Cui's trial began in December 2006. During the trial, a large online discussion began on whether Cui should face the
death penalty or not for his crimes. Although precedent called for the death penalty, many Chinese sympathized with Cui's situation as a poor peasant coming to Beijing to earn a living for his family, who lost his temper when his means of earning a living was being taken away from him. In April 2007, Cui was convicted of intentional homicide and sentenced to death, but his punishment was
reprieved for 2 years. This reprieve generally implies that with good behavior Cui's sentence will be reduced to life in prison. During the trial, Cui's lawyers argued that Cui did not meet the threshold for committing "intentional homicide". They cited that Cui did not know the victim and had no prior dealings with him, and the defendant did not realize in advance the harm his actions would cause, and that he acted out of duress rather than through careful planning. Li Zhiqiang was a highly regarded officer in the
Chengguan force, and he was later named a "revolutionary hero" by the Beijing municipal government. The prosecution argued that leniency in the case would set a dangerous precedent and endanger officers carrying out their routine duties according to the law. Cui's case highlighted the growing problem facing Beijing and other large cities. Many migrant workers had illegally come to the cities in search of work. With the 2008 Olympics approaching, Beijing has begun cracking down on migrant workers. Many Chinese observers compared the case to that of
Sun Zhigang, who was killed after being wrongly arrested in
Guangzhou in 2003. That case caused a complete overhaul of the
custody and repatriation laws, although it is not yet clear if Cui Yingjie's case had a similar effect on city administration. == References ==