Murderer Gets 15 Years in Prison

Image: Japanese public education poster about jury duty.

We in the United States may begrudge jury duty, but (speaking as an American) I can't imagine how the American justice system would ever function without it.

Japan has not had a jury system since 1943. Instead of a jury, panels of 3 or more judges would hear cases, decide guilt or innocence, and sentence the guilty. But the jury system was reintroduced by legislation in 2004. I was living in Japan at the time and can recall the public education effort, in the form of posters and TV commercials.

Now finally the first trial by jury in 66 years in Japan has ended, resulting in a verdict of "guilty" for a 72 year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his 66 year-old neighbor. But what I thought was remarkable was the punishment: 15 years in prison. The family of the victim wanted 20 years. I am surprised that no one asked for the death penalty, which does exist in Japan.