the federal judge Franz kiss approved a motion to defend the music producer Raphe Pina to postpone the sentencing hearing against him for the fourth time.
In an order from yesterday, Wednesday, The judge indicated that the hearing was postponed to Friday May 20th, in his federal courtroom in Old San Juan, just a week after it was adjourned to May 16. The hearing was originally scheduled to take place on April 1, but was later postponed to April 7.
On that occasion, the court agreed to Pina’s defense motion to postpone the hearing because the date coincided with the graduation of her youngest son, known as Chingui.
“On this date, Mr Pina Nieves’ youngest son will graduate from high school at the same time as his father’s sentencing hearing is scheduled. Mr Pina Nieves’ son wishes to be present at his father’s sentencing hearing. Conversely, Mr. Pina Nieves would also like to be present at his son’s graduation ceremony. From today’s perspective, both are impossible,” says the application submitted yesterday.
In the motion, the defense suggested the hearing be rescheduled to May 17, just another day late “to allow[Pina]to be present at her son’s graduation ceremony and to allow her son to speak during his hearing to be with his father for judgment”.
“This motion is made in good faith, in the interests of justice, and with no intention of delaying it,” the defense adds in its motion.
Watch an analysis with trial attorney Leo Aldridge on the Raphy Pina case here:
Pina Nieves was found guilty by a jury of illegal possession of two firearms – one converted to fire automatically – found by federal agents in one of his homes in Caguas.
The defense has insisted he has not been at the house for a long time and that other people had access to the safe, while prosecutors used a recording of a telephone conversation in which he allegedly heard Pina Nieves discuss the guns. .