CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 118: I’LL AT LEAST GIVE HIM A CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE_4

Just now, in the criminal trial phase, he had almost lost all hope. His crime of failing to report and misreporting a safety accident was practically confirmed. The prosecution had documented everything their property management company did in the days following the incident, accusing them of not reporting to the relevant authorities immediately, not taking prompt measures to secure the hazardous building, and certainly not evacuating the district’s residents right away. All these constituted the crime of failing to report and misreporting a safety accident. The circumstances were deemed particularly severe, warranting up to three years of imprisonment! That’s right. Even if he personally committed no wrongdoing, he could still face a three-year sentence! And the property management company itself would face administrative fines. As for the primary responsibility... the company executives had all turned into shrinking turtles, shifting all the blame onto him. And all of this, in his view, was Qing Lan’s and this group of homeowners’ fault! If they hadn’t called the police, things definitely wouldn’t have blown up this much!

"Qing Lan, I can’t stand it anymore! Can I curse him out now?"

"Qing Lan, step aside! This property manager is too shameless! I swear I’ll beat him until he has a stroke today!"

"Nowadays, even property management has learned to twist right and wrong! What good are those little favors you usually do? We pay protection fees every month; have you ever protected us when something actually happened?"

"Stop wasting your breath on him! I heard the law doesn’t punish the masses. Since there are so many of us, if we each give him a punch, we might just beat him to death!"

"That’s right! I heard if the cause of death can’t be determined, the ruling has to favor the assailants! Let’s get him!"

"..."

As they spoke, the crowd of over three hundred people surged forward a step, scaring Zhang Jiayi so much his face turned deathly pale. He kept backing away until he was behind the bailiffs, only then did he manage a sigh of relief. If hundreds of people actually beat him... he might not die, but he’d surely be crippled.

「...」

Meanwhile, in the deliberation area behind the courtroom, the five-person collegial panel, including the presiding judge, was reviewing the defense statements and litigation materials submitted by Qing Lan and the other homeowners. According to regulations, adjudicating cases required the formation of a collegial panel with no fewer than three members, typically consisting of one judge—the Judgment Chief—and two adjudicators. This particular case, however, was so extensive that two additional jurors had been appointed. The number of members in a collegial panel is always odd, and decisions are made by majority vote. It could be three, five, or seven people. Therefore, each member’s direct understanding of the case would significantly influence the final judgment.

"This case is rather complex. The compensation amount exceeds two billion yuan; we must be cautious with our ruling."

"But I’ve just reviewed the homeowners’ litigation materials and defense statements. They all seem reasonable, with no exaggerated claims for compensation. Logically, all these litigation requests could be granted."

"Three hundred and fifty-nine households are homeless. It’s indeed quite pitiful."

"However, we also need to consider the respective responsibilities of Ouyang Qian and the construction firm. How should we apportion the liability?"

"Good point. Although Ouyang Qian was the instigator, the construction firm couldn’t possibly have been ignorant of the fact that load-bearing walls cannot be demolished. Yet, they still committed such a criminal act. The circumstances are egregious..."

"..."

After half an hour of rigorous discussion, the collegial panel finally voted on the apportionment of responsibility between Ouyang Qian and the construction firm. The minority conceded to the majority. Ultimately, it was determined that Ouyang Qian bore sixty percent of the responsibility, and the construction firm forty percent. This aspect of responsibility was actually quite challenging to determine; they could only assign blame based on the degree of fault of each party.

Subsequently, the collegial panel returned to the courtroom and resumed the trial. The civil litigation demands of the assembly were subjected to a concentrated inquiry.

"Currently, the housing price in Yuefu Jiangnan District is 50,000 yuan per square meter. Do either the plaintiff or the defendant have any objection to this?" the Judgment Chief asked.

"The average hourly wage in Zizhou is 23 yuan. Based on this, the number of days each homeowner and their family’s income was affected by this incident is calculated as seven days. Do either the plaintiff or the defendant have any objections to this?" the Judgment Chief inquired.

"According to the national standards for compensation for emotional distress..." the Judgment Chief stated.

In the courtroom, the Judgment Chief consulted both parties uniformly, asking over a dozen questions. The main issue, of course, pertained to civil compensation. In response, the defense lawyer for the defendants presented numerous counterarguments, requesting a reduction in the compensation standards. For instance, he argued that since most of the affected individuals had low wages or were unemployed, the claim for lost wages was excessively high. He also pointed out that housing prices in Yuefu Jiangnan District fluctuated on the market and had recently shown a downward trend, among other things.

After three hours of litigation and defense, and following the conclusion of the final statements, the Judgment Chief, leading the entire collegial panel, stood up and declared, "The Zizhou First Criminal Trial Court has now concluded the trial concerning the prosecution by the Procuratorate against Ouyang Qian, Zhang Jiayi, and others for the demolition of load-bearing walls."

"As this case involves an accompanying civil lawsuit, the judgment for that portion will be announced in three days," the Judgment Chief continued. He then declared the criminal verdict: "Defendant Ouyang Qian, in order to expand her living room area, demolished a load-bearing wall in her home during renovations this month. This action caused significant cracks to appear in Yuefu Jiangnan District Building 7, rendering it a hazardous structure."

"Her criminal actions are clearly established, the evidence is sufficient, and the defendant has confessed to her actions. Accordingly, under Article 114 of the Criminal Law, Ouyang Qian is found guilty of endangering public safety by dangerous means."

"The circumstances are especially severe, and the consequences are irreparable. She is sentenced to twelve years in prison and fined one million yuan," the Judgment Chief proclaimed.

As the words fell, Ouyang Qian looked as if the life had been drained out of her, utterly devastated.

In the spectator gallery, Chu Quan, who had been observing the proceedings, silently rose and left the courtroom without a backward glance.

"Zhang Jiayi, the relevant manager of the Yuefu Jiangnan District property management, demonstrated gross dereliction of duty in this incident by failing to report to the relevant departments in a timely manner to mitigate losses and ensure resident safety," the Judgment Chief announced.

"This court finds that the property management failed to take any responsive measures after the accident occurred, thereby committing the crime of failing to report or misreporting a safety accident. The circumstances are severe, the criminal facts are clear, and the evidence is sufficient," the Judgment Chief stated.

"Zhang Jiayi is hereby sentenced according to law for the crime of failing to report or misreporting a safety accident to three years in prison," the Judgment Chief ruled.

In the defendant’s dock, Zhang Jiayi’s face was a mask of disbelief. He shook his head frantically, utterly unwilling to accept the verdict.

"The construction team under the Qiuming Decoration Company, during the renovation process, knowingly violated the law by illegally demolishing a load-bearing wall, leading to severe consequences," the Judgment Chief remarked.

"The criminal facts are clear, the evidence is sufficient, and they have violated laws concerning major safety accidents."

"The responsible parties are hereby sentenced..."

One after another, the criminal verdicts were delivered. Not a single person who deserved punishment was overlooked.

In the plaintiff’s gallery, Qing Lan and the other homeowners clenched their fists as they listened to the verdicts. They let out a collective, fierce sigh, finally venting their pent-up frustration. Heaven knows how they had endured these past few days. Every day, they saw the cracked Yuefu Jiangnan District Building 7, forced to live in nearby guesthouses or hotels. Their numerous complaints had gone unanswered. The owner of Unit 401 and the property management had simply refused to take responsibility. Fortunately, Qing Lan had found someone knowledgeable in the law to guide them in asserting their rights.

"Now, we just wait for the judgment on the civil lawsuit." Qing Lan took a deep breath, her heart pounding with anticipation.

This was her first time... successfully fighting for her rights. The joy and excitement she felt were beyond words.