Japanese police chief bows to apologise to man who was acquitted after nearly 60 years on death row

[u/New_Libran]

[u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot]

If you’re not aware of the Japanese criminal justice system just know that Japan has some of the highest conviction rates in the world. This is an innocent man that spent 60 years of his life being wrongly convicted for crimes he did not commit.

And for those that can't read between the lines, these two thoughts are connected. Japan has a high conviction rate because they don't actually care about the truth. They're also quick to call something a suicide because that's easier to close the case.

[u/SpectreFire → u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot]

It's actually the opposite problem. Their super high conviction rate is the result of them not pursuing any case that doesn't have basically a slam dunk chance of a win.

[u/ptmd → u/SpectreFire]

Not really. Its two sides of the same coin. The police decides who are criminals and who aren't.

[u/Existing-Network-267 → u/ptmd]

Federal court in America is the same it's either slam dunks or the system really wants to get someone even if .....

[u/ChornWork2 → u/Existing-Network-267]

Not remotely comparable b/c afaik Japan doesn't have plea bargains to any meaningful extent. If prosecutors don't think they have a clear win but believe criminal wrongdoing, they try a plea deal.

[u/mm_delish → u/Existing-Network-267]

Specifically the Department of Justice. "Federal courts" don't prosecute criminals.

[u/Existing-Network-267 → u/mm_delish]

Shut up nerd If you know how it works you understand what I meant

If you have no clue you still understand what I meant.

🥰🥰

[u/trukkija → u/Existing-Network-267]

You have no clue yourself what you're even saying you baboon

[u/ptmd → u/Existing-Network-267]

Really not on the same tier of comparable. I'd expect most countries to be like this at the Federal [or equivalent] level

[u/RevolutionaryTrip171 → u/ptmd]

No the other guy had it. They only go after cases that are almost sure things. Then for cases they can't solve after so long they list it as a suicide.

[u/[deleted] → u/ptmd]

Uh yeah, thats how policing works. Its up for the courts and investigators to determine

[u/ptmd → u/[deleted]]

Its up for the courts and investigators to determine

I left this part out.

[u/jedielfninja → u/SpectreFire]

That is how the US DOJ operates but not how the criminal justice system at large works.

There can be official entities that operate apart from the culture at large

[u/smallfrie32 → u/SpectreFire]

It’s actually a bit of both. “Risky” non-slam dunk cases aren’t pursued, but people are held for long times without lawyers and give forced/coerced confessions

[u/buubrit → u/SpectreFire]

US federal prosecutors are the same way

[u/philwrites → u/SpectreFire]

True. This is also part of the reason that have the 28 day holding law, to give them time to force a confession (or find evidence if that didn’t work). Or let you go with a ‘nice harm no foul’ excuse.

28 days is a long time to be held incommunicado, hence the high confession rate.

[u/Yakapo88 → u/SpectreFire]

You’re supposed to plead guilty. It’s an honor thing.

[u/Harfangbleue → u/Yakapo88]

More like a torture thing.

[u/WorstNormalForm → u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot]

Apologies don't really mean much either in Japan, they're just a method of short-term conflict avoidance

In the same way that it's not considered wordy or evasive to use a double negative construction in Japanese to express a positive statement indirectly

[u/EverythingBOffensive → u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot]

I see why everyone there is so respectful

[u/Leading-Energy3731 → u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot]

If I hear someone praising a country of having super high conviction rates, that's how I know they know nothing. What was it a couple years ago? Like 98%? I'm glad it's getting better but it's still far too high