'Innocent rate' at 1st trial hits decade-high 2.9% in 2007

Tuesday 03rd June, 08:18 AM JST

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nutsagain at 08:30 AM JST - 3rd June

This is a labyrinth that is medieval in it's construction and even those with enough legal savvy find difficult to navigate. Judges are rewarded through promotions to preferred locales, for speedy trials and to be innocent and face one would be anyone's worst nightmare. The Japanese court is absolutely not a place to be looking for a way out, it's a place to mete out punishment, the dosage of which depends upon remorse or the lack of. In short, it's time for the whole show to be stripped down and reworked.
thepro at 08:45 AM JST - 3rd June

I still can't believe it's that low. You basically have no chance.
GG2141 at 09:03 AM JST - 3rd June

I wonder how that compares to other "civilized" nations?
medievaltimes at 09:25 AM JST - 3rd June

Like many things in Japan, go back to the basic question: "Does the judicial system serve its pupose?"

Answer: "No."
frontandcentre at 09:41 AM JST - 3rd June

Wow - a whole two point nine percent! My faith in the effectiveness of prosecutors is sinking ever more rapidly
tkoind2 at 09:51 AM JST - 3rd June

This minor improvement should terrify anyone who cares about true justice and moral good. There is no way with fair and prudent trials that a 2.9% innocent rate is achievable by any modern justice system which adheres to a truly just system of defense and prosecution. Guilt before innocence is the rule here. The trial is to see is a small few can overturn the assumption. With justice like this you may as well be in China or Saudi Arabia if you are charged with a crime.

We all want the bad guys to go to jail. But not at the expense of sending a lot of innocent people there too. The number we really want to see is a conviction rate that represents having the REAL criminals punished for crimes and the innocent protected. People should have confidence in the fidelity of their justice system. As of today, we can only fear this one.
joseba at 09:53 AM JST - 3rd June

Time to apply In dubio pro reo
GW at 10:22 AM JST - 3rd June

like I said in another thread anyone who gets or thinks they are about to be accused of something had better drop whatever they are doing & flee to the nearest intl airport, it is clearly the only shot anyone wud have a chance of being dealt with in a fair way, this blurb shows you what happens otherwise, Jpn is a dictators dreamland as far as its "justice " system works
timorborder at 10:32 AM JST - 3rd June

(sarcasm) For some reason, judges are starting to take notice of the fact that people are often "verballed" by the fuzz, perhaps it is something in the water? I hope something can be done to stop this dangerous trend (sarcasm off).
TPOJ at 11:17 AM JST - 3rd June

Seriously, how does it get this bad? Even statistical morons would look at those conviction rates and smell something.

I know people tend to shy away from questioning authority, but my God.
Youdontknow at 12:50 PM JST - 3rd June

It gets this bad because the old boys don't like to be proved wrong, so send someone to prison, he must be guilty. Get them in the court room, it's obvious he's guilty. Only now are they starting to realise that not all confessions are legal.
ca1ic0cat at 01:34 AM JST - 4th June

2.9% still isn't very good odds, especially considering the propensity of the police to label a case closed with the least amount of effort. Not recording "confessions" is a crime in itself in this day and age. But I don't expect things to change over night. Far better to avoid running afoul of the system at all costs.
Hughgarse at 11:01 AM JST - 4th June

Well, my mate from Merrill was found innocent of all charges last Friday and released.. Guess he is part of the innocent % in Japan as well.
Altria at 11:04 AM JST - 4th June

Did he even get sent to trail, or did they just decide not to charge him?
Hughgarse at 03:09 PM JST - 4th June

Altria Was found innocent of charges and dropped..