klingon 10 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 You know on tv when they are talking about some court case? They often show you the courtroom with the judge and everyone else in there just sat there sitting still and looking forward for a long time (as long as they show the scene).... what's that all about then? What are they doing? Posing for the cameras? Link to post Share on other sites
jgraves 0 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Japan's court system was basically patterned on Italy's if memory serves, so its bound to look and function a lot different from what most of us are used to. Actually sat in on a few trials at Yokohama district court a few years back. A drug dealer, an attempted murder, and a drug smuggler. The three cases from start to finish were like that. Back then, the proceedings themselves were basically a very formal, choreographed presentation of a case folder which the judge then took to the back room, read, and basically decided his verdict and sentencing based on behind the scenes. The lawyers did nothing but prepare the case folder and hand it over during the trial itself. Of course, the legal system changed two(?) years ago, and there is now supposedly a jury-system in place, so much of that probably has changed. Has anyone been since the change? Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I know what you mean klingon. When they show these dudes there is no movement and no talking at all.... just sat there staring forward. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Yes, I find that funny too. They do look silly sat there doing nothing. Tohoku bum, did you not get some fun "Objection!!!"-like things going on then? Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 They do look suitably majime though don't they. You can trust those people. Link to post Share on other sites
Thunderpants 0 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 You can trust them to hand you excatly the punishment the prosecutor asks for. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Being a prosecutor in Japan must be very, very good for the ego. Link to post Share on other sites
farquah 0 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 unfortunately a friend of mine was put in a detention center (same one as Horie) a couple of years back for a a HUGE mix up. Very long story but to cut to the chase it boiled down to walking out of a karaoke place without paying the 6,000yen bill or something similarly small (drunken someone else paid thing). He was in the center for nearly a year. The case was brought to court and the system was shocking. Japan is a guilty until proven innocent country, where the police print up a statement before you have even had an interview and then try and force you to sign it through various methods and breaking you down. We were REALLY lucky and I have been told only a couple of people have been found innocent in cases like this in history here. Through rugby connections we managed to get one of Japans top criminal foreign lawyers involved. If he was found guilty he was looking at 4-6years in prison as a catergory B prisoner, to put that in perspective he would have been transferred to an English prison, prob the likes of Wormwood Scrubs, and be placed in with rapists, career thieves and the like. Was a MASSIVE shock and all from something pretty much anyone who has a few beers and a laugh on a friday night could find themselves in. Its a little more complicated and a pretty long story but I remember going to visit him in the center and seeing a man a shadow of his former self. In his own words, "everyday he woke up and expected the door to open and the officer to come in and explain the mistake and let him go. Very dark days". The court system is pretty much still trial by judge not jury, if a case is taken to court then there is something like a 95% conviction rate. When on the beers, caution is advised! Link to post Share on other sites
jgraves 0 Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by veronica: Tohoku bum, did you not get some fun "Objection!!!"-like things going on then? Not once in three trials. The judge did ask the prosecutor if there was anything in the case file he would like him to pay particular attention to in sentencing. The judge then asked the defense lawyer if there was anything in the case file he would like to dispute or to have him consider. Then the defendant basically had the opportunity to apologize to the judge. Then it was over. No dramatics. Farquah, sorry to hear about that friend of yours. Unfortunately, that's pretty much par for the course I hear. Beware is right. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 No objections. That's the best thing about tv court dramas. Link to post Share on other sites
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