01x02 - Rejection

[bunniefuu]

Keita Hiyama, aged 35.

He's accused of homicide.

The victim was m*rder*d

at his residence adjacent to Hanegi Seiko.

Your Honor,

We've been searching

for this for a long time.

It's the m*rder weapon.

But that hammer is mine

Mr. Hiyama.

Before the incident,

did you happen to misplace the hammer?

You walked into the shop empty-handed,

seeking "to cool off from the heat."

You pulled out a bag

from your front pants pocket,

placed a pillow inside,

and attempted to exit the shop.

You entered the shop

intending to steal, didn't you?

Given these facts,

it's clear that the theft of the pillow

was deliberate rather than impulsive.

It can't be denied the crime was malicious

with the potential for repetition.

That is all.

Defense counsel, do you wish

to conduct a redirect examination?

I, Shinomiya, the defense counsel,

will ask another question.

The bag you carried,

wasn't it of personal significance to you?

Hyperventilation syndrome.

Three months ago,

you collapsed at Setagaya-Daita Station

on the Odakyu Line.

That's absurd.

I present evidence number 12,

as requested by the defense counsel.

It's a diagnosis of the accused

by psychosomatic medicine.

After the accused collapsed

due to hyperventilation syndrome,

he began carrying a bag in his pocket

as an emergency treatment measure.

The paper bag method

is not presently endorsed

from a medical perspective.

However, in this instance,

the accused carried it

as a means of safeguarding his own life.

Therefore, his crime was not premeditated.

PUBLIC PROSECUTORS OFFICE

REFERENCE ROOM

DNA PROFILING TEST REPOR

How unusual.

Were you doing some research?

At this rate,

Hiyama's guilt will be established.

That's the report I've received.

I'm sure that is the outcome

the prosecution desires.

Those who have committed a crime

should face appropriate judgment.

Right?

That's the ideal.

The trial isn't over yet.

Excuse me.

The m*rder weapon, huh?

Apparently, a police officer who happened

to be patrolling the area found it.

It sounds too convenient

that it'd been found amid trial.

It's suspicious.

It was discovered on a dry riverbed

two kilometers away from the crime scene

and exposed to rain for three months.

Yet, they detected

the victim's blood on it.

Can blood linger that long?

I'm not sure.

I've heard blood on clothes

can still be detected

even after three washes with detergent.

The presence of Mr. Hanegi's blood

suggests it was used for the m*rder.

But even this isn't decisive evidence.

True.

The hammer belongs to Mr. Hiyama,

but the prosecution hasn't been able

to prove he used it for the m*rder.

Welcome back.

How did it go?

He'll get around two years, I think.

Thanks for getting

the diagnosis on short notice.

Linking it to hyperventilation

was a stretch,

but letting the old man die in prison

would've been too pitiful.

Misplaced it?

Mr. Hiyama misplaced

his hammer before the incident,

and someone else used it for the crime.

So, it was either stolen

or found by someone else.

Something like that, I imagine.

It was used without Mr. Hiyama's knowledge

or consent and happened to be found.

That's all there is to it.

No need to worry about it.

No need?

More importantly

Mr. Aoyama.

I did some digging on Mr. Himeno.

Every year, he receives commendations

from the Chief Prosecutor

for his achievements.

At the young age of 30,

he was appointed the Senior Prosecutor

for major incidents across a wide area.

He's clearly seen as promising.

How is his background relevant?

Look at this.

Is this a list

of all the cases he's handled?

Yes, Mr. Akizumi looked this up.

The cases that required DNA tests

were nine in total.

All of which were handled

by Professor Tadao Nakajima

of Metropolitan Medical University,

who also worked on this case.

Professor Nakajima is

a leading authority in forensic medicine.

How is his involvement relevant?

Isn't it common

for investigative authorities

to consult the same expert?

The incident took place

on January 30th of this year.

Despite ample evidence,

the police repeatedly requested

Mr. Hiyama to come in voluntarily.

They also made multiple re-arrests

for minor offenses like property damage,

and took a long time to indict him.

This was clearly

at the instruction of the prosecutor.

So, they needed time until the indictment.

Was it to locate the m*rder weapon,

which would serve as decisive evidence?

Or maybe

for another reason?

Prosecutors are creatures that

craft narratives to suit their purposes.

For instance

Consider a scenario

where a capable prosecutor,

highly regarded by upper management,

is assigned to a homicide case.

The suspect is most certainly the culprit.

The upper management

believes he's 100% guilty.

But all they have

is circumstantial evidence

and they still lack decisive proof.

"What do I do?"

"As things stand, there's a great risk

that the defense counsel

could overturn the existing evidence."

This prosecutor,

precisely due to his competence,

is attracting attention and facing

immense pressure from his superiors.

Losing this case

could tarnish all the achievements

he's amassed thus far.

So thinking,

he tells himself,

"That man is undoubtedly guilty."

"For the sake of justice,

I must ensure his conviction."

"I know."

"If DNA evidence

is found on the victim's body,

such as under the nails,

it would be highly compelling evidence."

And so,

he directs the police

to resubmit samples for DNA testing.

At the same time,

he reaches out to a professor

with whom he's closely connected,

and requests tampering

with the DNA test results.

That would explain

the delay in making the indictment.

Requesting another round of testing

and inventing evidence from the results

would take considerable time.

The prosecution

would never engage in tampering.

But there is a precedent for this.

Over a decade ago,

there was a case

where a certain system was abused.

A Senior Prosecutor tampered

with evidence data on a floppy disk.

Even prosecutors are human.

Can you be confident

it won't happen again?

Even politicians,

meant to embody model citizens,

have been involved in numerous

egregious injustices and cover-ups.

Even the police have been guilty

of ill*gal investigations,

mistaken arrests,

and even ties with antisocial forces.

There's no reason to think

only the prosecution is innocent.

We should look into this.

On mere speculation?

Akamine.

Every discovery and invention in the world

are built on speculation and theories.

Excuse me.

What happened?

It seems Attorney Akizumi

has been digging into

your past trial records.

Why was he doing that?

Any ideas?

No.

Your hand.

You should stop that.

-We're a camera club.

-We're a camera club.

-Check it out.

-Check it out.

-We're a tennis club.

-I can still pass as a university student.

The DNA test was conducted

in the genetic testing room

at Metropolitan Medical University.

The first thing I need you to check

is the room's usage log.

You can find it

in the Research Management Section.

RESEARCH MANAGEMENT SECTION

Excuse me.

Yes?

I'd like to check the usage log

of the genetic testing room.

Your student ID, please?

Right.

Sorry, I think

I might've left it somewhere.

But I have a participation certificate

from the Genomics Conference

hosted by the National Society

of Forensic Medicine the other day.

Along with a group photo.

METROPOLITAN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

ASUKA SHINOMIYA

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FORENSIC MEDICINE

GENOMICS CONFERENCE

All right.

Just a minute.

About that photo

We got Mr. Aoyama to prepare it.

It's a composite photo.

We didn't fabricate a student ID,

so we're just skirting the law.

Don't let it show that you're disturbed.

I was terrified thinking what would happen

if they found out you took a photo.

The online career fair,

when's the deadline to apply for it?

Well

As stated in the report, on February 1st,

a DNA test was carried out

right after the legally-ordered autopsy.

Mr. Aoyama, I've just sent it to you.

Hold on.

I see.

It seems the test was indeed

conducted on February 1st.

In that case,

the typical turnaround

for test results is about a week.

So, the prosecution

would likely receive them

around February 7th or 8th.

But Mr. Hiyama's DNA

wasn't identified in this test.

That's our assumption, right?

Yes.

This put pressure on the prosecution,

prompting them to ask

Professor Nakajima for another test

to ensure that Mr. Hiyama's DNA

would appear.

If they intended to tamper

with the results,

why bother with another test at all?

DNA test reports are protected

with anti-copying watermarks,

making it difficult

to directly alter them.

If the original data is tampered with,

they say specialists

can easily detect artificial alterations.

But how did they acquire Mr. Hiyama's DNA?

If the prosecution conducted a DNA test,

it implies they already had Mr. Hiyama

provide them with a DNA sample.

I see.

After all, they're comparing the skin

found under the victim's nails

with the voluntarily provided

DNA sample from Mr. Hiyama.

In other words, the prosecution

possesses Mr. Hiyama's DNA,

which they obtained

for a legitimate purpose.

I see.

They likely took Mr. Hiyama's DNA,

mixed it with the sample supposedly

collected from under the victim's nails,

and had Professor Nakajima

conduct another test.

This was carried out

in utmost secrecy, of course.

If another test was conducted

and the data was submitted

within the detention period

The second test would have occurred

sometime between

February 9th and 15th.

If the second test occurred

sometime between February 9th and 15th

Professor Nakajima lectures

at another university

on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,

and those weren't canceled.

So, he could've only come

to the Medical University

on Monday, Thursday, and Friday.

And the only day the testing room was

available on one of these three days

was the 15th.

There's an odd gap here.

This is probably

when the second test was conducted.

That would be it.

This is the research building.

No security cameras here.

GENETIC TESTING ROOM

It won't open unless we know the passcode.

Oh my, hello!

Are you here for some tests?

Well, we thought we'd do some prep.

Being a student is tough, huh?

Good luck and work hard for Japan.

-Thank you.

-No problem.

We'll do our best.

That gave me a fright.

The look on your face

when that lady appeared was priceless.

I never knew you could make

that expression, Shinomiya.

Oh my!

Good day.

Good day.

Um

Are tests typically conducted

by the professor alone?

-Huh?

-I mean

There's preparation to do,

and it must be

a lot of work for just one person.

And to do it without anyone noticing

sounds quite tricky.

I'll ask some students

in the forensic medicine classroom.

What? Professor Nakajima's assistant?

Exactly!

I'm studying DNA testing

at my graduate school,

and I was hoping Professor Nakajima

might be recruiting assistants.

Tough luck.

He always works with the same person.

What, really? Who?

What's the name again?

The dull-looking one.

Mito, the assistant professor.

A Nakajima research graduate

aspiring to become a professor.

Interesting.

By the way, about this Mito person

I never knew she could smile like that.

-Here you go.

-Let me see

Mito

Isn't that Mito?

I see.

Mito is a nickname for Kentaro Miura.

Let's see what he teaches.

"Introduction

to Forensic Medicine Part One."

Just one class, huh?

Being an assistant professor

is pretty tough, huh?

You need to write a ton of papers

and reach full professorship

to make ends meet, apparently.

-The class should be ending soon, right?

-Yes.

I'll go talk to him.

-I'll join you.

-No need.

Ms. Shinomiya is so cool.

-I see.

-Thank you.

If you want to win her,

you should be ready.

Her dad's a detective.

-A detective?

-Yeah.

So she's the daughter of a detective.

I see.

It's not like that.

Death Education, right?

That's right.

I need to write a report

on biological death

and social death in forensic medicine.

When I asked

Professor Nakajima for advice,

he mentioned that the book

Death Education would be helpful.

And he said I could borrow it

from his bookshelf.

I see.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Death Education should be around here.

Here you go.

Thank you so much.

There's another book.

Modern Forensic Medicine:

Second Revised Edition.

Excuse me.

Found it.

Here.

-Take this too.

-Thank you.

I hope your report goes well.

Me too.

Wait.

Anything else?

I'm actually researching for a paper

on the latest DNA testing methods.

And I want some real DNA test data.

Is it possible for me

to observe an actual test?

I've heard that you assist

Professor Nakajima during tests.

I regret to say this,

but that's pretty tricky, especially

since it's related to criminal cases.

Of course.

You're right.

What about the samples

you used for testing

or detailed records of tests

that I could examine?

We return the samples,

and the test results

are all documented in the test report.

But we always print out the data

and save it as a file.

And the DNA sequencer itself

should retain the raw data.

The data file of the DNA test?

That's right.

Anyway,

you managed to win over Mr. Miura

quite cleverly, didn't you?

Mr. Akizumi sent me this.

When I asked Mr. Miura to lend me

these books, he believed I was a student.

Mr. Akizumi is as impressive as ever.

You look like a university student.

I'm so embarrassed.

You must've been working late.

Early this year,

there was a homicide at a factory

called Hanegi Seiko in Ota Ward.

You're familiar with it, right?

I'm Akizumi,

the defense counsel for the case.

What do you want?

I've been looking into the DNA test

conducted by Professor Nakajima.

I wasn't involved in that at all.

I want to check the detailed records

of the DNA test on Mr. Hanegi

conducted on February 1st.

May I ask for your cooperation?

They've been submitted to the prosecution.

So you are involved, after all.

No, I'm not.

It was a logical assumption.

Excuse me.

One last question.

What is it?

Where were you from 1 to 6 p.m.

on February 15th?

I'm in a rush. Excuse me.

Are you sure Mr. Miura will show up?

His friends were mentioning

that he's quite unhappy about

being an assistant to Professor Nakajima.

When did he investigate that?

He seemed frightened throughout.

When people are nervous

or under extreme stress,

they sometimes fidget

with what they're wearing.

He's probably been carrying

a lot of anxiety and fear.

You met Mr. Miura?

I unsettled him a bit last night.

But it's still just speculation.

If he realizes

he's suspected of ill*gal activity,

it should make him feel uneasy.

Then, he will become concerned

about the raw data of the test results

and try to take it outside.

If he won't let us into the testing room,

we'll need to get him to bring it to us.

The testing room

is available only now for today.

Well then,

let us wait.

And so, it falls on me again.

He's here.

He's here.

I guess I can't tell the passcode.

DNA TEST RESULTS

Hello.

I'm Akamine from the Akizumi Law Office.

Mr. Miura,

no test was scheduled for today.

Why are you here?

Were you looking for something?

What are you talking about?

Please show me the contents of your bag.

Hey!

Wait a minute!

It's not here.

I just came back for my stuff.

How dare you!

You're from a law office, right?

I'll report this to my superiors.

Excuse me.

I should've gone instead.

But he already

knows your face, Ms. Shinomiya.

Well, it's too late now.

Mr. Akizumi,

did you suspect this might happen?

I sincerely apologize.

Mr. Akizumi,

this is unacceptable behavior

from an attorney.

My apologies.

I had no idea he'd commit such a blunder.

He's young, yes,

but he definitely crossed a line.

I'll give him a stern reprimand.

If you'll excuse us.

Do you think a simple apology

will let you off the hook?

Is there something else?

What this man did is an insult to me.

Excuse me?

You're quite brazen yourself.

Your actions have greatly diminished

trust and order among attorneys.

Wouldn't you agree?

Quite.

I'll be bringing this matter

to the disciplinary committee.

I've known Attorney Kawana,

the chairperson, for quite some time now.

-If I speak

-I'm impressed, Professor Nakajima.

You wield quite the authority.

And it's not just him.

I'll also be holding you

responsible as his supervisor.

By all means.

Now, if you'll excuse us.

Let's go.

I almost forgot.

Do send my regards.

To Prosecutor Himeno.

That wasn't fair, Mr. Akizumi.

You just tried to pin all the blame on me.

Did I?

What's our next move?

What do you mean?

The raw data evidence

has likely been destroyed.

If so, we won't be able to uncover

the tampering of the test results anymore.

At this rate, we'll really face

disciplinary action.

Don't worry.

We simply have to expose them

before the trial.

Still

Excuse me, I have a place to stop by.

Come on.

Don't worry about it.

You still have a long life ahead of you.

I don't know

Listen, we can't have you

feeling down like this.

Here. The old lady confessed to the theft.

Also, the food and drinks you had

at the racetrack won't count as expenses.

And guess what? There's more.

She's a taskmaster.

If an attorney throws in the towel,

who's the client supposed to turn to?

Mr. Akizumi hasn't given up yet.

DRY CLEANER

Did you come here alone?

The DNA found under the victim's nails

might have been tampered with.

Tampered with?

During the investigation

by the prosecution,

did you consent to giving a DNA sample?

Basically,

the prosecution can do

as they want with your DNA.

If they mixed it in

with the sample collected

from under the victim's nails

That can't be

I'm sorry.

I'm here because

I was encouraged not to give up.

But

we couldn't get evidence of the tampering.

Mr. Akizumi will do something, won't he?

Mr. Hiyama,

may I ask you a question?

You didn't

k*ll Mr. Hanegi, right?

No.

I

came to this law office

because I admired Mr. Akizumi.

Six months ago,

he handled a false accusation case.

Seeing him save an innocent person,

I was inspired to be like him.

I wanted to help people too.

This case is the same, isn't it?

We're doing all this

to prove your innocence, right?

I

Are you two finished?

Mr. Akizumi.

Mr. Hiyama,

don't worry.

There's no reason for you to be convicted.

Akamine,

I'll show you how to win a trial.

Regarding the m*rder weapon,

yes, it has been found.

But there's no evidence linking

the accused to its use in the m*rder.

That is all I can say.

It doesn't matter.

It's up to the lay judges to decide.

Later today,

I will be examining the witness

Professor Nakajima,

who conducted the DNA tests.

I plan to ask a few questions

during that session.

The DNA from the skin flake

discovered under the victim's nails

is a complete match

to the DNA of the accused.

The presence of the accused's skin

under the victim's nails

suggests there was a tussle

between the two.

Thank you.

That is all from me.

Defense counsel,

you may begin your cross-examination.

Professor,

you've been involved

in many investigations

concerning causes of death

as an authority in forensic medicine.

Is it accurate to say that genetic testing

was conducted exclusively

in the genetic testing room

within the Faculty of Medicine?

That is correct.

In this room that adheres

to strict hygiene and security protocols?

As I said, that is correct.

There would be no way for anyone outside

to know the specifics

of what happens inside, correct?

Listen.

Test results indicate the date

and are accompanied by the test data.

His DNA was found.

That has been established.

Now, now, let's not get impatient.

We have plenty of time.

The DNA test of the victim

was conducted on February 1st,

as stated in the test report.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Was it just that once?

What are you getting at?

Defense counsel,

clarify the intent behind your questions.

Apologies.

I will be straightforward.

Professor, did you conduct DNA testing

not just once, but twice?

To refresh his memory,

I'd like to present evidence number 42

as requested by the defense counsel.

Please examine this document.

It's a record of DNA tests conducted

in the testing room

during the week

of February 9th to the 15th.

-It's just your standard record.

-It is.

There is nothing unusual about it.

However, take note of this.

On February 15th, between 1 and 6 p.m.,

there's a blank in the usage log.

A second round of testing

may have occurred during this time.

Professor Nakajima,

any comments regarding this?

What do you expect me to say?

I'm not sure what this is all about.

Is that so?

I, Shinomiya, of the defense counsel,

would like to clarify

the premise for this questioning.

As previously mentioned,

the genetic testing room

maintains strict hygiene protocols.

Individuals entering the room are required

to wear designated white coats.

And once used, these coats

are placed in a cart for weekly cleaning.

Professor,

is my information correct so far?

It is.

In order to refresh his memory,

I will present evidence number 43

as requested by the defense counsel.

Take a look at this document.

The room was used 18 times

by a total of 33 individuals.

Therefore, there should be 33 coats

collected from the cart.

However, for some reason,

35 coats were collected.

COLLECTION RECORD

I directly confirmed this information

with the cleaning dealer responsible.

Wait a minute.

Are you suggesting I conducted

another test based solely on that?

There's no evidence we used

those two coats for another test.

Your Honor, are you going to allow this?

By the way,

what were you doing

between 1 and 6 p.m. on February 15th?

During that time on Thursday,

I had a meeting

with Assistant Professor Miura.

Is that so?

That came out quite smoothly,

almost as if you had rehearsed it.

Did you perhaps anticipate this question?

I have meetings with him

at this time every Thursday.

You'll see if you ask Miura yourself.

Well, I did.

I did ask him.

Now, I would like to request new evidence.

Wait a minute!

This hasn't been disclosed

to the prosecution in advance.

This cannot be acknowledged!

The prosecutor is right.

Introducing new evidence at this stage

This is crucial evidence

that will completely overturn

Professor Nakajima's test results.

I apologize for the delayed request

as it was obtained at the last minute.

However, disregarding this evidence would

not only hinder the discovery of truth,

but also harm the integrity of this trial.

In order to prevent a false accusation,

I urge you to allow this.

That's sophistry!

Your Honor,

I ask you not to be misled by an attorney

with no respect for the rules.

Please render a fair judgment.

Prosecutor,

do you still have more to say?

Still more to say?

Preventing a false accusation

is the primary objective of a trial.

Your responsibility is to examine

the evidence and offer your opinion on it.

Is that understood?

Now, I will play the footage

of evidence number 48,

as requested by the defense counsel.

Please watch the video.

Professor Nakajima asked you

to provide an alibi for him

by claiming that you were having

a meeting with him on February 15th.

Is this correct?

Mr. Miura?

Yes.

That's correct.

Was this request made

in order to conduct another DNA test

with the professor in secret?

That's right.

Considering your position,

you could not disobey the professor.

That's right.

Why did you choose

to come forward with the truth?

As someone involved in forensic medicine,

I couldn't remain silent.

Thank you for your courageous act

of whistle-blowing.

Professor,

this is Mr. Miura's testimony

that you wanted.

Stop messing around!

You coerced him

into providing false testimony!

Bring him here!

He was intimidated

by your high-handed manner,

which is why

he provided a video testimony.

As a precaution,

I have also prepared a written statement

signed by Mr. Miura himself.

I will later request this as evidence

for the same reasons

as the footage just now.

Along with

a handwriting analysis certificate.

Order.

By the way,

the raw data of the test results

has already been suppressed

by Professor Nakajima.

However, evidence of tampering remains

as it has been personally duplicated

and stored by Mr. Miura.

As the defense counsel, I urge Your Honor

to verify this firsthand ex-officio.

Wouldn't you agree, Professor Nakajima?

As you can all discern by now,

the accused's DNA was never present

under the victim's nails to begin with.

However, through deliberate manipulation,

you made the accused's DNA appear

in a second round of testing.

I imagine you only did

as you were instructed.

Did you receive financial compensation

from the prosecution for this?

You were seeking instruction

on what to do just now.

N-No!

Prosecutor,

you failed to gather sufficient evidence

to indict the accused.

And so you resorted

to such underhanded tactics.

That is baseless speculation!

I might as well conjecture

that you've employed

similar methods in the past.

After all, this method can be used

as many times as you wish.

In Japan's criminal case trials,

the conviction rate stands at 99,9%,

a fact often depicted in dramas.

In other words, when a prosecutor

brings charges against someone,

their conviction is almost guaranteed.

However, the weight

of this statistic does not fall most

on us attorneys.

But on the prosecutors.

"Japan's investigative agencies

won't make a wrongful arrest."

People believe in their competency

and the trust cannot be destroyed.

Prosecutors feel compelled

to secure convictions.

They are burdened

by obligations that don't exist.

This pressure took a toll on this man,

leading to his unlawful actions.

Don't we all have such experiences?

Anyone belonging to an organization

must know what it's like to bend yourself

to conform to mindsets

established by the whole.

You suppress your own feelings

for your livelihoods and families.

It is difficult to oppose rules

that are already in place.

Mr. Hiyama didn't speak out

against power harassment,

and Mr. Ogata kept concealing

his hearing impairment.

They did so to survive.

It couldn't be helped.

Unfortunately, that is the reality

of Japan's current society.

However, we and all individuals involved

in the administration of justice,

must never forget for a moment

that they hold the power

to determine someone's fate.

A distorted perspective can unjustly rob

the life of an innocent person

who simply seeks a quiet life.

We must never let that happen!

Your Honor,

the same holds true for you.

You must not become consumed

with simply completing trials,

and neglect to question the evidence

presented by the prosecution

before rendering your judgments.

Otherwise, you won't be fulfilling

your duties.

This court is where people judge others,

and it should be a place

where fair judgments prevail.

That is my earnest wish.

Fair judgments.

32-YEAR-OLD MAN CONVICTED

IN INJURY CASE IN SHIBUYA WARD

MR. MATSUNAGA IS INNOCEN

REAL CULPRIT IS SHOICHIRO!!

Thank you all for today.

The court is now adjourned.

Mr. Akizumi,

how did you get Mr. Miura to cooperate?

Didn't I tell you?

I wasn't involved in that at all.

We will investigate the professor's

unlawful testing practices in court.

We're even considering

exposing this to the media.

If that happens,

you'll also be accused as an accomplice.

I read the latest paper on DNA profiling

employing haplotype analysis.

It was submitted

under Professor Nakajima's name,

but you're the actual author, aren't you?

How do you know?

Writing habits are evident in text,

and not just in handwriting.

A writer's habits appear in typed content

and even in English texts.

When using negative sentences,

Professor Nakajima uses words

like "can't" and "didn't"

and abbreviates them.

On the other hand

you tend to write "can not."

You write "not" individually

to emphasize a strong negative.

As if to say

that this wasn't written

by Professor Nakajima.

This was written by you.

From this paper as well,

I can see well

that you're highly competent.

However,

the professor will never

acknowledge your talents.

He prefers to keep someone

as skilled as you under his control

and continue to take advantage of you.

It's often superiors like him who claim,

"I'm acting in your best interest."

What will you do?

Will you continue to be

the professor's accomplice?

If that is your decision,

I will pursue you both

to the ends of the earth.

Does that mean

you anticipated his decision

to expose the professor?

He simply chose his own future.

Mr. Akizumi, about this trial

Please share your comments.

The prosecutor

may have fabricated evidence

in collaboration

with a forensic scientist.

This is a blatant affront

to the judicial system of our nation.

It's something that should never happen.

The prosecution will probably claim

that Mr. Himeno acted alone

and firmly deny any involvement.

But I wonder if others

were truly unaware of these actions.

Excuse me.

-Mr. Akizumi!

-Mr. Akizumi!

I will now deliver the verdict.

The decision.

The accused

is found innocent.

Next, I will explain

the reasoning behind this verdict.

I ask the accused

to listen to this while seated.

The reasoning behind this verdict.

This incident took place

on January 30th, 2024, around 9:40 p.m.,

at 7-6-1 Omori-kita, Ota Ward, Tokyo,

at the residence of Asao Hanegi.

The accused worked

at Hanegi Seiko Corporation,

which was headed by Asao Hanegi,

54 years old at the time.

The accused allegedly struck him

from behind with the intent to m*rder

Stop here!

-Stop here!

-Mr. Hiyama!

You're on your own from here.

Mr. Hiyama!

Mr. Akizumi,

as an attorney,

how do you see this verdict?

It was indeed a challenging case.

But I believe the court has reached

an appropriate judgment.

Later investigations uncovered

a monetary transaction

between Prosecutor Himeno

and Professor Nakajima

of Metropolitan Medical University.

Mr. Yashiro, was Professor Nakajima

instructed by Prosecutor Himeno

to alter the test report?

This is quite unprecedented.

Fabricating evidence in a trial and

Things are really blowing up.

The prosecution will probably

appeal the verdict, though.

They'll want to convict Mr. Hiyama

by any means necessary.

This case is only the beginning.

Did I sound like him?

I've always wanted to try.

That was pretty good.

Right?

I sincerely apologize.

As his supervisor, Prosecutor Himeno's

conduct falls under my responsibility.

It's not your fault.

Once you start seeking power,

there's no turning back, is there?

It demands a significant commitment,

but it seems that Himeno

lacked it a little.

It appears so.

Organizations are so terrifying.

"The prosecution must uphold justice."

"You must secure a conviction

no matter what."

I've never said

anything like that, though.

Do I come across as that frightening?

Regarding Attorney Akizumi,

you knew of him.

He's famous, after all.

He's good-looking too.

He's the type of person the media adores.

But

he's a little

His acquittal

Annoying, isn't he?

Pull over here.

I'll leave my stuff here,

so wait a while for me.

Sure.

INDUSTRIAL WASTE

INTERMEDIATE MANAGEMENT FACILITY

BRING YOUR WASTE

Mr. Hiyama!

Um,

is that

You knew the truth from the start.

Mr. Hiyama committed a crime.

He committed m*rder!

Even though he was your client

Did you have to go to such lengths

to secure an acquittal?

I struggle to understand

where your sense of justice lies.

Justice

huh?

What if

your precious family

had their lives threatened?

Imagine this.

A man with a knife

is about to k*ll your precious family.

And you

have a knife capable of k*lling him.

What would you do, Akamine?

Will you k*ll the man

to protect your family?

Why do you ask?

Just curious.

I'll k*ll him.

Someone compelled to k*ll

in order to save a loved one.

Someone who attempted

to k*ll another

with malicious intent but failed.

Whose crime carries greater weight?

I wonder,

what is justice?

I respect your decision.

You should do as you like.

However

just as you will stick

to your sense of justice,

I will also follow my own path.

There's a letter for you.

Says he wants to pay a visit.

MASAKI AKIZUMI

SHELTER DOGS NEWSLETTER

SAYA LOOKS CUTE IN THE PICTURE

-Welcome back, Saya!

-Hey!

It's good to be back.

Let's go inside and play.

Sure!

CHILDREN'S HOME

YUMEMIRAI

Subtitle translation by: Ai Matsuoka

Your actions are no different

from those of a criminal.

They thrive on scandals

involving politicians and their children.

Are you doing this

to pin guilt on an innocent person?