OSAKA (TR) – The Osaka District Court last month granted an organized crime member leave from detention for nearly six hours to attend the wedding of his daughter, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 10).
Between 12:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m on May 14, an upper-level member of the Yamaguchi-gumi was out of custody as he attended the wedding ceremony of his daughter at a hotel in the Kansai area.
The gang member, aged in his 50s, is under prosecution for violations of customs laws. In making the request for leave, the defense submitted an application to the court that stated the gang member had been imprisoned during much of his daughter’s childhood. “It is also my daughter’s wish that I attend her wedding ceremony,” the request read.
Initially, the request was denied due to the risk of flight on the part of the defendant and his criminal record. However, permission was granted after it was agreed that the gangster would be accompanied by police officers and the period of time would be clearly established.
The prosecution did not file a request to reconsider the court’s decision.
Aside from an illness on the part of the defendant or one of his family members, the granting of such a request by a court is very rare. In 1985, the Osaka High Court denied a request by a man facing attempted fraud charges to attend the wedding of his younger brother after an appeal by the prosecution.
