Dear Lawyer | Jikook ff

40 - Manson Case (ii)

"My client is no guilty." Jimin's tone was featherlight and exceedingly calm, as though he was touching on something that was practically a sure fact. There wasn't the slightest sign of him 'shaking too visibly'.

From his behaviour to his tone to the contents of what he said, the state of affairs vastly differed from what Prosecutor Bard envisioned, so much such that his 'polite, near perfect' smile had at once solidified on his face.

Two seconds later, in the gallery, Brewer Manson gradually pulled his senses back together.

His assistant spoke what was also on his mind. "What the heck is this intern up to?"

This didn't mean to say that the statement "my client is not guilty" held great sway. It wasn't as if the outcome would change with an empathic mention of this point. Only, the proverbial safe defence play was right there for the picking, yet this intern chose not to use it, deliberately choosing to stir up trouble; and it was this that went contrary to all expectations.

However, his assistant soon let out a joyous laugh. He furtively pointed to the front rows, telling Brewer Manson, "Now I really believe that Mr. Jeon didn't meddle in the case. Boss, look..."

Brewer Manson's gaze followed where he pointed towards, to see Jungkook pressing his fingers to his temple after the intern made his opening statement.

From their angle, they could only see the back of Jungkook's head and weren't able to see his expression. But naturally, with Jungkook's personality, even if they couldn't see his expression, the action of him massaging his temples fully exposed his resignation.

"That intern seems to be a headache for him," his assistant said, "I suspect... that he might not approve of the intern's way of handling things, either."

Brewer Manson let out a nasal grunt. When his gaze once again turned to the defence table, it was with a hint of disbelief and hunger to watch a good show.

In a sense, Jungkook's reaction had just about put them at ease.

After making that statement, Jimin didn't mention anything else, tipping his head at the judge and taking his seat.

In fact, there was a reason why he had made such an opening statement.

The previous case involving Joshua Dale was set in the unique backdrop of Wine City. From the judge to the police, and even to the jury, there was a bit of a bias and the ass was already crooked from the outset. No matter how it was made, the opening statement would reflect intense antagonism, which would be detrimental to their case. Therefore, Jungkook's method was the most appropriate.

But it was different this time. Linen was much more upright than Wine City. Those who sat on the side of the law were more open-minded; the jury and judge were relatively impartial. However, this also meant that they were more easily convinced by evidence, and this was precisely where Chen Zhang lost out. If the prosecution was an adept hand at controlling the psychology of the jury, he would surely dump Chen Zhang's confessions straight out from the very beginning.

It was this item that would most easily trigger an attitudinal bias. Once released, the jury would immediately stand against Chen Zhang and have the preconceived notion that he was guilty. Each subsequent rebuttal would be a tug-of-war. A victory for Bard pulled them further towards a guilty verdict, whereas a victory for Jimin pulled them back a little.

But, needless to say, the road to pull them back was much longer.

Now, Jimin's matter-of-fact opening statement achieved a similar effect. It gave the jury a preconceived skepticism that would only grow stronger the briefer the statement. That way, when Bard later whipped the evidence out, at least the jury would hesitate for a moment before taking sides.