Judge Motoichi Okaguchi Impeachment Trial Update: Verdict Delayed, Final Statements Made, and Defense Calls for Legal Decision

Judge Okaguchi (right) entering the courtroom

February 28, 2024 19:13

The 15th trial of the impeachment trial of Judge Motoichi Okaguchi (suspended) of the Sendai High Court, who was accused of posting online that hurt the parties involved in the trial, was held on February 28th. He was a member of the Diet (Liberal Democratic Party). Judge Okaguchi’s final opinion statement was held, and Judge Okaguchi apologized to the parties, saying, “I have made you feel uncomfortable.”

The trial has now concluded, and a verdict is expected to be handed down on March 27th. However, according to Judge Okaguchi’s side, he has been informed by the impeachment court that there may be a one-week delay. Judge Okaguchi’s term ends on April 12th, and if a verdict is not reached by then, the impeachment trial will end prematurely.

●Defense: “Make a legally appropriate decision”

Thirteen acts are at issue in the trial, but four of these cases have passed the three-year prosecution period, and the Judge Prosecution Committee, which is equivalent to a public prosecutor, considers all of them as one and final He argues that actions should be the starting point.

In response, the defense argued in its final statement that the 13 acts should not be viewed as one, citing various targets and temporal gaps. He stated that Judge Okaguchi’s actions do not constitute dismissal, citing the fact that the Supreme Court (Article 15 of the Judge Impeachment Act), which would require a prosecution to be filed if it determines that there are grounds for dismissal, has not filed a lawsuit. Ta.

At a press conference after the deadline, defense lawyer Kei Noma commented, “There is a significant difference between saying that what Judge Okaguchi did was wrong and that he should be removed from office.”

Of the 14 jurors, those who have legal qualifications are the second acting presiding judge, Mr. Takeshi Kai (Localist, Constitutional), Mr. Yuji Yamamoto (Localist, Liberal Democratic Party), Mr. Kazuo Kitagawa (Localist, Komeito), and Masako Mori. Of the five members, there are many who do not have legal qualifications.

Looking back on the trial, the defense team said, “We struggled to explain the case in an easy-to-understand manner to the jurors who had no prior legal knowledge.”

Lawyer Makoto Ito said, “Since it’s a trial, it needs to be based on legal grounds.It would be troublesome if judgments were made with the mindset of “punishing outrageous people” or “judges are the ones who represent the public’s feelings.” I hope the case will be judged appropriately in accordance with the law.

Although Representative Kazunori Tanaka (Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party) and Representative Masaaki Akaike (Liberal Democratic Party) were absent on this day, there were no substitutes from reserve members, leaving 12 jurors.

2024-02-28 10:13:00
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