Zou Min raised an eyebrow.
Zeng Keqin swallowed and continued: "I'd prefer to say: Law is the bottom line of morality, but morality cannot become a substitute for law. Otherwise, we might use the reason 'this person is immoral' to justify procedural violations."
Zou Min's expression remained neutral as she scribbled a few words in her notebook.
"Second question: regarding the exclusionary rule for illegally obtained evidence. How do you view its practical difficulties? The middle person begins."
The girl in the center cleared her throat: "I think the biggest practical difficulty lies in the unclear threshold for initiating review. After the defense provides clues about illegal evidence collection, the courts have varying standards for assessing those clues..."
The boy on the left added: "Let me add one more point: even if the substantive review is conducted, there are issues with the allocation of the burden of proof..."
Zou Min looked at Zeng Keqin.
She sat up straight, but her eyes fell on the nameplate, avoiding eye contact: "I believe in many judicial officers' minds, excluding illegally obtained evidence means letting the guilty off the hook. So they try every means to avoid exclusion, such as treating confessions obtained through torture as 'repeated confessions' and not excluding them."
"To change this mindset, judicial interpretations alone are not enough. Legal professionals must insist on procedural justice in every case, even if the cost is letting a guilty person go free. Only then can law enforcement truly understand—procedural violations have consequences."
Zhao Manrong looked up at her, a smile curving at the corner of her mouth.
"Third question: starting with you this time."
Zou Min said, "Suppose you're already a trainee lawyer at Bai Run'er. Your client is charged with intentional injury. The case file contains a key eyewitness statement directly identifying your client as the perpetrator. But during private communication with the witness, you discover that the witness's memory of the night in question is actually very vague. What he said in the statement, 'I clearly saw the perpetrator's face,' formed after multiple hints from the police. What would you do?"
The other two candidates looked at Zeng Keqin involuntarily.
Zeng Keqin pressed her lips together, her heart pounding. After two seconds of silence, she spoke: "First, I would apply to the court to obtain the full audio and video recordings of the witness's interrogation. According to Article 123 of the Criminal Procedure Law, interrogations of witnesses in major cases should be recorded. If the police did not record, or the recording is incomplete, that itself is a procedural flaw and can be used as a breakthrough to challenge the credibility of the testimony."
"Second, I would carefully compare contradictions in multiple statements from the witness, conducting cross-examination to see if their uncertainty is exposed. If the witness's details are inconsistent, the panel would naturally become suspicious."
"Finally, I would apply to the court to obtain public surveillance footage from the crime scene area. I would explain the situation to the court in writing. Regardless of the outcome, it would help clarify the facts of the case."
Zhao Manrong suddenly interjected: "What if the court rejects your application?"
The question was addressed to everyone.
The girl in the middle hesitated and said softly: "I would... apply again?"
The boy on the left looked troubled: "Maybe I would raise it on appeal..."
After a moment of hesitation, drawing on years of analyzing cases, Zeng Keqin said: "During the court debate, I would use the rejection of the application as one of the grounds for appeal. Even if the trial court convicts, I want to leave a complete record of objection for the appellate review. This is not only the client's right but also my duty as a defense lawyer."
Zhao Manrong lifted the corner of her mouth slightly and didn't press further.
Zhuang Zhengyuan listened quietly to everyone's answers, then took off his glasses and announced: "The interview is over."
Zou Min closed the folder in front of her: "Wait for our notice. Results will be out within a week."
The three stood up, bowed, and left the meeting room.
In the corridor, the girl who had interviewed together lowered her voice: "Your answers were amazing, especially the last one. I never thought of that approach."
Zeng Keqin paused, pressed her lips together: "Thank you."
The boy beside her glanced at her, his expression complicated.
Stepping out of the building, the bright sunlight bathed them, restoring some warmth.
Zeng Keqin let out a sigh. Only then did she realize her palms were sweaty, and even the back of her shirt was soaked.
She ran through the interview in her mind. There were no obvious mistakes, but it wasn't perfect either.
Especially Zhao Manrong's intriguing smile at the end.
The more she thought about it, the more uncertain she felt.
She reached into her jacket pocket...
Empty.
Suddenly she realized her phone was still in that blonde man's hands.
Worse, her photo album still contained some 'important' pictures.
Author's note:
Many legal issues in the text are referenced from online sources. Please forgive any lack of professionalism and feel free to point them out! Bowing in gratitude!