On March 20 2013, Chang Linfeng, a suspect of intentional murder and arson, was found innocent and set free by Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court, who adopted the defense attorney’s opinion of lack of evidence. Mr. Chang, former deputy editor-in-chief of China Electronics News, had hit the headlines when his wife died a tragic and mysterious death.
Dacheng senior partner Zhao Yunheng started to represent Chang as defense attorney in 2007. The first trial by Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court found Chang guilty and sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve. A retrial was ordered by Beijing Higher People’s Court on account of lack of evidence. Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court subsequently re-tried the case and concluded the suspect innocent in the end. The litigation took almost six years. Attorney Zhao, a man of a strong sense of responsibility, conducted in-depth investigations into the case. He requested the court to rule out illegitimate evidence, invited experts of Beijing Huaxia Evidence Identification Center to appear in court as witnesses, and collected evidence himself in an effort to defend his client. His efforts finally paid off.
This case is one of the rare ones for which decision of acquittal is announced in the jurisdiction of Beijing. It is a significant signal of judicial justice.
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