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Weintraub: Torres’ declaration meant to harass, humiliate
Assistant attorney general Betsy Weintraub has accused defense lawyer Victorino Torres of filing a declaration that was intended to harass and humiliate her, not just before the Superior Court, but before the community.
Weintraub was referring to the declaration filed in court in which Torres took issue with Weintraub’s alleged use of the word c___r to refer to him.
Torres, who is counsel for a man accused of punching another at a Garapan bar, earlier said that Weintraub referred him as a “c__r.”
Weintraub said that Torres shouldn’t have raised the issue with Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho as it was a private conversation that he had overheard.
She said it was a personal matter that Torres should have either ignored or addressed with her directly. After bringing it to Camacho’s attention, he should have let the matter go, she said. Instead, Weintraub said, Torres filed an inflammatory declaration, repeatedly referencing her by name.
She said that Torres failed to include the reason why she was upset.
Weintraub said she had just learned that, while she was outside the courtroom, Torres had made “unsolicited, condescending, and misogynistic ex parte statements” to Camacho about her.
Weintraub said while she does not defend her word choice, she had every right to be outraged by Torres’ unprofessional conduct.
The prosecutor asked the court to strike Torres’ declaration.
The trial will resume today, Wednesday.
