Assault at a Nightclub
Case Background
Our client, a citizen of the United States, was visiting Japan as a tourist. After drinking heavily in a nightlife district, he became involved in a violent altercation and was arrested by the police. His family in the United States contacted our office from overseas and asked us to represent him.
Issues That Arose with the Case and Our Solutions
1. Our client had no clear memory of what had happened.
We visited our client at the detention facility immediately after being retained. He explained that, although his memory of the night was not clear, he understood that he was suspected of having assaulted a member of staff following a dispute at a club. We then contacted the prosecutor in charge and confirmed the evidence held against him. The assault had been captured on a security camera, and we concluded that contesting the facts would be difficult. We explained this to our client and advised that reaching a settlement with the victim was the most effective course of action.
2. Our client needed to be released and return to his home country as soon as possible.
Our client was a tourist, and a prolonged detention would have caused serious difficulties for both him and his family overseas. Without delay, we went to meet the club employee in person, explained the circumstances and negotiated on our client’s behalf. A settlement was reached, and we submitted the settlement agreement to the prosecutor together with a request for our client’s release.
Result of the Case
On the basis of the settlement, the prosecutor released our client before the expiry of the ten-day detention period. Our client was able to return to his home country safely.
