The Judicial Process against the Nationalist Leadership
The new trial against some of the men who are part of the nationalist leadership is scheduled for next Monday.
The jury “panel” has already been selected by the secretariat of the Court and the jury commissioner in the same secretariat.
The defense was not notified to witness the draw.
The same procedure that was used to select the Jury in the trial that just ended with a no-verdict has been repeated.
The defense in that case requested the annulment of the jury selection because in its opinion the law requires that the selection be made in the courtroom and in public session. The presiding judge denied that request from the defense, but it will be necessary to insist on this pointing out of the nullity of the jury selection, and for that purpose a new motion will be filed requesting that the jury draw held in the secretariat of the Court be declared null and void.
According to the draw that has been published, the jury panel from which the twelve gentlemen who will constitute the petit jury will be chosen — which will be invested by law to resolve on the innocence or guilt of the accused — twenty-eight are Americans and only twelve are Puerto Ricans.
According to these figures, it is possible that the entire jury will be made up of Americans.
Needless to say, the situation that has been created with the selection of a jury “panel” composed of twenty-eight Americans and twelve Puerto Ricans is extremely serious. For that sole reason, the new trial begins tainted with nullity in law and in morality.
What is the Government of the United States trying to do? Provoke bloodshed? Kill the men who oppose its regime?
Our responsibility and our Homeland oblige us to speak clearly. It is strange to see a power provoking the disturbance of peace and public tranquility and stirring up the spirits of a peaceful nation like ours so that it is forced to appeal to the resources of violence.
When the verdict of the Petit Jury was read in the past trial, only journalists and the accused with their defenders were admitted into the room. The public was excluded. The room designated for this was kept closed. The public was not only excluded from the room but from the building and its surroundings.
Instead, the building was full of uniformed police and plainclothes officers and soldiers, and in the courtroom there were numerous bailiffs in shirt sleeves with forty-five pistols at their belts.
The session room gave the impression of a chamber of death.
It seems that a guilty verdict was expected.
The Press confirmed this impression, that all these measures had been taken to lead the accused to the Fortress of El Morro. The military force had been mobilized and was quartered.
The Government of the United States appears blind with anger and vengeance. Now we understand the prayer of our women when they ask God to calm the thirst for blood of […]