The Second Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal of the National District appointed another judge to hear the defamation proceedings against journalist Marino Zapete. Zapete was sued for defamation by Maybeth Rodríguez Sánchez, sister of Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez, after the journalist presented evidence of irregularities in government procurement in documents signed by Maybeth Rodríguez.
The court, presided over by Ysis Muñiz Almonte, is composed of Pedro Antonio Sánchez Rivera, Omar Jiménez Rosa and Rosalba Garib Holguín. Meeting in the Council Chamber, the court made the decision after accepting a challenge against the judge of the Fourth Criminal Court of the National District, Franny González.
Zapete’s defense, lawyers ElsaTrinidad Gutiérrez Guillén, Carlos Polanco Rodríguez, Laura Yisell Rodríguez and Víctor Rogelio Benavides, had sought Gonzalez’s recusal for being partial. The court of appeals voted in favor of Zapete, arguing among other issues that the press should not have been denied access to the hearing.
17 February 2020