If you've been following Tokyomango for a while, you know that Japan is home to many strange, strange crimes, like grandmas peeing on neighbors' properties, brothers chopping up sisters, and guys stealing thousands of panties. The legal system in Japan currently has no juries—decisions are made by professional judges only, and so there's a strong feeling that, once a case goes to court, the verdict is completely out of the citizens' hands.
This will all change in May 2009, when the jury trial system will be reinstated for felony crimes. It will be slightly different from the US, though. For example, there will be six jurors and three judges meeting together to come to a majority vote decision, and verdicts are expected to be reached within just a few days. So it will be quick, interactive, and thorough.
I attended a seminar held by the Japan Society of NorCal yesterday at the courthouse, and there was a Japanese judge and two American lawyers who explained everything. Want to know more? Keep checking back, I'll dive further into this topic later.
I just hope the yakuza dont bribe/ scare the jurors lke the Italian mafia in the East coast.
Posted by: Dragonfang18 | June 13, 2007 at 01:59 PM