The two defendants in the Chongqing sister-brother crash case were alleged to have appealed, and the female defendant hired a new lawyer

On January 19, 2022, The Paper learned from authoritative sources that the defendants Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen in the case of Chongqing's brother and sister being thrown from the upper floor by their biological father submitted materials and filed an appeal within the statutory appeal period.

Previously, the Fifth Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality held that Zhang Bo conspired with Ye Chengchen to deliberately and illegally deprive Zhang Bo of the lives of two of his own minor children by creating an unexpected high fall, resulting in the death of both of them, and that Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen's actions had constituted intentional homicide. The conduct of the two defendants broke through the bottom line of law, morality, and morality, the motive for committing the crime was particularly despicable, the subjective malignancy was extremely deep, the means of committing the crime were particularly cruel, the circumstances, consequences and crimes of the crime were extremely serious, and the social impact was extremely bad.

On the morning of December 28, 2021, the Fifth Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality sentenced Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen to death for intentional homicide and deprived them of their political rights for life.

The surging news learned that Ye Chengchen had newly commissioned a lawyer. The lawyer said he could not disclose the relevant information.

The two accused appealed

The person who participated in the first-instance trial of the case told The Paper that after the first-instance judgment was pronounced on December 28, 2021, the presiding judge asked Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen whether they appealed, and Zhang Bo said at the time to "consider it", and Ye Chengchen has not replied.

The judgment states that if the defendant is not satisfied with this judgment, within 10 days from the second day of receipt of the judgment, he may appeal through the Fifth Intermediate Court of Chongqing Municipality or directly to the Chongqing Municipal High Court.

On the morning of January 19, The Paper learned from authoritative sources that Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen had submitted materials to appeal within the statutory appeal period.

Wang Enhai, a professor at the Criminal Law School of East China University of Political Science and Law, and Wang Shaoguang, a lawyer at Beijing Dingjian Law Firm, told The Paper that the defendant's appeal meant that the case of the sister and brother's death had entered the second-instance trial procedure, and the Chongqing Municipal Higher People's Court would file the case according to law. At the same time, according to the 234th Article of the Criminal Procedure Law, in an appeal case in which the defendant is sentenced to death, the court of second instance shall form a collegial panel to hold a hearing, that is, the second-instance trial must be heard.

The female defendant has newly appointed a lawyer

The Paper learned from relevant sources that shortly after the verdict of the first-instance trial of the brother-in-law crash case, defendant Ye Chengchen had a new lawyer, who was a senior criminal defense lawyer in Chongqing.

The lawyer told The Paper that the case was too sensitive for him to disclose any information.

Insiders close to Zhang Bo's family told The Paper on the morning of January 19 that Zhang Bo's family had appointed a lawyer for him after the incident, but after Zhang Bo admitted to the crime of killing two children, the family felt that it was of little significance and did not continue to hire a lawyer. At the beginning of the first instance trial, it was also a legal aid lawyer who defended Zhang Bo.

The person familiar with the matter said that at present, Zhang Bo's family does not know about his appeal, and his family has not hired a lawyer for him.

Source: The Paper