This in from Debito: "The killer of Scott Tucker, choked to death by a DJ in a Tokyo bar, gets suspended sentence.

Zurui: Here is some background information on the Bul-lets DJ. — Police confirmed Wednesday that they have charged a man with killing an American man in a nightclub in Azabu on Feb 29. Atsushi Watanabe, 29, was charged with killing Richard Scott Tucker, 47, by choking him and punching him from behind at around 10:40 p.m. The victim was taken to hospital but died about one hour later.According to police, Watanabe, who works for the Bullets club as a DJ, assaulted the victim after finding him drunk and aggressively shoving other customers. Watanabe was quoted by police as saying, "I tried to stop him shoving customers. I didn't mean to kill him."

I made the case some months ago, in a special DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER on criminal justice and policing of NJ, that NJ get special (as in negative) treatment by courts and cops. An article I included from the Japan Times mentioned that a case of a NJ man killed in a bar "was likely to draw leniency" in criminal court. It did. The killer essentially got off last September. Here's an article about it, from Charleston, WV:Charleston Gazette: Prosecutors in Japan have decided not appeal the sentence in the murder conviction of a man placed on five years' probation for murdering Charleston native and West Virginia University graduate Scott Tucker."Prosecutors decided not to even present the appeal," said Kenneth Tucker II, Scott Tucker's brother. "They said the witness's testimony was strong enough not to appeal."Tucker's wife and family had hoped prosecutors would appeal the sentencing in an attempt to get the man jail time. But prosecutors said Thursday they would not pursue an appeal before the two-week window to file ends on Monday.On Sept. 8, Atsushi Watanabe, 29, was sentenced to three years in prison or five years' probation for killing Scott Tucker. Under Japanese law, probation in murder cases can begin immediately so Watanabe will serve five years probation rather than three years in prison, David Yoshida, who attended the trial with Tucker's wife, Yumiko Yamakazi, said previously.Yamakazi is weighing her options in pursuing a civil case against Watanabe, Kenneth Tucker said..."http://www.debito.org/?p=2060