Both Nomura and Tanoue have denied their involvement and claimed their innocence. Nomura was displeased with the court's sentence and seemingly threatened the presiding judge. After the court was vacated, Nomura told Adachi, "I asked you for a fair judgment. But this is not fair at all. You will regret this for the rest of your life." Tanoue also said, "You are awful, Mr. Adachi," as he left the courtroom. It was apparently the first time for prosecutors to seek a death penalty for a head of a gang recognized by the Prevention of Wrongful Acts by Members of Organized Crime Groups Law. The court's decision to grant the prosecution's demand is expected to impact future investigations of organized crime groups.