Murder charge reduced to manslaughter on appeal

A man whose sentence was originally life imprisonment will now get a chance to live a normal life, that is after he serves eighteen years behind bars. Thirty-one year old Jesus Olivarez, whose appeal was allowed yesterday, had his murder conviction reduced to manslaughter by the Court of Appeal. The sentence will take effect as of November twenty-seventh, 2006, the day that Olivarez received his life sentence from Justice Michelle Arana. Olivarez’ conviction was in connection with the fatal chopping of twenty-three year old Elois Vasquez on the night of January thirty-first, 2003 in Corozal Town. His appeal was allowed on the grounds that the trial judge failed to direct the jury that if there was provocation, then the verdict should be manslaughter. Olivarez’ brothers, Eliseo and Margarito, were both convicted of Manslaughter for the same incident and sentenced to fifteen years. They had appealed their convictions and sentences, but those appeals were dismissed.