<Begin Segment 12>

TI: So at what point did you have a hearing? I mean, you were in these kind of holding cells waiting. Did you have a hearing or a trial?

KY: We had nothing. We had to wait almost six months for the grand jury to come. So when the grand jury came in, they took us to court, all of us plead guilty except one fellow, and we pled nolo contendere. And one fellow wanted a jury trial. So the nolo contendere, went back to the cell, and they said, well, we got two-year sentence.

TI: Actually, don't hit your microphone, because it --

KY: So the nolo contendere got two years, and the fellow that asked for a jury trial, he went to trial and he got five years, because he wanted a jury trial. And so we went from there --

TI: So let me make sure I understand this. So because this person, one person out of the group asked for a jury trial, you think he was being punished by being given a longer sentence?

KY: Yeah, because, see, he asked for jury trial.

TI: Because the other ones sort of went no contest, but one person went to a jury trial, and his sentence was five years.

KY: Five years.

TI: Versus how long did you and the others get, that did no contest?

KY: We got two years, two years. But actually, by the time I was, served the six months, and eighteen months in the road camp, that was two years. So actually I served two years. But all of us went to Tucson road camp.

TI: And going back to the -- I'm just thinking -- did you have a lawyer to help you decide to plead no contest or advise you what your rights were?

KY: No, no, we had nothing. Well, the thing is, I don't know what the other fellows felt, but to me, I figure, well, I'm in a concentration camp. They did what they want, it's no use me trying to fight the government, so I just went the best way I could go by going in the draft, doing my time, and get out and come home. Because the thing is, I figured, I'm a citizen, actually, so what can they do to me but send me back to Japan, by taking my citizenship. But I says, they can't do that, because I'm born and raised here, so I'm a citizen. So they had to leave me here. So in my long run, I knew that I eventually would stay in the United States, because I was born here and I'm a citizen. So after the war ended, sure enough, they gave us a pardon. Served my eighteen months, came out, and I think within three months, we got a pardon. All the draft resisters got a pardon.

TI: Right, so President Truman did this.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2007 Densho. All Rights Reserved.