Ex-soccer star Maezono released after night in jail for assaulting taxi driver

Oldest excuse in the book..."I was drunk and I don't remember anything"...please grow up!

Even if he did reach a financial settlement with the driver he should have been charged.

Uhm, Mirai, he said

"I did what I should not do even if I was drunk.”

What pisses me off the most is that if this was anyone else, they would have been charged for assault and battery and petty theft among other charges. This guy apologizes and give a bit of cash and he gets off scot free. He probably won't even lose his job over this.

I really despise the "I was drunk and don't remember a thing" excuse. This tells me that this guy will probably do it again if given the opportunity. especially since wasn't penalized for it. He should at the very least be required to do alcohol rehabilitation and several hours.of community service. What a pig!

Boohoo Mirai. Money talks in Japan. If you had the power to pay your way out of such a situation, you'd probably take that route too. Jealousy maybe?

@AkashiAussie

So by admission, you would pay your way out of prison...stay classy!

Money talks in Japan. If you had the power to pay your way out of such a situation, you'd probably take that route too

This writer seems to be saying that bribery is ok?

If incident happened to the average person in the street, I doubt they would have got off so lightly.

Will he lose his job or is all forgiven?

Will he lose his job or is all forgiven?

Unless there is more public outrage (which there won't be), this will all be swept under the rug as if it never happened. I would go even further and say that his fans would go through lengths to protect him.

I am quite sure there is more to it, even though I have not heard the whole story and only speculating, there typically a reason for refusing to pay in Japan. Done it myself on quite a few occasions, and very rightfully so.Luckily I was not intoxicated and the driver couldnt get away with trying to rip us off by taking deliberate loop or wrong way. You never know what can happen when you drink and in bad mood and catchign a taxi driver doing tricks. I am quite sure the case was dropped for a reason.

@Mirai Hayashi

It happens basically everywhere around the world. If the person withdraws his complaint then the police(prosecuters) does not have a case to work with. In the US it happens all the time as out of court settlement.

@Alex Einz

there typically a reason for refusing to pay in Japan

Look, there were times when taxi drivers in Tokyo "thought" that I was a tourist or didn't know the area too well and tried to hike up the fare by taking a longer or more obscure route. Yes you can, and have every right right to dispute the fare, or dispute the route or whatever. BUT, you DO NOT have the right to just bail on the driver without paying and then get into a physical confrontation with them. They are people trying to make a living, and you can't kick and punch them because you don't FEEL like paying. That just makes you nothing more than a bully and a thug!

If you disagree with the fare, take their name and number down. It should always be printed on an ID on the seat or on the dashboard. Pay the fare, and call up the taxi company and report him/her. That's the REAL way to report a dishonest taxi driver. I the driver gets enough complaints, he'll probably be fired. Taxi companies are a service industry, and don't like bad reputations, so if you make a big enough deal out of it, they might refund part of the fare if they agree that the driver to a more costly alternative route.

Something similar happened to a friend, the difference he was a gaijin! He lost his job, spent 100 days in jail and paid 500.000 yen for the jp guy. He not assaulted the driver, but at the time taxi cab don't had the cameras inside and he couldn't prove what really happened.

If the person withdraws his complaint then the police(prosecuters) does not have a case to work with.

Not true, he has admitted it so if the law was so inclined he could still be charged. But in this case he obviously has the connections to get it dismissed. Remember the case in Towada where a taxi driver got bashed? The perp got charged without a complaint being laid by the taxi dude.

What a pathetic society where, instead of justice being done, you PAY your way out of trouble. Then you do your little sing and -dance number, fake some remorse and you are on your way. Oh, and don't forget: "I was drunk. I don't remember aaanything. What a joke.

@spudman

Don't know what case you are talking about but basically any and all cases where the victim does not press charges will be thrown out of court since prosecutors will not have a victim to testify and all related evidence concerning the victim will be considered void. The first thing the police takes from the victim is a statement which also acts as official testment to press charges. The victim can retract that testment if they wish to at a later date.

Samurai,

What a surprise. You just had to compare this to "everywhere around the world". As if that would somehow justify this clown's behavior or the fact that he paid his way out of jail.

This has squat to do with other countries. This has all to do with this guy being an antipatico.

If the taxi driver did not want to press any charges against Maezono??

@Knox Harrington

Doesn't matter since it is the truth around the world. You're barking up the wrong tree if you are looking to go on a crusade.

Money = Freedom

Apparently Freedom to do stupid things and get off without hard consequences

@ Mirai, same for the driver - he didnt need to chase and try stop him, but ask for name and report to police. He didnt though, btw many JP taxi drivers today conceal the name card or drive a taxi with a differents persons name.. times are tough you know and there are way too many taxies in Tokyo...

Moderator: Please refrain from posting rubbish like this.

@Harry

Even if he did reach a financial settlement with the driver he should have been charged.

Someone would need to press charges, and the taxi driver, in his infinite benevolence, has decided that getting money out of Mr Maezono is better than putting him throught the pain of a court case, which the taxi driver would need to take time off work to testify, etc. Police would only press charges IF they thought he was a danger to the public, which would set such a huge precident, as tehn they would need to arrest 35ths of the adult population everytime they got drunk as they would "potentially" become a danger to the public. Taxi driver quids in, Maezono off the hook, but embarrassed.

Unless there is more public outrage (which there won't be), this will all be swept under the rug as if it never happened.

I doubt that. Its been all over the news and they will not likely want him on TV anymore. Of course I'm not sure about the contractual situation, but I think he blew it big time.

I wish I could get out of anything with my wallet and saying sorry. Lady Justice seems to be blind, but she sure isn't fair. If I had done this I'd lose my job and be deported.

It's called restitution peeps. It frees up the police and courts time from dealing with minor cases. Being that the taxi driver wasn't hurt (or so it seems) he wasn't wrong to take restitution...at least he came out of this with something other than the 'satisfaction' of what likely would've been just a small fine for Maezono.

And yet another celebrity criminal who abuses others and gets off, even though in this case for a payday. The guy should be fired at the very least.

Samurai blue you are talking about Antragsdelikt but it doesn't apply to common assault. If there iis more outrage, the man could be prosecuted.

I thought he was a comedian.... oh well!

spudman

And how is the prosecutors able to provide proof to the court? An assault against a person can only be proven with a testimony by the victim with a medical examiner's document that the victim had actual been physical abused. Neither can be obtained without the victim's consent.Without the two the judge will throw it out of court.

Way to irrelevant of a player to be given front page news for a crime like assault.

Maezono scored four goals in his 19 international matches between 1994 and 1997.

That's the stats for a soccer star? Let's see...thats four goals in 19 matches over a three year period, so that would be an average of...damn, I can't calculate fractions, number is too small.

And yet another celebrity criminal who abuses others and gets off

He won't be on TV anymore. He already said this.

Is he suffering from CTE?

I am sure the taxi driver deserved it! they always do!

taxi driver must have taken him for a loop figuring easy to fool a drunk , thats why the out of court settlement

I agree taxi driver should be fired!

And how is the prosecutors able to provide proof to the court?

He admitted the crime! That is all the testimony a court needs. He is the witness. This isn't that difficult a case. Do you want the defense to call another witness to refute the defendants own testimony?

I need to drink more so I can forget my past mistakes.

Couldn't score goals -- can't hold his drinks either.

SamuraiBlueOct. 15, 2013 - 11:00AM JST wrote;

@Mirai Hayashi

It happens basically everywhere around the world. If the person withdraws his complaint then the police(prosecuters) does not have a case to work with. In the US it happens all the time as out of court settlement. ////////////////////////////////////////////

I haven;t checked other countries so I will wite about USA. In USA. the settlement between offender and ayvictim are civil matter., If in USA, he would be in jail, has been kept until go to court next day and then to be released if bond is decided and he paid bail money. Also, drunk in public will be considered to get into drunk tank right away. Civil agreement? USA are full with people who like to sue big money. With his status in TV business, usually ple---enty money. He will b e able to get Public Dewfender to go to court but public defender decline for some reason, he has to pay attorney who take such case with $150 an hour for all day long (8 hours) _ more. Samurai Blue, so skip USA out of your World.

From star to scumbag.