Case Name

Location

Date of Incident

Date of Arrest

Defendant's Name(s)

(Family  First)

F=female

Charges

~~~~

Confessed?

Nishiyama Mika Case

(or) Shiohigashi Hospital Case

Shiga Prefecture

~~~~~

2003/05/22

2004/07/06

Nishiyama Mika ( F)

Murder of a hospital patient

~~~~~~

Yes.

Summary

On May 22, 2003, a 72 year old male patient in a vegetative state died. One year later, Nishiyama was charged with removing a breathing tube and murder. She has a mild cognitive disorder and quickly confessed.

Court Chronology

District Court   2005/11/29  Guilty: 12 years.

High Court: Confirmed. 

Supreme Court: 2007/06/06  Confirmed. 

Later Actions

District Court: 

2010/09/21  Retrial filed. 

2011/03/30  Retrial rejected. Defense's objections are later rejected by both the High Court and the Supreme Court.

2012/09/28  2nd petition for retrial is filed. 

2015/09/30  2nd petition for retrial is rejected.

2015/10/05 Defense team files immediate appeal. 

   (  2017/August  Nishiyama finishes sentence and is released. )

High Court: 

2017/12/20 Defense's appeal is accepted and retrial is granted. Prosecution files appeal to supreme court.

Supreme Court: 

2019/03/18  Prosecution's protest is rejected, retrial is confirmed.

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District Court Retrial Chronology

2019/April. Prosecutors announce that they will contest the decision.

2019/0ct. Prosecutors announce that they will decline to further substantiate the case ( but insist that the defendant is guilty). 

2020/Feb/03  First retrial hearing.

2020/Feb/10   Closing arguments and prosecution's sentence demands.

2020/March/31   Not guilty.