Court Spanks AUM Lawyers

File under: Gurus Doin' Time

Subway-gassing, death-row guru Shoko Asahara's lawyers have been slammed by the Tokyo High Court for failing to file his death penalty appeal on time:

The lawyers demanded trials be suspended and did not submit a statement of reasons for an appeal by the August 2005 deadline, arguing that Asahara lacked the ability to undergo a trial as he could not communicate with them.

The Tokyo High Court and the Supreme Court rejected Asahara’s appeals in March and September this year respectively, finalizing his death sentence.

But not to worry, the Japan justice system appears to have more loopholes than a U.S. military torture handbook, affording Asahara plenty more time to prove he's nuts by playing with his nards.