登陆注册
5563000000036

第36章

After the last words of the prisoners had been heard, the form in which the questions were to be put to the jury was settled, which also took some time. At last the questions were formulated, and the president began the summing up.

Before putting the case to the jury, he spoke to them for some time in a pleasant, homely manner, explaining that burglary was burglary and theft was theft, and that stealing from a place which was under lock and key was stealing from a place under lock and key. While he was explaining this, he looked several times at Nekhludoff as if wishing to impress upon him these important facts, in hopes that, having understood it, Nekhludoff would make his fellow-jurymen also understand it. When he considered that the jury were sufficiently imbued with these facts, he proceeded to enunciate another truth--namely, that a murder is an action which has the death of a human being as its consequence, and that poisoning could therefore also be termed murder. When, according to his opinion, this truth had also been received by the jury, he went on to explain that if theft and murder had been committed at the same time, the combination of the crimes was theft with murder.

Although he was himself anxious to finish as soon as possible, although he knew that his Swiss friend would be waiting for him, he had grown so used to his occupation that, having begun to speak, he could not stop himself, and therefore he went on to impress on the jury with much detail that if they found the prisoners guilty, they would have the right to give a verdict of guilty; and if they found them not guilty, to give a verdict of not guilty; and if they found them guilty of one of the crimes and not of the other, they might give a verdict of guilty on the one count and of not guilty on the other. Then he explained that though this right was given them they should use it with reason.

He was going to add that if they gave an affirmative answer to any question that was put to them they would thereby affirm everything included in the question, so that if they did not wish to affirm the whole of the question they should mention the part of the question they wished to be excepted. But, glancing at the clock. and seeing it was already five minutes to three, he resolved to trust to their being intelligent enough to understand this without further comment.

"The facts of this case are the following," began the president, and repeated all that had already been said several times by the advocates, the public prosecutor and the witnesses.

The president spoke, and the members on each side of him listened with deeply-attentive expressions, but looked from time to time at the clock, for they considered the speech too long though very good--i.e., such as it ought to be. The public prosecutor, the lawyers, and, in fact, everyone in the court, shared the same impression. The president finished the summing up. Then he found it necessary to tell the jury what they all knew, or might have found out by reading it up--i.e., how they were to consider the case, count the votes, in case of a tie to acquit the prisoners, and so on.

同类推荐
  • THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK

    THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 隐元禅师语录

    隐元禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 南诏图传

    南诏图传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Hunting of the Snark

    The Hunting of the Snark

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞神玄妙白猿真经

    太上洞神玄妙白猿真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 慕少,别逼我动刀

    慕少,别逼我动刀

    夏浅一双巧手能做天下美味,惹来了头帅得惊天动地的饿狼。“今晚,满意了吧?”夏浅做了一大桌琳琅满目的菜,妄想堵住他的嘴。于是谦少有了新的人生乐趣,宠养娇妻,天天吃美食。慕亦谦薄唇微启:想逃?夏浅小妖精,这辈子,下辈子,下下辈子,都逃不出我的手掌心。
  • 武意天道

    武意天道

    当异世界的主角拥有了哆啦a梦的口袋,我们赌一赌他征服诸天万界用多久?
  • 极意星圣

    极意星圣

    注意了,注意了,终极恐惧来袭!!无论是自命不凡的异族强者,还是百无禁忌的虫后魔皇,负隅顽抗者打倒了填饱肚皮,举手投降者直接填饱肚皮!啥是终极恐惧?武动苍穹,斗破星河,一口一个恒星小朋友,终极吗?恐惧吗?终极恐惧吗?极意武痴和虚空恐惧的组合,必将横行星际。
  • 我在异世界当守墓人

    我在异世界当守墓人

    御宅族叶沐被书架压住了,之后他被异世界——多亚大陆的天神召唤过来。在这里神告诉他:“汝已经被我们神奉命为守墓人,汝的职责便是守护神灵们在凡间的神墓,不要被那些凡人们所得到。”就这样作为守墓人而在异贝雅大陆的叶沐,开始了自己的守墓之旅……
  • 炸掉的人生

    炸掉的人生

    什么?系统竟然敢公然与他背道而驰?屹立于巅峰的他,一夕之间,境界飞速跌落,沦为一个普通人!他会就此沉沦,还是找回那个隐没在重重迷雾下的真相?
  • 重新生活(长篇小说连载二)

    重新生活(长篇小说连载二)

    市委书记被“双规”,不但让当地政坛发生了一场大地震,他的亲属也跟着陷入了困境。市委书记特别疼爱的外甥女绵绵在市里的重点高中上高三,曾经是学校重点培养的对象,身兼班干部团干部校干部数职,此刻,却面临勒令退学的危机。绵绵的父母,也就是市委书记的姐姐姐夫,他们本与市委书记的腐败问题无关,但也受到波及。诸多以前在他们看来不是问题的问题,如今,全都成了绕不过去的大问题。就在他们焦头烂额之际,市委书记上初三的儿子又被打伤了……
  • 啼血凤离歌

    啼血凤离歌

    她虽然只是一位女子,但却是北魁王国的有名的女将军。她在沙场上英勇无敌,她叫云影。可是,最终她到底何去何从,在情场她还能收获爱情么?她到底能否和他有情人成眷属?
  • 夺天三生诀

    夺天三生诀

    【热血精品,2019火热玄幻!】萧炎:“什么?叶兄弟有难,待我打碎虚空前来助战!”唐三:“叶兄莫慌,我这有把海神三叉戟借你来诛灭强敌!”楚阳:“九弟,什么时候我们几兄弟来神域聚一聚?”九十九个世界的天策中人:“大元帅!我等一直等待着您归来,天策已成为本界最强势力!”叶问水看着一颗能带着他穿越各个位面的神秘珠子,露出一抹人畜无害的微笑,天策势必在万界中屹立巅峰!叶问水回来了,时隔十八载再次归来。浩浩东洲,吾掌天策,尔等只配称臣!青青子衿,天地泪落,谱写悠悠我心!凤凰涅槃,浴火重生,一生只为一人!封神一战,诸天破晓,一诀湮灭三生!
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 晋政辑要

    晋政辑要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。