In the first jury trial in Korea the defendant was found guilty.
The defendant a 27-year old man admitted to battery and robbery of a 70-year old woman in her home, but claimed that he did so because his younger sister needed money in order to pay debt collectors that were threatening the life of his sister.
A month, prior to the trial, The Daegu District Court, notified 230 citizens of the district that they were called for jury duty. Surprisingly, 86 jurors showed up for jury duty and the prosecutor and the defense attorney selected, amongst the 86, 9 jurors and 3 alternates. Six men and six women were chosen.
During the trial, the prosecution attempted to persuade the court and jury that they must apply the law and not consider the plight of the defendant and his family. The defense attorney urged the court and jury to be lenient on the defendant because of his plight.
The jury voted unanimously, after 2-hours of deliberations, to find the defendant guilty. The court approved the non-binding finding of the jury. The jury also advised the court to suspend the jail sentence. The court approved the recommendation and suspended a 2 1/2 year jail sentence and ordered the defendant to complete 80 hours of community service.
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