SAITAMA (Kyodo) The defendant in the second trial held under the lay judge system accepted on Thursday his 4 1/2-year prison term, thus becoming the first to have a ruling finalized, the Saitama District Court said.

Prosecutors, who had sought a six-year prison term, said there was no reason to appeal the ruling because their arguments were accepted for the most part and the sentence reflected the opinions of the citizens serving as judges.

Shigeyuki Miyake, 35, was found guilty Aug. 12 of trying to kill an acquaintance in May over money trouble in the second trial involving citizen judges.

The victim sustained a serious wound.

"The citizen judges understood what I thought. I'm satisfied (with their decision)," Miyake was quoted as saying by his lawyer, Kiyoshi Magawa.

Separately, the Aomori District Court has promised to protect the privacy of the victim when it selects lay judges for a rape trial, a local women's group said Thursday.

The court told the group it will not reveal the victim's name or address to lay judge candidates during the selection process for the trial, which is slated to start Sept. 2.

The court suggested that those who are prejudiced against rape victims may not be eligible to become lay judges.

The victim will be in a separate room and take part in the proceedings using a monitor.