Calico Joeの巻末に同じくJohn Grishamが書いた小説The Racketeerの紹介があったので、これも読む事にしました。この話は10年の刑で刑務所に入っている弁護士の話から始まりました。
Now I was surrounded by a bunch of toy soldiers who’d never heard a shot fired in anger and couldn’t run a mile without collapsing. And they were the good guys.
When we arrived at the jail, there was a photographer from the local newspaper. My goons walked me slowly inside, making sure I would be well photographed. Their version of the perp walk.
刑務所に入る所ですが、"perp walk" は何か特別な歩き方なのでしょうか? ・Oxford English Dictionary: An act of walking into or out of a police station, courthouse, etc., that a person in police custody is made to perform for the benefit of the media: scores of high-ranking executives have been subject to perp walks
・Dictionary.com: the parading by police of a handcuffed arrested suspect for the benefit of media and bystanders: In court, Valente showed he knows how to dress for a perp walk, sporting a striped shirt and a purple scarf.
Word Origin: short for perpetrator walk
・Farlex Financial Dictionary: Informal; the practice of the police allowing the media to photograph or tape a recently arrested suspect. Some disagree with this practice as it may allow the suspect to be convicted in public opinion before the trial. On the other hand, police do it in order to assure the public that they are doing their job. Perp walks may affect business; for example, if the police parade a recently arrested CEO of a company, it may negatively impact a company's stock price.
日本の企業のトップが雁首そろえてく行う口先だけの「ごめんなさい会見」を連想します。これは英語で "perp appology" と言えば通じる気がしました。何せ三菱自動車は不正の常習犯ですから。