shadow of britain

Chapter 11

Amid the prolonged applause, the sound of the gavel dropping the case sounded again.

The magistrate announced with a smile on his face: "After listening to Officer Arthur's impassioned speech, I believe that everyone has a better understanding of the case, and I believe in your inner judgment even more. Now, I announce that Hugh The court time is over, ladies and gentlemen, please go to your respective seats, we are going to proceed with the trial."

The lively courtroom fell silent again. The magistrate looked at Arthur and asked with a smile, "Do you have anything to add?"

Arthur resumed his stern expression, and he responded: "Greater Metropolitan Police's appeal has been fully written in the indictment, and we have submitted relevant evidence. I have nothing more to say."

The justice of the peace nodded, and then said to the jury: "The trial process is almost over. Then, gentlemen and ladies of the jury, please go to the outside of the court for a collegiate meeting. After the collegial meeting is over, you must give the verdict of guilt or innocence. guilty verdict.

If you convict the defendant, I will give an appropriate sentencing standard based on the defendant's performance in court and from the perspective of social morality and justice, and make the final verdict. "

At this point the magistrate paused.

He picked up the Bible before the case and pressed it to his heart.

He solemnly declared to the jurors: "Gentlemen and ladies, I swear to God on my honor and faith that I will make a just sentence that does not violate my conscience. Please believe in my promise."

The jurors understood the magistrate's subtext.

Although Arthur's speech just now successfully moved him, but the criminal behavior of little Adam is also real, so he hopes that the jurors will not make a decision of acquittal in violation of the law because of personal feelings.

But he also promised that even if little Adam is found guilty, the Magistrate's Court will definitely consider giving little Adam a lighter sentence. This nine-year-old child will 100% not be hanged on the gallows.

Hearing this, the jury members still hesitated. Although they stood up, they did not go out for a long time.

Although they knew that little Adam would be given a light sentence, they didn't know what the standard for this light sentence was.

In this day and age, law is an expensive knowledge, only lawyers and judges can master it, and jurors obviously do not have such a knowledge reserve.

Mrs. Peel saw that this stalemate was not an option, so she asked tactfully.

"Mr. Judge, may I ask you a question about the law?"

The magistrate smiled and nodded: "Of course, it is my duty to answer the jury members' doubts."

Mrs. Peel pondered for a while before she came up with a question that would not embarrass the magistrate.

"Then, I would like to ask you, if a prisoner who has stolen more than five shillings, if he shows a strong intention of repentance during the trial, has a great sense of guilt, and he is still a minor, then the court will What kind of judgment will be made?"

"Oh! Great question!"

The magistrate replied solemnly.

"I believe that when you listened to Officer Arthur's speech just now, you must have noticed an important person-Lord Samuel Romilly.

While the name may be unfamiliar to the ladies and gentlemen present here, he is a great figure in our legal profession and a learned jurist who I hold in high esteem.

Although his 1808 bill to reform the Penal Code was not fully supported by Parliament, some of its provisions were approved for implementation.

Among them is an additional exemption criterion for juvenile offenders, which I can explain to you here.

Because juvenile criminals do not yet have the complete ability to judge, for minor crimes, other measures such as letting a gypsy accompany them for a month, whipping, and shackles can be used instead of imprisonment as punishment.

For those children aged 7 to 14 who have committed non-violent felonies but have a strong sense of repentance, they can consider not being sentenced to death, but commuting to exile or other punishments of a lower level or even lower.

But from my personal point of view, if the criminal's physical condition is not good, or he is too young when he commits the crime, so that he is not suitable for exile, I will not consider using this punishment.

So, if this happens to me, let's say a child offender with theft.

If the amount involved is more than ten shillings, the penalty is eight years' imprisonment.

If the amount involved is between five and ten shillings, the penalty is five years' imprisonment. "

Asked the fat lady on the jury, who claimed to be the mother of three, "What if it was the theft of seven shillings and sixpence?"

"Ma'am, you're a little too much for me."

The magistrate hesitated for a long time when he heard this, and finally answered the question: "Seven shillings and sixpence are four years' imprisonment."

"Four years in prison?"

When the jury members heard this, they hesitated one by one.

They still feel that such a sentence is too severe.

At this moment, Mrs. Peel spoke suddenly.

She pulled out a white lace parasol from her side and placed it on the table.

"Mr. Judge, could you please compare this parasol in my hand with the evidence in your hand. I suspect that they may come from the same place."

"Huh?" The magistrate hastily put on his glasses: "Please submit your things."

The bailiff hurriedly placed the parasols as evidence and Mrs. Peel's parasol in front of the judge.

After careful comparison, the magistrate exclaimed: "My God! These two umbrellas are exactly the same. Officer Arthur, didn't the indictment say that this umbrella was only produced in one batch? Could it be that the victim, Ms. Did you perjure?"

Arthur didn't know what was going on.

He frowned in thought, but before he could figure it out, Mrs. Peel spoke again.

"Mr. Judge, Ms. Nancy should have testified without perjury that there was indeed only one batch of this umbrella produced.

Because Mr. George Morris, who was just elected as a member of the House of Commons, specially went to the factory to customize this umbrella and used it to thank his supporters.

I felt familiar when I saw the evidence just now, but after thinking about it carefully, I remembered that on March 3, when the incident happened, I should have attended the same campaign speech rally with Ms. Nancy.

The organizer of that speech rally was Mr. George Morris, a member of Parliament. At that time, he distributed a total of one hundred umbrellas of this style to the ladies present.

He also repeatedly stated to us that this was just a small, unremarkable gift for expressing gratitude, not worth a lot of money, and it was not intended to bribe the public with it.

It was also because of Mr. Morris' reassurance that I accepted the umbrella.

If he had told me that the umbrella was worth seven shillings and sixpence, I would have refused to accept it, as it would have tarnished his innocence.

If you don't believe me, I can write to Mr. Morris now, and I'm sure he will be very willing to come to court and explain the matter. "

(End of this chapter)