Japan eyes U.S. military handover of crime suspects whenever demanded

Monday 26th October, 09:30 AM JST

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sharky1 at 09:23 PM JST - 26th October

This will never happen...
SiouxChef at 10:17 PM JST - 26th October

I think if you look at crime rate in areas of military bases probably 75% of the crime comes from US military.

To be even in the right ball park your decimal point needs to be moved by one place to the left.

That's still outside the stadium and in a neighboring city.

More like two decimal places to the left.
usaexpat at 11:19 PM JST - 26th October

That should keep the boys in line, I'd rather face the Spanish Inquisition than what passes for "justice" in Japan.
lunchmeat at 11:31 PM JST - 26th October

Hmmm... I thought that the local police got first shot at U.S. military members now. Didn't used to be so.
IchyaWarFare at 07:42 AM JST - 27th October

I mean it seems that some stupid service men do not respect Japan's law and they easily commit crimes outside US bases. They do know the escape route that they jump back into the US base very quickly before police catch them when they have done crime. They think the US helps them out of Japan. That's not good. Japan police should be able to interrogate/question the suspects more freely and all the time if they committed crimes or got involved with some kinda crimes. Where am I? Well, on earth.

@kwatt-Do not know where you are getting your information. I do not remember being taught that nor do any of the other services members here, retired, active or reserve. The fact that if there was a crime committed by a service member outside of the base, we do turn them over to JP. Minors might be a bit different, they though do recieve a pretty stiff punishment. ie- the kid earlier this year that held up the elder JP for a 100 yen...he lost his scholarship, lost his free ride to school, got kicked out of Japan, and well, he is just SOL now.

The person that mentioned how Japan admits military personel into hospitals all the time. WHAT'S YOUR POINT? The American government pays 3 times the insurance cost for those military personnel that went to Japanese Hospitals because their medical is 100% covered! HAPPY THEY ARE!!!!

@kwilkins21- Um, I think you need to take your time and read or try to understand a little better. I did not talk about admitting prisoners, just stating the fact that we do turn service members over. I in no way agree with this new deal until the JP revise the way they do things or laws are changed.
nagoyait at 08:38 AM JST - 27th October

"Ranger_Miffy kwilkens....mental torcher? mind burning by telepathy?"

Do a google search for "japan forced confessions" and make intelligent informed conversation instead of what you type.

Frostbite, forced confessions by any means, forced labor, beatings are all well known while being incarcerated.

Imagine if the person didn't even do it what they might go through.
SBBarnes at 09:23 AM JST - 27th October

kwilkins21 has a very nice post. No surprise that people will just itch to take issue with things like mispelling rather than see the great points you made. The all caps bit needs to be aired well here.

To all: I think it needs to be remembered that this proposal has not been floated yet. If it ever is, I tend to look at it as pure politics. Japan seriously does need to clean its own house and not worry so much about SOFA. Not that SOFA is going to change for Japan cleaning its own house, it is just silly, if you have eyes to see, that Japan should complain about SOFA given its very serious police and legal problems. Its Bush style "lookee over there". Japan should be too embarrased to complain. But, refusing to see, they aren't. And so Hatoyama can score with them by playing the xenophobia card despite all.

I think the best solution is just to send the U.S. military home if they don't like SOFA. So long as you have young single and fairly uneducated men shipped here without wanting to be here, to perform the duties they are given, it just is not going to be fair to toss them to the local justice system everytime they cross the line. Most cannot speak the language and lack the drive and capacity to learn, and its just as bad among the local police and court authorities. So you either make the concessions listed in SOFA or say "sayonara".

I would say "sayonara".
Yelnats at 02:06 PM JST - 27th October

Such petty silly stuff. SOFA is not going to change any more than the rights of a divorced parent to see their own kids.
the_sicilian at 06:54 AM JST - 28th October

One of my employees was picked up by the JP's for an "alleged" crime. He spent over 20 days inside a jail. He was under the SOFA agreement, but the US handed him over for something that happened ON BASE.

After the 20 plus day confinement, there were no charges, as he did nothing wrong. The result was he lost his job and was barred from all bases for DOING NOTHING WRONG. The J-cops had to have their way and interrogate him without legal counsel present. He was a very witty guy, and very smart. He knew admissions to a crime he didn't commit would not help, as they tried to get him to do.

Oh, the crime? He received something in the mail unsolicited (drugs). And no, he did not ask for them.

For all of you posters that know nothing about the bases and the SOFA, learn something before you post.
Youdontknow at 10:51 PM JST - 28th October

I think this is absurd for Japan to ask for this at a time when they are in the limelight for allowing Japanese parents to hide kids of another country in Japan!! When a Japanese spouse in an international marriage nabs the kids and runs back into Japan, the authorities protect the Japanese national and treat the foreign parent like a criminal. Why the hell should the world give Japan ANY consideration on legal issues when Japan is so blatantly ignoring the laws of virtually every other country?
mindovermatter at 11:51 AM JST - 30th October

For all of you posters that know nothing about the bases and the SOFA, learn something before you post.

Completely agree with you, if they remove that language from the SOFA it makes way for all kinds petty BS shit... In Japan, JCops can hold you without basically any reason, and 9 times out of 10, that's how they get innocent people to make confessions, just to get it over with and away from their interrogators.

There must have been some extenuating circumstances surrounding your employee, and I take it they weren't actually Military, because Military are treated differently under the SOFA and receive the maximum leeway. I did 5 years as an MP here in Japan before retiring and we would go out of our way to take care of our own, to the letter of the SOFA. Drugs are almost in a special category by themselves though, so I am not so surprised they turned them over so quickly.
Blue_Tiger at 07:37 PM JST - 30th October

If this actually becomes ratified, God help those in the US Military stationed here in Japan....
mindovermatter at 08:17 PM JST - 30th October

If this actually becomes ratified, God help those in the US Military stationed here in Japan....

Nah, I can't see Obama signing off on this, especially since his specialty was Constitutional Law. Republicans would have a field day on the Dems come election 2010, if they gave up on their own troops so easily.

Also, dems and republicans were dead set against U.S. troops being tried by foreign countries throughout the world, and they refused to sign that U.N. charter which would turn over U.S. troops for trial all over the world.

It's to our fortune that Japan's legal system ranks as one of the worst according to the UN's report on International Human Rights, so I don't think anything's going to change anytime soon.

But, God forbid if they do....
mindovermatter at 08:34 PM JST - 30th October

But JN cops can still take Military into custody.... "IF" they are the first to apprehend them.

If we got a call regarding an incident involving a service member, our practice was, that if we arrived on scene, before JN Clown cops arrived, we would throw the (Military) guy into the back seat of our patrol car, and he essentially, (according to the letter of the SOFA) was in U.S. custody.

But this is only is we beat the JN cops there, if the reverse were true, if they (JN Clown Cops) arrived on scene first and took service member into JN custody, they then would not have to wait to get the indictment, he / they would go straight to JN custody, all bets are off.

Also this Indictment thing, serves as a buffer too, it keeps JN clown cops from arresting Service Members on BS / frivolous stuff.

Basically, If the JN cops don't think what you did was serious enough to get a prosecutor involved and that he might possibly "Lose Face" in seeking an Indictment, then they won't bother trying to detain someone.

JN's (and those subject to JN laws) on the other hand can get picked up and held without being charged for 3 days, and that can be extended for another 20 days by a prosecutor.
yamashinaku at 04:27 PM JST - 31st October

Just don't leave base. Do your 6 month tour, don't expect to enjoy it, head back when it is done.