Chinese Road Toll-Evader to get New Trial

VOA Breaking News (Voice of America)
January 14, 2011 at 4:55 pm

A Chinese farmer and truck driver sentenced to life in prison for evading highway tolls will get a new trial.

Court officials in the central Henan province city of Pingdingshan said Friday new evidence had emerged, necessitating a retrial.

The court had sentenced Shi Jianfeng to life behind bars and a more than $300,000 fine for using military license plates to avoid paying tolls on more than 2,300 trips between May 2008 and January 2009.

The verdict prompted an outcry from Chinese Internet users, who flooded the web with postings. Many complained that suspects convicted of more serious crimes, like rape or murder, are given lesser sentences.

Court officials held a news conference earlier this week in an attempt to calm the public, but the court's explanation of the sentence did little to calm the public.