Chapter 312: The presiding judge has absolute interpretive authority, huh? Xiao Li calls in help!
After the hearing ended, Su Bai's communication with Presiding Judge Shen Yao had amounted to a negative exchange.
Why put it that way?
Because Su Bai had stressed the rules of legal proceedings to Shen Yao.
But as the presiding judge, she had refused to engage at all.
Her attitude was that what she said made sense, she had absolute judicial authority, and he had to listen to her.
In court, criminal lawyers were actually the weaker party.
The same went for public prosecutors.
Even as one of the nation's top criminal lawyers, with enormous influence in terms of reputation and public opinion, Su Bai...
Still could not outweigh a single remark from the presiding judge in court.
That was because the presiding judge had absolute judicial authority on the judges' bench.
There was another point: why did wrongful convictions or enormous blunders occur in criminal cases?
Because under certain circumstances, the presiding judge could decide whether to admit your evidence.
If the judge refused to admit it, then even if it was correct evidence favorable to your side, the presiding judge could provide a reasonable explanation.
Otherwise, how would that famous saying have come about-"The authority to interpret the law rests with me. Can't I interpret it however I want?"
Put plainly, during a trial, the presiding judge could do many things within the scope of statutory authority that left one side at a "disadvantage."
Why were offenses such as picking quarrels and provoking trouble called catch-all offenses?
Because if the presiding judge said you were picking quarrels and provoking trouble, then you were picking quarrels and provoking trouble.
And in cases involving picking quarrels and provoking trouble, the presiding judge generally would not