http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwao_Hakamada

Impressing!

What the hell is left to do ?

When Kumamoto came out in support of Hakamada in 2007, it shocked the Japanese public, casting light on the usually secretive justice system. Hakamada's case caused people to question the validity of the death penalty, and brought attention to what critics describe as "inhumane" elements of the Japanese justice system.[5][3] In Japan, judges often give more weight to confessions than other evidence, including forensics, which puts pressure on police to get confessions. The police may interrogate a suspect for up to 23 days and the suspect is not permitted to have a lawyer present for interrogation. Defense lawyers are not given access to police records.[3] Additionally, the system can leave inmates on death row for extended periods and then execute them with very little advance notice.[5]

sounds like Japan has a nice system going there...... by that, i mean, not a nice system at all, because i am, in fact, speaking ironically

Issues like that and wrongful conviction rates in many developed countries has generated a lot of controversy around the death penalty in general.
There was a case in Canada where someone was slated to be executed but the execution was dropped due to capital punishment being abolished and then later DNA evidence exonerated him.
Mind you the police track record pre 1960s was to arrest based more on "gut feel" than actual evidence (and for the courts to convinct).

In the latter half of the 20th century a fair number of countries have abolished it (for civilians)

I don't oppose the death penalty for truly guilty people.

I oppose the notion that there can ever be sufficient certainty of guilt (even in a trial by jury of peers) to ever impose the death penalty.

I oppose the cost of death penalty litigation.

I support every effort that nations around the world have taken to prevent drugs they make from being used for death penalties.

I believe that it is sufficient for people who would be tried for the death penalty to instead face life imprisonment without the chance for parole.

I believe that people convicted of crimes should be given as much time as they naturally live to overcome guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that sent them to prison. Far too many people have been released from death row after overwhelming evidence overturned guilty verdicts.

Sometimes the right thing to do costs more money. This should be an easier decision since the right thing to do is far less expensive than continuing the death penalty in the US. Death penalty opponents should take every effort in every case to prevent the death penalty that is available to them. European laws against selling drugs for use in the death penalty should be enforced as illegal sales. Specific drug protocols should be challenged on cruelty grounds. Every effort surrounding the death penalty that can be used to derail it. That being said, it is not the place of the US federal government to tell the states that they cannot have the death penalty. The federal government and courts can certainly enforce other laws surrounding the death penalty, but the US Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is not cruel and unusual.

I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING ANGEL1 SAID. I FORMERLY SUPPORTED THE DEATH PENALTY, BUT NO LONGER BELIEVE MY GOVERNMENT (OR ANY GOVERNMENT) IS COMPETENT OR MORAL ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS POWER.

OF COURSE THOUGH, EVERY TIME I SAY THAT, THE NEXT DAY I HEAR A NEWS STORY OF SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME SAY, "MAN, I'M GLAD WE HAVEN'T OUTLAWED THE DEATH PENALTY *YET*" LIKE TWO 20-SOMETHING SCUMBAGS BREAKING INTO THE HOME OF A 90 YEAR OLD WWII VET, BEATING HIM TO DEATH, BEATING HIS WIFE ALMOST TO DEATH AND THEN STEALING THE 20 DOLLARS WORTH OF STUFF IN THEIR BEDROOM. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I'VE GOT ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT STORY RIGHT (WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO) BUT THE FIRST THING I DID UPON HEARING IT WAS LOOK UP WHETHER THAT STATE USED THE DEATH PENALTY.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF EXILE THOUGH. WHY DID WE EVER STOP DOING THAT? I MEAN, WE OWN ALL KIND OF ISLANDS.. WHY NOT JUST SHIP THE WORST MURDERERS, RAPISTS, MOLESTERS AND PAULA ABDUL FANS THERE, AND BE DONE WITH THEM? NOBODY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT MAUI ANYWAY!

As someone who lives in Japan, I'm pretty scared of the Japanese justice system. I've heard some baaaaad stories :/

But hey, they're starting to use a pseudo-jury system!!! Kind of...sort of....

But yeah, their conviction rate is like ridiculously high, because basically they don't bring case to trial unless the person is going to be convicted....