LeVar Bouyer wrote:

        I'm in a bit of a bind.  I'm currently putting off...er,
writing,
an SM fanfic that involves quite a few courtroom scenes, and before I
outline too far, I'd appreciate the assistance of any lawyers who
would be
willing to hold my hand through the process.  I realize that the
Japanese
legal system isn't identical to ours, but for the purpose of this
story
(unless anyone here has an intricate working knowledge of the Japanese

criminal justice system), I'm assuming that it's close enough to ours
that
differences are negligible.

Not even remotely close...I'm no expert, but I do know they don't even
use the same
number of judges nor a jury.  It's based on a tribunal.
Depending on how serious you are, I can get detailed
info if you want it from encyclopedias.

        Anyway, if you'd like to make ths a very happy Christmas,
please
reply.  I promise I won't make any lawyer jokes.

If you made lawyer jokes, the Japanese reader wouldn'tget it or wouldn't
find it that humorous.  Unlike the US,
the Japanese culture doesn't as a rule enjoy challenging
the law (part of the reason the crime rate is so low).  Note
that there are very few "legal dramas" in Japan, neither
anime nor live-action.  Also unlike the US, in Japan,
breaking the law is just wrong; they don't dicker around
and play the legal games the US does (other than proving
innocence/guilt) with legal "technicalities" and lawyers
trying to outwit each other by trying to twist the law.

If your target audience is entirely US and you have
no interest in the Japanese readers (if any) nor
Japanese authenticity, then of course the above
doesn't matter; you can make up anything you
want.

Stephen Tsai
--
Kimagure Productions|Nephrite:  [Exasperated.]  Yes, it's
    --present--     |a dark evil mark!
 Orange College #32 |Man:  [Shocked.]  Ahh...  I just
  Sailor Ranma #19  |wanted to know where the bathroom was.
   *Coming Soon*    |Nephrite:  ...
Stephen Tsai        |
stsai@netcom.com    |Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Ranma #18

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/1604/