Rookie Prosecutor Intoxicated and Assaulting Police, Suspected of 'Surprise Deposit'

An active prosecutor who was indicted for assaulting and insulting a police officer while intoxicated has paid a deposit to the court. The deposit was made just before the first trial verdict, sparking controversy over whether it was a 'surprise deposit.'

According to the Seoul Southern District Court on the 12th, Prosecutor A (29) from the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who was indicted on charges including obstruction of official duties and insult, made a criminal deposit on the 5th. With the first trial verdict for Prosecutor A scheduled for the 13th, there are suspicions that this 'surprise deposit' was made right before the verdict.

A criminal deposit is a system under Article 5-2 of the Deposit Act, where a defendant in a criminal case, unable to know the victim's personal information, entrusts a settlement amount to the court for the victim. Until now, surprise deposits made by defendants after the conclusion of arguments, without the victim's consent, just before the verdict, have been controversial because they can lead to sentence reductions or prevent victims from submitting objections to the criminal deposit. In response, the National Assembly amended the Criminal Procedure Act last September to prevent perpetrators in criminal cases from lowering their punishment by making deposits just before the verdict. This regulation will take effect on January 17 next year and thus does not apply to this case.

Prosecutor A's defense counsel explained, "As the defendant, we proceeded with the deposit in the quickest way possible within the criminal procedure," adding, "The deposit was made to provide monetary compensation for the victims' damage recovery, and to avoid misunderstandings about a surprise deposit, we have already submitted a statement to the court stating that 'under no circumstances will the deposit be withdrawn.'"

Earlier, Prosecutor A is accused of assaulting a police officer with a fist and insulting them while intoxicated on a main road in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, last April. It was also investigated that Prosecutor A resisted and used physical force against the police officer even after being taken to the police station.