Guatemalan National is Released without Charges

Hurl Hamilton

Attorney Hurl Hamilton believes that the action taken by the police department against Jorge Luis Reyes Villeda is an abuse of the process of the court and that his client is unlawfully detained.

Hurl Hamilton, Attorney

“Well it is very unfortunate and I am very surprised if indeed the police department would go through with such an action because respectfully, if the department is dissatisfied with the decision of the senior magistrate, there is an appeal process, there is an appellate process. This is the first time that I am hearing that the very same charges or at the very least they are threatening to institute the very same charges the senior magistrate found all three defendants not guilty for. If those charges were to be reinstituted—of course we are going to challenge the reinstitution of the charges—but if it were to be reinstituted, it would be an abuse of the process of the court. It is unlawful, the Guatemalan is unlawfully detained as we speak and that would give the prosecution a second bite at the cherry to fill in whatever gaps in their view they thought was lacking in the previous case. They would be given a second opportunity. It is an abuse of the process of the court. So I would hope that greater sense would prevail and that the department use another route to perhaps ventilate their dissatisfaction with the matter.”

This evening, Reyes Villeda was released from custody; no charges were levied against him.