Japan: Lay judges to hear murder case with possibility of death sentence

The trial of a murder-robbery case started at the Tottori District Court on Tuesday, and prosecutors may possibly seek the death sentence under the lay judge system for the 1st time.

The 55-year-old defendant, Hiroshi Kageyama, is accused of killing Hideo Ishitani, 82, and Ishitani's cohabiter Masako Omori, 74, in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on Feb 21 last year and stealing 70,000 yen in cash, according to the indictment. Kageyama worked at Ishitanis accounting office.

Kageyama admitted to the killings but said robbery was not the motive, denying part of the indictment at the first hearing.

It is the 1st time for a murder-robbery case involving more than 1 victim to be examined by citizen judges since the 1st lay judge trial was held in Tokyo last August.

The statutory penalty for murder-robbery is capital punishment or life imprisonment.

4 men and 2 women were chosen as lay judges and 2 men and 2 women as their substitutes. The verdict will be handed down on March 2.

Source: Japan Today, Feb. 24, 2010

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