Great news this evening...
Rebecca has been released from prison and is safe at her sister Barbara's home.
She was released this evening and was breaking open a bottle of champagne as she called.
Rebecca sends her thanks to all and indicated that she will be writing an entry for the blog very soon. So, for now there's not much else to say. I will leave it for her to tell the details.
Again, thank you to all that have kept her in your hearts and minds and done what you could to raise awareness. Rebecca and her family thank you for your prayers and support.
Best to all,
David Dickinson
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
One Step Forward... Two Steps Back
Just when we thought it was all over, the Mexican government pulls another rabbit out of their hat!
As Rebecca's sister, Barbara, was preparing to go pick her up and bring her home... the phone rings. Everything is on hold all of a sudden.
Guess what? The prosecution gets to appeal the acquittal. Will they? That is yet to be determined, but they have three days to do it and in the meantime, Rebecca will stay in custody.
Assuming that they don't, Wednesday is the last day that she can be released until Monday. It seems that there won't be anyone around to process her between Thursday and Sunday. So, if she isn't out on Wednesday, she has to wait until Monday.
Tick... tock... tick... tock.
I'll keep you posted...
More prayers, please.
As Rebecca's sister, Barbara, was preparing to go pick her up and bring her home... the phone rings. Everything is on hold all of a sudden.
Guess what? The prosecution gets to appeal the acquittal. Will they? That is yet to be determined, but they have three days to do it and in the meantime, Rebecca will stay in custody.
Assuming that they don't, Wednesday is the last day that she can be released until Monday. It seems that there won't be anyone around to process her between Thursday and Sunday. So, if she isn't out on Wednesday, she has to wait until Monday.
Tick... tock... tick... tock.
I'll keep you posted...
More prayers, please.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Acquitted
I just received information that Rebecca has been acquitted and is going to be set free! She was in court today as the judge made his decision to let her go!
Her nightmare is over!
I will post more as I know more, but wanted to get word out immediately to all that have followed with interest.
To everyone that has followed and been a part of the positive energy and prayers... Rebecca and her family thank you.
Again, I will post more as I know more.
David Dickinson
Seattle, WA
Her nightmare is over!
I will post more as I know more, but wanted to get word out immediately to all that have followed with interest.
To everyone that has followed and been a part of the positive energy and prayers... Rebecca and her family thank you.
Again, I will post more as I know more.
David Dickinson
Seattle, WA
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
UPDATE
I just talked to Rebecca from the prison.
Here are the basics of what is happening...
Here are the basics of what is happening...
- For the first time in over 4 YEARS, she was just given a copy of her Constitutional Rights in writing, although it is in Spanish.
- It appears that they are trying to do the right thing, finally.
- She will make a new "Declaration" (deposition) tommorow at an "Audience" before the court
- A decision will be reached on Sunday just after 1 PM as to whether she will be set free or begin a re-trial
- The desicion will be based on her "Declaration"
So, from what Rebecca said, everyone in the court is running around trying to make sure that they get it right this time. They are bending over backwards to provide her attorney with information.
There has been no contact from the Consulate. Now, I would suspect that the court, in their effort to get it right and make sure that her rights are not violated again, would try to make contat with the Consulate. I don't know, but I would think so. Her attorney will try to make contact tommorow with the Consulate.
I will post more info as it becomes available.
In the meantime, if you believe in prayer, the power of positive thinking or sending focused energy into the Universe... send some Rebecca's direction that will cause the Mexican judicial system to set Rebecca free.
Rebeca and her family are grateful for all of the support you have provided.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Amparo News!
I have not posted in quite some time, as Rebecca's case has been in a holding pattern, wating for the third stage of the Mexican (in)justice system to run it's course. I am referring to the Amparo.
After her initial conviction, a railroad job at best, we waited for justice to be done in the appeal court. As you may have read a long time ago on this blog, that process was delayed after her case was moved to another court due to a large case load. That was a huge disappointment, because the first appeal judge stated that they would make it a priority and ensure that justice was served. Well, the case was moved and went to the bottom of a new stack of cases in a diffeent court.
The new appeal came back and was another huge disappointment, because it seemed obvious that the new appeal judge did not actually review the entire case that showed no real evidence against Rebecca. Instead, it did appear that the judege simply reviewed the sentencing document and upheld her conviction. This is almost understandable, due to the undercurrent of claims in the system that it was a difficult case and as thick as it was and so convoluted, would have required great diligence on the part of the judge. This is not to make excuses, by any means, but simply to point out how the process has worked against Rebecca so far.
In any event, yesterday brought news from the third stage of the Mexican judicial system, the Amparo. An Amparo is a three judge panel that is charged with a complete, unbiased and unswayed review and is the last possible appeal.
The good news is that they revoked Rebecca's sentence. That is also the bad news. Let me try to explain to the best of my understanding from what I could decipher from a brief conversation with Rebecca and then her sister ,Barbara.
The good news:
By the sentence being revoked, the whole process starts over. By starting over, I mean from the moment she gave her first "declaration." Think deposition. So, when the US Consulate failed to provide an interpretor back in February 2006, her rights were abused and so, the Amparo judges believe that that is where the case needs to go... back to where Rebecca was not represented, her statments were twisted, she signed (under duress) a statement that was not in context with what she would have stated had she had proper representation. Sounds complicated, right? It was. Kind of like Guantanamo to most of us.
So, by starting at this point and having a proper statement issued, withut any twisting of her words and knowing exactly what she is signing, a judge has to look at the case in it's proper context. Odds are, and we are cetainly hopeful, that the case will not move any further from there and Rebecca will be set free, basically uncharged.
The bad news:
This also allows for the Mexican (in)justice system to run her through the ringer all over again from the initial trial, appeal, and another Amparo, should it all go that far again.
Disclaimer to all of the above... I want to make it clear that I may not have all of the facts absolutely correct here, and I don't know that Rebecca is certain of what all this means yet, either. This entry to the blog is an effort to update those that have been following with interest and concern, the plight of Rebecca Roth... "Prisoner in Paradise."
We should have some news soon and I will post anything I hear as soon as it is made available to me.
After her initial conviction, a railroad job at best, we waited for justice to be done in the appeal court. As you may have read a long time ago on this blog, that process was delayed after her case was moved to another court due to a large case load. That was a huge disappointment, because the first appeal judge stated that they would make it a priority and ensure that justice was served. Well, the case was moved and went to the bottom of a new stack of cases in a diffeent court.
The new appeal came back and was another huge disappointment, because it seemed obvious that the new appeal judge did not actually review the entire case that showed no real evidence against Rebecca. Instead, it did appear that the judege simply reviewed the sentencing document and upheld her conviction. This is almost understandable, due to the undercurrent of claims in the system that it was a difficult case and as thick as it was and so convoluted, would have required great diligence on the part of the judge. This is not to make excuses, by any means, but simply to point out how the process has worked against Rebecca so far.
In any event, yesterday brought news from the third stage of the Mexican judicial system, the Amparo. An Amparo is a three judge panel that is charged with a complete, unbiased and unswayed review and is the last possible appeal.
The good news is that they revoked Rebecca's sentence. That is also the bad news. Let me try to explain to the best of my understanding from what I could decipher from a brief conversation with Rebecca and then her sister ,Barbara.
The good news:
By the sentence being revoked, the whole process starts over. By starting over, I mean from the moment she gave her first "declaration." Think deposition. So, when the US Consulate failed to provide an interpretor back in February 2006, her rights were abused and so, the Amparo judges believe that that is where the case needs to go... back to where Rebecca was not represented, her statments were twisted, she signed (under duress) a statement that was not in context with what she would have stated had she had proper representation. Sounds complicated, right? It was. Kind of like Guantanamo to most of us.
So, by starting at this point and having a proper statement issued, withut any twisting of her words and knowing exactly what she is signing, a judge has to look at the case in it's proper context. Odds are, and we are cetainly hopeful, that the case will not move any further from there and Rebecca will be set free, basically uncharged.
The bad news:
This also allows for the Mexican (in)justice system to run her through the ringer all over again from the initial trial, appeal, and another Amparo, should it all go that far again.
Disclaimer to all of the above... I want to make it clear that I may not have all of the facts absolutely correct here, and I don't know that Rebecca is certain of what all this means yet, either. This entry to the blog is an effort to update those that have been following with interest and concern, the plight of Rebecca Roth... "Prisoner in Paradise."
We should have some news soon and I will post anything I hear as soon as it is made available to me.
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