The lawyers in Sendai had been aware of that from the first public trial, but they did not mention it because they knew it would soon reach the statute of limitations for those misdemeanors and wanted to draw out the trial.
仙台側弁護士は、初公判の時点でこのことにも気づいていたが、軽罪での時効が迫っていたため、あえて裁判を長引かせ、時効を狙うために1審の起訴状については言及しなかった。