American parents acquitted of fatal child abuse after being in custody since 2000

Friday 04th April, 09:28 AM JST

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9 Comments

nimbus at 08:59 AM JST - 4th April

"The prosecutors had been seeking a five-year prison term for Beamon and a four-year term for Curtis, arguing that only the defendants could have inflicted severe violence on their son."

"The couple were arrested six years after their son’s death and have remained in custody for about seven years and nine months since their arrest and throughout the trial proceedings."

I guess the prosecutors got them a longer sentence then asked for without having to convict them.
spudman at 09:06 AM JST - 4th April

better than Gitmo but they have already served their punishment. moral of the story plead huilty quick and get out of jail sooner. Not justice but in Japan that is secondary
NotJohnWayne at 09:36 AM JST - 4th April

Wow... 95 hearings over 8 years... I'm all for defending my innocence, but after being in jail for 8 years, 3/4 years longer than the intended sentance, I'd have had to given some serious thought to pleading guilty just to be done with it. Does Japanese law allow for credit for time served?
Harry_Gatto at 09:53 AM JST - 4th April

These people are crazies, get them out of Japan permanently as soon as possible. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20010223a5.html

http://www.rickross.com/reference/jpsects/jpsects67.html
Zybster at 10:14 AM JST - 4th April

Harry Gatto, the problem is not whether they are "crazies" or not - the problem is whether they committed the crimes they are accused of or not. The prosecutor can't prove that, so they should be let free. And that shouldn't have taken 8 years.
greenteaonsens at 11:50 AM JST - 4th April

Another "only in Japan" justice moment :-(
telecasterplayer at 12:46 PM JST - 4th April

NO comparison to gitmo or the cia gulag archipelago. These people ARE whackjobs, and it reads like the defense kept its hands in the process of stringing it out as long as possible. I'll bet they were more than happy to stay in jail to avoid a conviction. The prosecutors were likely more than happy to use every tool at their disposal to keep them away from children.
I'd like to know more about the whereabouts of the rest of the kids, the status of their black-muslim-separatist/sumpremacist-martial-arts-cult, what steps Japan will take to keep them from getting back in once they're deported.
VoXman at 12:50 PM JST - 4th April

..and this is why Japan continues on both Amnesty Intl and the UN's Civil rights watch lists
robin_hood at 02:17 PM JST - 5th April

"American couple who have remained in custody since their arrest in Tokyo in 2000 on suspicion"

Is this a joke...?

This is exactly why we have an thing called SOFA...

Moderator: SOFA is not relevant to this discussion.