U.S. Marine admits robbing taxi driver in Okinawa
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 1:19 am
TOKYO, May 24 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A 19-year-old U.S. Marine admitted Monday to charges that he injured a taxi driver and robbed him of money in Okinawa Prefecture last August, in what is believed to be the first lay judge trial of a U.S. serviceman since the system was launched in Japan last May.
The serviceman, from the U.S. Marines' Makiminato Service Area in Urasoe, injured the taxi driver with a knife and robbed him of 21,000 yen and $100 in cash on the night of Aug. 1, according to the indictment.
Lay judges were selected from the public at the Naha District Court earlier in the day.
The district court will hold the next hearings in the case on Tuesday and Wednesday, and is expected to hand down a ruling on Thursday.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1
The serviceman, from the U.S. Marines' Makiminato Service Area in Urasoe, injured the taxi driver with a knife and robbed him of 21,000 yen and $100 in cash on the night of Aug. 1, according to the indictment.
Lay judges were selected from the public at the Naha District Court earlier in the day.
The district court will hold the next hearings in the case on Tuesday and Wednesday, and is expected to hand down a ruling on Thursday.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1