On the afternoon of July 14th, at the Santa Clara Superior Court in California, the second subpoena hearing for the case of former Google engineer Liren Chen, who is accused of killing his wife, took place. Chen’s ex-girlfriend submitted a Chinese Google document as one of the key pieces of evidence.
During the hearing, the prosecution formally requested access to a Chinese Google document held by a key witness, Ms. Jiang, stating it as “crucial core evidence in the case.”
Ms. Jiang’s lawyer submitted the document on her behalf but also requested the court to issue a special Protective Order to prevent its contents from being publicly disclosed.
The lawyer pointed out that due to Ms. Jiang’s unique status (as Chen’s ex-girlfriend), she has been facing a substantial amount of cyberbullying and hate mail ever since case-related information started circulating on social media, to the extent that she couldn’t even access her email.
The lawyer emphasized that the nature of the document is akin to a personal diary and not suitable for public disclosure, requesting the court to “file it under seal” even during the trial, excluding it from public trial records.
In addition, Ms. Jiang put forward several auxiliary requests, including limiting public access to future court hearings, allowing her to access emotional and psychological support services, pre-translation of the Chinese document by a certified translator, and granting her the right to provide feedback on the translation.
The prosecution expressed sympathy towards Ms. Jiang’s experience of online violence and vowed to provide protection if there were any substantial threats according to the law.
However, the prosecution stressed that the document contains several sensitive key details related to the case, such as the defendant’s contemplation of divorce, plans to purchase property with Jiang, and whether Jiang was single at the time. The document was initially voluntarily shared by Jiang but eventually discovered by the defendant’s wife. Therefore, the prosecution questioned the legal basis for Jiang’s request for a “Protective Order” and found no relevant statutes supporting such restrictions.
Furthermore, the prosecution opposed government funding for Jiang’s psychological counseling fees and believed that witnesses should not be involved in the document translation process to ensure neutrality.
Ultimately, Ms. Jiang’s lawyer submitted the highly anticipated Chinese Google document in court. The judge opened it on the spot and announced an impending content review.
The judge rejected Jiang’s request for a “Protective Order” but, out of caution, issued a general “Protective Order” stipulating that the document can only be used by the prosecution and defense, and must not be disclosed to the public or media.
Additionally, during the hearing, the prosecution also requested access to the defendant Liren Chen’s medical records from Valley Medical Center, where he received treatment, and indicated a potential future application for his mental health-related information, although no formal motion has been submitted yet.
After the hearing, the defendant’s lawyer, Wesley Schroeder, responded stating that the defense had obtained some of Liren Chen’s medical records from his early years in China and would share relevant materials with the prosecution if needed during the trial period.