Chapter 543 First Trial (3) Defense
In the courtroom, Cecilia couldn't take her eyes off Alaric.
They brought Alaric to his spot.
He lifted his head a bit and saw Cecilia.
Their eyes locked. Cecilia's eyes were a bit red, but Alaric managed a smile, looking calm and collected.
Did he get what was happening? How could he still smile?
Seraphina glanced at Alaric and sighed. "Alaric's lost so much weight. He's almost a different person."
Cecilia swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Prison life must be rough on him," Seraphina murmured. "It's a shame about his perfect muscles. Even as an outsider, I think it's such a waste."
Seraphina always had a unique perspective.
"But still, even after all that weight loss, he's still so handsome," she went on. "I used to think Alaric was a playboy, always had that bad boy vibe. But somewhere along the line, he got more reserved and steady, and his looks took on this noble quality."
Cecilia couldn't figure out why Seraphina used such odd descriptions.
But she had to admit, they fit pretty well.
She used to think, like Seraphina, that Alaric's handsomeness had a roguish charm.
Now, the vibe Alaric gave off was totally different from his reputation.
He really did seem noble.
Cecilia was at a loss for words.
The heavy atmosphere was suddenly thrown off by Seraphina.
Cecilia's eyes stayed glued to Alaric. Despite everything, he didn't show any fear and was even trying to comfort her. The more he acted like this, the more it tore Cecilia up inside.
She was really worried Alaric was just putting on a brave face.
They just stared at each other in silence.
Members of the Whitaker family started showing up, including Caspian, Arabella, Christopher, and Jasper.
The Whitaker family had been following the case closely and kept in touch with Cecilia.
But since Cecilia hadn't shared much, they were visibly more anxious now.
The court session kicked off at nine in the morning.
In the courtroom, the Court Clerk started announcing the order of the proceedings.
After explaining, he called out, "All rise!"
Everyone in the room got up from their seats.
The judge walked in. "Please be seated."
Everyone sat back down.
Judge Gavin Davis took his seat in the center and said, "The Serenovia City District Court is now in session. Today, we will publicly hear the first trial of Alaric on charges of embezzlement and rape resulting in death. The court is now in session."
The courtroom went silent.
The prosecutor, Felix Murphy, stood up and said, "The suspect, Alaric, was reported to have accepted bribes while using his position at the Harborvale State Office. Through a special investigation by the prosecution department, $52.45 million in cash was found at Alaric's home. Additionally, the financial statements of the projects Alaric was responsible for at the Harborvale State Office were checked, and the embezzled amount roughly matched this sum."
He continued, "Furthermore, on December 24th of this year, a female corpse was found floating in the river of Serenovia City. Upon identification, the body was confirmed to be Juliana. The autopsy revealed that Juliana had engaged in sexual activity before her death. Investigations disclosed that Juliana was last seen in public with Alaric, and the forensic report indicated that the time of Juliana's death coincided with when she was with Alaric. Therefore, the prosecution department concluded that Juliana's death was caused by Alaric. The prosecution department provided multiple video evidences proving the overly intimate relationship between the two."
"Based on all this, we accuse Alaric of embezzlement and rape. The defendant will now make a legal defense for his criminal acts!" Felix finished and went back to his seat.
Cecilia's eyes stayed glued to Alaric.
Even though Alaric looked weak, he still held himself with pride, not like someone on trial.
"Defense attorney, please present your defense for the suspect," Gavin said.
Preston, the defense attorney, stood up.
He calmly organized his papers and then said to Gavin, "I plead not guilty for Alaric!"
His voice was loud and clear.
The courtroom buzzed with whispers.
Some people in the audience even laughed, probably thinking it was a joke.
After all, the evidence seemed pretty solid. How could Alaric plead not guilty?
"Order!" Gavin's face darkened.
The room went silent.
Preston said, "Alaric did not embezzle during his time at the Harborvale State Office. The so-called evidence is all fabricated. First, the prosecution claims he accepted over $50 million in bribes. This alone defies logic. With his assets, he wouldn't care about $50 million. I have a statement of his assets here. The Whitaker family, being the top of the four major families in Serenovia City, has wealth amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars. In the face of hundreds of billions, what is $50 million? Would he commit embezzlement for such a small amount?"
"Secondly, this is his usual spending pattern. After joining the State Office, Alaric clearly restrained himself because he was focused on his work and was already married, leading to fewer extravagant expenses. But compared to before his marriage, his spending records show that he occasionally spent over $50 million in a month. For example, Alaric could easily spend $30 million at an auction to give someone a gift. Would he commit embezzlement for just over $50 million?" Preston spoke righteously.
Seraphina, standing beside Cecilia, couldn't help but laugh, "Cecilia, you must be the one who got that $30 million gift!"
Cecilia pressed her lips together.
The blue sapphire from that charity auction was a gift from Alaric. Suddenly, she realized that Alaric's feelings for her had been quite obvious for a long time.
Preston paused for a moment and then said, "Besides, the prosecution accuses Alaric of raping Juliana. This is truly absurd! Everyone in Serenovia City knows how popular he is with women. Any woman would be enthusiastic and proactive towards him. With his wealth and looks, would he need to commit rape?"
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