The ruling of the Supreme Court is a stunning defeat for the prosecution who earlier that day expressed confidence that after nearly seven months of rigorous court proceedings Miura could finally be extradited.
“It’s disappointing,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffery Warfield Sr. “It’s quite expensive for the four of them to come here. A lot of travel time to come here but that’s the way things go sometimes and they knew that there’s that possibility to happen but that’s their job.”
Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona Manglona ordered last Friday to extradite Miura to California and denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
His defense team filed an emergency motion to stay the execution of the extradition pending the appeal.
Bruce Berline, Miura’s lead counsel on Saipan, lauded the high court’s decision.
Berline said Miura continues to suffer from California’s action.
He said the state had the chance to pursue Miura over the past two decades but never did until his arrest at Saipan’s international airport on Feb. 22.
“California has delayed this for 27 years. A delay to have Mr. Miura here to have the Supreme Court hear his appeal isn’t going to prejudice California. The CNMI isn’t prejudiced. Mr. Miura is the only one that would suffer if he is denied his motion to hear his appeal,” he told the visiting Japanese and local media on a hastily called press conference on Monday afternoon.
The Supreme Court will hear Miura’s appeal on Tuesday.
Jonathan Grayson, the Supreme Court’s clerk, said there are two ruling possibilities — “He can be released or he can be extradited to California.”
Disappointed
Rick Jackson of the LAPD Cold Case Homicide Unit said they are disappointed over the turn of events.
It was Jackson who first investigated the case of the 61-year-old Japanese businessman in 1981 over the suspicious attack on him and his wife in a Los Angeles parking lot that later led to her death and enriched him in insurance payouts.
“Just now we found out that there’s been a stay granted and there’s a hearing set next [Tuesday],” said Jackson who graciously answered queries from the visiting Japanese media during an impromptu news briefing held at the Saipan airport shortly after their plane from Guam touched down.”
“We’re disappointed but that’s the way things go and so we’ll probably head back in the next day or so and return later when things are set up permanently and we can take Mr. Mr. Miura back to California,” he added.
Jackson was accompanied by his partner, Richard Bengtson, and two other LAPD detectives — Eri Poss and Hope Young.
This year, Jackson submitted supplemental affidavits to the court saying Miura solicited help from three men to kill his wife.
He further testified that the body of an unidentified woman found in a vacant lot in Lake View Terrace in L.A. in 1979 was actually Miura’s missing girlfriend, Chizuko Shiraishi.
He suspected foul play in her death.
The detective who has been chasing Miura since the 1980s expressed deep disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision but still believe he could still be flown to L.A.
He said a lot of legal issues are involved which may further delay Miura’s anticipated trial in L.A.
“There is a very good chance that either one or both sides [prosecution and defense] in Los Angeles will appeal the ruling [of Judge Steven Van Sicklen on the motion to quash the warrant of arrest]. Obviously, there’s the court of appeals. There will be multiple rulings,” he said.
But down the line, Jackson believes Miura would have to face consequences of his actions.
“We think that we will be prosecuting Mr. Miura down the road at some point in Los Angeles. We have to get him back there,” he added.
Japan acquitted Miura of murder in 1998.
But LA prosecutors insist he could still stand trial for conspiracy to commit murder.
