Lawless Lawyer 3.4 The Third Trial: The Murder of The Mayor

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THE THIRD TRIAL THE MURDER  OF  THE MAYOR

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CLOUDED JUDGEMENT

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Ha Jae Yi's investigation into the Mayor's murder was in full swing. She had appeared with Wu Hyeong Man’s sickly wife at Kang’s games arcade. Like Bong Sang Pil, Ha Jae Yi’s tenacity had to be applauded.    Seated in her wheelchair and with her nursing assistant in tow,  Wu's overwrought wife confessed that it was her own idea to pay him a visit. Kang was utterly shocked by their presence.

📷 Her intention was to persuade him to change his false witness statement which was injurious to her husband. His current statement was perjury and liable to be charged in court if proven guilty.  But, that was not the point of her visit. She was to be blamed for her husband’s behaviour. She pleaded with Kang to tell the truth.  The woman fell on her knees pleading pitifully to him. Kang’s conscience was shaken and his heart softened. 

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Ha Jae Yi couldn’t help but feel a little sad when she confronted Kang about his vengeful feelings towards Detective Wu Hyeong Man.  Did he harbour a grudge so great that it had clouded his judgement?  Had he been blinded by his anger and ego?  Did he feel like a murderer?  He was not unmoved; in fact, he was worried and guilty about framing Detective Wu. She had nailed it. 

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RELEASE FROM PRISON

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The day had arrived. The gang of fun-loving thugs had been released. The high-spirited Bong Sang Pil, with an effort at drama, walked to the guard’s windows to tease the prison officer.  Placing his hand on the window sill, he mischievously thanked him. What did the guard even do to deserve his thanks?

📷 Most prisoners would have scurried guiltily away. The officer told them to scoot off and never to return.  Jokingly, Bong declared that it was a good sign; the officer was handing out his many blessings to them so the whole gang obediently took the cue; they either saluted the officer or bowed to him.

📷 📷 📷 Even though Bong couldn’t persuade Director Oh to impart more information, he did not leave empty-handed.

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Suddenly, there was a screech of tyres. Ha Jae Yi had arrived to welcome her boss and his gang back to the real world. The boss was quick to point out that she wasn’t at the office. She snorted that it was too early but, anyway, he couldn’t afford to pay her for overtime work. 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong Sang Pil was hungry and wondered if she had brought him his favourite food, tofu.  How could she be expected to be so extravagant as to give treats to her boss? She had just started working at his office.

📷 📷 📷 📷 But, she did bring them to eat Jajangmyeon, a black Korean-Chinese noodle dish, at the beach.  Tae Kwang Soo was ever so grateful. The food was heavenly compared to prison food.

📷 📷 But, the Boss was cheeky and picky; he seemed to be a finicky eater. There was a hint of whine in his voice. He wasn’t grateful to his Office Manager for treating them to the delicious meal. He wanted tofu and so, it had to be tofu. What grated on her nerves was he was being ill-mannered.  ‘I’m only eating this so as not to appear rude. It meant that he was forcing himself to eat the meal; he would have to stuff down his breakfast. Never underestimate the tolerance of Office Managers. In her fury, she pushed his head into the bowl of black noodles.  And when he looked up, his face was black all over. 

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 All his underlings were shocked but they instantly knew what they had to do. They did not want their boss to suffer humiliation alone.  They too forced their faces into their bowls to blacken their faces. All for one and one for all. Brotherhood. Bong Sang Pil couldn’t suppress his laughter and everybody thought that it was good joke.  The gang also had fun playing their own games on the beach.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Ha Jae Yi conveyed the good news that Kang was willing to testify for Wu Hyung Man.  Since Wu had a alibi, his wife knew that he was innocent and would soon be discharged.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 The suspended lawyer was warned that the scariest moment of their job had just started. ‘Losing a case after defending an innocent person is way scarier than losing a case after defending a guilty man.’ That was why they had to win the case but with the law.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 The playful goons felt that their boss should also have some fun so, they carried Bong and threw him into the sea.

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THE  FIRED-UP DEFENSE LAWYER

With new information and a witness who would provide an alibi for the defendent, Bong Sang Pil was now all fired up. He had expected that his client would be as enthusiastic as him. However, he did not know what was waiting for him on the next visit.

📷 As soon as he took his documents from his briefcase, Wu Hyeong Man suddenly got up and gave him a sucker punch.  But the handsome Bong had taken the punch well. It did not destabilise him; he was still in one piece. He licked his lips and wondered why he was at the receiving end of the prisoner’s anger. While they were in jail together, they were so pally, so what had happened?

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Wu accused Bong of playing games with him. He had seen Director Oh being beaten up. He, Wu Hyeong Man, had also been beaten up previously. Wu knew that they were not random attacks but were planned by Bong. He had contacts with the other prisoners.  The attacks formed part of Bong’s strategy to get what he wanted. Those were the tricks of the trade and they came in handy to achieve his goals and he was not ashamed of them.

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Although Wu had rebuffed Bong’s offer to help him, Bong managed to get rid of Go In Doo and successfully became Wu’s Defence Counsel. Bong reassured him yet again that he would get him out and Wu would be exonerated from the murder charge.

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Wu rose to hit the younger man again but what he did not know was Bong was a martial artist and a real fighter.  Bong’s eyes were like hard and cold as he stared at the man he had striven so hard to save.

📷 📷 📷 Bong had grabbed Wu's hand earlier in the altercation. He stood up to have a tighter grip on the man’s hand. It seemed as if they were grappling with one hand. Wu was weaker and felt quite humiliated. Bong’s eyes seemed wild. He had been helping the detective but the self-centred man seemed to be ignorant of it all.

📷 📷 📷 📷 He smirked, asking, ‘Do you want me to kill you right now? Bong’s eyes were like two round orbs as he stared at Wu. ‘Your life belongs to me now’  His smirk swiftly changed to a grim grimace; he gave a powerful push and Wu fell to the floor

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Then, Bong changed tactics. He tried to reason out with the other man. He let go a bombshell. Ahn Oh Ju was not the only one who wanted him in prison. He was but a puppet. There was a more powerful puppeteer who was controlling him. Cha Moon Sook.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 It was strange that Ha Jae Yi was always meeting up wih Judge Cha.

Judge Cha Moon Sook was curious about Bong Sang Pil. Was she trying to dig out some news about him? Ha Jae Yi informed her that he had been released that day and she had spent some time with him.

📷 Judge Cha felt that Bong did not regret his actions. She didn’t know what he was up to. She warned the younger woman not to be so trusting; she had to be careful of manipulative people who were trying to take advantage of her trusting nature.

📷 📷 📷 📷 Chairman Ahn Oh Ju phoned to inform her that Kang would be the witness who would testify for Wu Hyeong Man.  The witness was going to recant his previous testimony and would provide an alibi for the accused. He suggested killing the witness. Judge Cha was confident of being able to handle the case. Ahn Oh Ju didn’t have to take such drastic measures.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong Sang Pil held Wu Hyeong Man close to him, whispering with deadly seriousness into his ears that Judge Cha would not hesitate to use the law in court to kill whoever she wanted. They called it ‘Murder by Law’.  That was the real nature and character of Cha Moon Sook. 

📷 📷 📷 Bong Sang Pil stressed that Judge Cha Moon Sook was hell-bent on making sure that Wu would never leave the prison. Wu was just a pawn in her law trials.  Wu was frightened out of his wits.

📷 Then Bong pulled the helpless and hapless man up and seated him on the chair. He laid one hand on the man’s shoulders and shook him. Standing, Bong jabbed his forefinger at Wu to emphasize his point, ‘We’re fighting the judge in this trial, not the prosecutor!’ Looking quite incredulous and nervous, the accused asked whether Bong was fooling with him. It was a strange idea that the judge was such a frightening, double-faced figure.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 By then, Bong Sang Pil had calmed down considerably, his adrenaline had settled down. Having taken his seat, he drove home the point that the person who controlled the verdict was the lawyer, not the judge.  On top of that, he emphasized, staring confidently into Wu’s eyes, that he was the only lawyer who was crazy enough to want to win the trial for him.  Bong would come out of the trial triumphant and it was no idle boast.

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THE AMUSEMENT ARCADE 

A few of Bong Sang Pil’s army of thugs were entertaining themselves in Kang’s games arcade. But, Tae Kwang Soo and Geum Gang were busy checking the video footage of the front surveillance camera of the shop. Later, they checked the one at the back of the shop. What were they searching for?

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Kang suddenly became annoyed with one customer who seemed to be a spy.  He was again filming the customers; it was an invasion of the customers' privacy. The wayward man ought to have been sent to the police for questioning.

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The lawless team were curious about the man's store of video clips.  Lucky them. One clip showed the scuffle between Wu Hyeong Man and Kang on the night of the murder of the Mayor of Ki Seong.  It was a piece of video evidence, a clear alibi for Wu Hyeong Man. They were deliriously happy with their God-send discovery.

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THE DAY OF THE TRIAL

📷 On the morning of the third day of the trial of the murder of Mayor Lee Young Su, Bong Sang Pil and Ha Jae Yi crossed paths with Ahn Oh Ju at the courthouse lobby.  Bong glared at the gangster boss.

📷 📷 📷 📷 Ahn Oh Ju had personally appeared in court; he seemed to be have a vested interest in the proceedings.

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THE THIRD TRIAL

THE MURDER  OF  THE MAYOR Bong Sang Pil posed Wu Hyeong Man the question, ‘Why did Ahn Oh Ju cast you in the leading role as the murderer of Mayor Lee Young Su?’  Wu obviously was blurry about the whole affair. 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong couldn’t figure it out for a long time but now, he finally learnt the truth. His stay in the prison was not without its advantage.

📷 📷 📷 📷 Leaning his head on one hand, he turned to look at Wu, saying, 'Ahn Oh Ju is trying to clear his name before he runs for Mayor.' The former detective, Wu Hyeong Man, had worked for Ahn Oh Ju in the fish market area for 20 years so he knew all his secrets.  The awful truth that the corporate gangster was trying to get rid of him was beginning to dawn on Wu.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong believed that the ones with a lot to lose were usually cowards.

📷 📷 When Judge Cha entered the courtroom, everyone rose.

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Bong Sang Pil cross-examined the defense witness, Kang.  Kang was requested to confirm that on the night the Mayor died, he was with Detective Wu Hyeong Man at his amusement arcade. He confirmed that he was with the detective.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Although his alibi was established, the evidence was not solid enough to prove his innocence. The Prosecutor was certainly going to tear the witness's testimony to pieces.  Kang Yeon Hee lost no time in tarnishing Bong Sang Pil’s reputation as a lawyer as well as Kang's integrity as a witness. ‘Were you threatened by the Defense Lawyer, Bong Sang Pil?’  ‘Were you compensated for giving the testimony?’

📷 📷 📷 📷 It was character defamation. She was tarnishing the reputation of the Witness and the Defense Counsel.  Naturally, Bong protested to the judge and Judge Cha warned the Prosecutor to be careful with her line of questioning.

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Next, she presented as evidence to the court the Witness Statement which Kang had previously made. Kang, as a witness in the previous trial, had made a statement that he was not with Wu Hyeong Man on the night of the murder.  📷 📷 📷 📷 So, why was Kang contradicting his previous statement?  Kang confessed that he had lied then but that he was presently telling the truth. He confirmed that he was actually with Wu Hyeong Man on that particular night. Judge Cha laughed scornfully at him. How would the court be able to trust  someone who had given a false testimony previously?

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong Sang Pil’s next course of action took many of them by surprise.  They had not expected him to be so well prepared. He was going to present his evidence - photographs and video recording.

📷 The Prosecutor protested that the video evidence had not been reviewed before the trial. Prosecutor Kang wanted to move the court to exclude the evidence. Bong explained that he was only able to convince the witness to right the wrong only the previous night. And, he was only able to find the video footage just 30 minutes before the trial.

📷 📷 📷 📷 Bong Sang Pil urged the judge to watch the video footage as he deemed it relevant to the trial.  Judge Cha agreed to accept the description of the contents but she would not play the video right there and then. Several photos of the scuffle between Kang and Wu Hyeong Man on that particular night were tendered as evidence to the court. The photograph and video evidence was adduced to explain the incident. 

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 Judge Cha declared that she would decide whether the evidence was admissable only after she had examined the contents of the video footage. Bong smiled in satisfaction because he knew the conclusion that would be arrived at. To him, the video evidence would be effective in proving his case.

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 ' SPIRITING THE MURDERER AWAY Ahn Oh Ju had understood the drift of the arguments during the trial.  Although he was confident that Judge Cha would decide in favour of the Prosecution, he had to take due precautions.  Was he really sure that the video evidence would be rejected? 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷

Perhaps, there was a niggling doubt in the dim recesses of Ahn Oh Ju's  mind; the criminal boss wasn't sure anymore. The tide might have turned.  He had to get rid of the Mayor's real murderer.  He gave instructions to his secretary to spirit the man away.

📷 Geum Gang and his creative gang were up to something. They had taken on the role of cleaners of the courthouse.

📷 Geum Gang had stealthily placed a small GPS tracking device on the suit jacket of Ahn Oh Ju’s secretary. Something interesting was going on.

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