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An appeals court in the Dominican Republic has ordered a new trial for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, overturning his previous conviction on charges of sexually abusing a minor. The decision on Tuesday represents a significant legal victory for the embattled MLB player who had received a two-year suspended sentence earlier this year.
The court ruled in favor of Franco’s defense team, which had been pushing to have both his conviction and sentencing overturned. According to Franco’s attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, the appeals court identified numerous procedural issues with the original trial.
“The court understood that there were many flaws, many omissions…many issues, and decided to send the case to a new trial,” Jáquez explained to reporters outside the courthouse in Puerto Plata.
Despite the ruling, prosecutors maintained their confidence in the case against Franco. José Martínez Montan, the district attorney for Puerto Plata province where the case is being heard, expressed his continued belief in the evidence presented during the first trial.
“In a new trial, the procedures will be reevaluated. We won the case in the first trial, and we expect the same in the new trial,” Martínez Montan stated.
The case against Franco stems from allegations that he had a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 2023. Prosecutors had alleged that Franco transferred thousands of dollars to the girl’s mother to consent to the illegal relationship. In the original trial, a three-judge panel convicted Franco of sexual abuse of a minor but found him not guilty of charges related to sexual exploitation, commercial exploitation, and human trafficking.
The girl’s mother was also convicted in the original trial, found guilty of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tuesday’s ruling also grants her a new trial. Neither Franco nor the mother attended the appeals court hearing.
This legal saga has significantly disrupted what had been a promising baseball career. Franco, a prodigious talent, signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays in November 2021, one of the largest deals ever for a player with such limited major league experience. At the time, the contract was seen as a franchise-defining move for the small-market Rays.
However, Franco’s career derailed in August 2023 when Dominican authorities announced their investigation into his alleged relationship with a minor. Franco, who was 22 years old at the time of the alleged relationship, was placed on administrative leave by MLB shortly after the allegations surfaced.
The legal process escalated in January 2024 when Franco was arrested in the Dominican Republic. By June 2024, the Tampa Bay Rays placed him on the restricted list, which terminated the salary payments he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
Major League Baseball has maintained its own investigation into the matter throughout the legal proceedings. Following Tuesday’s court ruling, MLB officials confirmed that their investigation remains ongoing, suggesting that Franco’s baseball future remains uncertain regardless of the legal outcome in the Dominican Republic.
During the original trial, one of the judges, Jakayra Veras García, had been particularly critical of the mother’s actions, including her requests that Franco pay for her daughter’s education and other expenses. “Apparently, she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,” Veras remarked during the June proceedings.
The new trial ordered by the appeals court will be overseen by a different panel of judges, though no timeline has yet been established for when proceedings might begin.
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9 Comments
The appeals court’s decision to order a retrial suggests the original proceedings may have had some procedural flaws. It’s important that the new trial examines all the evidence objectively and reaches a just conclusion.
Absolutely. Due process and the rule of law must be upheld, regardless of the defendant’s high-profile status. A fair and impartial trial is essential.
This is a complex legal matter involving serious allegations. I hope the new trial is conducted with the utmost care and diligence to determine the facts and reach a fair outcome, whatever that may be.
Sexual abuse allegations are always disturbing, but the appeals court seems to have identified legitimate concerns with the initial trial. A new, thorough process is warranted to ensure justice is served.
The fact that the appeals court saw enough flaws to order a retrial suggests there may have been issues with the initial proceedings. I’m curious to see how the new trial plays out and whether the prosecution can solidify their case.
Allegations of sexual abuse are always very serious. I hope the new trial is fair and thorough, and that the rights of all parties involved are fully protected. These types of cases can be challenging to navigate.
Wander Franco is a high-profile MLB player, so this case is likely to get a lot of media attention. It will be interesting to see if the new trial reaches a different conclusion than the first one.
You’re right, the public profile of this case adds an extra layer of complexity. The judicial process needs to be fair and impartial, regardless of the defendant’s celebrity status.
This is a complex legal case with a lot of nuance. It’s good that the appeals court identified issues with the original trial and ordered a new one. Hopefully the truth will come out and justice will be served, whatever that may be.