After protracted litigation, in 2002 the Tokyo District Court awarded Kitagawa an 8.8 million yen judgment against "Shukan Bunshun", finding that the articles defamed him. "Shukan Bunshun" appealed the ruling. In a partial reversal of the district court, the Tokyo High Court in 2003 ruled that the "Shukan Bunshun" series did in fact defame Kitagawa; however, it ruled that the defamatory content of the articles was limited to the allegations that Kitagawa had provided minors with alcohol and tobacco products. The court found that the "Shukan Bunshun" had sufficient reason to accept as trustworthy, and publish, the sexual allegations by Kitagawa's former clients. Kitagawa appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, but in 2004 it rejected his appeal.