Actually, now that you mention it, I have heard of that conviction rate issue, and I sorta have experience with it too.
This is strictly anecdotal (I just learned about the term “anecdata,” lol), so take it with a grain of salt, but I do feel like the prosecutors I work with seem quite concerned about getting the accused to admit to the crime. I think it might be because of the nature of the crime—usually something really stupid like DUI, assault, public nuisance, or trespassing with lots of evidence. I think it has less to do with keeping the conviction rate up than the prosecutor not wanting to waste time and resources handing out prison sentences. First-time offenders tend to get away with lower fines and summary trials if they just tell the truth and admit to their crimes, apparently.
The point of my comment is not to defend the Japanese police. In the end, I don’t trust them just like how I don’t trust any authority.
Ironically despite not being from there I know more about that phenomenon in the American system than that of my own country but I should imagine a similar dynamic is at play here, there, in Japan and everywhere. It takes a great deal of time and money to conduct trials and there’s a lot of pressure to clear backlogs so if you can persuade someone to either admit the crime they really did because there’s overwhelming evidence or simply capitulate even though they actually didn’t do it because the risks if they lose at trial are so high then you manage to help to this end. I’m sure that’s happening in what you’re observing but it sounds like those types of incentives operate everywhere whereas the negative commentary about Happen in particular seemed to be about an unusually high conviction rate which is used as indirect evidence of a lack of fair process so if that’s sticking out even with this phenomenon occurring then it sounds fishy. But again I’m really just repeating rumours.
There have been cases where it seemed that the japanese police, prosecutors and judges where more interested to send the first person to jail they had get a hold of although they knew they were innocent just because the police and courts are always right.
I’ve heard some dodgy stuff about their conviction rates and tendency to stitch people up but I’ve not really read in to it.
Actually, now that you mention it, I have heard of that conviction rate issue, and I sorta have experience with it too.
This is strictly anecdotal (I just learned about the term “anecdata,” lol), so take it with a grain of salt, but I do feel like the prosecutors I work with seem quite concerned about getting the accused to admit to the crime. I think it might be because of the nature of the crime—usually something really stupid like DUI, assault, public nuisance, or trespassing with lots of evidence. I think it has less to do with keeping the conviction rate up than the prosecutor not wanting to waste time and resources handing out prison sentences. First-time offenders tend to get away with lower fines and summary trials if they just tell the truth and admit to their crimes, apparently.
The point of my comment is not to defend the Japanese police. In the end, I don’t trust them just like how I don’t trust any authority.
Ironically despite not being from there I know more about that phenomenon in the American system than that of my own country but I should imagine a similar dynamic is at play here, there, in Japan and everywhere. It takes a great deal of time and money to conduct trials and there’s a lot of pressure to clear backlogs so if you can persuade someone to either admit the crime they really did because there’s overwhelming evidence or simply capitulate even though they actually didn’t do it because the risks if they lose at trial are so high then you manage to help to this end. I’m sure that’s happening in what you’re observing but it sounds like those types of incentives operate everywhere whereas the negative commentary about Happen in particular seemed to be about an unusually high conviction rate which is used as indirect evidence of a lack of fair process so if that’s sticking out even with this phenomenon occurring then it sounds fishy. But again I’m really just repeating rumours.
There have been cases where it seemed that the japanese police, prosecutors and judges where more interested to send the first person to jail they had get a hold of although they knew they were innocent just because the police and courts are always right.