Jury Trials Return to Japan- What's Good for Guantanamo...

After half a century of trials by judges only, Japan has returned to a (kind of) jury trial system. In the new format, three judges will be joined by six lay-persons to decide the fate of Japanese defendants. While juries will only be used in certain cases, there is some concern among prosecutors that changing the system might compromise the current 99% conviction rate in Japanese courts. Forced confessions at the hands of police while refusing suspects access to defense lawyers will continue unimpeded, however.

Man Denied His Due

An exonerated man who spent 30 years on Japan's death row for a crime he didn't commit expects to make the government pay for their incompetence. He is not planning to sue the government for millions in damages like would happen in the U.S., no, he is demanding he be given social security benefits. Because he was unable to work for the 30 years he spent behind bars, he has no money saved for retirement. He is now 83 years old. So far the Japanese government is resisting his request on the grounds that only people who paid their monthly premiums are eligible. Rules are rules...