Chiba Court Holds Mock Trial For Foreign Defendant

[Mulboyne]

The Mainichi reports (Japanese) that the Chiba District Court has been running some simulated trials to test the new lay judge system which will soon be introduced. In one of the scenarios, the defendant was a foreigner. A Singaporean woman had arrived at Narita on a flight from China and customs had discovered drugs concealed in her luggage. She spoke Manadarin and two interpreters were involved with the simulation. The prosecution asked for a sentence of 13 years and a fine of 7.5 million while her defence argued for a not guilty verdict. We probably ought not to take it as a sign of things to come but the eventual verdict was guilty with a prison sentence of eight years and a fine of 5 million yen. One of the interpreters said afterwards that proceedings went on longer than usual which tested the limits of his concentration.

[blackcat]

Looks like the Chiba District court are shadowboxing!

Guilty!!? Whoa what a shock.

"We probably ought not to take it as a sign of things to come"

We probably oughta I`d say.

[bolt_krank]

That's what they teach you in law intepreting school.

Guilty = 有罪
Not guilty = 有罪
I said "not guilty" = 有罪
Are you listening to me ? = 首にしてください

[Behan]

With the narcotics cops planting drugs her guilt shouldn't have been proven beyond a shadow of doubt. But that legal idea doesn't hold here, I guess.