Judge rejects request to review Wander Franco's coercive actions

The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop sought to no longer have to appear before the Dominican authorities on the 30th of every month and to return the money offered as bail for his release.

he First Educational Court of the Judicial District of Puerto Platain the northern Dominican Republic, as a judge Pascual Francisco Abreu ValenzuelaThe request submitted by the lawyer was rejected Wonder Franco The coercive measures that were issued against him last Friday, January 5, have been changed, according to judicial documents obtained by SBN Digital.

Through an application submitted to the court on February 23, the legal representative of Wonder Franco In the Dominican Republic, he asked the court that was in charge of requesting a change to the periodic offer order on the 30th of every month that was issued against the player, as well as the return of the financial guarantee amounting to two million Dominican pesos. (about 34 thousand US dollars).

In writing the legal representative of sincere He asked the court to return the amount of bail granted to the baseball player and allow him to learn about the judicial process against him with complete and simple freedom.Because the budgets varied, which led to imposing the same thing“, according to what he decides Code of Criminal Procedure of the Dominican Republic.

Judge Abreu Valenzuela The said request was rejected, through Resolution No. 273-2024-SREV-00052, stating: “This proposal must be rejected in its entirety, because the measure that was imposed has a purpose, which is to ensure the presence of the accused in the process, and therefore this is the most appropriate measure for the purposes of the process and a six (6) month period at the time of imposing the measure, for the purposes of providing conclusive action on the part of the investigating body and the accused. Therefore, in this case, it proceeds to reject the proposed request.“.

It is reported that last January Puerto Plata Prosecutor's OfficeIn cooperation with The Public Prosecution Office specializes in combating money laundering And the National Directorate for Children and Adolescents of the Dominican Republicfiled a request for coercive measures against the shortstop Tampa Bay Rays For allegedly committing crimes of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering in relation to a 14-year-old minor, his mother is also being persecuted in connection with these incidents.

On this occasion, the judge Romaldi Marcelino Henriquez It ordered the temporary release of Franco since he paid the aforementioned amount of two million Dominican pesos, in addition to presenting him before the authorities on the 30th of every month, and gave the Public Prosecution a period of six months to file its official accusation against the football player. .

Franco stays out of baseball MLB Since last year and recently, with the start of the 2024 season, it has become rays They placed the player on administrative leave again until June 1, so he remains away from the team until now.