Friend on Drugs Charge - UPDATE
For those of you interested in the Stuart Ratner case, I am sorry to report there has been little development from the judiciary yet. His lawyer advises me that the hearing on the 13th inst. was to determine IF there was a case to answer & IF so, whether Mr. Ratner should be allowed bail. THIS, after he has spent some 12 weeks in goal!! The judge is supposed to make up his mind within 30 days of the hearing but I understand that IF he feels so inclined, he can ask for further time to make his mind on what action he wishes to take.
Having talked more fully with Mr. Ratner’s lawyer now, it seems that there is proof that the security guard employed by Mr. Ratner had been running a profitable sideline with the Marijuana plants in the adjoining sugar-cane fields, having two Haitians tending the plants for him. It is also known that the drugs “found” in Mr. Ratner’s bedroom were planted & the name of the planter has been passed on to the police by the lawyer. We are not sure what action the police are going to take but nothing has been done yet – after 3 weeks of this information being passed on to them.
The American embassy in Santo Domingo is making it’s own inquiries (I gather a member of the D.E.A. has been over here investigating the investigators) & the irregularities are giving cause for concern. The problem is not just for this case but for situations in the future where less evidence of innocence is available to the police. We the expatriate community on the North Coast are concerned that we might not be given a fair hearing as to our innocence & anyone thinking of coming to live here should have the same qualms.
If you do have concerns along this line, please do get in touch with the Embassy in Santo Domingo – contact Mrs. Julie Steinhart or Mrs. Watt – stating your desires to live here but concerns over the ease with which innocent people can be framed & then imprisoned without trial. Should you also feel strongly enough to contact your local Civil Rights organisation, your congressman or local/national press, we shall be extremely delighted. I am sure all us expatriates will sleep happier knowing that the Civil Rights lobby will be talking to the D.R Government to get things changed. If anyone has constructive suggestions or comments to make on this case, please feel free to contact me on the attached e-mail address & I will ensure they are passed on to the lawyer of Mr. Ratner.
For those of you who have contacted DR – OPIN on this case, please advise me with a copy of their reply if you get one. Again, the lawyer would be delighted to see the official stance on any questions posed to them about Civil Rights problems.
Thanks to all for your support – Grahame Bush.
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