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This evidence must be overcome if Hoffman was to be freed. Leibowitz went himself to Staten Island and made discreet inquiries. He learned that besides Hoffman, a local man, Horatio Sharrett, a real-estate dealer, the brother of the Republican district party leader, had been identified near the murder spot on the afternoon of 25 March. Like Hoffman he was dark-complexioned, wore tortoiseshell spectacles, and drove a Ford Sedan. And, Leibowitz discovered, the police had been told to lay off Sharrett by District Attorney Fach.
如果要使霍夫曼获得自由，这些证据都必须要被推翻。于是，莱博维茨亲自去了斯塔恩岛，进行了谨慎的调查。他获悉，除了霍夫曼，当地还有一名叫霍雷肖·夏雷特的房地产经销商，他是共和党选区政党领导人的兄弟，也被指认3月25日下午在谋杀地点附近出现过。像霍夫曼一样，他的肤色黝黑，戴着一副玳瑁眼镜，开着一辆福特轿车。而且，莱博维茨还发现，地区检察官法赫告诉警察不要打搅夏雷特。
Hoffman, Leibowitz became convinced, was the victim of a chain of faulty circumstantial evidence and fabricated evidence of identification, exactly the sort of testimony which can result in a miscarriage of justice, and especially in the conviction of a man who, knowing the apparent strength of the case against him, sets out to fabricate an alibi.
莱博维茨确信，霍夫曼是一连串错误的间接证据和伪证的牺牲品，是那种完全可以导致正义流产的证据，尤其是那些要判定一位曾着手伪造不在场证据的人有罪的证据，因为他很明显地知道案件对他极其不利。
Slowly and carefully Leibowitz picked a jury from the hundred and fifty talesmen. In his opening address he referred, quite casually, to the presence of Horatio Sharrett near the scene of the crime, and from Police Patrolman Cosgrove he drew the information that he had seen a Ford car nearby driven by Horatio Sharrett.
莱博维茨从150个候补陪审员中小心谨慎地挑选了出一个陪审团。他在开场白中很随意地提到，夏雷特也曾出现在犯罪现场附近。而且，他从巡逻警察科斯格罗夫处了解到，科斯格罗夫曾在附近看见夏雷特驾驶过一辆福特汽车。
