Spanish
San Juan, Puerto Rico. – Dominican César Emilio Peralta Adamez, known as “César the Abuser”, asked the federal justice of Puerto Rico for the delivery of the complete transcript of the hearing in which, in November 2022, he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after an agreement with the prosecution.
The request, filed by his lawyer Edwin J. Prado-Galarza, seeks to support a motion with which the defendant intends to withdraw his guilty plea, alleging that he did not receive "effective legal assistance" during that process. The court recently concluded that Peralta had violated the terms of the agreement, something that his defense rejects.
You may be interested in:Cesar Emilio Peralta the abuser
According to the document, the transcription would be key to demonstrating whether the statement was made knowingly and voluntarily. Furthermore, it would allow to support the claim of "ineffective counsel" as a legal basis to annul the agreement signed under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. In the aforementioned agreement, Peralta admitted to having participated between 2015 and 2019 in the distribution of at least five kilograms of cocaine, with the intention of sending the drug to the United States. The document also indicated a conspiracy to traffic at least 450 additional kilograms. The penalty contemplated was up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 10 million dollars. The case will continue on the next October 23rd, when a new hearing will be held to discuss the validity of the agreement and the defense's request. In the meantime, the defense insists that the prompt delivery of the transcript is "essential" to guarantee due process and the constitutional rights of the accused.
