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Biden Has 65 Days Left in Office. Here’s What He Can Do on Criminal Justice.

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Judicial appointments and the death penalty are among areas where a lame-duck administration can still leave a mark. Donald Trump’s second presidential term will begin on Jan. 20, bringing with it promises to dramatically reshape many aspects of the criminal justice system. The U.S. Senate — with its authority over confirming judicial nominees — will also shift from Democratic to Republican control.
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Japan: Death penalty in 2011 stalking case upheld

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The Fukuoka High Court upheld the death sentence Tuesday for a 29-year-old man over the killing of the mother and grandmother of a former girlfriend in a high-profile 2011 stalking case.

Presiding judge Hiroshi Furuta said he could find nothing unreasonable with the district court ruling.

In a lay judge trial in June 2013, Nagasaki District Court sentenced Gota Tsutsui to death on charges of murder and intimidation after he was found the morning after the murder with the knife used in the crime and traces of the victims' blood on his clothes.

Tsutsui has maintained his innocence. The high court judge rejected the defendant's claim that the police planted the weapon on him, calling the claim groundless and absurd. Tsutsui's defense counsel plans to appeal the high court ruling.

Furuta described the double murder as "a ruthless crime based on strong criminal intent."

Tsutsui admitted his guilt during the police investigation but then pleaded not guilty during the trial.

Source: The Japan News, June 24, 2014
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