Lecture | Informing on Others Leads to Sentence Reduction? Hsiao Ming-yueh's Transformation Overnight from a Real Estate Agent to the Mastermind of an International Drug Trafficking Ring, and the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act

Article 17 of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act stipulates that individuals caught with drugs may receive a "reduced or exempted sentence" as long as they "inform on the source of the drugs, thereby leading to the seizure of other principal offenders or accomplices." While the original intent of this provision was perhaps to deeply combat the breeding grounds of drug trafficking crimes, it has simultaneously become a miscarriage-of-justice generator where co-defendants incriminate each other.

Hsiao Ming-yueh is one of the victims. In 2011, Hsiao Ming-yueh was accused by a co-defendant of being the ringleader of an international drug trafficking ring who instructed members to engage in transnational drug smuggling. Sentenced to life imprisonment with finality, he has suffered from a wrongful conviction for over 10 years.

Aside from witness testimonies, there is no direct evidence in this case to prove that Hsiao Ming-yueh engaged in drug trafficking. Furthermore, there are numerous suspicious points, such as the prosecutor's suspected inducement and improper interrogation during the investigation, and the witness subsequently retracting their testimony by writing a letter to the judge stating that Hsiao Ming-yueh was innocent.

To help everyone better understand the controversies surrounding the "Hsiao Ming-yueh Case," this lecture specially invites Attorney Chiu Hsien-chih, a pro bono lawyer who has assisted with this case for many years, to share his insights with everyone. Attorney Tsai Yi-cheng, a pro bono lawyer from the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act Amendment Working Group of the Judicial Reform Foundation, will also be invited to share whether the provisions of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act truly pose a systemic risk of causing wrongful convictions. The event will be moderated and guided by Wang Li-jou, an independent journalist who has long focused on wrongful convictions. Having written reports such as "'Three Men Make a Tiger': Can Frame-Ups Lead to Sentence Reduction? Examining the Tug-of-War over Evidentiary Rules through the Hsiao Ming-yueh Case," Wang will translate legal content from a media perspective to lead the audience in understanding the institutional controversies.

Everyone is welcome to sign up and attend, to understand Hsiao Ming-yueh's life and look forward to the day of his homecoming arriving soon.

Register for the Lecture

 

• Time: Monday, May 26, 19:00-21:00
  
• Location: Mist Bookstore (3F, No. 302, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100)
  
• Capacity: Strictly limited to 40 attendees in person; registrations exceeding capacity will be placed on the waiting list
  
• Moderator: Wang Li-jou / Independent Journalist
  
• Keynote Speaker: Attorney Chang Hua-che / Pro Bono Lawyer for the "Hsiao Ming-yueh Case"
  
• Panelist: Attorney Tsai Yi-cheng / Pro Bono Lawyer for the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act Amendment Working Group, Judicial Reform Foundation
  
• Remarks: This event provides a "Certificate of Event Participation" for students. Those wishing to apply should approach the on-site staff after the event concludes on the day to leave their name, school, department, grade, and email address. Participation certificates will be uniformly sent out to the provided email addresses within one week after the event (applications are only valid on the day of the event; retroactive requests will not be accepted).
  
• References: "Hsiao Ming-yueh Case", "'Three Men Make a Tiger': Can Frame-Ups Lead to Sentence Reduction? Examining the Tug-of-War over Evidentiary Rules through the Hsiao Ming-yueh Case"
  

Event Contact

Chang Hua-che, Deputy Director of Case Action Department
ven@jrf.org.tw
(02)25231178