The Supreme Court has upheld a suspended sentence imposed on a U.S. Marine over his attempted molestation of a woman in Okinawa in 2002, backing a high court's procedure-based rejection of his appeal of a conviction that came even though the alleged victim demanded that all charges, including attempted rape, be dropped.
Toshimitsu Takaesu, the lawyer representing Maj. Michael Brown, said the defense team would consider filing a retrial petition based on its belief that the decision by the top court's Second Petty Bench, dated Monday, was unjust.
Brown, who maintains his innocence, was indicted on an attempted rape charge, but the district court convicted him of attempted molestation.