to refuse to confess, the evidence was conclusive and irrefutable, and the case was transferred to the Procuratorate for review and Prosecution.

It was during this review and Prosecution stage that the suspect insisted on having me, a civil Lawyer, handle his criminal Defense.

He and I were neither relatives nor enemies; we were complete strangers. I had no reputation in the field, and this was even outside my area of expertise. I truly couldn’t understand why he insisted on choosing me.

The Detention Center agreed: “Exactly, even Legal Aid would be better than hiring you.”

“…”

On impulse, I decided to meet my client.