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The district court handles the second death-penalty case in the lay judge system. Is this correct and natural?Thanks.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

LiveinjapanThe district court handles the second death-penalty case in the lay judge system.

I guess it's correct and natural, but it seems ambiguous to me.

It sounds like a newspaper headline packed with too much information.

Does it mean that this is the second time this court has used this judge system for this type of case?

Does it mean that this is the second ever death penalty case to be handled by the lay judge system, and that the first one was handled by some other court?

Or does it mean that there are two cases which everyone knows about, the first of which was handled by the conventional judge system, and the second of which (this one) is going to be handled by the lay judge system?

The tenses have the usual headline-type ambiguity - sort of assuming that everyone knows what they're about.

Well, I think sometimes they just want to put up a lot of words, hoping something will resonate with you personally, and you'll say, "Hmmm, what the heck is that all about?" - and read the article to find out!

Edit. "Handles" is no problem. It could have two senses:
(1) We have decided to handle this. We are taking on this project and dealing with it. (We can handle it.)

(2) We have decided to handle this in a different way. (How should we handle this?)

Liveinjapan · Answer

Thanks so much, Avangi.

AvangiDoes it mean that this is the second ever death penalty case to be handled by the lay judge system, and that the first one was handled by some other court?

Yes.

Avangi · Answer

I think it would be difficult to make the entire situation "perfectly clear" in a single sentence.

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