International Courant
A jury has acquitted a former Southern California elementary faculty janitor who spent years in jail after being accused of sexually abusing college students, his attorneys introduced Tuesday.
Pedro Martinez, of Hesperia, who’s been jailed since January 2019, was discovered not responsible on Monday on all 10 counts in opposition to him. An eleventh cost was dismissed throughout his 3 1/2-month-long trial, in response to a press release from his attorneys.
He has been launched.
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“We’re thrilled that Pedro Martinez has been discovered not responsible of any of the horrible crimes that he was accused of, and he’s house once more along with his household,” protection lawyer Ian Wallach stated within the assertion.
The protection emphasised a scarcity of correct proof, together with the absence of a connection between Martinez and any crimes on campus, and criticized legislation enforcement for mishandling the case. (Fox Information)
Martinez’s attorneys alleged there wasn’t any authentic proof within the case and accused the San Bernardino County District Lawyer’s Workplace and the Sheriff’s Division of bungling and misconduct. They did not instantly point out whether or not Martinez may sue however stated he’s contemplating his choices.
“Though the end result was not what we have been searching for, we wish to thank the members of the jury for his or her time and consideration,” the DA’s workplace stated in an e-mail.
An e-mail searching for remark from the Sheriff’s Departments wasn’t instantly returned.
Martinez was arrested after a girl who was a good friend of 1 pupil’s household claimed that for months he had been molesting 6-year-old boys at Maple Elementary Faculty in Hesperia, his attorneys stated.
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Prosecutors alleged Martinez took boys right into a classroom throughout faculty lunch durations and abused them. They charged him with a number of counts associated to sexual abuse of a kid.
A sheriff’s deputy who lacked particular coaching in interviewing kids spoke with three boys who denied any wrongdoing after which “seemingly prompted and coerced one in every of them to agree that some abuse occurred,” Martinez’s attorneys stated. “That’s the extent of the proof.”
Additional investigation, together with DNA testing and interviews with faculty staff, failed to attach Martinez to any crimes on campus, however he was arrested anyway, his legal professionals stated.
“Accusations of kid molestation are extraordinarily critical and we anticipate legislation enforcement to reply swiftly and to behave with integrity and professionalism at each step,” protection co-counsel Katherine Broom stated within the assertion. “On this case, legislation enforcement appeared to endorse this witch hunt and bought carried away with panic, satisfaction, and self-preservation.”
California faculty janitor cleared of sexual abuse costs after spending practically 5 years in jail
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