Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) deputy for the province of Sanchez Ramirez, Sadoky Duarte, remained silent on 26 October 2022, after hearing the ruling of the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) that sentenced him to three months suspended imprisonment and the payment of a fine of RD$3,500.
News analyst Altagracia Salazar commented that while symbolic, the sentence will remain on the legislator’s record for life, and is a message to legislators that they do not have a license to do what they want. She says it sets a precedent and is a small but important victory for justice in the Dominican Republic.
The judges of the criminal chamber of the Supreme Francisco Jerez Mena, Frank Soto and Francisco Ortega Polanco issued the ruling.
The Supreme Court established that the legislator used his political position. It also determined that he incurred in violence without a firearm, when he slapped a policewoman who was doing her job.
The SCJ found the legislator guilty of violating articles 209, 212, 224 and 230 of the Penal Code, which punish the crimes of rebellion, insult and violence against the public authority.
The SCJ says the legislator is guilty of rebellion, outrage and violence against public authority, to the detriment of Police private Disleidy Heredia Figueroa and prosecutor Francis Alberto Valerio Martinez, in the incident that occurred in Cotui in December 2020.
“He is not going to speak, he is not going to speak”, expressed repeatedly his lawyer Valentin Medrano at the exit of the courtroom with his client. He said the ruling would be appealed on grounds that it is contradictory.
The criminal court of the SCJ ruled that the three-month sentence is subject to compliance with the condition that the legislator refrain from visiting the places where the victims frequent. The court warned that if this rule is not complied with, the imprisonment will be executed. The enforcement of the sentence imposed shall be administered by the ordinary enforcement judge.
The full reading of sentence number SCJ-SS-22-1191 is set for 15 November 2022. The judges ordered the notification of the sentence to the Chamber of Deputies.
The case was heard after the policewoman filed a complaint on 28 December 2022 against the deputy for aggression. She later withdrew the complaint, but the Public Prosecutor’s Office continued the action.
Duarte becomes the first deputy to be sentenced by the Supreme Court of Justice. Seven others, including four representing the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) are accused of crimes.
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Altagracia Salazar – El Patio
Diario Libre
27 October 2022