Three Philosophical Questions for Travelers

Haven's ruling, II

Haven's ruling, II

He coughed dryly and said, "First of all, I would like to introduce the plaintiff, defendant, judge and jury."

"The first plaintiff, that is, myself, Haven Ambleside." He spoke first.After saying this, there was a burst of exclamation and laughter from below, and a stunned young man laughed and said, "The judge sues the man? Then what's the point of the trial? Wouldn't it be over if you sentence him yourself?"

Haven rang the alarm bell to signal people to be quiet. "The defendant's verdict depends only on what crime he committed and what law he violated! In order to determine what law he violated, we must conduct a fair trial." He saw the dubious expression of the people below, So he continued: "I am the plaintiff, the defender, the judge, and the lord of Bear Mountain, but even so, I must abide by the laws of the Gulf! In court, the law comes first, and the lord comes second! No one can trample on the law, Convicting people without permission, do you understand?" He finally shouted at the doubter.

There was no sound in the courtroom, but the man was obviously taken aback. He nodded quickly and said, "Understood!"

"Very well," said Haven. "Anyone who speaks more than three times to disrupt the courtroom will be charged with interfering with the judicial process. I hope you will remain serious."

Many people nodded to him, but no one made a sound.

Hai Wen also nodded, and said, "Now let me introduce the second plaintiff. The second plaintiff is Spike, who is originally from Qingling, and a southern woman named Violet. They are also witnesses." After finishing speaking, he saw The smiling cat and Violet saluted him. Today, Violet wore a veil and a southern formal gauze robe.

"Plaintiff's defense, Haven Ambleside." He saluted the crowd. "It's me again." No booing this time.

"Defendant, Mustang Man, Manto Charles." He looked at little Charles, who was expressionless and lifeless.

"Defender, Mustang Man, Brunei Charles." Big Charles held the code in his arms with a serious expression.Haven saw that his eyes were red, and there were dark circles under them.

Finally he briefly introduced the jury and the judge, and then said: "Now the plaintiffs state the content of the lawsuit."

Then he stepped off the rostrum and stood down on the plaintiff's seat below. "I will now state the content of the lawsuit."

Although the process seemed unnecessary, Haven insisted on it.Because the strict process symbolizes the sanctity and firmness of the law, the behavior in court must be rigorous, and there must be no deviation in the slightest.

He read out the lawsuit declaration in the plaintiff's seat: "Manto? Charles, I accuse you of four counts. The first is murder. I accuse you of murdering a beautiful southern woman and killing her by cutting her throat; second. The first charge is intimidation, you threatened me by murdering a woman, and asked me to accept your bribe; the third charge is bribery, you repeatedly bribed the mayor of Mustang Town and the judge of Mustang Town. The fourth charge, you have bought Suspected of murder, Laughing Ranger Spike and my former housekeeper Delaire were both attacked by killers, I have reason to suspect that all of this has something to do with you."

He turned the page and continued: "In this regard, I request the judge to order: impose the death penalty on you and execute it immediately."

There was a sound of exclamation below, and the jury was discussing.At this time, Haven returned to the judge's seat. He rang the alarm and said, "Silence! The defendant's defender will now respond to this lawsuit."

Big Charles saluted Haven, then turned to salute the jury.Then he said: "I will defend the four charges one by one, please listen carefully to the judge, jury and the plaintiff."

"First, murder. Since there were multiple witnesses present at the time, and the defendant confessed to it, I do not deny that it happened. However, the defendant's behavior has sufficient and justifiable reasons. According to the definition of "crime", this kind of behavior does not constitute murder. I will explain the specific content in detail later in the defense session." What he said was very appropriate, and the jury whispered because of it.

Haven realized that he had come prepared, and had prepared for a long time.Maybe from the moment he came to Bear Mountain, he was thinking about how to defend his brother, otherwise he couldn't do so well.

"Second, intimidation." Charles continued, "I collected the testimony of witnesses outside the court. After analyzing the testimony, I think this charge is not true. The plaintiff unilaterally believes that this behavior constitutes intimidation. In this case, it should be If it is defined as a negligent crime, it is only necessary to compensate the plaintiff for mental damage.”

very good.Haven wanted to see how much he had.

"Thirdly, bribery. I don't think the defendant had bribery at all. This article lacks basic physical evidence and multiple witnesses. In fact, the mayor of Mustang has passed away, and the judge..." He pondered for a while— —Maybe it was intentional, "I also took the blame and resigned, and left Mustang. The defendant himself did not admit to having bribery, so I deny this allegation."

"Finally, buy murder to kill. I think this charge is too far-fetched. Relying on guesswork with only isolated witnesses and no reasonable information, it is inconsistent to impose the responsibility for the bandit attack on the defendant. The behavior of the code." Charles bowed, "In summary, I think that although the defendant is guilty, he is not guilty of death. He should be convicted with reference to the code after a retrial. The above is my reply. "

After he finished speaking, Haiwen saw that many people in the elders' table showed approval and nodded unconsciously.The civilians, on the other hand, were talking a lot, their expressions were uncertain, and the overall atmosphere was very complicated.

I underestimated what great Charles was capable of.Haven thought to himself, he is obviously an excellent defender, he is familiar with the law code, his words are sharp, and he has the ability to open his eyes and tell lies.This kind of opponent is not easy to deal with.

From a personal emotional point of view, Haven didn't want to let little Charles go - this person almost killed him, and also caused Delair to be seriously injured, and the cat master who was paralyzed for a year.He also did all kinds of evil before, and he was a cancer in Mustang Town.From a moral point of view, he thinks this kind of person deserves to die.

But now he is the judge holding the code in his hand, and the code has the final say on everything.That being the case, he must abandon his personal feelings and traditional morality, and strictly implement the content of the code.Everyone is staring at him, forcing him to abide by "procedural justice."

Haiwen pondered for a while, and asked Charles the Great, "Defender, let me ask you, do you mean that the four charges are all invalid?"

"Exactly, Your Honor." Big Charles held his head up, looking straight into Haven's eyes.

Their eyes met each other.

Haven's verdict, III

Haven's verdict, III

Haiwan nodded lightly, "We will invite witnesses to give speeches, starting with the plaintiff. Miss Violet, Mr. Spike, which one of you will come first?"

Violet couldn't wait to shout: "I'm coming!"

Violet's face was covered with a veil, but her eyes were exposed.Haven could feel her anger in those eyes.Then Violet began to describe how little Charles killed the slave girl.She had obviously prepared her lines, and she spoke vividly and eloquently, making people unconvinced.After finishing speaking, many people in the trial seat applauded, and then shouted: "Murderer!" "Hang him!"

Haven had to ring the alarm bell again and say to the people: "Silence! Now let the next witness speak."

Then the smiling cat came forward, he saluted symbolically, and then said: "Master Hai Wen and I were once ambushed by bandits in the valley of Mustang Land, and those bandits told me that they were hired to kill people. The only person who had the motive and ability to hire robbers at the time was the suspect, Manto Charles. And he fled in fear of crime afterwards. That's all for the jury, Your Honor."

Haiwen nodded and asked, "Defendant, do you have any witnesses?"

"No," said Great Charles.

Haiwen said: "Then let's start the free debate session. In this session, the defenders of both sides, the plaintiff and the defendant can speak in turn, and the jury can also speak after applying. Do not interrupt the other party's speech, and do not defame, insult, or personally Attack." Hai Wen rang the alarm bell, "The next free debate stage begins!" After saying this, Hai Wen got off the stage and stood in the position of the plaintiff.

Charles the Great spoke first, and he said loudly: "Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Bear Mountain! Please allow me to introduce the defendant Manto Charles! This man was originally the son of the richest man in Mustang Town. He is good at giving and often donates Poor man. He treats people well, loves his brother and father, and although he uses tricks when doing business, he is undoubtedly a good man. At least, he is much better than those bullies!"

Nobody here knew Little Charles, so Big Charles could talk all kinds of shit.But what he said was not all false. After all, little Charles did do a few good deeds to maintain his glamorous image, and he respected his father and brother...you have the final say.

He wanted to win the sympathy of the jury, Haven thought.

Haven said: "I don't want to hear you lie, and we don't need to know who he is. He was good or bad in the past, it has nothing to do with what crime he committed and what punishment he deserved. Defender, I ask you , You said that he is not guilty of the four charges, how is this not true? The first murder defendant himself confessed, why is it not true?"

Big Charles laughed at this time, and he said loudly: "Because he killed no one!"

Haiwen was afraid that he would say this.

"He killed slaves!" Great Charles held up the code and said to the elders. "The code clearly stipulates that killing slaves is regarded as property infringement! So I think that the defendant only committed the crime of intentional property infringement. According to the law, he You need to pay five to ten times the fine. The slave belongs to Lord Haiwen, so the defendant should compensate him... three hundred gold coins."

Slaves have no human rights, this is clearly stated in the code.But in Haven's eyes, there is no difference between a free man and a slave. "That woman is a legal citizen, not a slave!" Haiwen said loudly. "The moment she became my slave, I gave her the status of a legal citizen. The code stipulates that the master has the right to pay the redemption tax. Let the slaves become free men!"

"But you didn't pay your taxes then."

"I'm Lord Bear Mountain, so I don't need to pay taxes."

"You were still the judge of Mustang Town, not the Lord of Bear Mountain." Big Charles looked at him and said, "You can't transfer the power to yesterday, can you?"

The damn code.Haiwen wished he could throw this old and heavy book into the brazier. The book was full of "cannibalism". This is the law of the nobility, not the law of the people.

In any case, I can't spare little Charles. He committed a crime and must be punished as he deserves.Code can forgive him, I will not forgive him!Haven realized that he could no longer borrow the power of the code, and now he needed to use a more emotional way to win the support of the tribunal. "I only saw Manto? Charles killed a woman by cutting her throat. The method was extremely cruel!" he said to Brother Charles. The warm blood splashed on my body is no different from my blood! Everyone here, you should think about it, should a life be subjected to such cruel torture? Even if she is a female slave!"

Suddenly the voice of the jury was on his side again, and the people chanted words like "capital crime" and "hanging", both inside and outside the courthouse.However, no one expressed their opinion at the elders' seat. Some people were flipping through the codex, and some were whispering.

Haven continued: "Even if I don't convict him of murder, he should be charged with crimes against humanity. Only cultists would kill a woman in this way! You want to whitewash such a sinner!"

However, Charles the Great remained immovable. He held up the code and said: "The code clearly stipulates that killing a slave is a violation of property! There is no mention of the form, place, and time of killing a slave. If this is the case, then all the terms related to murder are not It exists! This does not conform to the situation, it does not conform to the code!" He shook the book in his hand, and he made a handprint on the cover.

Haiwen was about to continue the debate with him, when someone rang the speech bell at the elders' table.Then Master Tang De'en raised his hand and said: "The elders' opinion, request to speak as a representative, please allow the judge."

Haven returned to the bench and said, "I give you permission to speak."

Master Tang Deen coughed dryly, and said: "The elders agree that what the defendant's defenders said is very reasonable." Turning around, he said to the people below:

"Kindness, kindness, sympathy, compassion, all of these are very important!" The old man said angrily, "But no matter how important it is, the law is more important! Justice in the Gulf region should be based on the code of law!" He said holding his hand Starting the Codex, the action was exactly the same as that of Great Charles.

Damn it, Haven thought.It's getting harder and harder.

Haven's verdict, IV

Haven's verdict, IV

The old man's voice was so loud that it seemed that the whole city of Bear Mountain could hear it.

"The sanctity of the 'Code' cannot be defiled!" He added an accent on the word "Code" and stretched it out. "Your morals are very important, but the law should be more important than all these! If the law is desecrated, then Our order, our kingdom, and even our beliefs will no longer exist! Your Honor, I know that you cannot tolerate the torture and killing of female slaves, but you cannot distort the law because of it."

Master Tang De'en's remarks failed to win the support of the common people, but no one sang against him.The people at the elder's seat supported him very much and applauded.

Why did Tang De'en contradict me?Haiwen froze for a moment, and then he remembered what Tang Deen said before.

"What matters is not the result, but the process, my lord."

What Tang Deen wants is procedural justice.

He represents the dignitaries of Xiongshan Mountain. These wealthy people don't care about the dead. They only care about whether the law is strict and whether the procedure is just. After all, the code is something that protects their interests and is their amulet.With the legitimacy endowed by the code, they can use power unscrupulously.

If this trial can prove that there is procedural justice in Bear Mountain, then the minor nobles and wealthy businessmen will support the earl's rule.

Did he think so?Haven couldn't be sure.But he couldn't think of any other motives for Tang Deen.

Tang De'en firmly grasped the righteousness of the code, and Haiwen couldn't think of any way to defend it for a while.But he knew that Tang Deen was only on the side of the code, and as long as Haiwen could get back the procedural justice of the code, Tang Deen would speak for him.

But how do I do it?

At this moment, he heard Violet behind him say: "My lord, I request to defend as the second plaintiff."

Violet?Haiwen was taken aback for a moment, and immediately said, "Please tell me."

Violet bowed to the judge, the trial seat, and the crowd, and then said: "There is no problem with what the defendant's defender said, and the speech of the representative of the elders' seat is also very reasonable. We can't trample on the law, everything must be done according to the law—presumably Everyone here will agree with this, right?"

There were sparse responses from the crowd, Charles the Great pondered for a while, and then said loudly: "Yes, we all obey the law!"

Violet nodded and said, "Well, the defender said that killing a slave is an infringement of property, and that's fine. But what I want to ask is, what if you didn't kill a slave?"

Big Charles looked at Violet with a suspicious look, and asked, "What does this mean?"

"I said she was not a slave, and the dead Alina was not a slave, or that the defendant killed not only a female slave." Violet took a deep breath and said loudly, "It was also a mother!"

The moment the word "mother" appeared, the entire courtroom erupted.The crowd erupted, with many shouting: "No one can kill a mother!" Others said: "He's murdering babies! It's against the law!"

Haiwen also burst into a cold sweat—in the laws of the Gulf, infants and children have a very important status, and correspondingly, the status of pregnant women is even more important.Abortion is illegal in the Gulf region. Even nobles who want to have an abortion have to go to temples, temples and other religious places to confess for three days and three nights before it can be carried out.And after that, the nobleman's reputation will be greatly hit.

Big Charles was startled, and he lost his previous composure. He shouted: "You have no evidence! Where are the witnesses and physical evidence? You can't spread rumors with red lips and white teeth. Who said that the slave was pregnant with a child? who?"

"She was five and a half months pregnant, and I have been by her side to take care of her." Violet said as she took off her veil, and she turned around to show everyone the brand of slavery on her face.This move caused commotion again, and Haiwen rang the alarm three times to control the scene.

Violet has always been ashamed of the scars on her face, and she doesn't even show them to me on weekdays. How could she reveal her scars in front of everyone?

I'm afraid there is only one reason.

She hated little Charles so much.

"I am the slave girl's companion!" She blushed and the muscles in her neck tensed, she said loudly, "I have been with her all the time, I have witnessed her..." Violet's chest was heaving, Shoulders are shaking.Please stop talking, Haven thought.

But she continued, speaking to everyone with the power to spit out her soul: "I witnessed how she was conceived."

This testimony was convincing, but it also tore Violet's dignity to pieces.After a short period of surprise, the people below began to move around, and then someone secretly laughed, and then more people laughed out loud, and finally turned into a roar of laughter.Hai Wen angrily rang the big bell, but to no avail.Someone pointed at Violet and yelled: "Bitch!" Another yelled: "Bed slave!" A vicious man said: "You were holding the master's dick, weren't you?" Her dignity was torn to shreds by these words, but she stood here with her eyes unwavering.

"Soldier! Take him out!" Haiwen yelled, "This man yelled at the court, interfered with the judicial process, and put him in jail!" Immediately the soldiers pulled the man away, and the man wailed and begged for mercy, but Haiwen turned a deaf ear to it .I'm going to kill him, Haiwen thought to himself, I don't care about the code of shit, I'm going to kill him!I am the lord of Bear Mountain, and I have this power.

Just when he was almost overwhelmed with rage, Violet continued: "Not only that, I took care of her life after she became pregnant. I watched her belly grow day by day. Although she was a slave, she also became a mother Qualifications! A pregnant mother had her throat cut, one dead body and two dead bodies! One dead body and two dead lives!" She almost yelled, "I'm a slave who doesn't understand the law, I want to know, what does such an act say in the code ?”

Big Charles' face was livid, and Little Charles lowered his head and sighed.And Tang Deen said at this moment: "Hanging!"

The people are boiling again, but this time the direction of public opinion is different. Those who slandered Violet before shouted "hanging" again.Haiwen is too lazy to control the situation at the moment—let the public opinion ferment, let the people go crazy, just hang him like this—the procedure is just, the morality is satisfied, the people are satisfied, and the nobles are satisfied, except for me, everyone is satisfied.

But Charles the Great was still not reconciled. He waved his arms and held up the code, and the pages and notes caught inside fell like snowflakes. "Slave's children are slaves too! He killed two slaves, just trespassing on property, trespassing on property!"

But Violet cried out in a higher and shriller voice than he: "No! The boy's father is not a slave! The boy is a free man too...he must be a free nobleman! Come to court, Knight Brown." !” She said, pointing to the crowd with her hand, then bowed to that side.

Then an inexplicable knight emerged from the crowd and went straight to the court.

At this moment, even the sun is silent.

Goosebumps all over Haiwen's body stood up.Violet, she is bound to take the life of little Charles, and she will never stop!

Haven's ruling, [-]

Haven's ruling, [-]

It was a disheveled knight.

The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a big dirty beard, a sore on his forehead, and small wet and sticky eyes.He wears faded leather armor, and only the rusty helmet on his head can symbolize his identity.

"Are you a knight?" Haven asked him.

"Couldn't I be a knight, my lord?" The man spread out his hands in a flirtatious pose like a mummer. "Look, I have a helmet."

Haven asked, "Where's your letter of appointment? Where is your manor?"

"Oh, wait." The man fumbled around in his crotch for a long time before taking out a crumpled parchment. Violet couldn't wait to grab the parchment and handed it to Haiwen.Haiwen looked at it, and it was indeed covered with the red stamp of the Lord of Bear Mountain, but there were dozens of property knights under his command, and he couldn't remember who this guy was.He took that thing to the servant in the backstage to verify, and soon the servant found a list, and Haiwen found that there was indeed such a number one person in Bear Mountain——Brown Doug, a property owner with only [-] acres of land Knights belong to the last rank of nobility.

"Brown? Doug?" Haven asked the man.

"Exactly, my lord. Ten years ago I found the count's pet dog, so he gave me the title of knight."

"Okay, Brown Knight, what are you here for today?"

"For..." he looked at Violet, "for what?"