http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/lo...ld-after-fatal-bike-crash-in-La-Romana-kgwcom
http://www.kptv.com/story/30534361/local-man-stuck-in-dominican-republic-after-misunderstanding
such things happen more often than some may guess,
but the moral is often the same:
"when a gringo is innocentally involved, the whitnesses disappear".
and reading the articles, i don't think that couple is aware of what will happen later on.
they think the preventional imprisonment(he is out on $4.500.- Bail and can sleep at the Caba?a)
"can" last up to 6 months. they still don't know that it WILL SURE last 6 months, because nobody of the dead guy's family will come to the prosecutor and state
"he is innocent and we will not file any claims with him".
he will do the 6 months without passport without any trial to happen,
because Trials are always sheduled AFTER the investigational time frame(here 6 months set by a judge) is up.
and that does not mean that he get's a Trial then,
after 6 months he will be heard by a judge and the prosecutors have to provide their "evidence",
so a judge (isn't it named "preliminary hearing" or such, sorry, i am not much familiar with the english wording) will decide if there is a case to follow up or if there is not enough evidence to accuse him of anything.
if not enough evidence, he will be released right away, After 6 months.
if that judge is convinced that there is evidence to run a trial, a trial date will be set.
that Trial Date can be many months and even a couple years After that hearing(after already trapped for 6 months on the Island).
this guy need's urgently a lawyer who finds the whitnesses of the accident, to "convince 'em that they have to tell the "trueth".
but they are on a budget.
they already bled 4.5K$$$ for Bail.
he may only have a provided lawyer, didn't read anything about a lawyer anywhere.
during those 6 months, it should start soon, he will have to run negociations with the family of the dead guy.
they want Money.
he is a Gringo, so they want a LOT of MONEY$$$$$.
the family's lawyer will try to convince him to a deal, the usual way such happenings get for most accidents finished here, a private agreement off the courts, so that there never will be any Trial or such.
at the moment a agreement is signed by both parties, the prosecutor's office will close the case as solved and he can go home.
but that costs big bucks, as he is a Gringo, the family is sure big and needs loads of money,
and they all know that the Gringo will be willing to negociate his mother away after a couple months stranded on the Isle.
and the couple needs money here for daily living, renting, eating etc etc etc.
he has to reach a private off court agreement with the family, what ever it cost's,
or he sure as helll will be trapped for 6 months and the a trial date will be set for a far longer time/date later in the future.
once a Trial Date is set,
he need's much more money for the new Bail, IF bail is granted then again.
his best bet, for his own best interests,
is to gather together some money(depends on the family's status, maybe with 10K$$$ he can reach a deal)
and settle with the family, get his passport and fly away as far and quick as possible.
sad things happening, if he really didn't kill the guy, just hit the bike lying on the Freeway after a already happened accident.
Mike
http://www.kptv.com/story/30534361/local-man-stuck-in-dominican-republic-after-misunderstanding
such things happen more often than some may guess,
but the moral is often the same:
"when a gringo is innocentally involved, the whitnesses disappear".
and reading the articles, i don't think that couple is aware of what will happen later on.
they think the preventional imprisonment(he is out on $4.500.- Bail and can sleep at the Caba?a)
"can" last up to 6 months. they still don't know that it WILL SURE last 6 months, because nobody of the dead guy's family will come to the prosecutor and state
"he is innocent and we will not file any claims with him".
he will do the 6 months without passport without any trial to happen,
because Trials are always sheduled AFTER the investigational time frame(here 6 months set by a judge) is up.
and that does not mean that he get's a Trial then,
after 6 months he will be heard by a judge and the prosecutors have to provide their "evidence",
so a judge (isn't it named "preliminary hearing" or such, sorry, i am not much familiar with the english wording) will decide if there is a case to follow up or if there is not enough evidence to accuse him of anything.
if not enough evidence, he will be released right away, After 6 months.
if that judge is convinced that there is evidence to run a trial, a trial date will be set.
that Trial Date can be many months and even a couple years After that hearing(after already trapped for 6 months on the Island).
this guy need's urgently a lawyer who finds the whitnesses of the accident, to "convince 'em that they have to tell the "trueth".
but they are on a budget.
they already bled 4.5K$$$ for Bail.
he may only have a provided lawyer, didn't read anything about a lawyer anywhere.
during those 6 months, it should start soon, he will have to run negociations with the family of the dead guy.
they want Money.
he is a Gringo, so they want a LOT of MONEY$$$$$.
the family's lawyer will try to convince him to a deal, the usual way such happenings get for most accidents finished here, a private agreement off the courts, so that there never will be any Trial or such.
at the moment a agreement is signed by both parties, the prosecutor's office will close the case as solved and he can go home.
but that costs big bucks, as he is a Gringo, the family is sure big and needs loads of money,
and they all know that the Gringo will be willing to negociate his mother away after a couple months stranded on the Isle.
and the couple needs money here for daily living, renting, eating etc etc etc.
he has to reach a private off court agreement with the family, what ever it cost's,
or he sure as helll will be trapped for 6 months and the a trial date will be set for a far longer time/date later in the future.
once a Trial Date is set,
he need's much more money for the new Bail, IF bail is granted then again.
his best bet, for his own best interests,
is to gather together some money(depends on the family's status, maybe with 10K$$$ he can reach a deal)
and settle with the family, get his passport and fly away as far and quick as possible.
sad things happening, if he really didn't kill the guy, just hit the bike lying on the Freeway after a already happened accident.
Mike