Chapter 699: Chapter 699 Playing House_1
The court adjourned for an hour, and amidst the chaos, they barely wolfed down a few bites of their lunch.
As the time to resume the court session approached, Alexander Summers gave them a clue: on the afternoon of July 30th, Charlotte Bishop’s bank account received a deposit of eight hundred yuan.
A deposit meant there was business.
Unfortunately, this money was not directly transferred to Charlotte Bishop by a client but came through the nightclub’s general account after a certain percentage was taken as a commission.
The hacker managed to retrieve the transaction history of the nightclub’s account, but to pinpoint which customer made the eight hundred yuan payment to Charlotte Bishop would require more time for simulation and calculation.
Alexander said, “Is it possible to apply for an adjournment? If we had half an hour more, we should be able to figure out where she actually went that day.”
“They probably won’t give us that opportunity,” Purple Summers remarked, glancing at the time before continuing placidly, “Don’t worry, this piece of evidence is enough.”
When the court reconvened, the judge, seeing the injury on Marcel Jefferson’s face, furrowed her brow and asked, “Do you need to go to the hospital? Mr. Jefferson, you may apply for an adjournment of the trial.”
Mr. Johnson immediately stood up, “Your Honor, the facts are now very clear, and I don’t think we should waste the jury’s time. Since the opposing lawyer is unwell, why not proceed with the verdict directly?”
The judge turned to Marcel Jefferson, “Mr. Jefferson, what’s your opinion?”
Marcel Jefferson, cupping his injured half of the lip, looked down at Purple Summers beside him and said, “Your Honor, I would like to apply… for my assistant to replace me in speaking, hiss…”
As he spoke, the act of slightly parting his lips tugged at the wound, causing fresh beads of blood to seep out from the corner of his mouth, prompting the female judge to frown deeply.
“Very well,” said the judge as she struck the gavel, her brow furrowed, “Considering the special circumstances of the plaintiff’s lawyer, this court grants permission for the paralegal to speak on his behalf. Does the defense lawyer have any objections?”
“Of course not, we have no objections,” Mr. Johnson said with a smile, glancing at Marcel Jefferson, “I am very grateful for Mr. Jefferson’s consideration. As you know, my client is very busy, and rescheduling would only cause further delays.”
Marcel Jefferson gave a faint smile, still cupping his wound, and sat down without saying another word.
To everyone present, Marcel Jefferson allowing his assistant to stand in for him suggested an admission of defeat.
Even if they lost the case, he could use the paralegal’s poor performance as an excuse to save face and avoid complete embarrassment.
At that moment, Purple Summers stood up.
Everyone was taken aback.
Subconsciously, everyone had assumed it would be another one of Marcel Jefferson’s paralegals: the young man in his twenties who had been seen before.
But instead, it was a young woman?
What was Marcel Jefferson thinking? Had he decided to throw in the towel?
“Your Honor, given that there are inconsistencies in our witness’s testimony, I would like to cross-examine her again,” Purple Summers said.
She appeared youthful and cute, yet affected a calm and experienced demeanor, speaking with all the seriousness and gravity of a seasoned professional, which caused Mr. Johnson and Leon Brown to chuckle, as if they were watching children play house.
Somewhat influenced by the laughter, some people in the spectator seats also began to snicker.
The female judge, expressionless, struck her gavel sharply and spoke in a sharp and cutting tone, “Those who find this amusing must be in the wrong place and would be better served at the circus, where they can laugh all day long!”
Mr. Johnson awkwardly reined in his mirth, shooting a look at Leon Brown beside him, prompting them both to become more composed.
“Should anyone else laugh, they will be arrested for contempt of court,” the judge warned sternly as she scanned the courtroom, “Now, let’s have the plaintiff’s witness Charlotte Bishop take the stand again.”
Charlotte Bishop took the stand to speak once more.